بحر

Root entry · 16 derived lemmas

The root بحر (baḥr) primarily denotes 'sea' or a large body of water, often salty. It extends metaphorically to concepts of vastness, abundance, and depth, particularly in knowledge and generosity. Derived terms also relate to specific practices like marking animals and geographical locations.

Derived headwords

البَحْرnoun

1.
seaboth
A large body of water, typically salty, and vast in expanse. It is the opposite of land.
2.
large riverboth
Any great river whose water does not cease, such as the Tigris and the Nile.
3.
vastness, abundanceboth
Metaphorically refers to something expansive, abundant, or profound, like knowledge or generosity.
4.
fertile land, regionclassical
Refers to fertile land or a region, often associated with a town or settlement.

البحر: الماء الكثير، ملحا كان أو عذبا، وهو خلاف البر — The sea: abundant water, whether salty or fresh, and it is the opposite of land.

بَحْرِيّadjective

1.
marine, oceanicboth
Relating to the sea or a large body of water.
2.
from the seaboth
Originating from or pertaining to the sea.

بَحْرَانِيّadjective

1.
from Bahraynclassical
Relating to the city of Bahrayn, a place name.

تقول في بهراء بهراني وفي صنعاء صنعاني، كما تقول بحراني في النسب إلى البحرين التي هي مدينة — You say 'Bahrani' for Bahra' and 'San'ani' for San'a', just as you say 'Bahraini' in relation to Al-Bahrain, which is a city.

أَبْحُرnoun

1.
seasboth
Plural of بحر (sea).

وجمعه أبحر وبحور وبحار — And its plural is abḥur, buḥūr, and biḥār.

بُحُورnoun

1.
seasboth
Plural of بحر (sea).

وجمعه أبحر وبحور وبحار — And its plural is abḥur, buḥūr, and biḥār.

بِحَارnoun

1.
seasboth
Plural of بحر (sea).

وجمعه أبحر وبحور وبحار — And its plural is abḥur, buḥūr, and biḥār.

بَحْرِيَّةnoun

1.
lakeboth
A small sea or a large lake, like the Sea of Tiberias.
2.
city (diminutive)classical
A diminutive form of بحرة (town/region), referring to a city, specifically Medina.

ويقال للبحر الصغير: بحيرة — And a small sea is called a 'buḥayrah'.

بَحِيرَةnoun

1.
marked animal (pre-Islamic)classical
A female animal, typically a camel or sheep, whose ear was slit as a religious offering, rendering it forbidden for consumption by certain groups.
2.
Sea of Tiberiasclassical
A specific large lake mentioned in religious texts.

قال: وقيل البحيرة من الإبل التي بحرت أذنها أي شقت طولا، ويقال: هي التي خليت بلا راع — He said: And it is said the 'buḥayrah' is a camel whose ear was slit lengthwise, and it is said: it is one left without a shepherd.

بَحَرَverb

1.
to slit, to cutclassical
To make a slit or cut, particularly in the ear of an animal.
2.
to dig, to widenclassical
To dig or widen a channel or opening, like digging the well of Zamzam.
3.
to be astonished, bewilderedclassical
To be astonished or bewildered, especially upon seeing the sea or lightning.

وحفر زمزم ثم بحرها بحرا أي شقها ووسعها حتى لا تنزف — And he dug Zamzam and then 'baḥarahā' it, meaning he split and widened it so it would not run dry.

بَحَّرَverb

1.
to slit (ear)classical
To slit the ear of an animal, specifically a female camel or sheep, as part of a ritualistic practice.

قال: والقول هو الأول لما جاء في حديث أبي الأحوص الجشمي عن أبيه أن النبي، صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال له: أرب إبل أنت أم رب غنم؟ فقال: من كل قد آتاني الله فأكثر، فقال: هل تنتج إبلك وافية آذانها فتشق فيها وتقول بحر؟ يريد به جمع البحيرة — He said: The first opinion is correct because of what is narrated in the hadith of Abu al-Ahwas al-Jushami from his father that the Prophet, peace be upon him, said to him: Are you a lord of camels or a lord of sheep? He said: Of each, God has given me abundantly. He said: Do your camels give birth with their ears intact so they are slit and called 'baḥr'? He means the plural of 'buḥayrah'.

