زعم

Root entry · 19 derived lemmas

The root زعم (za'ama) primarily relates to speaking, asserting, or claiming something. It often carries a connotation of doubt, falsehood, or mere conjecture, distinguishing it from more definitive forms of speech. However, it can also encompass meanings of belief, assumption, and even guarantee or sponsorship.

Derived headwords

زَعَمَverb

1.
to claim, assertboth
To state something, often with an implication of doubt or uncertainty about its truth. It can be used for both true and false statements.
2.
to believe, assumeboth
To hold a belief or opinion about something, often based on conjecture or assumption.
3.
to guarantee, be responsible forclassical
To act as a guarantor or surety for something or someone.
4.
to promiseclassical
To make a promise or commitment.

زعم الذين كفروا أن لن يبعثوا — Those who disbelieved claimed that they would not be resurrected

فقالوا هذا لله بزعمهم — and they said, 'This is for Allah, according to their claim'

زَعْمnoun

1.
claim, assertionboth
A statement or assertion, which may be true or false. It is often used when the truth is uncertain.
2.
belief, assumptionboth
A belief or opinion held, often without certainty.
3.
falsehood, lieboth
A statement that is untrue or deceptive.
4.
guarantee, suretyclassical
The act of guaranteeing or being responsible for something.

هذا لله بزعمهم — This is for Allah, according to their claim

فذق هجرها قد كنت تزعم أنه رشاد، ألا يا ربما كذب الزعم — So taste her abandonment; you used to assume it was guidance, but alas, perhaps the claim is false

زَعْمًاnoun

1.
a claim, an assertionboth
A specific instance of claiming or asserting something.

زعم زعما وزعما وزعما أي قال — He claimed a claim, and a claim, and a claim, meaning he said

زَعَمَاتnoun

1.
claims, assertionsclassical
Plural of 'za'm', referring to multiple claims or assertions, often used dismissively.

هذا ولا زعمتك ولا زعماتك — This is not your claim nor your claims

تَزَعَّمَverb

1.
to claim falsely, to lieclassical
To make a false claim or assertion.

أيها الزاعم ما تزعما — O you who claim what you claim

تَزَاعُمnoun

1.
mutual claiming, disputingclassical
The act of people claiming or asserting something together, often in a dispute or disagreement.

تزاعم القوم على كذا تزاعما إذا تضافروا عليه — The people mutually claimed something if they supported each other on it

مَزَاعِمnoun

1.
unreliable claims, doubtsclassical
Statements or situations that are not trustworthy or are subject to dispute and uncertainty.

وفي قوله مزاعم أي لا يوثق به — And in his statement are 'mazā'im', meaning it is not trustworthy

مَزْعَمnoun

1.
unreliable matter, point of contentionclassical
A matter that is uncertain, disputed, or not to be relied upon.
2.
object of desire, ambitionclassical
Something that is coveted or aspired to, often unrealistically.

ويقال للأمر الذي لا يوثق به مزعم أي يزعم هذا أن كذا ويزعم هذا أنه كذا — And the matter that is not trustworthy is called 'maz'am', meaning this one claims it is so and this one claims it is so

زَعِيمnoun

1.
guarantor, suretyboth
One who guarantees or is responsible for a debt or obligation.
2.
leader, chiefboth
A person who leads or is in charge of a group or community.
3.
spokespersonclassical
One who speaks on behalf of others.

والزعيم: الكفيل، والغارم: الضامن — And the 'za'īm' is the guarantor, and the 'ghārim' is the surety

وأنا به زعيم — And I am its guarantor

زَعَامَةnoun

1.
leadership, presidencyboth
The position or role of a leader or chief.
2.
guarantee, suretyshipclassical
The state or act of being a guarantor.
3.
best part, inheritanceclassical
The choicest portion, especially of an inheritance.
4.
weapons, armorclassical
Arms or armor, particularly as passed down or inherited.

والزعامة: السيادة والرياسة — And 'za'āmah' is sovereignty and leadership

والزعامة: السلاح، وقيل: الدرع أو الدروع — And 'za'āmah' is weapons, or it is said: armor or armors

زَعُومadjective

1.
uncertain (of fatness)classical
Describing an animal whose fatness is uncertain and needs to be felt by hand.
2.
having uncertain purityclassical
Describing an animal whose purity or lack of defect is uncertain.

والزعوم من الإبل والغنم: التي يشك في سمنها فتغبط بالأيدي — And the 'za'ūm' of camels and sheep is that whose fatness is doubted, so it is felt by hand

مُزْعَمَةnoun

1.
fat animal (uncertain)classical
An animal whose fatness is uncertain, or one that is perceived as fat but may not be.

