شءم

Root entry · 22 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the concept of ill omen, misfortune, and bad luck, often contrasted with good fortune (yumn). It extends to directions, specifically the left or north, and the geographical region of Syria (al-Sham). Derived terms describe people or things associated with bad omens, the act of experiencing or causing misfortune, and directional or geographical references.

Derived headwords

الشُّؤْمnoun

1.
ill omenboth
The opposite of good fortune or auspiciousness; bad luck or misfortune.
2.
misfortuneboth
A cause or source of bad luck.

مَشْؤُومadjective

1.
ill-omenedboth
Characterized by or bringing bad luck; unfortunate.
2.
unluckyboth
Someone or something that causes misfortune to others.

ورجل مشؤوم على قومه — And a man who is ill-omened to his people

مَشَائِيمnoun

1.
ill-omened onesclassical
Plural of 'mash'oom', referring to people or things that bring bad luck.

مشائيم ليسوا مصلحين عشيرة — Ill-omened ones, not reformers of a tribe

تَشَاءَمُواverb

1.
to consider ill-omenedboth
To regard something or someone as a source of bad luck or misfortune.

وقد تشاءموا به — And they considered it an ill omen

تَشَاءُمnoun

1.
taking an ill omenboth
The act of considering something to be a bad omen.

شَاءَمَverb

1.
to bring ill omenboth
To cause misfortune or bad luck to befall someone.

وقد شئم عليهم — And he brought ill omen upon them

شَأَمَهُمverb

1.
to bring ill omen upon themboth
To cause misfortune or bad luck to befall a group of people.

وما أشأمه — And how ill-omened he is

تَشَاءَمَverb

1.
to take the direction of al-Shamboth
To head towards the region of Syria.
2.
to take the left directionboth
To head towards the left or north.

إذا نشأت بحرية ثم تشاءمت فتلك عين غديقة — If a northerly wind arises and then you head north, then that is a spring of abundant water

ويقال: تشاءم الرجل إذا أخذ نحو شماله — And it is said: A man takes the left direction when he heads towards his north.

المَشْأَمَةnoun

1.
ill omenboth
Synonymous with 'shu'm', meaning bad luck or misfortune.
2.
the left sideboth
The direction of the left or north.

والمشأمة: الشؤم — And al-mash'amah: ill omen.

شَأَمَverb

1.
to go to al-Shamboth
To travel to or arrive in the region of Syria.
2.
to go to the leftboth
To head towards the left or north.

وأشأم وشاءم إذا أتى الشأم — And 'ashama and sha'ama if he came to al-Sham.

أَشْأَمَverb

1.
to go to al-Shamboth
To travel to or arrive in the region of Syria.
2.
to go to the leftboth
To head towards the left or north.

وأشأم وشاءم إذا أتى الشأم — And 'ashama and sha'ama if he came to al-Sham.

طَائِرٌ أَشْأَمadjective

1.
ill-omened birdboth
A bird considered to bring bad luck.

وطائر أشأم: جار بالشؤم — And an ill-omened bird: one that brings ill omen.

الأَشَائِمnoun

1.
ill omensclassical
Plural of 'ash'am', referring to things that bring bad luck.
2.
the left (directions)classical
Plural of 'ash'am', referring to the leftward directions, contrasted with 'al-Ayman' (the rightward directions).

فإذا الأشائم كالأيامن — So if the ill omens are like the good omens

غِلْمَانٌ أَشْأَمadjective

1.
unlucky youthsclassical
Youths associated with misfortune or bad luck.

فَتُنْتِجُ لَكُمْ غِلْمَانًا أَشْأَمَ كُلَّهُمْ — Then they will produce for you youths, all of them ill-omened

شَآمname

1.
Syriaboth
A region, often referring to Greater Syria. It can be treated as masculine or feminine.

وخبرت ليلى بالشآم مريضة — And I learned of Layla being sick in al-Sham

شَامِيّadjective

1.
Syrianboth
Relating to or originating from Syria.

شَأْمَةnoun

1.
ill omenboth
The opposite of good fortune or auspiciousness; bad luck.
2.
the left sideboth
The direction of the left or north.