أَبْحَرَverb

1.
to sailboth
To travel by sea; to embark on a sea voyage.
2.
to become saltyclassical
For water to become salty.
3.
to embarkboth
To set out on a journey, especially by sea.

أبحر الماء صار ملحا — Abḥara al-mā' means the water became salty.

تَبَحَّرَverb

1.
to become vast, abundantboth
To become expansive, abundant, or plentiful, especially in wealth or knowledge.
2.
to delve deeplyboth
To delve deeply into a subject, especially knowledge or scholarship.

وتبحر في العلم: اتسع — And 'tabahhara' in knowledge: it became vast.

اسْتَبْحَرَverb

1.
to become vast, abundantboth
To become expansive, abundant, or plentiful, especially in wealth or knowledge.
2.
to delve deeplyboth
To delve deeply into a subject, especially knowledge or scholarship.

والتبحر والاستبحار: الانبساط والسعة — And 'al-tabahhur' and 'al-istibḥār': expansion and vastness.

بَحِيرnoun

1.
sea (poetic)classical
A poetic or archaic term for the sea.

من صير مصرين، أو البحير — From the canals of Misrayn, or the 'buḥayr' (sea).

بَحَرَةnoun

1.
land, region, townclassical
Land, a region, or a town.

والبحرة: الأرض والبلدة؛ يقال: هذه بحرتنا أي أرضنا — And 'al-baḥarah': the land and the town; it is said: 'This is our baḥarah', meaning our land.

بَاحِرname

1.
Bāḥirclassical
A proper name, possibly of an idol.

كان لهم صنم يقال له باحر ، بفتح الحاء، ويروى بالجيم — They had an idol called Bāḥir, with 'ḥā' pronounced fathah, and it is narrated with 'jīm'.

Parallel reading

البحر: الماء الكثير، ملحا كان أو عذبا، وهو خلاف البر، سمي بذلك لعمقه واتساعه، قد غلب على الملح حتى قل في العذب وجمعه أبحر وبحور وبحار.

The sea: abundant water, whether salty or fresh, and it is the opposite of land, named so for its depth and vastness, it has become predominant for salt so it is scarce in fresh water, and its plural is abḥur, buḥūr, and biḥār.

وسمي بحرا لملوحته، يقال: ماء بحر أي ملح، وأما غيره فقال: إنما سمي البحر بحرا لسعته وانبساطه؛ ومنه قولهم إن فلانا لبحر أي واسع المعروف؛

And it is named 'baḥr' for its saltiness; it is said: 'mā' baḥr' meaning salty water. As for others, they said: The sea is only named 'baḥr' for its vastness and expanse; and from this is their saying: 'So-and-so is a 'baḥr', meaning vast in generosity;

ونحن منعنا البحر أن يشربوا به، ... وقد كان منكم ماؤه بمكان

And we prevented the sea from them drinking from it, ... and its water was in a place from you.

أعطوا هنيدة تحدوها ثمانية، ... ما في عطائهم من ولا سرف كوما مهاريس مثل الهضب، لو وردت ... ماء الفرات، لكاد البحر ينتزف

They gave Hunaydah, eight of them driving her, ... nothing in their giving of extravagance, like mounds of rock, if they were to arrive at ... the water of the Euphrates, the sea would almost be depleted.

وتذكر رب الخورنق إذ أشرف ... يوما، وللهدى تذكير سره ماله وكثرة ما يملك، ... والبحر معرضا والسدير

And remember the lord of Al-Khwarinq when he looked out ... one day, and for guidance, remembering his hidden wealth and the abundance of what he owned, ... and the sea in view, and the Sidr tree.

أناس، إذا وردت بحرهم ... صوادي العرائب، لم تضرب

People, if the sea of theirs was approached by thirsty wild camels, they would not be struck (i.e., they would be given water).

وقد أجمع أهل اللغة أن اليم هو البحر.

And the linguists have agreed that 'al-yamm' is the sea.

فألقيه في اليم؛ قال أهل التفسير: هو نيل مصر، حماها الله تعالى.

So cast him into the 'yamm'; the exegetes said: it is the Nile of Egypt, may God protect it.

وأبحر الماء صار ملحا؛ قال: والنسب إلى البحر بحراني على غير قياس.

