عثر

Root entry · 21 derived lemmas

The root عثر (ʿathara) primarily denotes stumbling, falling, or making a mistake, both literally and figuratively. It extends to concepts of encountering difficulty, discovering something, or experiencing misfortune. The root also encompasses related ideas like dust, hidden traces, and specific types of terrain or plants.

Derived headwords

عَثَرَverb

1.
to stumbleboth
To trip and fall or nearly fall, usually due to an obstacle.
2.
to make a mistakeboth
To err or commit a fault, often in judgment or action.
3.
to encounter difficultyclassical
To face hardship or a challenging situation.

يَعْثُرُverb

1.
he stumblesboth
Present tense of stumbling or making a mistake.

عَثَرًاnoun

1.
stumblingboth
The act of stumbling or falling.
2.
a fallboth
An instance of falling.

عِثَارًاnoun

1.
stumblingboth
The act of stumbling, especially for a horse.
2.
a fallboth
An instance of falling.

تَعَثَّرَverb

1.
to stumbleboth
To trip and fall or nearly fall.
2.
to falterboth
To hesitate or lose momentum, often in speech or action.

أَعْثَرَverb

1.
to cause to stumbleboth
To make someone or something stumble or fall.
2.
to make unfortunateclassical
To cause someone to be unlucky or to meet misfortune.

عَثْرَةnoun

1.
a slipboth
A mistake, error, or lapse in judgment.
2.
a stumbleboth
An instance of stumbling while walking.
3.
misfortuneclassical
A calamitous event or state of bad luck.

تَلَعْثَمَverb

1.
to stammerboth
To speak with sudden involuntary pauses and a tendency to repeat the initial letters of words.

عَاثُورnoun

1.
pitfallboth
A hidden trap or danger, often a hole dug for animals.
2.
hardshipboth
A difficult or severe situation.
3.
ruinous placeclassical
A place that causes destruction or ruin.
4.
wellclassical
A deep hole dug in the ground to obtain water.

عَاثُورٌ مِن شَرٍّphrase

1.
a mix of evil and hardshipclassical
A state of entanglement in severe trouble or chaos.

عَاثُورُ الأَرْضِphrase

1.
ruinous terrainclassical
Land that is destructive or perilous to traverse.

عَثَرَ عَلَىverb

1.
to discoverboth
To find something unexpectedly or after searching.
2.
to come acrossboth
To find or encounter something by chance.

أَعْثَرَ عَلَيْهِverb

1.
to inform aboutclassical
To make someone aware of something or someone.

عُثُورٌnoun

1.
discoveryboth
The act of finding something.

عَثِيرٌnoun

1.
dustboth
Fine, dry particles of earth or other matter.
2.
fine dustclassical
A cloud of fine particles, often raised by wind or movement.

عَثِيرَةnoun

1.
dustboth
Fine particles of earth or other matter, often in the air.
2.
fine dustclassical
A cloud of fine particles, often raised by wind or movement.

عَيْثَرٌnoun

1.
hidden traceclassical
A faint or barely perceptible trace or mark.
2.
essenceclassical
The intrinsic nature or indispensable quality of something.

عَيْثَرَةٌnoun

1.
slight conflictclassical
A minor or subdued state of fighting or disagreement.

عَثَرِيٌّadjective

1.
watered by rainboth
Describing plants or crops naturally watered by rain or floodwaters.
2.
unburdenedclassical
Lacking worldly or spiritual concerns; idle.

عَاثِرٌadjective

1.
stumblingboth
One who stumbles or falls.
2.
unfortunateclassical
Experiencing bad luck or misfortune.
3.
lyingclassical
One who tells falsehoods.

عَثَرَnoun

1.
a place name
A geographical location in Yemen.

Parallel reading

كبا؛ وأرى اللحياني حكى عثر في ثوبه يعثر عثارا وعثر وأعثره وعثره

He stumbled; and I see that Al-Lihyani narrated 'ʿathara' in his garment, 'yaʿthuru' 'ʿithāran', and 'ʿathara', and 'aʿtharah', and 'ʿatharah'.

