صغر

Root entry · 26 derived lemmas

The root صغر (ṣ-gh-r) primarily denotes smallness in size, age, or quantity. It extends to concepts of insignificance, humility, and also to the opposite of greatness, encompassing both physical smallness and diminished status or power. The root also carries connotations of submission and humiliation, particularly in the context of being defeated or paying tribute.

Derived headwords

الصِّغَرnoun

1.
smallnessboth
The state or quality of being small in size, age, or quantity; the opposite of greatness or largeness.
2.
humiliationboth
The state of being humbled, debased, or disgraced; a feeling of shame or dishonor.

صَغُرَverb

1.
to be smallboth
To be small in size, age, or importance.
2.
to be humbledclassical
To become humbled or debased.

صِغَارnoun

1.
smallnessboth
Smallness in size or stature.
2.
humiliationboth
The state of being small in status or power; humiliation or disgrace.

صَغَارnoun

1.
humiliationboth
The state of being small in status or power; humiliation or disgrace.
2.
submissionboth
The act of submitting to authority or control, often with a sense of degradation.

صَغِيرadjective

1.
smallboth
Of limited size, extent, or scope; not large.
2.
youngboth
Having lived or existed for only a short time; not old.
3.
insignificantboth
Of little importance or consequence.

صُغَارnoun

1.
smallnessboth
Smallness in size or stature.
2.
humiliationboth
The state of being small in status or power; humiliation or disgrace.

صُغَرَاءnoun

1.
small onesclassical
A plural form for 'small ones', often referring to people of lesser status or importance.

المُصَغُورَاءnoun

1.
small onesclassical
A collective noun referring to small individuals or things.

الأَصَاغِرَةnoun

1.
the smaller onesclassical
A plural form of 'the smaller ones', used for those of lesser status or size.

الأَصَاغِرnoun

1.
the smaller onesclassical
A plural form of 'the smaller ones', used for those of lesser status or size.

الصُّغْرَىadjective

1.
the smallerboth
Feminine form of 'the smaller', used to denote the lesser of two or more things.

الصِّغَرnoun

1.
smallnessboth
The state or quality of being small in size, age, or quantity.
2.
humiliationboth
The state of being humbled, debased, or disgraced.

أَصْغَرadjective

1.
smallerboth
Comparative form of 'small', denoting lesser size, age, or importance.
2.
youngestboth
Superlative form of 'young', denoting the least old.

صَغَّرَverb

1.
to make smallboth
To reduce the size, importance, or intensity of something.
2.
to belittleboth
To regard or treat someone or something as unimportant.
3.
to diminishboth
To make or become less.

تَصْغِيرnoun

1.
diminutionboth
The act or process of making something smaller or less significant.
2.
belittlingboth
The act of treating someone or something as unimportant.
3.
diminutive formboth
A word formed by adding a suffix to indicate smallness, affection, or contempt.

اسْتَصْغَرَverb

1.
to consider smallboth
To regard something or someone as smaller or less important than it is.
2.
to underestimateboth
To estimate something as being less than it is.

أَصْغَرَverb

1.
to make smallboth
To cause something to become small.
2.
to sew smallclassical
To stitch or mend something with small stitches.

صَاغِرadjective

1.
humbleboth
Feeling or showing submission or deference.
2.
submissiveboth
Ready to conform to the authority or will of others; meekly obedient or passive.
3.
degradedboth
Treated or regarded with contempt or disgrace.

صُغْرَةnoun

1.
youngestboth
The youngest among siblings or a group.
2.
small onesclassical
A collective term for small individuals, often children.

الإِصْغَارnoun

1.
lowering the voiceclassical
The act of lowering one's voice, especially in a sound of longing or grief.

المُصَغَّرَةadjective

1.
small-growingclassical
Describing land whose vegetation is small and does not grow tall.

صَغِرَverb

1.
to be humbledclassical
To become humbled or debased.

صَغَّرَverb

1.
to make humbleboth
To cause someone to become humble or submissive.

تَصَاغَرَverb

1.
to humble oneselfboth
To make oneself appear small, insignificant, or submissive.

