طول

Root entry · 14 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the concept of length, duration, and extent. It extends to notions of superiority, power, wealth, and abundance, as well as the opposite, meaning futility or worthlessness. It also encompasses specific terms for a bird, a place, and a tribal division.

Derived headwords

طَالَverb

1.
to be longboth
To extend in length or duration.
2.
to last longboth
To remain for an extended period, often implying a lengthy stay or delay.
3.
to surpassboth
To exceed or be superior to someone or something.

طال طولك وطيلك وطيلك وطولك — May your stay be long and your delay be long

قد طال طولك فانزل — Your stay has become long, so descend

طُولnoun

1.
lengthboth
The extent of something from end to end; duration.
2.
superiorityboth
Excellence, power, wealth, abundance, or high status.
3.
favorboth
A benefit or kindness bestowed upon someone.
4.
giftclassical
A generous offering or endowment.

والطوال: مدى الدهر — And al-tiwal: the extent of time (eternity)

ومن لم يستطع منكم طولا — And whoever among you cannot afford the marriage portion (of a free woman)

ذي الطول لا إله إلا هو — He is the Owner of Bounty; there is no god but He

اللهم بك أحاول وبك أطاول — O Allah, with You I strive and with You I seek superiority

طَيْلnoun

1.
long stayclassical
A prolonged period of staying or remaining, often implying delay or lingering.

وقد طال طيلك — And your prolonged stay has become long

طَائِلnoun

1.
benefitboth
Advantage, gain, or usefulness.
2.
powerboth
Ability, capacity, or influence.
3.
worthlessnessboth
Lack of value, significance, or effectiveness.

لم يأشبوني بطائل — They would not have hindered me with any benefit

وإن أغار فلم يحلل بطائلة — And if I raid, I do not descend with any gain

هذا أمر لا طائل فيه — This is a matter in which there is no benefit

كفن في كفن غير طائل — He was shrouded in a shroud without worth

طَائِلَةnoun

1.
benefitboth
Advantage, gain, or usefulness.
2.
powerboth
Ability, capacity, or influence.
3.
vengeanceclassical
A claim for retribution or satisfaction, often for a wrong or death.
4.
enmityclassical
Hostility or a state of being at odds.

ويأشبني فيها الذين يلونها، ... ولو علموا لم يأشبوني بطائل — And those who are close to me in it hinder me, ... and if they had known, they would not have hindered me with any benefit

يطلب بني فلان بطائلة — He seeks the sons of so-and-so with a claim for vengeance

وبينهم طائلة — And between them is enmity

تَطَوَّلَverb

1.
to boastboth
To act with arrogance or to show off one's superiority.
2.
to bestow favorboth
To grant a favor or kindness, often in a condescending manner.
3.
to lengthenclassical
To become longer or extend.

وقد تطول عليهم — And he has become arrogant towards them

إنه ليتطول على الناس بفضله وخيره — He indeed bestows favors upon people with his bounty and goodness

تطاول عليهم الرب بفضله — The Lord showed them favor with His bounty

تَطَاوُلnoun

1.
arroganceboth
Haughtiness, pride, and the act of showing off one's superiority.
2.
bestowing favorclassical
The act of granting favors, often with an implication of condescension.

والتطاول مذموم — And arrogance is blameworthy

فاجتمعن يتطاولن فطالتهن سودة — They gathered and vied in extending their hands (in giving), and Sawdah surpassed them (in length of hand)

اسْتِطَالَةnoun

1.
arroganceboth
Haughtiness, pride, and the act of showing off one's superiority.
2.
showing superiorityclassical
The act of asserting dominance or superiority over others.

وكذلك الاستطالة يوضعان موضع التكبر — And likewise, istitalah is used in the sense of arrogance

طَالَةnoun

1.
she-camelclassical
A female camel.

كأنها طالة في دفها بلق — As if she were a she-camel in her hump, with white patches

طُوَّلnoun

1.
birdclassical
A type of bird.

طِيلَةnoun

1.
wind's cryclassical
The sound or cry of the wind.

طُوَالَةname

1.
place nameclassical
A place name, possibly referring to a well or a wide plain.

كلا يومي طوالة وصل أروى — Both my days at Tuwalah and Arwa's watering place

الطَّوِيلَةname

1.
place nameclassical
A place name, referring to a wide plain or meadow.