فخرجت أعثر في مقادم جبتي، ... لولا الحياء أطرتها إحضارا

So I went out stumbling in the front of my cloak, ... if not for modesty, I would have made it fly high.

والعثرة: الزلة، ويقال: عثر به فرسه فسقط، وتعثر لسانه: تلعثم.

And 'al-ʿathrah' is the slip. It is said: his horse stumbled with him and he fell, and his tongue faltered: he stammered.

لا حليم إلا ذو عثرة ؛ أي لا يحصل له الحلم ويوصف به حتى يركب الأمور وتنخرق عليه ويعثر فيها فيعتبر بها ويستبين مواضع الخطإ فيجتنبها

There is no forbearing person except one who has stumbled; meaning, he does not attain forbearance and is not described by it until he undertakes matters, faces difficulties, stumbles in them, learns from them, and clarifies the places of error so he may avoid them.

والعثرة: المرة من العثار في المشي.

And 'al-ʿathrah' is the instance of stumbling in walking.

لا تبدأهم بالعثرة ؛ أي بالجهاد والحرب لأن الحرب كثيرة العثار، فسماها بالعثرة نفسها أو على حذف المضاف، أي بذي العثرة، يعني: ادعهم إلى الإسلام أولا أو الجزية، فإن لم يجيبوا فبالجهاد.

Do not begin with them with 'al-ʿathrah'; meaning, with jihad and war, because war is full of stumbling. So he named it 'al-ʿathrah' itself, or by deleting the possessor, meaning 'one with 'al-ʿathrah'', meaning: call them to Islam first, or to pay the jizya. If they do not respond, then [resort to] jihad.

وعثر جده يعثر ويعثر: تعس، على المثل.

And his grandfather stumbled, 'yaʿthuru' and 'yaʿthuru': he became unfortunate, as in the proverb.

وأعثره الله: أتعسه

And Allah made him unfortunate: He caused him to be unfortunate.

وعيوب الدواب تجيء على فعال مثل العضاض والعثار والخراط والضراح والرماح وما شاكلها.

And defects of animals come in the pattern 'faʿāl' like 'al-ʿadhādh', 'al-ʿithār', 'al-khirāṭ', 'al-ḍirāḥ', 'al-rimāḥ', and what resembles them.

ويقال: لقيت منه عاثورا أي شدة.

And it is said: I met from him 'ʿāthūran', meaning hardship.

ووقعوا في عاثور شر أي في اختلاط من شر وشدة، على المثل أيضا.

And they fell into 'ʿāthūr shar' (a pitfall of evil), meaning into a mixture of evil and hardship, also as a proverb.

والعاثور: ما أعده ليوقع فيه آخر.

And 'al-ʿāthūr' is what is prepared for another to fall into.

والعاثور من الأرضين: المهلكة؛

And 'al-ʿāthūr' of lands is the destructive one;

وبلده كثيرة العاثور يعني المتالف، ويروى: مرهوبة العاثور،

And a land with much 'al-ʿāthūr', meaning perils, and it is narrated: feared 'al-ʿāthūr',

وذهب يعقوب إلى أن الفاء في عافور بدل من الثاء في عاثور، وللذي ذهب إليه وجه، قال: إلا أنا إذا وجدنا للفاء وجها نحملها فيه على أنه أصل لم يجز الحكم بكونها بدلا فيه إلا على قبح وضعف تجويز وذلك أنه يجوز أن يكون قولهم وقعوا في عافور. فاعولا من العفر، لأن العفر من الشدة أيضا، ولذلك قالوا عفريت لشدته.

And Ya'qub was of the opinion that the 'fā' in 'ʿāfūr' is a substitute for the 'thā' in 'ʿāthūr', and there is a reason for his opinion. He said: However, if we find a reason for the 'fā', we attribute it to it being original, and it is not permissible to rule it as a substitute except with ugliness and weakness of permissibility, because it is possible that their saying 'they fell into 'ʿāfūr'' is from 'faʿūlan' from 'al-ʿafr', because 'al-ʿafr' also implies severity, and for that reason they said 'ʿifrīt' for its severity.