صَغْرَانname

1.
Saghraanclassical
A proper name of a place.

صَغِرَتverb

1.
to setclassical
Describing the sun when it begins to set or decline towards the horizon.

Parallel reading

الصغر: ضد الكبر.

Smallness: the opposite of greatness.

الصغر والصغارة خلاف العظم، وقيل: الصغر في الجرم، والصغارة في القدر؛

Smallness and insignificance are the opposite of greatness; it is said: smallness is in physical form, and insignificance is in status.

صغر صغارة وصغرا وصغر يصغر صغرا؛ بفتح الصاد والغين، وصغرانا؛

He became small, with 'ṣighārah' and 'ṣughra', and 'ṣaghura' he becomes small, with 'ṣughra', and 'ṣughrānā'.

فهو صغير وصغار، بالضم، والجمع صغار.

So he is small ('ṣaghīr') and of low status ('ṣughār'), and the plural is 'ṣighār'.

وقد جمع الصغير في الشعر على صغراء؛

And the plural of 'small' has been collected in poetry as 'ṣugharā'.

وللكبراء أكل حيث شاؤوا، ... وللصغراء أكل واقتثام

And the great ones eat where they wish, ... and the small ones eat and gorge themselves.

والمصغوراء: اسم للجمع.

And 'al-muṣaghwarā': is a name for the plural.

والأصاغرة: جمع الأصغر.

And 'al-aṣāghirah': is the plural of 'al-aṣghar'.

لكن الأصغر لما خرج على بناء القشعم وكانوا يقولون القشاعمة ألحقوه الهاء، وقد قالوا الأصاغر، بغير هاء، إذ قد يفعلون ذلك في الأعجمي نحو الجوارب والكرابج، وإنما حملهم على تكسيره أنه لم يتمكن في باب الصفة.

But 'al-aṣghar' when it followed the pattern of 'qush'am', and they used to say 'al-qushā'imah', they attached the 'hā'. And they have said 'al-aṣāghir', without 'hā', as they do with foreign words like 'jawārib' and 'karābij', and what led them to break it down was that it was not firmly established in the pattern of adjectives.

والصغرى: تأنيث الأصغر، والجمع الصغر؛

And 'al-ṣughrā': is the feminine of 'al-aṣghar', and its plural is 'al-ṣighar'.

يقال نسوة صغر ولا يقال قوم أصاغر إلا بالألف واللام:

It is said 'niswah ṣighar' (women who are small), and it is not said 'qawm aṣāghir' (people who are small) except with the definite article.

وسمعنا العرب تقول الأصاغر، وإن شئت قلت الأصغرون.

And we heard the Arabs say 'al-aṣāghir', and if you wish, you can say 'al-aṣgharūn'.

المرء بأصغريه؛ وأصغراه قلبه ولسانه، ومعناه أن المرء يعلو الأمور ويضبطها بجنانه ولسانه.

A person is by his two smaller things; his two smaller things are his heart and his tongue, and the meaning is that a person controls and manages affairs with his heart and tongue.

وأصغره غيره وصغره تصغيرا، وتصغير الصغير صغير وصغيير؛

And others made him small ('aṣgharahu') and he made him small ('ṣaghgharahu') with 'taṣghīr', and the diminutive of 'ṣaghīr' is 'ṣaghīr' and 'ṣughayyir'.

الأولى على القياس والأخرى على غير قياس؛ حكاها سيبويه.

The first is according to analogy, and the other is not according to analogy; Sībawayh narrated it.

واستصغره: عده صغيرا.

And 'istaṣgharahu': he considered him small.

وصغره وأصغره: جعله صغيرا.

And he made him small ('ṣaghgharahu') and ('aṣgharahu'): he made him small.

وأصغرت القربة: خرزتها صغيرة؛

And 'aṣgharati al-qirbah': she stitched its opening small.

لو خافت النزع لأصغرتها

If she had feared the pulling, she would have made its opening small.

والتصغير للاسم والنعت يكون تحقيرا ويكون شفقة ويكون تخصيصا،

And the diminutive form for nouns and adjectives can be for belittling, for affection, and for specification.

