← Back to Lisan al-Arab
نوء
Root entry · 15 derived lemmasThis root primarily concerns the concepts of bearing a heavy load with difficulty, or being weighed down by it. It extends to the idea of a star descending or setting, and by extension, the celestial phenomena associated with these descents, which were linked to weather patterns in pre-Islamic Arabia.
Derived headwords
نَاءَverb
- 1.to bear with difficultyboth
To rise or move with great effort and hardship, often due to being heavily burdened.
- 2.to be weighed downboth
To be burdened or heavy, to the point of sinking or falling.
نَاءَ بِجُمْلِهِ يَنُوءُ نَوْءًا وَتَنْوَاءً — He bore his load with effort and hardship.
نَاءَ بِالحِمْلِ إِذَا نَهَضَ بِهِ مُثْقَلًا — He bore the load when he rose with it, being weighed down.
المَرْأَةُ تَنُوءُ بِعَجِيزَتِهَا أَيْ تُثْقِلُهَا — The woman's backside weighs her down.
نَاءَ النَّجْمُ إِذَا سَقَطَ — The star set.
أَنَاءَverb
- 1.to weigh downboth
To make something heavy, to burden it, or to cause it to incline or lean.
وَأَنَاءَهُ مِثْلُ أَنَاعَهُ: أَثْقَلَهُ وَأَمَالَهُ — And it weighed him down, like it made him heavy: it burdened him and inclined him.
تَنَاءَverb
- 1.to bear with difficultyboth
To rise or move with great effort and hardship, often due to being heavily burdened. This form is often used interchangeably with the basic form.
نَاءَ بِجُمْلِهِ يَنُوءُ نَوْءًا وَتَنْوَاءً — He bore his load with effort and hardship.
نَوَّاءٌnoun
- 1.effort and hardshipclassical
The act of rising or moving with great effort and difficulty.
نَاءَ بِجُمْلِهِ يَنُوءُ نَوْءًا وَتَنْوَاءً — He bore his load with effort and hardship.
نَوْءnoun
- 1.descent of a starclassical
The setting or descending of a star, particularly one of the lunar mansions, observed in the west at dawn.
- 2.celestial phenomenonclassical
The appearance of a star in the east corresponding to the descent of another in the west, often associated with rain or wind.
- 3.burdenboth
A heavy load or weight that causes difficulty or inclination.
وَالنَّوْءُ: النَّجْمُ إِذَا مَالَ لِلْمَغِيبِ — And the nau' (نوء): the star when it inclines towards setting.
مَطَرْنَا بِنَوْءِ الثُّرَيَّا — We were rained upon by the nau' of the Pleiades.
وَقِيلَ: مَعْنَى النَّوْءِ سُقُوطُ نَجْمٍ مِنَ المَنَازِلِ فِي المَغْرِبِ مَعَ الفَجْرِ — It is said: the meaning of nau' is the falling of a star from the mansions in the west with the dawn.
أَنْوَاءٌnoun
- 1.celestial phenomenaclassical
Plural of nau', referring to the series of lunar mansions and their associated weather patterns.
وَفِي الحَدِيثِ: ثَلَاثٌ مِنْ أَمْرِ الجَاهِلِيَّةِ: الطَّعْنُ فِي الأَنْسَابِ وَالنِّيَاحَةُ وَالأَنْوَاءُ — And in the Hadith: Three things are from the matters of ignorance: disparaging genealogies, wailing, and the anwa' (أنواء).
أَنَاعَهُverb
- 1.to weigh downboth
To make something heavy, to burden it, or to cause it to incline or lean.
وَأَنَاءَهُ مِثْلُ أَنَاعَهُ: أَثْقَلَهُ وَأَمَالَهُ — And it weighed him down, like it made him heavy: it burdened him and inclined him.
مُسْتَنَاءٌnoun
- 1.seeker of favorclassical
One who seeks or requests something, particularly favor or sustenance, often in relation to celestial events.
