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عطس

Root entry · 13 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the act of sneezing, its causes, and its association with physical states. It extends metaphorically to the breaking of dawn and, in a classical context, to death and resemblance. It also includes specific applications like the name of a horse and a type of animal considered unlucky.

Derived headwords

عَطَسَverb
  1. 1.
    to sneezeboth

    The primary meaning of the root, referring to the involuntary expulsion of air from the nose and mouth.

  2. 2.
    to break (dawn)classical

    Used metaphorically to describe the breaking or splitting of the dawn.

  3. 3.
    to dieclassical

    A euphemism for death, indicating the end of life.

عطس الرجل يعطس — The man sneezed.
عطس الصبح انفلق — The dawn broke.
عَطْسٌnoun
  1. 1.
    a sneezeboth

    The act or sound of sneezing.

عُطَاسٌnoun
  1. 1.
    a sneezeboth

    Another term for the act of sneezing.

  2. 2.
    dawnclassical

    The early morning light before sunrise.

  3. 3.
    name of a horseclassical

    A proper noun referring to the name of a specific horse.

والاسم العطاس — And the noun is 'al-'uṭās'.
عَطْسَةٌnoun
  1. 1.
    a sneezeboth

    A single instance of sneezing.

المِعْطَسُnoun
  1. 1.
    noseclassical

    The organ from which sneezing originates.

والمعطس والمعطس: الأنف لأن العطاس منه يخرج — And al-mi'ṭas and al-mi'ṭas: the nose because sneezing comes out of it.
إنما أحب العطاس لأنه إنما يكون مع خفة البدن وانفتاح المسام وتيسير الحركات، والتثاؤب بخلافه، وسبب هذه الأوصاف تخفيف الغذاء والإقلال من الطعام والشراب — He loved sneezing because it occurs with lightness of body, opening of pores, and ease of movement, and yawning is the opposite, and the cause of these descriptions is reducing food and eating and drinking little.
العَاطِسُadjective
  1. 1.
    sneezing (person)both

    Describing someone who is sneezing.

  2. 2.
    dawnclassical

    Used as an adjective to describe the dawn, referring to its breaking.

والعاطس: الصبح لذلك، صفة غالبة — And al-'āṭis: the dawn for that reason, a prevailing description.
العَاطُوسُnoun
  1. 1.
    thing from which one sneezesclassical

    That which causes or is associated with sneezing.

  2. 2.
    unlucky animalclassical

    A type of animal that was considered unlucky and caused ill omens.

والعاطوس: ما يعطس منه، مثل به سيبويه وفسره السيرافي — And al-'āṭūs: that from which one sneezes, like Sibawayh used it and Al-Sirafi explained it.
والعاطوس دابة يتشاءم بها — And al-'āṭūs is an animal that is considered unlucky.
لَجَمٌ عَطُوسٌphrase
  1. 1.
    deadly fateclassical

    A metaphorical expression for death or a fatal outcome.

وتقول العرب للرجل إذا مات: عطست به اللجم؛ قال: واللجمة ما تطيرت منه، وأنشد غيره: إنا أناس لا تزال جزورنا ... لها لجم، من المنية، عاطس — And the Arabs say of a man when he dies: 'His fate sneezed'; he said: And al-lajmah is what one forebodes from it, and others have recited: We are people whose she-camels are always ... having a fate, from death, that sneezes.
عَاطِسٌadjective
  1. 1.
    facing youclassical

    Describing an animal, like a gazelle, that approaches directly from the front.

وظبي عاطس إذا استقبلك من أمامك — And a gazelle 'āṭis if it approaches you from in front of you.
عَطَسَ بِهِ اللَّجَمُverb phrase
  1. 1.
    he diedclassical

    An idiomatic expression meaning that death has overcome someone.

عطست به اللجم — Death overcame him.
عَطَسَةٌnoun
  1. 1.
    resemblanceclassical

    A likeness or similarity in appearance or character between two people.

ويقال: فلان عطسة فلان إذا أشبهه في خلقه وخلقه — And it is said: So-and-so is the 'aṭsah of so-and-so if he resembles him in his creation and his disposition.
عَوَاطِسُnoun
  1. 1.
    unlucky animalsclassical

    Plural of 'āṭūs, referring to animals considered unlucky.

لعمري لقد مرت عواطيس جمة، ... ومر قبيل الصبح ظبي مصمع — By my life, many unlucky creatures have passed, ... and before dawn a young gazelle passed.
العُطَاسُname
  1. 1.
    name of a horseclassical

    A proper noun, the name of a horse belonging to a specific tribe.

والعطاس: اسم فرس لبعض بني المدان — And al-'uṭās: the name of a horse for some of the Banu al-Madan.