التصغير يجيء بمعان شتى: منها ما يجيء على التعظيم لها، وهو معنى قوله: فأصابتها سنية حمراء، وكذلك قول الأنصاري: أنا جذيلها المحكك وعذيقها المرجب، ومنه الحديث: أتتكم الدهيماء ؛ يعني الفتنة المظلمة فصغرها تهويلا لها،

The diminutive comes with various meanings: among them is what comes for magnification, which is the meaning of his saying: 'A red year afflicted it', and likewise the saying of al-Anṣārī: 'I am its supporting trunk and its cherished branch', and from it is the Hadith: 'The overwhelming calamity has come to you'; meaning the dark tribulation, so he made it small ('ṣaghgharaha') to emphasize its enormity.

ومنها أن يصغر الشيء في ذاته كقولهم: دويرة وجحيرة،

And among them is making a thing small in itself, as they say: 'duwayrah' (little house) and 'juḥayrah' (little pond).

ومنها ما يجيء للتحقير في غير المخاطب، وليس له نقص في ذاته، كقولهم: هلك القوم إلا أهل بييت، وذهبت الدراهم إلا دريهما،

And among them is what comes for belittling when not addressing someone directly, and it has no deficiency in itself, as they say: 'The people perished except for a small household' ('bayyit'), and 'The dirhams are gone except for a small dirham' ('durayhimah').

ومنها ما يجيء للذم كقولهم: يا فويسق،

And among them is what comes for dispraise, as they say: 'O little wicked one' ('fuwaysiq').

ومنها ما يجيء للعطف والشفقة نحو: يا بني ويا أخي؛

And among them is what comes for affection and compassion, like: 'O my son' ('bunayy') and 'O my brother' ('ukhiyy').

وهو صديقي أي أخص أصدقائي،

And he is my close friend ('ṣadīqī'), meaning my most special friend.

ومنها ما يجيء بمعنى التقريب كقولهم: دوين الحائط وقبيل الصبح،

And among them is what comes in the sense of approximation, as they say: 'a little distance from the wall' ('duwayna') and 'just before dawn' ('qubayla').

ومنها ما يجيء للمدح، من ذلك قول عمر لعبد الله: كنيف ملئ علما.

And among them is what comes for praise, from that is the saying of Umar to Abdullah: 'A small container ('kunayf') full of knowledge.'

قلت لعروة: كم لبث رسول الله، صلى الله عليه وسلم، بمكة؟ قال: عشرا، قلت: فابن عباس يقول بضع عشرة سنة، قال عروة: فصغره أي استصغر سنه عن ضبط ذلك،

I said to Urwah: 'How long did the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, stay in Mecca?' He said: 'Ten.' I said: 'But Ibn Abbas says thirteen years.' Urwah said: 'He belittled it ('faṣaghgharahu'), meaning he considered his age too young to accurately recall that.'

وفي رواية: فغفره أي قال غفر الله له، وسنذكره في غفر أيضا.

And in another narration: 'fa-ghaffarahu', meaning he said 'May God forgive him', and we will mention it under 'gh-f-r' as well.

والإصغار من الحنين: خلاف الإكبار؛

And 'al-iṣghār' of longing: is the opposite of 'al-ikbār'.

فما عجول على بو تطيف به، ... لها حنينان: إصغار وإكبار

So no eager one circles around a camel's udder, ... she has two types of longing: 'iṣghār' and 'ikbār'.

فإصغارها: حنينها إذا خفضته، وإكبارها: حنينها إذا رفعته، والمعنى لها حنين ذو صغار وحنين ذو كبار.

So her 'iṣghār' is her longing when she lowers her voice, and her 'ikbār' is her longing when she raises it, and the meaning is she has a longing of smallness and a longing of greatness.

وأرض مصغرة: نبتها صغير لم يطل.

And 'arḍun muṣaghgharah': its vegetation is small and does not grow tall.