وهي المزعمة، فمن جعلها القليلة الشحم فهي المزعومة — And it is the 'muz'amah', and whoever considers it to have little fat, then it is the 'muzawamah'

أَزْعَمَverb

1.
to make someone assumeclassical
To cause someone to believe or assume something.
2.
to make someone covetousclassical
To make someone desire or covet something.

ويقال: أزعمته الشيء أي جعلتك به زعيما — And it is said: 'az'amtu-hu al-shay'a', meaning 'I made you its leader/responsible for it'

زَعْمِيّadjective

1.
lying, falseclassical
Characterized by falsehood or deception.
2.
truthfulclassical
Characterized by truthfulness.

والزعمي: الكاذب — And 'al-za'mī' is the liar

زَعُومnoun

1.
a dull personclassical
Someone who is slow-witted or inarticulate.

والزعموم: العيي — And 'al-za'mūm' is the inarticulate one

مِزْعَامَةnoun

1.
fat animalclassical
An animal that is fat.

وهي المزعمة، فمن جعلها القليلة الشحم فهي المزعومة — And it is the 'muz'amah', and whoever considers it to have little fat, then it is the 'muzawamah'

زَعْمًاadverb

1.
perhaps, possiblyclassical
Used to indicate uncertainty or possibility.

أم كيف أحبها وأنا أقتلهم؟ أم كيف أقتلهم وأنا أحبها؟ ثم رجع على نفسه مخاطبا لها فقال: هذا فعل ليس بفعل مثلي؛ وأزعمته أنا — Or how can I love her while I kill her people? Or how can I kill them while I love her? Then he turned to himself, addressing her, and said: This is not an act befitting me; and I made her assume.

شِوَاء زَعْمnoun

1.
greasy roast meatclassical
Roasted meat that is very fatty and drips a lot.

وشواء زعم وزعم: مرش كثير الدسم سريع السيلان على النار — And 'shiwā' za'm' and 'za'm' is roast meat, very fatty and quickly dripping onto the fire

مِزْعَامَةnoun

1.
snakeclassical
A serpent.

والمزعامة: الحية — And 'al-miz'āmah' is the snake

Parallel reading

زعم الذين كفروا أن لن يبعثوا

Those who disbelieved claimed that they would not be resurrected

فقالوا هذا لله بزعمهم

and they said, 'This is for Allah, according to their claim'

زعم زعما وزعما وزعما أي قال

He claimed a claim, and a claim, and a claim, meaning he said

وإني أذين لكم أنه ... سينجزكم ربكم ما زعم

And I assure you that... your Lord will fulfill for you what He has claimed

وإذا شك فيه فلم يدر لعله كذب أو باطل قيل زعم فلان

And if there is doubt about it, and it is not known whether it is true or false, it is said: So-and-so claimed

أي بقولهم الكذب

meaning by their lying words

الزعم الظن

The claim is conjecture

الزعم الكذب

The claim is a lie

زعم الهمام بأن فاها بارد

The great man claimed that her mouth was cold

زعم الغداف بأن رحلتنا غدا

The raven claimed that our journey is tomorrow

سود المحاجر لا يقرأن بالسور

Dark-eyed ones who do not recite by the Surahs

وما شهدنا إلا بما علمنا

And we did not witness except what we knew

هذا ولا زعمتك ولا زعماتك

This is not your claim nor your claims

الرجل من العرب إذا حدث عمن لا يحقق قوله يقول ولا زعماته

An Arab man, if he narrates from someone whose statement is not verified, says: 'And not his claims'

زعمتني كذا تزعمني زعما: ظننتني

You assumed me to be such and such, you assumed me: you thought me

فإن تزعميني كنت أجهل فيكم، ... فإني شريت الحلم بعدك بالجهل

If you assume me to be ignorant among you... then indeed I have traded forbearance for ignorance after you

زعمت أني لا أحبها وزعمتني لا أحبها

You claimed that I do not love her, and you assumed me not to love her

التزعم: التكذب

Al-tazakkum: lying

تزاعم القوم على كذا تزاعما إذا تضافروا عليه

The people mutually claimed something if they supported each other on it

وفي قوله مزاعم أي لا يوثق به

And in his statement are 'mazā'im', meaning it is not trustworthy

أمر فيه مزاعم أي أمر غير مستقيم فيه منازعة بعد

A matter with 'mazā'im', meaning an unstable matter with subsequent dispute

ويقال للأمر الذي لا يوثق به مزعم أي يزعم هذا أن كذا ويزعم هذا أنه كذا

And the matter that is not trustworthy is called 'maz'am', meaning this one claims it is so and this one claims it is so