وَالمُسْتَنَاءُ، إِذَا مَا يَقْحَطُ المَطَرُ — And the mustana' (مستناء), when the rain is scarce.
اسْتَنْأَىverb
- 1.to seekclassical
To look for, to seek out, often in the context of seeking celestial signs or favor.
- 2.to inclineclassical
To lean or be inclined, possibly due to weight or a celestial movement.
وَاسْتَنْأَى، الأَخِيرَةُ عَلَى القَلْبِ — And he sought, the latter [form] is by inversion.
يَجُرُّ وَيَسْتَنْئِي نَشَاصًا — He drags and seeks out a high-pitched sound.
نَائِهٌnoun
- 1.burdenclassical
That which weighs one down or causes distress.
وَلَهُ عِنْدِي مَا سَاءَهُ وَنَاءَهُ أَيْ أَثْقَلَهُ وَمَا يَسُوءُهُ وَيَنُوءُهُ — And he has with me what displeases him and weighs him down, and what displeases him and weighs him down.
نُوءٌnoun
- 1.setting of a starclassical
The act of a star setting or descending below the horizon.
وَقَدْ نَاءَ نَوْءًا — And it set a nau' (نوء).
نَائِيadjective
- 1.weighing downclassical
That which causes one to be weighed down or inclined.
تَنُوءُ بِأُخْرَاهَا، فَلَأْيًا قِيَامُهَا؛ — Its hindquarters weigh it down, so how difficult is its standing;
أَنْوَأُadjective
- 1.more knowledgeable of celestial phenomenaclassical
Having greater knowledge of the nau' (أنواء) of the stars.
مَا بِالبَادِيَةِ أَنْوَأُ مِنْ فُلَانٍ — No one in the desert is more knowledgeable of the celestial phenomena (أنواء) than so-and-so.
نَاءَ بِهِverb
- 1.to be burdened byboth
To be weighed down by something, to struggle under its burden.
وَنَاءَ بِهِ الحِمْلُ إِذَا أَثْقَلَهُ — And the load weighed him down when it burdened him.
نَؤُتْ بِهِverb
- 1.to be weighed down byclassical
To be burdened or heavy, to the point of sinking or falling.
وَكَذَلِكَ نُؤْتُ بِهِ — And likewise, it weighed him down.
Parallel reading
نَاءَ بِجُمْلِهِ يَنُوءُ نَوْءًا وَتَنْوَاءً: نَهَضَ بِجُهْدٍ وَمَشَقَّةٍ.
He bore his load with effort and hardship.
وَقِيلَ: أَثْقَلَ فَسَقَطَ، فَهُوَ مِنَ الأَضْدَادِ.
And it was said: he became heavy and fell, so it is from the opposites.
وَكَذَلِكَ نُؤْتُ بِهِ.
And likewise, it weighed him down.
وَيُقَالُ: نَاءَ بِالحِمْلِ إِذَا نَهَضَ بِهِ مُثْقَلًا.
And it is said: he bore the load when he rose with it, being weighed down.
وَنَاءَ بِهِ الحِمْلُ إِذَا أَثْقَلَهُ.
And the load weighed him down when it burdened him.
وَالمَرْأَةُ تَنُوءُ بِهَا عَجِيزَتُهَا أَيْ تُثْقِلُهَا، وَهِيَ تَنُوءُ بِعَجِيزَتِهَا أَيْ تَنْهَضُ بِهَا مُثْقَلَةً.
And the woman's backside weighs her down, meaning it makes it heavy, and she bears her backside, meaning she rises with it, being weighed down.
وَنَاءَ بِهِ الحِمْلُ وَأَنَاءَهُ مِثْلُ أَنَاعَهُ: أَثْقَلَهُ وَأَمَالَهُ، كَمَا يُقَالُ ذَهَبَ بِهِ وَأَذْهَبَهُ، بِمَعْنًى.
And the load weighed him down and it made him heavy, like it made him heavy: it burdened him and inclined him, as it is said 'he took it' and 'he made it go', with the same meaning.