Parallel reading

عطس الرجل يعطس، بالكسر، ويعطس، بالضم، عطسا وعطاسا وعطسة، والاسم العطاس.
The man sneezed, he sneezes (with kasra), and he sneezes (with damma), a sneeze, a sneezing fit, and a sneeze; and the noun is 'al-'uṭās'.
وفي الحديث: كان يحب العطاس ويكره التثاؤب.
And in the hadith: He used to like sneezing and dislike yawning.
إنما أحب العطاس لأنه إنما يكون مع خفة البدن وانفتاح المسام وتيسير الحركات، والتثاؤب بخلافه، وسبب هذه الأوصاف تخفيف الغذاء والإقلال من الطعام والشراب.
He loved sneezing because it occurs with lightness of body, opening of pores, and ease of movement, and yawning is the opposite, and the cause of these descriptions is reducing food and eating and drinking little.
والمعطس والمعطس: الأنف لأن العطاس منه يخرج.
And al-mi'ṭas and al-mi'ṭas: the nose because sneezing comes out of it.
قال الأزهري: المعطس، بكسر الطاء لا غير، وهذا يدل على أن اللغة الجيدة يعطس، بالكسر.
Al-Azhari said: Al-mi'ṭas, with kasra on the ta' and nothing else, and this indicates that the good pronunciation is 'ya'ṭisu', with kasra.
وفي حديث عمر، رضي الله عنه: لا يرغم الله إلا هذه المعاطس ؛ هي الأنوف.
And in the narration of Umar, may Allah be pleased with him: Allah does not humiliate except these noses; they are the noses.
والعاطوس: ما يعطس منه، مثل به سيبويه وفسره السيرافي.
And al-'āṭūs: that from which one sneezes, like Sibawayh used it and Al-Sirafi explained it.
عطس الصبح: انفلق.
The dawn sneezed: it broke.
والعاطس: الصبح لذلك، صفة غالبة، وقال الليث: الصبح يسمى عطاسا.
And al-'āṭis: the dawn for that reason, a prevailing description, and Al-Layth said: The dawn is called 'uṭās.
وظبي عاطس إذا استقبلك من أمامك.
And a gazelle 'āṭis if it approaches you from in front of you.
وعطس الرجل: مات.
And the man sneezed: he died.
تقول العرب للرجل إذا مات: عطست به اللجم؛ قال: واللجمة ما تطيرت منه، وأنشد غيره: إنا أناس لا تزال جزورنا ... لها لجم، من المنية، عاطس
The Arabs say of a man when he dies: 'His fate sneezed'; he said: And al-lajmah is what one forebodes from it, and others have recited: We are people whose she-camels are always ... having a fate, from death, that sneezes.
ويقال للموت: لجم عطوس؛ قال رؤبة: ولا تخاف اللجم العطوسا
And death is called: a sneezing fate; Ru'bah said: And do not fear the sneezing fates.
ابن الأعرابي: العاطوس دابة يتشاءم بها؛ وأنشد غيره لطرفة بن العبد: لعمري لقد مرت عواطيس جمة، ... ومر قبيل الصبح ظبي مصمع
Ibn Al-A'rabi: Al-'āṭūs is an animal that is considered unlucky; and others have recited for Tarfah ibn Al-'Abd: By my life, many unlucky creatures have passed, ... and before dawn a young gazelle passed.
والعطاس: اسم فرس لبعض بني المدان؛ قال: يخب بي العطاس رافع رأسه
And al-'uṭās: the name of a horse for some of the Banu al-Madan; he said: Al-'uṭās carries me, raising its head.
وأما قوله: وقد أغتدي قبل العطاس بسابح فإن الأصمعي زعم أنه أراد: قبل أن أسمع عطاس عاطس فأتطير منه ولا أمضي لحاجتي، وكانت العرب أهل طيرة، وكانوا يتطيرون من العطاس فأبطل النبي، صلى الله عليه وسلم، طيرتهم.
As for his saying: And I go forth in the morning before the sneeze with a swift horse, Al-Asma'i claimed he meant: before I hear the sneeze of a sneezer and become superstitious about it and do not proceed with my need, and the Arabs were people of superstition, and they used to be superstitious about sneezing, so the Prophet, peace be upon him, abolished their superstition.
وإن صح ما قاله الليث إن الصبح يقال له العطاس فإنه أراد قبل انفجار الصبح، قال: ولم أسمع الذي قاله لثقة يرجع إلى قوله.
And if what Al-Layth said is true, that the dawn is called 'uṭās, then he meant before the breaking of dawn, he said: And I have not heard what he said from a reliable source to refer to his opinion.
ويقال: فلان عطسة فلان إذا أشبهه في خلقه وخلقه.
And it is said: So-and-so is the 'aṭsah of so-and-so if he resembles him in his creation and his disposition.