عاد قلبي من الطويلة عيد — My heart returned from Al-Tawilah as if for a festival

بَنُو الأَطْوَلname

1.
tribal nameclassical
A name referring to a specific lineage or tribe.

Parallel reading

أتانا فلم ندفعه، إذ جاء طارقا، ... وقلنا له: قد طال طولك فانزل

He came to us, and we did not repel him, when he came as a night visitor, ... And we said to him: Your stay has become long, so descend.

أتانا فلم ندفعه، إذ جاء طارقا، ... وقلنا له: قد طال طولك فانزل أي أمرك الذي أنت فيه من طول السفر ومكابدة السير

He came to us, and we did not repel him, when he came as a night visitor, ... And we said to him: Your stay has become long, so descend, meaning your situation in which you are, from the length of the journey and the hardship of travel.

وأنشد ابن بري: أما تعرف الأطلال قد طال طيلها

And Ibn al-Barri recited: Do you not recognize the ruins, their prolonged stay has become long?

والطوال: مدى الدهر

And al-tiwal: the extent of time (eternity).

يقال: لا آتيك طوال الدهر

It is said: I will not come to you for all time.

والطول والطائل والطائلة: الفضل والقدرة والغنى والسعة والعلو

And al-tul, al-ta'il, and al-ta'ilah: favor, power, wealth, abundance, and high status.

ويأشبني فيها الذين يلونها، ... ولو علموا لم يأشبوني بطائل

And those who are close to me in it hinder me, ... and if they had known, they would not have hindered me with any benefit.

وإن أغار فلم يحلل بطائلة، ... في ليلة من جمير ساور الفطما

And if I raid, I do not descend with any gain, ... on a night from Jamir, he attacked al-Fatma.

ومن لم يستطع منكم طولا

And whoever among you cannot afford the marriage portion (of a free woman).

ذي الطول لا إله إلا هو

He is the Owner of Bounty; there is no god but He.

يقال: لفلان على فلان طول أي فضل

It is said: So-and-so has a superiority over so-and-so, meaning a favor.

ويقال: إنه ليتطول على الناس بفضله وخيره

And it is said: He indeed bestows favors upon people with his bounty and goodness.

اللهم بك أحاول وبك أطاول

O Allah, with You I strive and with You I seek superiority.

تطاول عليهم الرب بفضله أي تطول

The Lord showed them favor with His bounty, meaning He bestowed favor.

قال لأزواجه أولكن لحوقا بي أطولكن يدا، فاجتمعن يتطاولن فطالتهن سودة فماتت زينب أولهن

He said to his wives: The one of you who will be the first to join me will be the one with the longest hand, so they gathered and vied in extending their hands (in giving), and Sawdah surpassed them (in length of hand), and Zaynab was the first of them to die.

والتطاول عند العرب محمود يوضع موضع المحاسن، والتطاول مذموم، وكذلك الاستطالة يوضعان موضع التكبر

And tatavvul is praiseworthy among the Arabs, used in place of good qualities, while tatavul is blameworthy, and likewise istitalah is used in the sense of arrogance.

لقد كلفوني خطة غير طائل

They have burdened me with a task that is of no avail.

هذا أمر لا طائل فيه إذا لم يكن فيه غناء ومزية

This is a matter in which there is no benefit if there is no effectiveness and advantage in it.

أنه ذكر رجلا من أصحابه قبض فكفن في كفن غير طائل

That he mentioned a man from his companions who died and was shrouded in a shroud without worth.

ضربته بسيف غير طائل أي غير ماض ولا قاطع كأنه كان سيفا دونا بين السيوف

I struck him with a sword that was not effective, meaning not sharp or cutting, as if it were an inferior sword among swords.

واحدتها طائلة؛ يقال: فلان يطلب بني فلان بطائلة أي بوتر كأن له فيهم ثأرا فهو يطلبه بدم قتيله

Its singular is ta'ilah; it is said: So-and-so seeks the sons of so-and-so with a claim for vengeance, as if he has a grievance against them, so he seeks it for the blood of his slain.

وبينهم طائلة أي عداوة وترة

And between them is ta'ilah, meaning enmity and a grievance.

كأنها طالة في دفها بلق

As if she were a she-camel in her hump, with white patches.

وطيلة الريح: نيحتها

And the tiilah of the wind: its cry.

كلا يومي طوالة وصل أروى

Both my days at Tuwalah and Arwa's watering place.

عاد قلبي من الطويلة عيد

My heart returned from Al-Tawilah as if for a festival.