مَا إِنَّ مَفَاتِحَهُ لَتَنُوءُ بِالعُصْبَةِ أُولِي القُوَّةِ.
Indeed, their keys would weigh down a strong group of men.
نَوْءُهَا بِالعُصْبَةِ أَنْ تُثْقِلَهُمْ.
Its nau' (نوء) with the group is that it weighs them down.
وَالمَعْنَى إِنَّ مَفَاتِحَهُ لَتَنُوءُ بِالعُصْبَةِ أَيْ تَمِيلُهُمْ مِنْ ثِقْلِهَا.
And the meaning is that their keys would weigh down the group, meaning they would incline them due to their heaviness.
وَأَنْشَدَنِي بَعْضُ العَرَبِ: حَتَّى إِذَا مَا التَأَمَتْ مَوَاصِلُهُ، ... وَنَاءَ، فِي شَقِّ الشِّمَالِ، كَاهِلُهُ
And some of the Arabs recited to me: Until when its connections were joined, ... and his shoulder bore [the weight], in the northern direction,
وَالنَّوْءُ: النَّجْمُ إِذَا مَالَ لِلْمَغِيبِ، وَالجَمْعُ أَنْوَاءٌ وَنَوآنٌ.
And the nau' (نوء): the star when it inclines towards setting, and the plural is anwa' (أنواء) and naw'an (نوآن).
وَقَدْ نَاءَ نَوْءًا وَاسْتَنْأَى وَاسْتَنْأَى، الأَخِيرَةُ عَلَى القَلْبِ.
And it set a nau' (نوء) and sought, and sought, the latter is by inversion.
يَجُرُّ وَيَسْتَنْئِي نَشَاصًا، كَأَنَّهُ ... بَغِيغَةٌ، لَمَّا جَلْجَلَ الصَّوْتُ، جَالِبٌ
He drags and seeks out a high-pitched sound, as if it were a young camel, when the sound rumbled, a bringer.
وَقِيلَ: مَعْنَى النَّوْءِ سُقُوطُ نَجْمٍ مِنَ المَنَازِلِ فِي المَغْرِبِ مَعَ الفَجْرِ وَطُلُوعُ رَقِيبِهِ.
And it is said: the meaning of nau' (نوء) is the falling of a star from the mansions in the west with the dawn and the rising of its counterpart.
وَإِنَّمَا سُمِّيَ نَوْءًا لِأَنَّهُ إِذَا سَقَطَ الغَارِبُ نَاءَ الطَّالِعُ، وَذَلِكَ الطُّلُوعُ هُوَ النَّوْءُ.
It is only called nau' (نوء) because when the setting one falls, the rising one rises, and that rising is the nau' (نوء).
وَإِنَّمَا سُمِّيَ نَوْءًا لِأَنَّهُ إِذَا سَقَطَ السَّاقِطُ مِنْهَا بِالمَغْرِبِ نَاءَ الطَّالِعُ بِالمَشْرِقِ يَنُوءُ نَوْءًا أَيْ نَهَضَ وَطَلَعَ.
It is only called nau' (نوء) because when the falling one falls from it in the west, the rising one rises in the east, it rises with a nau' (نوء), meaning it rose and appeared.
وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: لَهُ عِنْدِي مَا سَاءَهُ وَنَاءَهُ أَيْ أَثْقَلَهُ وَمَا يَسُوءُهُ وَيَنُوءُهُ.
And some of them said: He has with me what displeases him and weighs him down, meaning what burdens him and what displeases him and weighs him down.
وَقَالَ الفَرَّاءُ: لِتَنِيءَ بِالعُصْبَةِ: تُثْقِلَهَا.
And Al-Farra' said: to weigh down the group: to make them heavy.
