بهم

Root entry · 18 derived lemmas

The root 'بهم' (bhm) primarily relates to concepts of obscurity, ambiguity, lack of clarity, and the young of certain animals. It extends to meanings of being mute, unintelligent, or undifferentiated, as well as encompassing large four-legged animals.

Derived headwords

البَهيمةnoun

1.
livestock, beastboth
Any four-legged animal from land or water. It is often used for domesticated animals.
2.
undifferentiated beingclassical
A creature that lacks the capacity for clear distinction or understanding, hence 'mute' or 'unintelligent'.

بُهَيمةnoun

1.
young animalboth
The young of sheep, goats, or cattle, whether wild or domestic; male or female.
2.
mute personclassical
A person who is unable to speak or distinguish things.

بُهْمَةnoun

1.
young animalboth
The young of sheep, goats, or cattle, male or female. It can also refer to a young animal after it has grown.
2.
obscurity, difficultyclassical
A difficult or perplexing matter that is hard to understand or resolve.
3.
brave warriorclassical
A courageous fighter, or a group of warriors, whose tactics are hard to discern.

بَهَمَverb

1.
to be mute, unclearclassical
To be obscure, unclear, or unintelligent; to be unable to speak or distinguish.

أَبْهَمَverb

1.
to make obscure, concealboth
To make something unclear, ambiguous, or unknown; to conceal or hide.
2.
to close, sealclassical
To close or seal a door or opening.

اِسْتَبْهَمَverb

1.
to become unclear, difficultboth
For a matter or situation to become obscure, perplexing, or difficult to understand or deal with.
2.
to be unable to speakclassical
To be unable to speak or articulate due to confusion or being overwhelmed.

بُهْمnoun

1.
young animalsboth
Plural of 'buḥmah', referring to young sheep, goats, or cattle.
2.
obscure mattersclassical
Plural of 'buḥmah', referring to perplexing or difficult issues.
3.
darknessclassical
Referring to dark or obscure nights.

بَهيمadjective

1.
dark, obscureboth
Describing a night that is dark and without light.
2.
solid-colored, undyedboth
Describing an animal, especially a horse, that has a uniform color without any markings or mixture.
3.
mute, unintelligentclassical
Describing someone who is silent, unintelligent, or unable to distinguish things.

مُبْهَمadjective

1.
unclear, ambiguousboth
Something that is not clear, is ambiguous, or lacks specific detail.
2.
difficult, perplexingboth
A matter or issue that is difficult to understand or resolve.
3.
mute, unconsciousclassical
Someone who is struck down, unconscious, and unable to speak or distinguish.
4.
closed, sealedclassical
A door or opening that is closed and cannot be easily opened.

مُسْتَبْهَمadjective

1.
obscure, unclearboth
A matter or situation that has become obscure, unclear, or difficult to comprehend.

إِبْهامnoun

1.
thumbboth
The largest finger on the hand, known as the thumb.
2.
ambiguity, obscurityclassical
The act of making something ambiguous or unclear.

الأَبْهَمadjective

1.
mute, unintelligentclassical
Like an Ajam (non-Arab), lacking clear speech or understanding.
2.
solid, unbrokenclassical
Describing something that is solid, unbroken, or without cracks.

بُهَيْمadjective

1.
dark, blackboth
Describing a very dark or black color, especially of horses or nights.

بُهْمَةnoun

1.
brave warriorclassical
A brave warrior, or a group of warriors, whose fighting style is hard to anticipate.

بُهَيْمَةnoun

1.
young animalclassical
A young animal, particularly a lamb or kid.

تَبَهَّمَverb

1.
to become confused, stuckclassical
To become confused, stuck, or unable to proceed with a matter.

تَبْهيمnoun

1.
obscuring, making ambiguousclassical
The act of making something unclear, ambiguous, or difficult to understand.

بُهْمَىnoun

1.
young animalsclassical
A collective noun for young animals, particularly sheep and goats.

Parallel reading

كل ذات أربع قوائم من دواب البر والماء، والجمع بهائم.

Every four-legged creature from land and water, and the plural is 'bahā'im'.

والبهمة: الصغير من أولاد الغنم الضأن والمعز والبقر من الوحش وغيرها، الذكر والأنثى في ذلك سواء، وقل: هو بهمة إذا شب، والجمع بهم وبهم وبهام، وبهامات جمع الجمع.

And 'buḥmah' is the young of sheep, goats, and cattle, whether wild or domestic, male or female being equal. It is said: he is a 'buḥmah' when he grows up. The plural is 'buḥm', 'buham', and 'bihām', and 'bihāmāt' is the plural of the plural.

يقال لأولاد الغنم ساعة تضعها من الضأن والمعز جميعا، ذكرا كان أو أنثى، سخلة، وجمعها سخال، ثم هي البهمة الذكر والأنثى.

The young of sheep, whether lambs or kids, are called 'sukhla' at birth, and their plural is 'sikhāl'. Then they are 'buḥmah', male and female.

يقال هم يبهمون البهم إذا حرموه عن أمهاته فرعوه وحده، وإذا اجتمعت البهام والسخال قلت لها جميعا بهام، قال: وبهيم هي الإبهام للإصبع.