And 'abḥara al-mā'' means the water became salty; he said: And the attribution to the sea is 'baḥrānī' irregularly.

تقول في بهراء بهراني وفي صنعاء صنعاني، كما تقول بحراني في النسب إلى البحرين التي هي مدينة،

You say 'Bahrani' for Bahra' and 'San'ani' for San'a', just as you say 'Bahraini' in relation to Al-Bahrain, which is a city,

إنما قالوا بحراني في النسب إلى البحرين، ولم يقولوا بحري ليفرقوا بينه وبين النسب إلى البحر.

They only said 'Bahraini' in relation to Al-Bahrain, and they did not say 'Baḥrī' to differentiate it from the attribution to the sea.

وكل نهر عظيم بحر.

And every great river is a sea.

كل نهر لا ينقطع ماؤه، فهو بحر.

Every river whose water does not cease, it is a sea.

وأما البحر الكبير الذي هو مغيض هذه الأنهار فلا يكون ماؤه إلا ملحا أجاجا، ولا يكون ماؤه إلا راكدا؛

As for the great sea which is the destination of these rivers, its water is only intensely salty, and its water is only stagnant;

وسميت هذه الأنهار بحارا لأنها مشقوقة في الأرض شقا.

And these rivers were named seas because they are split in the earth with a splitting.

ويسمى الفرس الواسع الجري بحرا؛ ومنه قول النبي، صلى الله عليه وسلم، في مندوب فرس أبي طلحة وقد ركبه عريا: إني وجدته بحرا أي واسع الجري؛

And a horse with wide running is called a 'baḥr'; and from this is the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him, about the mount of Abu Talha's horse, when he rode it bare: 'Indeed, I found it to be a 'baḥr', meaning wide-running;

يقال للفرس الجواد إنه لبحر لا ينكش حضره.

A noble horse is said to be a 'baḥr' that does not tire its rider.

أبى ذلك البحر ابن عباس؛ سمي بحرا لسعة علمه وكثرته.

That 'baḥr' Ibn Abbas refused; he was named 'baḥr' for the vastness and abundance of his knowledge.

والتبحر والاستبحار: الانبساط والسعة.

And 'al-tabahhur' and 'al-istibḥār': expansion and vastness.

ويقال: إنما سمي البحر بحرا لأنه شق في الأرض شقا وجعل ذلك الشق لمائه قرارا.

And it is said: The sea is only named 'baḥr' because it was split in the earth with a splitting and that split was made a resting place for its water.

والبحر في كلام العرب: الشق.

And 'al-baḥr' in the speech of the Arabs: the split.

وحفر زمزم ثم بحرها بحرا أي شقها ووسعها حتى لا تنزف؛

And he dug Zamzam and then 'baḥarahā' it, meaning he split and widened it so it would not run dry;

ومننه قيل للناقة التي كانوا يشقون في أذنها شقا: بحيرة.

And from this, the she-camel whose ear they used to slit was called 'buḥayrah'.

بحر الناقة والشاة يبحرها بحرا شق أذنها بنصفين، وقيل: بنصفين طولا، وهي البحيرة،

To 'baḥara' a she-camel or a sheep is to slit its ear in half, and it is said: lengthwise in half, and it is the 'buḥayrah',

ما جعل الله من بحيرة ولا سائبة ولا وصيلة ولا حام ؛

Allah has not ordained 'buḥayrah', nor 'sā'ibah', nor 'waṣīlah', nor 'ḥām';

ويقال: هي التي خليت بلا راع، وهي أيضا الغزيرة، وجمعها بحر، كأنه يوهم حذف الهاء.

And it is said: it is that which is left without a shepherd, and it is also the abundant one, and its plural is 'baḥr', as if it implies the omission of the 'hā'.

أثبت ما روينا عن أهل اللغة في البحيرة أنها الناقة كانت إذا نتجت خمسة أبطن فكان آخرها ذكرا، بحروا أذنها أي شقوها وأعفوا ظهرها من الركوب والحمل والذبح، ولا تحلأ عن ماء ترده ولا تمنع من مرعى، وإذا لقيها المعيي المنقطع به لم يركبها.