والعاثور: حفرة تحفر للأسد ليقع فيها للصيد أو غيره.

And 'al-ʿāthūr' is a pit dug for a lion to fall into for hunting or otherwise.

والعاثور: البئر، وربما وصف به؛

And 'al-ʿāthūr' is the well, and it may be used as a description;

وحفرا لنا العاثور؛ قال ابن سيده: يكون صفة ويكون بدلا.

And they dug for us 'al-ʿāthūr'; Ibn Sidah said: it can be an adjective and it can be a substitute.

والعاثور ضربه مثلا لما يوقعه فيه الواشي من الشر؛

And 'al-ʿāthūr' is used as a metaphor for the evil that a slanderer causes someone to fall into;

فهل تفعل الأعداء إلا كفعلهم، ... هوان السراة وابتغاء العواثر؟

Do the enemies do anything but their deed, ... the humiliation of the nobles and the seeking of pitfalls?

والعثر: الإطلاع على سر الرجل.

And 'al-ʿathr' is the gaining knowledge of a man's secret.

وعثر على الأمر يعثر عثرا وعثورا: اطلع.

And 'ʿathara' on the matter, 'yaʿthuru' 'ʿathran' and 'ʿuthūran': to become aware.

وأعثرته عليه: أطلعته.

And 'aʿthartuhu 'alayhi': I informed him about it.

وكذلك أعثرنا عليهم ؛ أي أعثرنا عليهم غيرهم، فحذف المفعول؛

And thus We made them known to them; meaning, We made others aware of them, so the object was omitted;

فإن عثر على أنهما استحقا إثما ؛ معناه فإن اطلع على أنهما قد خانا.

Then if it is discovered that they have incurred sin; meaning, if it is discovered that they have betrayed.

وعثر العرق، بتخفيف الثاء: ضرب؛ عن اللحياني.

And 'ʿathara' the vein, with a light 'thā': it struck; according to Al-Lihyani.

والعثير، بتسكين الثاء، والعثيرة: العجاج الساطع؛

And 'al-ʿathīr', with a silent 'thā', and 'al-ʿathīrah': the bright dust;

ترى لهم حول الصقعل عثيره يعني الغبار،

You see around the battlefield a dust of theirs, meaning the dust,

والعثيرات: التراب؛ حكاه سيبويه.

And 'al-ʿathirāt': the dust; narrated by Sibawayh.

والعيثر: كالعثير، وقيل: هو كل ما قلبت من تراب أو مدر أو طين بأطراف أصابع رجليك، إذا مشيت لا يرى من القدم أثر غيره، فيقال: ما رأيت له أثرا ولا عيثرا.

And 'al-ʿaythar' is like 'al-ʿathīr'. It is said: it is anything you stir up from dust, mud, or clay with the tips of your feet when you walk, such that no trace other than it is seen from the foot, then it is said: I saw no trace nor 'ʿaythar' of him.

وفي المثل: ما له أثر ولا عثير، ويقال: ولا عيثر، مثال فيعل، أي لا يعرف راجلا فيتبين أثره ولا فارسا فيثير الغبار فرسه، وقيل: العيثر أخفى من الأثر.

And in the proverb: He has no trace nor 'ʿathīr'. It is said: nor 'ʿaythar', in the pattern 'fayʿal', meaning he is not known walking so his trace is visible, nor riding a horse so his horse raises dust. It is said: 'al-ʿaythar' is more hidden than 'al-athar'.

وعيثر الطير: رآها جارية فزجرها؛

And 'ʿaythara' the bird: he saw it flying and shooed it away;

لعمر أبيك يا صخر بن ليلى، ... لقد عيثرت طيرك لو تعيف يريد: لقد أبصرت وعاينت.