والشأمة: خلاف اليمنة — And al-sha'mah: the opposite of the right side.

المُشْئِمadjective

1.
ill-omenedboth
Bringing or associated with ill omen or misfortune.

فأصبحت صرمت حبالك في الخليط المشئم — So you became estranged from your companions in the ill-omened group.

تَشَأَّمَverb

1.
to claim relation to al-Shamclassical
To attribute one's lineage or origin to the region of Syria.

وتشأم الرجل: انتسب إلى الشأم — And a man 'tash'amma': he claimed relation to al-Sham.

شَأْمَةnoun

1.
mole (on the body)both
A small mark on the skin, like a mole.

حتى تكونوا كأنكم شأمة في الناس — So that you become like a mole among people

الشُّؤْمَىnoun

1.
the left handclassical
The left hand, considered the opposite of the right hand and sometimes associated with ill omen.

والشؤمى من اليدين: نقيض اليمنى — And al-shu'ma from the hands: the opposite of the right.

الشِّئْمَةnoun

1.
natureclassical
Disposition, character, or innate quality.

Parallel reading

الشؤم: خلاف اليمن.

Ill omen: the opposite of good fortune.

ورجل مشؤوم على قومه، والجمع مشائيم نادر، وحكمه السلامة؛ أنشد سيبويه للأحوص اليربوعي: مشائيم ليسوا مصلحين عشيرة، ... ولا ناعب إلا بشؤم غرابها رد ناعبا على موضع مصلحين، وموضعه خفض بالباء أي ليسوا بمصلحين لأن قولك ليسوا مصلحين وليسوا بمصلحين معناهما واحد، وقد تشاءموا به.

And a man who is ill-omened to his people, and the plural 'mashayim' is rare, and its ruling is safety; Sibawayh recited for al-Ahwas al-Yarbu'i: 'Ill-omened ones, not reformers of a tribe, ... and no crier but with the ill omen of its crow.' He returned 'crier' to the position of 'reformers', and its position is genitive with 'bi' meaning 'they are not reformers', because your saying 'laysu muslihin' and 'laysu bi-muslihin' have the same meaning, and they considered it an ill omen.

إن كان الشؤم ففي ثلاث ؛ معناه إن كان فيما تكره عاقبته ويخاف ففي هذه الثلاث، وتخصيصه لها لأنه لما أبطل مذهب العرب في التطير بالسوانح والبوارح من الطير والظباء ونحوها، قال: فإن كانت لأحدكم دار يكره سكناها أو امرأة يكره صحبتها أو فرس يكره ارتباطها فليفارقها بأن ينتقل عن الدار ويطلق المرأة ويبيع الفرس، وقيل: شؤم الدار ضيقها وسوء جارها، وشؤم المرأة أن لا تلد، وشؤم الفرس أن لا ينزى عليها، والواو في الشؤم همزة ولكنها خففت فصارت واوا، وغلب عليها التخفيف حتى لم ينطق بها مهموزة، وقد شئم عليهم وشؤم وشأمهم، وما أشأمه، وقد تشاءم به.

If there is ill omen, then it is in three things; its meaning is if there is something whose consequence is disliked and feared, then it is in these three. And He specified them because when He invalidated the Arabs' doctrine of superstition from the right-passing and left-passing birds and gazelles and the like, He said: 'If any of you has a house he dislikes living in, or a wife he dislikes accompanying, or a horse he dislikes keeping, then let him part with them by moving from the house, divorcing the wife, and selling the horse.' And it was said: the ill omen of a house is its narrowness and its bad neighbor, and the ill omen of a woman is that she does not give birth, and the ill omen of a horse is that it does not mount. And the waw in 'al-shu'm' is a hamza, but it was lightened so it became a waw, and the lightening prevailed over it until it was not pronounced with a hamza. And he brought ill omen upon them, and he brought ill omen, and he brought ill omen upon them, and how ill-omened he is, and they considered it an ill omen.