قلت: كفي لك رهن بالرضى ... وازعمي يا هند، قالت: قد وجب

I said: My pledge is collateral for you with satisfaction... And guarantee it, O Hind, she said: It is due

وازعمي أي اضمني

And 'iz'amī' means 'guarantee'

نودي: قم واركبن بأهلك إن ... الله موف للناس ما زعما

It was called: 'Stand up and ride with your family, for... Allah will fulfill for people what He has promised'

وعاذلة تحشى الردى أن يصيبني، ... تروح وتغدو بالملامة والقسم

And a blamer who fears destruction might befall me... goes and comes with blame and oaths

تقول: هلكنا، إن هلكت وإنما ... على الله أرزاق العباد كما زعم

She says: 'We are destroyed, if I am destroyed, and indeed... the provisions of the servants are upon Allah, as he claimed'

يا لهف نفسي إن كان الذي زعموا ... حقا وماذا يرد اليوم تلهيفي

Oh, my regret, if what they claimed is true... and what will bring back my sorrow today?

إن كان مغنى وفود الناس راح به ... قوم إلى جدث، في الغار، منجوف؟

If the resting place of the people's envoys is gone with... a people to a grave, in the cave, hollowed out?

وكلام سيء قد وقرت ... أذني عنه، وما بي من صمم

And bad words that my ear was filled with... and I have no deafness

فتصاممت، لكيما لا يرى ... جاهل أني كما كان زعم

So I feigned deafness, so that the ignorant one would not see... that I am as he claimed

أنتم بنو المرأة التي زعم الناس ... عليها، في الغي، ما زعموا

You are the children of the woman about whom people claimed... about her, in error, what they claimed

فذق هجرها قد كنت تزعم أنه ... رشاد، ألا يا ربما كذب الزعم

So taste her abandonment; you used to assume it was guidance, but alas, perhaps the claim is false

زعم الذين كفروا أن لن يبعثوا

Those who disbelieved claimed that they would not be resurrected

فكسروا الألف مع قال، وفتحوها مع زعم لأن زعم فعل واقع بها أي بالألف متعد إليها

So they put the 'alif' with 'qāla' in the past tense, and opened it with 'za'ama' because 'za'ama' is a verb acting upon it, meaning the 'alif', and it is transitive to it

ألا ترى أنك تقول زعمت عبد الله قائما، ولا تقول قلت زيدا خارجا إلا أن تدخل حرفا من حروف الاستفهام فتقول هل تقوله فعل كذا ومتى تقولني خارجا؟

Do you not see that you say 'I assumed Abdullah to be standing', and you do not say 'I said Zayd is outside' unless you insert a letter of interrogation, so you say: 'Did you say he did such and such?' and 'When did you say I am outside?'

قال الخليط: غدا تصدعنا، ... فمتى تقول الدار تجمعنا؟

The companions said: Tomorrow we part... So when do you think the home will gather us?

ومعناه فمتى تظن ومتى تزعم

And its meaning is: when do you think and when do you assume

والزعوم من الإبل والغنم: التي يشك في سمنها فتغبط بالأيدي

And the 'za'ūm' of camels and sheep is that whose fatness is doubted, so it is felt by hand

الزعوم التي يزعم الناس أن بها نقيا

The 'za'ūm' that people claim has marrow

مخلصة الأنقاء أو زعوما

Purified of marrow or uncertain

وإنا من مودة آل سعد، ... كمن طلب الإهالة في الزعوم

And we are from the affection of the family of Sa'd... like one who sought fatness in the uncertain (animals)

إن قصاراك على رعوم ... مخلصة العظام، أو زعوم

Your limit is upon the lean ones... purified of bones, or uncertain

المخلصة: التي قد خلص نقيها

The purified: that whose marrow has been extracted

الزعوم من الغنم التي لا يدرى أبها شحم أم لا

The 'za'ūm' of sheep is that from which it is not known whether it has fat or not

فلان مزاعم أي لا يوثق به

So-and-so is 'muzā'im', meaning not trustworthy

الزعوم: القليلة الشحم وهي الكثيرة الشحم، وهي المزعمة

The 'za'ūm': little fat, and it is much fat, and it is the 'muz'amah'

إذا أكلها الناس قالوا لصاحبها توبيخا: أزعمت أنها سمينة

When people eat it, they say to its owner in reproach: 'Did you claim it was fat?'

