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ليح

Root entry · 5 derived lemmas

This root primarily relates to the color white, specifically describing a white bull. It is also used metaphorically to describe the dawn, emphasizing its brightness. The root's etymology is discussed, with some forms showing a shift from a 'w' sound to 'y'.

Derived headwords

اللِّيَاحnoun
  1. 1.
    white bullboth

    A bull that is white in color.

  2. 2.
    dawnclassical

    The early morning light, the break of day, characterized by its whiteness.

اللَّيَاحnoun
  1. 1.
    white bullboth

    A bull that is white in color.

  2. 2.
    dawnclassical

    The early morning light, the break of day, characterized by its whiteness.

أَبْيَضُ لَيَاحadjective
  1. 1.
    very whiteclassical

    An intensifier for whiteness, describing something as exceedingly white.

مَلِيَاحadjective
  1. 1.
    whiteclassical

    Describing something as white, particularly in the context of the root's primary meaning.

مِلْوَاحadjective
  1. 1.
    whiteclassical

    Describing something as white, particularly in the context of the root's primary meaning.

Parallel reading

اللياح واللياح: الثور الأبيض.
Al-liyah and al-liyah: the white bull.
ويقال للصبح أيضا: لياح [لياح].
And it is also said of the dawn: liyah [liyah].
ويبالغ فيه فيقال: أبيض لياح [لياح].
And it is exaggerated in its description, so it is said: abyad liyah [liyah].
أصل هذه الكلمة الواو، ولكنها شذت.
The origin of this word is 'waw', but it deviated.
فأما لياح فياؤه منقلبة للكسرة التي قبلها كانقلابها في قيام ونحوه.
As for liyah, its 'ya' is inverted due to the kasrah before it, like its inversion in qiyam and the like.
وأما رجل ملياح في ملواح فإنما قلبت فيه الواو ياء للكسرة التي في الميم فتوهموها على اللام حتى كأنهم قالوا لواح، فقلبوها ياء لذلك.
And as for a man who is malyah in milwah, the 'waw' was inverted to 'ya' due to the kasrah in the 'mim', and they imagined it to be on the 'lam' as if they had said 'lawwah', so they inverted it to 'ya' for that reason.
وليس هذا بابه إنما ذكرناه لنحذر منه.
And this is not its proper place; we only mentioned it so that you may be warned against it.
وقد ذكر في باب الواو.
And it has been mentioned in the chapter of 'waw'.