The most established that we narrated from the linguists about the 'buḥayrah' is that it is a she-camel that, when it gave birth to five offspring and the last was male, they would slit its ear, meaning they would cut it and exempt its back from riding, carrying, and slaughtering, and it would not be kept from water it approaches nor prevented from pasture, and if a stranded traveler encountered it, he would not ride it.

إن أول من بحر البحائر وحمى الحامي وغير دين إسماعيل عمرو بن لحي بن قمعة بن جندب ؛

Indeed, the first to slit the ears of the 'buḥayrāt' and to protect the 'ḥāmī' and change the religion of Ishmael was 'Amr ibn Luḥayy ibn Qam'ah ibn Jandab;

البحيرة الشاة إذا ولدت خمسة أبطن فكان آخرها ذكرا بحروا أذنها أي شقوها وتركت فلا يمسها أحد.

The 'buḥayrah' is a sheep if it gives birth to five offspring and the last is male, they slit its ear, meaning they cut it and leave it, and no one touches it.

يريد به جمع البحيرة.

He means the plural of 'buḥayrah'.

وحكمها حكم أمها.

And its ruling is the ruling of its mother.

البحيرة الناقة إذا نتجت خمسة أبطن والخامس ذكر نحروه فأكله الرجال والنساء، وإن كان الخامس أنثى بحروا أذنها أي شقوها فكانت حراما على النساء لحمها ولبنها وركوبها، فإذا ماتت حلت للنساء؛

The 'buḥayrah' is a she-camel when it gives birth to five offspring and the fifth is male, they slaughter it and men and women eat it, and if the fifth is female, they slit its ear, meaning they cut it, and its meat, milk, and riding were forbidden to women, and when it died, it became permissible for women;

فيه من الأخرج المرتاع قرقرة، ... هدر الديامي وسط الهجمة البحر البحر.

In it is the sound of the startled 'al-akhraj', ... the roar of the 'dayyāmī' in the midst of the flock, the 'baḥr al-baḥr' (abundant).

كانوا إذا ولدت إبلهم سقبا بحروا أذنه أي شقوها، وقالوا: اللهم إن عاش فقني، وإن مات فذكي؛ فإذا مات أكلوه وسموه البحيرة،

When their camels gave birth to a young one, they would slit its ear, meaning they would cut it, and say: O God, if it lives, protect me, and if it dies, then slaughter it; so if it died, they would eat it and call it the 'buḥayrah',

وكانوا إذا تابعت الناقة بين عشر إناث لم يركب ظهرها، ولم يجز وبرها، ولم يشرب لبنها إلا ضيف، فتركوها مسيبة لسبيلها وسموها السائبة، فما ولدت بعد ذلك من أنثى شقوا أذنها وخلوا سبيلها، وحرم منها ما حرم من أمها، وسموها البحيرة،

And when a she-camel consecutively gave birth to ten females, its back was not ridden, its wool was not used, and its milk was not drunk except by a guest, so they left it to go its own way and called it the 'sā'ibah', and whatever female it gave birth to thereafter, they slit its ear and let it go its way, and what was forbidden from it was forbidden from its mother, and they called it the 'buḥayrah',

وجمع البحيرة على بحر جمع غريب في المؤنث إلا أن يكون قد حمله على المذكر، نحو نذير ونذر، على أن بحيرة فعيلة بمعنى مفعولة نحو قتيلة؛

And the plural of 'buḥayrah' as 'baḥr' is a strange plural for a feminine noun unless it is carried over to the masculine, like 'nadhīr' and 'nudhur', with 'buḥayrah' being 'fa'īlah' in the sense of 'maf'ūlah' like 'qatīlah';

وهي التي صرمت أذنها أي قطعت.

And it is that whose ear was 'ṣurimat', meaning cut.

واستبحر الرجل في العلم والمال وتبحر: اتسع وكثر ماله.

And a man 'istabḥara' in knowledge and wealth, and 'tabahhara': it became vast and his wealth increased.

واستبحر الشاعر إذا اتسع في القول؛

And a poet 'istabḥara' when he became expansive in speech;

بمثل ثنائك يحلو المديح، ... وتستبحر الألسن المادحه

With praise like yours, eulogy becomes sweet, ... and the praising tongues become expansive.

وكان لهم صنم يقال له باحر ، بفتح الحاء، ويروى بالجيم.