By your father's life, O Sakhr ibn Layla, ... you have indeed 'ʿaythart' your birds if you could perceive: meaning, you have seen and witnessed.

وبنيت براقش ومعين بغسالة أيديهم، فلا يرى لسلحين أثر ولا عيثر، وهاتان قائمتان؛

And I built Baraqish and Ma'in with the water from their hands, and no trace nor 'ʿaythar' is seen of Salhin, and these two are standing;

دعانا من براقش أو معين، ... فأسمع واتلأب بنا مليع

He called us from Baraqish or Ma'in, ... and he made us hear and stretched towards us 'malīʿ'

ويقال: كانت بين القوم عيثرة وغيثرة وكأن العيثرة دون الغيثرة.

And it is said: there was between the people 'ʿaytharatan' and 'ghaytharatan', and 'ʿaytharatan' is less than 'ghaytharatan'.

وتركت القوم في عيثرة وغيثرة أي في قتال دون قتال.

And I left the people in 'ʿaytharatan' and 'ghaytharatan', meaning in a subdued fight.

ما كان بعلا أو عثريا ففيه العشر ؛ قال ابن الأثير: هو من النخل الذي يشرب بعروقه من ماء المطر يجتمع في حفيرة، وقيل: هو العذي [العذي]، وقيل: ما يسقى سيحا، والأول أشهر،

What is watered by 'baʿl' or 'ʿathariyy', it has the tithe; Ibn Al-Athir said: it is from palm trees that drink with their roots from rainwater collected in a hollow. It is said: it is 'al-ʿadhī'. It is said: what is watered by surface flow. The first is more common.

وهو ما سقته السماء من النخل، وقيل: هو من الزرع ما سقي بماء السيل والمطر وأجري إليه الماء من المسايل وحفر له عاثور أي أتي يجري فيه الماء إليه، وجمع العاثور عواثير؛

And it is what the sky waters of palm trees. It is said: it is from crops that are watered by floodwater and rain, and water is channeled to it from gullies, and a 'ʿāthūr' is dug for it, meaning a channel through which water flows to it. The plural of 'al-ʿāthūr' is 'ʿawāthīr'.

وهو العثري، بتشديد الثاء، ورد ذلك ثعلب فقال: إنما هو بتخفيفها، وهو الصواب؛

And it is 'al-ʿuthriyy', with a stressed 'thā'. Tha'lab refuted this, saying: it is only with a light 'thā', and that is correct.

ومن هذا يقال فلان وقع في عاثور شر وعافور شر إذا وقع في ورطة لم يحتسبها ولا شعر بها، وأصله الرجل يمشي في ظلمة الليل فيتعثر بعاثور المسيل أو في خد خده سيل المطر فربما أصابه منه وثء أو عنت أو كسر.

From this, it is said: So-and-so fell into 'ʿāthūr shar' or 'ʿāfūr shar' if he fell into a predicament he did not anticipate or realize. Its origin is a man walking in the darkness of the night, stumbling over a gully's pitfall or in a channel of rainwater, and perhaps he sustains from it a bruise, injury, or fracture.

إن قريشا أهل أمانة من بغاها العواثير كبه الله لمنخريه ، ويروى: العواثر، أي بغى لها المكايد التي يعثر بها كالعاثور الذي يخد في الأرض فيتعثر به الإنسان إذا مر ليلا وهو لا يشعر به فربما أعنته.

Indeed, Quraysh are people of security. Whoever seeks pitfalls for them, Allah will cast him on his nose. It is narrated: 'al-ʿawāthir', meaning he plots for them the traps by which they stumble, like the pitfall dug in the ground, by which a person stumbles when passing at night without realizing it, and perhaps it injures him.

والعواثر: جمع عاثور، وهو المكان الوعث الخشن لأنه يعثر فيه، قيل: هو الحفرة التي تحفر للأسد، واستعير هنا للورطة والخطة المهلكة.