والمشأمة: الشؤم.

And al-mash'amah: ill omen.

ويقال: شأم فلان أصحابه إذا أصابهم شؤم من قبله.

And it is said: So-and-so brought ill omen to his companions if misfortune befell them from him.

يقال: ما أشأم فلان، والعامة تقول ما أيشمه.

It is said: How ill-omened is so-and-so, and the common people say 'ma ayashimuhu'.

وقد شأم فلان على قومه يشأمهم، فهو شائم إذا جر عليهم الشؤم، وقد شئم عليهم فهو مشؤوم إذا صار شؤما عليهم.

And so-and-so brought ill omen upon his people, he causes them ill omen, so he is 'sha'im' if he brings ill omen upon them, and he has brought ill omen upon them, so he is 'mash'oom' if he becomes an ill omen to them.

وطائر أشأم: جار بالشؤم.

And an ill-omened bird: one that brings ill omen.

ويقال: هذا طائر أشأم وطير أشأم، والجمع الأشائم، والأشائم نقيض الأيامن؛ وأنشد أبو عبيدة: فإذا الأشائم كالأيامن، ... والأيامن كالأشائم

And it is said: This is an ill-omened bird and ill-omened birds, and the plural is 'al-asha'im', and 'al-asha'im' are the opposite of 'al-ayamin'; Abu Ubaidah recited: 'So if the ill omens are like the good omens, ... and the good omens are like the ill omens.'

أشأم كل امرئ بين لحييه؛ قال: أشأم في معنى الشؤم يعني اللسان؛ وأنشد لزهير: فتنتج لكم غلمان أشأم كلهم ... كأحمر عاد، ثم ترضع فتفطم

The most ill-omened of every person is between his two jaws; he said: 'Ash'am' in the meaning of ill omen means the tongue; and Zuhayr recited: 'Then they will produce for you youths, all of them ill-omened ... like the red camel of 'Ad, then they will be nursed and weaned.'

غلمان أشأم أي غلمان شؤم؛ قال الجوهري: وهو أفعل بمعنى المصدر لأنه أراد غلمان شؤم فجعل اسم الشؤم أشأم كما جعلوا اسم الضر الضراء، فلهذا لم يقولوا شأماء، كما لم يقولوا أضر للمذكر إذا كان لا يقع بين مؤنثه ومذكره فصل لأنه بمعنى المصدر.

Youths of ill omen, meaning youths of misfortune; Al-Jawhari said: And it is 'af'al' in the meaning of the مصدر (verbal noun) because he intended 'youths of misfortune' and made the name of misfortune 'ash'am' as they made the name of harm 'al-dharra' for the feminine, so for this reason they did not say 'sha'ma'' for the feminine, just as they did not say 'adarr' for the masculine when there is no distinction between its feminine and masculine form because it is in the meaning of the مصدر.

ويقولون: قد يمن فلان على قومه فهو ميمون عليهم، وقد شئم عليهم فهو مشؤوم عليهم بهمزة واحدة بعدها واو، وقوم مشائيم وقوم ميامين.

And they say: So-and-so has brought good fortune to his people, so he is blessed upon them, and he has brought ill omen upon them, so he is ill-omened upon them with a single hamza followed by a waw, and 'mashayim' (ill-omened) people and 'mayamin' (blessed) people.

ورجل شآم وتهام إذا نسبت إلى تهامة والشأم، وكذلك رجل يمان، زادوا ألفا فخففوا ياء النسبة.

And a man from Sham and Tihamah if he is attributed to Tihamah and al-Sham, and likewise a man from Yemen, they added an 'alif' and lightened the 'ya' of attribution.

إذا نشأت بحرية ثم تشاءمت فتلك عين غديقة ؛ تشاءمت: أخذت نحو الشأم.

If a northerly wind arises and then you head north, then that is a spring of abundant water; 'tashama't': you took the direction of al-Sham.

ويقال: تشاءم الرجل إذا أخذ نحو شماله.