وفلان صغرة أبويه وصغرة ولد أبويه أي أصغرهم، وهو كبرة ولد أبيه أي أكبرهم؛

And so-and-so is the 'ṣughrah' of his parents and the 'ṣughrah' of his father's children, meaning the youngest among them, and he is the 'kubrah' of his father's children, meaning the oldest among them.

وكذلك فلان صغرة القوم وكبرتهم أي أصغرهم وأكبرهم.

And likewise, so-and-so is the 'ṣughrah' of the people and their 'kubrah', meaning the youngest and the oldest among them.

ويقول صبي من صبيان العرب إذ نهي عن اللعب: أنا من الصغرة أي من الصغار.

And a child from the Arab children says when forbidden from playing: 'I am from the 'ṣugharah', meaning from the small ones.'

ما صغرني إلا بسنة أي ما صغر عني إلا بسنة.

Nothing made me smaller ('ṣaghgharani') except by one year, meaning nothing was less than me except by one year.

والصغار، بالفتح: الذل والضيم، وكذلك الصغر، بالضم، والمصدر الصغر، بالتحريك.

And 'al-ṣighār', with fatḥah: is humiliation and oppression, and likewise 'al-ṣughr', with ḍammah, and the verbal noun is 'al-ṣighar', with taḥrīk.

يقال: قم على صغرك وصغرك.

It is said: 'Stand by your humiliation' ('ṣighrik') and 'your smallness' ('ṣughrik').

يقال صغر فلان يصغر صغرا وصغارا، فهو صاغر إذا رضي بالضيم وأقر به.

It is said: 'So-and-so became small' ('ṣaghura') he becomes small ('yaṣghuru') with 'ṣughran' and 'ṣighāran', so he is 'ṣāghir' if he accepts humiliation and admits to it.

حتى يعطوا الجزية عن يد وهم صاغرون ؛ أي أذلاء.

Until they give the jizyah willingly, while they are humbled ('ṣāghirūn'); meaning degraded.

والمصغوراء: الصغار.

And 'al-muṣaghwarā': is 'al-ṣighār' (humiliation).

سيصيب الذين أجرموا صغار عند الله؛ أي هم، وإن كانوا أكابر في الدنيا، فسيصيبهم صغار عند الله أي مذلة.

Those who commit crimes will be afflicted with humiliation ('ṣighār') by Allah; meaning, even if they were great in this world, they will be afflicted with humiliation ('ṣighār') by Allah, meaning degradation.

أي يجري عليهم حكم المسلمين.

Meaning the ruling of the Muslims applies to them.

والصغار: مصدر الصغير في القدر.

And 'al-ṣighār': is the verbal noun of 'al-ṣaghīr' in status.

والصاغر: الراضي بالذل والضيم، والجمع صغرة.

And 'al-ṣāghir': is the one who accepts humiliation and oppression, and the plural is 'ṣaghrah'.

وقد صغر «3». صغرا وصغرا وصغارا وصغارة وأصغره: جعله صاغرا.

And he became humbled ('ṣaghira'). With 'ṣughran', 'ṣughran', 'ṣighāran', and 'ṣighārah', and 'aṣgharahu': he made him humbled.

وتصاغرت إليه نفسه: صغرت وتحاقرت ذلا ومهانة.

And his soul humbled itself ('taṣāgharatu') before him: it became small and insignificant out of humiliation and degradation.

إذا قلت ذلك تصاغر حتى يكون مثل الذباب ؛ يعني الشيطان، أي ذل وامحق؛

When you say that, he becomes small ('taṣāghara') until he is like a fly; meaning Satan, meaning he becomes humbled and insignificant.

ويجوز أن يكون من الصغر والصغار، وهو الذل والهوان.

And it is possible that it is from 'al-ṣighr' and 'al-ṣighār', which is humiliation and degradation.

برغم المنافقين وصغر الحاسدين أي ذلهم وهوانهم.

Despite the hypocrites and the humiliation ('ṣughri') of the envious, meaning their degradation and disgrace.

يقتل الحية بصغر لها.

He kills the snake by making it small ('bi-ṣughrin') for it.

وصغرت الشمس: مالت للغروب؛

And the sun became small ('ṣagharat'): it inclined towards sunset.