And they had an idol called Bāḥir, with 'ḥā' pronounced fathah, and it is narrated with 'jīm'.

وتبحر الراعي في رعي كثير: اتسع، وكله من البحر لسعته.

And a shepherd 'tabahhara' in abundant pasture: it became vast, and all of it is from the sea for its vastness.

وبحر الرجل إذا رأى البحر ففرق حتى دهش، وكذلك برق إذا رأى سنا البرق فتحير، وبقر إذا رأى البقر الكثير، ومثله خرق وعقر.

And a man 'baḥara' if he saw the sea and was frightened until he was bewildered, and likewise 'baraqa' if he saw the flash of lightning and was confused, and 'baqara' if he saw many cows, and similar to it are 'kharaqa' and 'aqara'.

أبحر القوم ركبوا البحر.

Abḥara al-qawm means the people sailed.

ويقال للبحر الصغير: بحيرة كأنهم توهموا بحرة وإلا فلا وجه للهاء،

And a small sea is called 'buḥayrah', as if they imagined a 'baḥrah', otherwise there is no reason for the 'hā',

والبحيرة التي في طبرية وفي الأزهري التي بالطبرية فإنها بحر عظيم نحو عشرة أميال في ستة أميال وغور مائها، وأنه» . علامة لخروج الدجال تيبس حتى لا يبقى فيها قطرة ماء،

And the 'buḥayrah' which is in Tiberias, and in Al-Azhari, the one in Tiberias, it is a great sea about ten miles by six miles, and its water depth, and that it is a sign of the appearance of the Antichrist, it dries up until not a drop of water remains in it,

إنما هو البحر أو الفجر؛

It is only the sea or the dawn;

إنما هو الفجر أو البجر ، وقد تقدم؛

It is only the dawn or the 'bajr', and it has been mentioned before;

ويروى البحر، بالحاء، يريد غمرات الدنيا شبهها بالبحر لتحير أهلها فيها.

And it is narrated 'al-baḥr', with 'ḥā', meaning the overwhelming difficulties of this world, likened to the sea because of the bewilderment of its people in them.

والبحر: الرجل الكريم الكثير المعروف.

And 'al-baḥr': the generous man of much renown.

وفرس بحر: كثير العدو، على التشبيه بالبحر.

And a 'baḥr' horse: one that runs much, by analogy with the sea.

ظهر الفساد في البر والبحر ؛

Corruption has appeared on land and sea;

أجدب البر وانقطعت مادة البحر بذنوبهم، كان ذلك ليذوقوا الشدة بذنوبهم في العاجل؛

The land became barren and the supply of the sea was cut off due to their sins, that was so they might taste hardship for their sins in this world;

ظهر الجدب في البر والقحط في مدن البحر التي على الأنهار؛

Drought appeared in the land and scarcity in the cities of the sea that are on the rivers;

من صير مصرين، أو البحير

From the canals of Misrayn, or the 'buḥayr'

يجوز أن يكون قصد البحيرة فرخم اضطرارا.

It is permissible that he intended 'al-buḥayrah' and shortened it out of necessity.

والعرب تقول لكل قرية: هذه بحرتنا.

And the Arabs say to every village: 'This is our baḥrah'.

والبحرة: الأرض والبلدة؛ يقال: هذه بحرتنا أي أرضنا.

And 'al-baḥarah': the land and the town; it is said: 'This is our baḥarah', meaning our land.

قتل رجلا ببحرة الرعاء على شط لية ، البحرة: البلدة.

He killed a man at Baḥrat al-Ri'ā' on the bank of Liya, 'al-baḥarah': the town.

اصطلح أهل هذه البحيرة أن يعصبوه بالعصابة ؛ البحيرة: مدينة سيدنا رسول الله، صلى الله عليه وسلم، وهي تصغير البحرة، وقد جاء في رواية مكبرا.

The people of this 'buḥayrah' agreed to bind him with a bandage; 'al-buḥayrah': the city of our master, the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, and it is the diminutive of 'al-baḥrah', and it has come in a narration as the full form.

والكتب لهم ببحرهم ؛ أي ببلدهم وأرضهم.

And it was written for them in their 'baḥr'; meaning in their town and their land.