And it is said: A man takes the left direction when he heads towards his north.

وأشأم وشاءم إذا أتى الشأم، ويامن القوم وأيمنوا إذا أتوا اليمن.

And 'ashama and sha'ama if he came to al-Sham, and 'yāmana' the people and 'aymanū' if they came to Yemen.

وفي صفة الإبل: ولا يأتي خيرها إلا من جانبها الأشأم ، يعني الشمال؛ ومنه قيل لليد الشمال الشؤمى تأنيث الأشأم، يريد بخيرها لبنها لأنها إنما تحلب وتركب من الجانب الأيسر.

And in the description of camels: And its goodness comes only from its left side, meaning the north; and from this the left hand is called 'al-shu'ma', the feminine of 'al-ash'am', meaning its goodness is its milk because it is milked and ridden from the left side.

وفي حديث عدي: فينظر أيمن منه وأشأم فلا يرى إلا ما قدم.

And in the hadith of Adi: He looks to his right and his left and sees nothing but what he has sent forth.

والشؤمى من اليدين: نقيض اليمنى، ناقضوا بالاسمين حيث تناقضت الجهتان؛ قال القطامي يصف الكلاب والثور: فخر على شؤمى يديه، فذادها ... بأظمأ من فرع الذؤابة أسحما

And 'al-shu'ma' from the hands: the opposite of the right. They contrasted the two names where the two directions contrasted; Al-Qutami said, describing dogs and a bull: 'He charged with the ill omen of his hands, and drove them away ... with a thirstier one than the blackest tip of the forelock.'

والشأمة: خلاف اليمنة. والمشأمة: خلاف الميمنة.

And 'al-sha'mah': the opposite of the right side. And 'al-mash'amah': the opposite of the right side.

الشأم: بلاد تذكر وتؤنث، سميت بها لأنها عن مشأمة القبلة؛ قال ابن بري: شاهد التأنيث قول جواس بن القصطل: جئتم من البلد البعيد نياطه، ... والشأم تنكر، كهلها وفتاها قال: كهلها وفتاها بدل من الشأم؛ وشاهد التذكير قول الآخر: يقولون إن الشأم يقتل أهله، ... فمن لي إن لم آته بخلود؟

Al-Sham: a land, referred to as masculine and feminine, named so because it is to the left of the Qibla; Ibn Barrī said: The evidence for femininity is the saying of Jawwas bin Al-Qastal: 'You have come from a distant land, its roots ... and al-Sham is unknown, its elder and its youth.' He said: 'its elder and its youth' is a بدل (apposition) from 'al-Sham'; and the evidence for masculinity is the saying of another: 'They say that al-Sham kills its people, ... so who is there for me if I do not go to it, to have immortality?'

وقد جاء الشآم لغة في الشأم؛ قال المجنون: وخبرت ليلى بالشآم مريضة، ... فأقبلت من مصر إليها أعودها

And 'al-Shā'ām' has come as a dialectal variant for 'al-Sham'; Al-Majnun said: 'And I learned of Layla being sick in al-Shā'ām, ... so I came from Egypt to visit her.'

وأما قول الشاعر: أزمان سلمى لا يرى مثلها الراؤون ... في شأم ولا في عراق إنما نكره لأنه جعل كل جزء منه شأما، كما احتاج إلى تنكير العراق، فجعل كل جزء منه عراقا، وهي الشآم، والنسب إليها شامي، وشآم على فعال ولا تقل شأم، وما جاء في ضرورة الشعر فمحمول على أنه اقتصر من النسبة على ذكر البلد؛ قال ابن بري: شاهد شآم في النسبة قول أبي الدرداء ميسرة: فهاتيك النجوم، وهن خرس، ... ينحن على معاوية الشآم وامرأة شآمية وشآمية مخففة الياء.