And 'al-ʿawāthir' is the plural of 'al-ʿāthūr', which is the rough, uneven place because one stumbles in it. It is said: it is the pit dug for a lion, and it is used metaphorically here for a predicament and a destructive plan.

وأما عواثر فهي جمع عاثر، وهي حبالة الصائد، أو جمع عاثرة، وهي الحادثة التي تعثر بصاحبها، من قولهم: عثر بهم الزمان إذا أخنى عليهم.

As for 'ʿawāthir', it is the plural of 'ʿāthir', which is the hunter's snare, or the plural of 'ʿāthirah', which is the event that causes its owner to stumble, from their saying: 'time stumbled with them' if it destroyed them.

والعثر والعثر: الكذب؛ الأخيرة عن ابن الأعرابي: وعثر عثرا: كذب؛ عن كراع.

And 'al-ʿathr' and 'al-ʿathr': lying. The latter is from Ibn Al-Arabi: and 'ʿathara' 'ʿathran': he lied; according to Kurāʿ.

يقال: فلان في العثر والبائن؛ يريد في الحق والباطل.

It is said: So-and-so is in 'al-ʿathr' and 'al-bā'in'; meaning in truth and falsehood.

والعاثر: الكذاب.

And 'al-ʿāthir': the liar.

والعثري: الذي لا يجد في طلب دنيا ولا آخرة، وقال ابن الأعرابي: هو العثري على لفظ ما تقدم عنه.

And 'al-ʿuthriyy': he who finds nothing in seeking the world nor the hereafter. Ibn Al-Arabi said: it is 'al-ʿuthriyy' in the form previously mentioned by him.

أبغض الناس إلى الله تعالى العثري ؛ قيل: هو الذي ليس في أمر الدنيا ولا في أمر الآخرة.

The most hated of people to Allah Almighty is 'al-ʿuthriyy'; it is said: he is one who is not concerned with worldly matters nor with the hereafter.

يقال: جاء فلان عثريا إذا جاء فارغا، وجاء عثريا أيضا، بشد الثاء، وقيل: هو من عثري النخل، سمي به لأنه لا يحتاج في سقيه إلى تعب بدالية وغيرها، كأنه عثر على الماء عثرا بلا عمل من صاحبه، فكأنه نسب إلى العثر، وحركة الثاء من تغييرات النسب.

It is said: So-and-so came 'ʿuthariyyan' if he came empty-handed. And he came 'ʿuthariyyan' also, with a stressed 'thā'. It is said: it is from the 'ʿuthriyy' palm trees, named so because it does not need effort in watering it with a bucket or otherwise, as if it discovered water 'ʿathran' without the owner's work, so it is as if it is attributed to 'al-ʿathr', and the vowel of the 'thā' is from the changes of attribution.

وهو غير العثري الذي جاء في الحديث مخفف الثاء، وهذا مشدد الثاء.

And this is different from 'al-ʿuthriyy' that came in the hadith with a light 'thā', and this is with a stressed 'thā'.

أنه مر بأرض تسمى عثرة فسماها خضرة ؛ العثرة من العثير، وهو الغبار، والياء زائدة، والمراد بها الصعيد الذي لا نبات فيه.

That he passed by a land called 'ʿathrah' and named it 'khaḍrah'; 'al-ʿathrah' is from 'al-ʿathīr', which is dust, and the 'yā' is extra, and what is meant by it is the barren ground where there is no vegetation.

وهي أرض عثيرة.

And it is a dusty land.

من خادر من ليوث الأسد، مسكنه ... ببطن عثر، غيل دونه غيل

From a lurking place of lions, its dwelling ... in the belly of 'ʿathr', a ravine surrounded by ravines.

ليث بعثر يصطاد الرجال، إذا ... ما الليث كذب عن أقرانه صدقا

A lion in 'ʿathr' hunts men, when ... the lion lies to its peers, it speaks the truth.

فباتت، وقد أورثت في الفؤاد ... صدعا يخالط عثارها

So she spent the night, and she had left in the heart ... a crack mixed with its stumbling.