تَنُوءُ ضَرْبَتُهَا بِالكَفِّ وَالعَضُدِ
Its strike weighs down the hand and the forearm
تَنُوءُ بِأُخْرَاهَا، فَلَأْيًا قِيَامُهَا؛ ... وَتَمْشِي الهُوَيْنَى عَنْ قَرِيبٍ فَتَبْهَرُ
Its hindquarters weigh it down, so how difficult is its standing; ... and it walks slowly soon after, and becomes exhausted
وَقِيلَ: أَرَادَ بِالنَّوْءِ الغُرُوبَ، وَهُوَ مِنَ الأَضْدَادِ.
And it was said: he intended by nau' (نوء) the sunset, and it is from the opposites.
وَقَالَ ابْنُ الأَعْرَابِيِّ: لَا يَكُونُ نَوْءٌ حَتَّى يَكُونَ مَعَهُ مَطَرٌ، وَإِلَّا فَلَا نَوْءٌ.
And Ibn Al-A'rabi said: There is no nau' (نوء) unless there is rain with it, otherwise there is no nau' (نوء).
وَقَالَ الزَّجَّاجُ: وَمَعْنَى مَطَرْنَا بِنَوْءِ كَذَا، أَيْ مَطَرْنَا بِطُلُوعِ نَجْمٍ وَسُقُوطِ آخَرَ.
And Al-Zajjaj said: And the meaning of 'we were rained upon by the nau' (نوء) of so-and-so' is: we were rained upon by the rising of one star and the falling of another.
وَمَنْ قَالَ سُقِينَا بِالنَّجْمِ فَقَدْ آمَنَ بِالنَّجْمِ وَكَفَرَ بِاللهِ.
And whoever says 'we were given water by the star' has believed in the star and disbelieved in God.
وَمَنْ قَالَ سَقَانَا اللهُ فَقَدْ آمَنَ بِاللهِ وَكَفَرَ بِالنَّجْمِ.
And whoever says 'God gave us water' has believed in God and disbelieved in the star.
فَأَمَّا مَنْ جَعَلَ المَطَرَ مِنْ فِعْلِ اللهِ تَعَالَى، وَأَرَادَ بِقَوْلِهِ مَطَرْنَا بِنَوْءِ كَذَا أَيْ فِي وَقْتِ كَذَا وَهُوَ هَذَا النَّوْءُ الفُلَانِيُّ، فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ جَائِزٌ.
As for him who makes the rain from the act of God Almighty, and intends by his saying 'we were rained upon by the nau' (نوء) of so-and-so' meaning at such-and-such a time, and it is this particular nau' (نوء), then that is permissible.
وَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ، رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ، صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: "وَتَجْعَلُونَ رِزْقَكُمْ أَنَّكُمْ تُكَذِّبُونَ"؛ قَالَ: يَقُولُونَ مَطَرْنَا بِنَوْءِ كَذَا وَكَذَا.
And Ali, may God be pleased with him, narrated from the Prophet, peace be upon him, that he said regarding the Almighty's saying: 'And you make your provision that you deny'; he said: They say, 'We were rained upon by the nau' (نوء) of so-and-so'.
وَتَجْعَلُونَ رِزْقَكُمْ أَنَّكُمْ تُكَذِّبُونَ؛ قَالَ: يَقُولُونَ مَطَرْنَا بِنَوْءِ كَذَا وَكَذَا.
And you make your provision that you deny; he said: They say, 'We were rained upon by the nau' (نوء) of so-and-so'.
وَأَصْلُ النَّوْءِ: المَيْلُ فِي شَقٍّ.
And the origin of nau' (نوء) is: inclining in a direction.
وَقَالَ أَبُو زَيْدٍ: هَذِهِ الأَنْوَاءُ فِي غُيُوبَةِ هَذِهِ النُّجُومِ.
And Abu Zayd said: These anwa' (أنواء) are in the disappearance of these stars.
خَطَّأَ اللهُ نَوْءَهَا أَلَا طَلَّقَتْ نَفْسَهَا ثَلَاثًا.
May God make her nau' (نوء) wrong, that she did not divorce herself three times.