It is said they 'yubhimūn' the young when they are deprived of their mothers and raised alone. When 'bihām' and 'sikhāl' gather, you call them all 'bihām'. He said: and 'bahīm' is the thumb.

واستبهم عليه: استعجم فلم يقدر على الكلام.

And 'istabham' عليه: he became mute and unable to speak.

وإنما قيل لها بهيمة الأنعام لأن كل حي لا يميز، فهو بهيمة لأنه أبهم عن أن يميز.

It was called 'bahīmat al-an'ām' because every creature that does not distinguish is a 'bahīmah' because it is obscure in its ability to distinguish.

وطريق مبهم إذا كان خفيا لا يستبين.

And a road is 'mubham' if it is hidden and not discernible.

ويقال: ضربه فوقع مبهما أي مغشيا عليه لا ينطق ولا يميز.

And it is said: he struck him and he fell 'mubhaman', meaning unconscious, unable to speak or distinguish.

واستبهم عليهم الأمر: لم يدروا كيف يأتون له.

And the matter 'istabham' عليهم: they did not know how to approach it.

وإنما سميت مبهمة لأنها أبهمت عن البيان فلم يجعل عليها دليل، ومنه قيل لما لا ينطق بهيمة.

It is called 'mubhamah' because it is obscure in its explanation, with no guide provided. From this, the mute is called 'bahīmah'.

وكلام مبهم: لا يعرف له وجه يؤتى منه، مأخوذ من قولهم حائط مبهم إذا لم يكن فيه باب.

And 'kalām mubham': speech whose direction is unknown, derived from their saying a wall is 'mubham' if it has no door.

وأبهمت الباب: أغلقته وسددته.

And 'abhama' the door: you closed and sealed it.

وليل بهيم: لا ضوء فيه إلى الصباح.

And a 'layl bahīm': a night with no light until morning.

قال ابن الأنباري: المبهمة التي لا أقفال عليها.

Ibn al-Anbārī said: 'al-mubhamah' is that which has no locks.

وأمر مبهم: لا مأتى له.

And an 'amr mubham': a matter with no approach.

والأبهم: المصمت؛ قال: فهزمت ظهر السلام الأبهم أي الذي لا صدع فيه.

And 'al-abham': the solid; he said: 'I broke the back of the solid 'salām', meaning that which has no crack in it.

والبهيم: ما كان لونا واحدا لا يخالطه غيره سوادا كان أو بياضا، ويقال لليالي الثلاث التي لا يطلع فيها القمر بهم، وهي جمع بهمة.

And 'al-bahīm': that which is of a single color, not mixed with another, whether black or white. The three nights when the moon does not appear are called 'buham', which is the plural of 'buḥmah'.

فقوله عز وجل: حرمت عليكم أمهاتكم وبناتكم وأخواتكم وعماتكم وخالاتكم وبنات الأخ وبنات الأخت، هذا كله يسمى التحريم المبهم لأنه لا يحل بوجه من الوجوه ولا سبب من الأسباب، كالبهيم من ألوان الخيل الذي لا شية فيه تخالف معظم لونه.

So His saying, Exalted is He: 'Forbidden to you are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your paternal aunts, your maternal aunts, your brother's daughters, and your sister's daughters' – all of this is called 'al-taḥrīm al-mubham' because it is not permissible by any means or for any reason, like a 'bahīm' horse color that has no marking contradicting its main color.

والبهيم من الخيل: الذي لا شية فيه، الذكر والأنثى في ذلك سواء، والجمع بهم مثل رغيف ورغف.

And 'al-bahīm' of horses: that which has no markings, male and female being equal. The plural is 'buham', like 'raghīf' and 'rughaf'.

والبهيم من النعاج: السوداء التي لا بياض فيها، والجمع من ذلك بهم وبهم فأما قوله في الحديث: يحشر الناس يوم القيامة حفاة عراة غرلا بهما أي ليس معهم شيء، ويقال: أصحاء؛

And 'al-bahīm' of ewes: the black one with no white. The plural of that is 'buham' and 'buham'. As for his saying in the hadith: 'People will be gathered on the Day of Resurrection barefoot, naked, uncircumcised, 'buhamā', meaning with nothing with them, and it is said: healthy.'

وصوت بهيم: لا ترجيع فيه.

And a 'ṣawt bahīm': a voice with no resonance.

والإبهام من الأصابع: العظمى، معروفة مؤنثة؛ قال ابن سيده: وقد تكون في اليد والقدم، وحكى اللحياني أنها تذكر وتؤنث؛

And 'al-ibhām' of the fingers: the largest, known as feminine. Ibn Sīdah said: it can be in the hand and foot, and Al-Lihyānī narrated that it is both masculine and feminine.

قال: وبهيم هي الإبهام للإصبع، قال: ولا يقال البهام.

He said: and 'bahīm' is the thumb, he said: and 'al-bihām' is not said.

وقيل للإصبع إبهام لأنها تبهم الكف أي تطبق عليها.

The finger is called 'ibhām' because it covers the hand, meaning it closes upon it.