شكل

4 اشكل ذ [primarily] signifies صَارَ ذَا شَكْلٍ [meaning It, or he, was, or became, such as had a likeness or resemblance, or a like, or match, &c.]. (TA.) ― -b2- [And hence, app.,] said of a thing, or case, or an affair; (S, Mgh, O, Msb, K;) as also ↓ شَكَلَ, (O, K, TA, [in the CK, erroneously, شَكِلَ, evidently not meant by the author of the K, as it is his rule, after mentioning a verb of this form, to add كَفَرِحَ or the like,]) inf. n. شَكْلٌ; (TA;) and ↓ شكّل, (K,) inf. n. تَشْكِيلٌ; (TA;) (assumed tropical:) It was, or became, dubious, or confused; syn. اِلْتَبَسَ, (S, O, Msb, K,) and اِخْتَلَطَ, (O, TA,) or اِشْتَبَهَ: (Mgh:) [and ↓ اشتكل is mentioned in this sense by Golius as on the authority of J (whom I do not find to have mentioned it either in this art. or elsewhere), and by Freytag as on the authority of Abu-l-'Alà: accord. to Sh, اشكل in this sense is from شُكْلَةٌ signifying “ redness mixed with whiteness: ” (see مُشْكِلٌ:) but] accord. to Er-Rághib, اـِشْكَالٌ in a thing, or case, or an affair, is metaphorical, [and] like اِشْتِبَاهٌ from الشِبْهُ. (TA.) One says, اشكل الأَمْرُ عَلَى الرَّجُلِ (assumed tropical:) [ The thing, or case, or affair, was, or became, dubious, or confused, to the man ]; and ↓ شَكَلَ means the same. (Zj, O.) And أَشْكَلَتْ عَلَىَّ الأَخْبَارُ (assumed tropical:) [ The tidings were dubious, or confused, to me ], and أَحْكَلَتْ; both meaning the same. (TA.) And one says also, عَلَيْهِ اـِشْكَالٌ and عليه اـِشْكَالَاتٌ [meaning There is doubt, or uncertainty, and there are doubts, or uncertainties, respecting it: thus using the inf. n. as a simple subst., and therefore pluralizing it]. (Mz, 3rd نوع; &c.) ― -b3- It is also said of a disease; [app. as meaning (assumed tropical:) It became nearly cured; because still in a somewhat doubtful state;] like as you say تَمَاثَلَ; and so ↓ شَكَلَ. (TA.) ― -b4- اشكل النَّخْلُ The palm-trees became in that state in which their dates were sweet (Ks, S, A, O, K) and ripe, (Ks, S, O, Msb,) or nearly ripe; (A, TA;) and ↓ تشكّل signifies the same. (O.) ― -b5- And اشكلت العَيْنُ The eye had in it what is termed شُكْلَةٌ [q. v.: see also شَكَلٌ]. (K.) -A2- اشكل الكِتَابَ: see 1.