لم يجئ أزعم في كلامهم إلا في قولهم أزعمت القلوص أو الناقة إذا ظن أن في سنامها شحما

'Az'ama' did not come in their speech except in their saying: 'I assumed the she-camel or the she-camel had fat in its hump'

الدين مقضي والزعيم غارم

The debt is paid, and the guarantor is liable

وأنا به زعيم

And I am its guarantor

ذمتي رهينة وأنا به زعيم

My responsibility is pledged, and I am its guarantor

زعمت به أزعم زعما وزعامة أي كفلت

I guaranteed it, I guarantee it, with a guarantee and suretyship, meaning I guaranteed

تحت اللواء على الخميس، زعيما

Under the banner over the army, a leader

الزعامة هنا الدرع والرياسة والشرف

The 'za'āmah' here is the armor, leadership, and honor

الزعامة هنا الدرع والرياسة والشرف، وفسره غيره بأنه أفضل الميراث

The 'za'āmah' here is the armor, leadership, and honor, and others interpreted it as the best of the inheritance

والزعامة للغلام

And the 'za'āmah' is for the boy

علقتها عرضا وأقتل قومها ... زعما، ورب البيت، ليس بمزعم

I loved her by chance, and I kill her people... coveting, by the Lord of the House, it is not a covetable thing

أي ليس بمطمع

Meaning: not a thing to be coveted

له ربة قد أحرمت حل ظهره، ... فما فيه للفقرى ولا الحج مزعم

It has a mistress who has forbidden the solution of its back, ... so there is no covetable thing in it for the poor or for pilgrimage

وأمر مزعم أي مطمع

And a matter 'muz'am', meaning covetable

وشواء زعم وزعم: مرش كثير الدسم سريع السيلان على النار

And 'shiwā' za'm' and 'za'm' is roast meat, very fatty and quickly dripping onto the fire

أزعمت الأرض: طلع أول نبتها

The land 'az'amat': its first plants emerged

والمزعامة: الحية

And 'al-miz'āmah' is the snake

والزعمي: الكاذب

And 'al-za'mī' is the liar

والزعمي: الصادق

And 'al-za'mī' is the truthful

وكان زعم اللوامع الكذب

And the claim of the shimmering things was falsehood

يريد السراب، والعرب تقول: أكذب من يلمع

Meaning mirage, and the Arabs say: 'More lying than a shimmer'

زعموا كنية الكذب

'Za'amū' is a nickname for lying

الزعم والتزاعم أكثر ما يقال فيما يشك فيه ولا يحقق

Al-za'm and al-tazā'um are mostly said about what is doubted and not verified

فهذا معناه التحقيق

So this meaning is verification

إذا قالوا زعمة صادقة لآتينك، رفعوا، وحلفة صادقة لأقومن، قال: وينصبون يمينا صادقة لأفعلن

If they say 'a true claim, I will surely come', they raise it, and 'a true oath, I will surely stand', he said: and they make 'a true oath' accusative for 'I will surely do'

كان إذا مر برجلين يتزاعمان فيذكران الله كفر عنهما

When he passed by two men disputing and invoking God, he would atone for them

معناه أنهما يتحادثان بالزعمات وهي ما لا يوثق به من الأحاديث

Its meaning is that they are conversing with 'za'amāt', which are unreliable narrations

وقوله فيذكران الله أي على وجه الاستغفار

And his saying 'invoking God' means 'seeking forgiveness'

بئس مطية الرجل زعموا

What a bad mount for a man is 'they claim'

معناه أن الرجل إذا أراد المسير إلى بلد والظعن في حاجة ركب مطيته وسار حتى يقضي إربه، فشبه ما يقدمه المتكلم أمام كلامه ويتوصل به إلى غرضه من قوله زعموا كذا وكذا بالمطية التي يتوصل بها إلى الحاجة

Its meaning is that when a man intends to travel to a city and depart for a need, he rides his mount and travels until he fulfills his desire, so what the speaker presents before his speech and uses to achieve his purpose by saying 'they claim this and that' is likened to the mount by which one reaches a need

وإنما يقال زعموا في حديث لا سند له ولا ثبت فيه، وإنما يحكى عن الألسن على سبيل البلاغ، فذم من الحديث ما كان هذا سبيله

And 'za'amū' is only said in a narration that has no chain of transmission and no verification, but is merely reported from tongues as hearsay, so the narration of this kind is condemned

زعيم الأنفاس أي موكل بالأنفاس يصعدها لغلبة الحسد والكآبة عليه

'Za'īm al-anfās' means entrusted with breaths, ascending them due to the dominance of envy and melancholy upon him