As for the poet's saying: 'In the times of Salma, the beholders see no one like her ... in Sham or in Iraq.' He made it indefinite because he considered each part of it as Sham, just as he needed to make Iraq indefinite, so he made each part of it Iraq, and it is 'al-Shām', and the attribution to it is 'Shāmī', and 'Shā'ām' on the pattern of 'fa'āl' and do not say 'Shā'am'. And what has come in poetic license is considered to be an abbreviation of the attribution to mention the land; Ibn Barrī said: The evidence for 'Shā'ām' in attribution is the saying of Abu Al-Dardā' Maysarah: 'Those are the stars, and they are silent, ... mourning for Mu'awiyah of al-Shām.' And a woman from Sham is 'Shāmiyyah' and 'Shāmiyyah' with a lightened 'ya'.

والمشأمة: الميسرة، وكذلك الشأمة، وأشأم الرجل والقوم: أتوا الشأم أو ذهبوا إليها؛ قال بشر بن أبي خازم: سمعت بنا قيل الوشاة، فأصبحت ... صرمت حبالك في الخليط المشئم

And 'al-mash'amah': the left side, and likewise 'al-sha'mah'. And 'ashama' the man and the people: they came to al-Sham or went to it; Bishr bin Abi Khazim said: 'I heard the slanderers speaking ill of us, and you became ... estranged from your companions in the ill-omened group.'

وتشأم الرجل: انتسب إلى الشأم مثل تقيس وتكوف.

And 'tashamma' the man: he claimed relation to al-Sham, like 'Taqays' and 'Takuf'.

ويامن بأصحابك أي خذ بهم يمنة، وشائم بأصحابك خذ بهم شأمة أي ذات الشمال أو خذ بهم إلى الشأم، ولا يقال تيامن بهم.

And 'yāmin' with your companions means take them to the right, and 'shā'im' with your companions means take them to the left or take them to al-Sham, and it is not said 'tayāman bihim'.

ويقال: قعد فلان يمنة وقعد فلان شأمة ونظرت يمنة وشأمة.

And it is said: So-and-so sat to the right, and so-and-so sat to the left, and I looked to the right and to the left.

ويقال: شأمت القوم أي يسرتهم.

And it is said: 'Sha'amtu' the people means you made them go to the left.

ويقال: تشاءم أخذ ناحية الشأم، فإذا أردت خذ ناحية الشأم قلت شائم، فإذا أردت أتى الشأم قلت أشأم، وكذلك أيمن إذا أتى اليمن، وتيامن إذا أخذ اليمن، ويامن إذا أخذ ناحية اليمن.

And it is said: 'Tashā'ama' means taking the direction of al-Sham. If you mean 'take the direction of al-Sham', you say 'shā'im'. If you mean 'come to al-Sham', you say 'ash'ama'. Likewise, 'aymana' if he came to Yemen, 'tayāmana' if he took the direction of Yemen, and 'yāmana' if he took the direction of Yemen.

والشئمة. مهموزة: الطبيعة؛ حكاها أبو زيد واللحياني، وقال ابن جني: قد همز بعضهم الشئمة ولم يعلله؛ قال ابن سيده: والذي عندي فيه أن همزه نادر لأنه ليس هنالك ما يوجبه، وذكر ابن الأثير في شأم قال: وفي حديث ابن الحنظلية: حتى تكونوا كأنكم شأمة في الناس ؛ قال: الشأمة الخال في الجسد معروفة، أراد كونوا في أحسن زي وهيئة حتى تظهروا للناس وينظروا إليكم، كما تظهر الشأمة وينظر إليها دون باقي الجسد.

And 'al-shi'mah'. Hamzated: nature; Abu Zayd and Al-Lihyani narrated it. Ibn Jinni said: Some have hamzated 'al-shi'mah' without explaining why. Ibn Sidah said: And what I think about it is that its hamza is rare because there is nothing that necessitates it. Ibn Al-Athir mentioned in 'Sham': And in the hadith of Ibn Al-Hanzaliyyah: 'So that you become like a mole among people.' He said: 'Al-sha'mah' is the mole on the body, known. He meant: Be in the best attire and appearance so that you appear to people and they look at you, just as a mole appears and is looked at apart from the rest of the body.