نحن

Root entry · 11 derived lemmas

This root entry focuses on the first-person plural pronoun 'naḥnu' (we). It discusses its grammatical properties, including its inherent vowelization (ḍamma) and its function as a pronoun for both dual and plural speakers referring to themselves. The entry also touches upon its etymology and grammatical analysis by prominent lexicographers.

Derived headwords

نَحْنُpronoun

1.
weboth
A first-person plural pronoun used by speakers referring to themselves collectively. It can denote both the dual and the plural.

أَنَاpronoun

1.
Iboth
The first-person singular pronoun, used as the singular counterpart to 'naḥnu'.

فَعَلُواverb

1.
they didboth
A past tense verb form indicating an action performed by a third-person plural subject. The 'waw' (و) signifies the plural.

أَنْتُمْpronoun

1.
you (plural)both
The second-person plural pronoun, used to address a group of people.

نُحْيِيverb

1.
we give lifeboth
The first-person plural present tense form of the verb 'to give life' (أَحْيَا).

نُمِيتُverb

1.
we cause to dieboth
The first-person plural present tense form of the verb 'to cause to die' (أَمَاتَ).

رَدَّverb

1.
to returnboth
A verb meaning to return something or someone, or to reply.

مَدَّverb

1.
to extendboth
A verb meaning to stretch out, extend, or supply.

شَدَّverb

1.
to tightenboth
A verb meaning to tighten, strengthen, or become severe.

هُوَpronoun

1.
heboth
The third-person singular masculine pronoun.

هِيَpronoun

1.
sheboth
The third-person singular feminine pronoun.

Parallel reading

ضمير يعنى به الاثنان والجميع المخبرون عن أنفسهم

A pronoun by which are meant the dual and the plural, those who inform about themselves.

وهي مبنية على الضم

And it is built upon the ḍamma.

لأن نحن تدل على الجماعة وجماعة المضمرين تدل عليهم الميم أو الواو

Because 'naḥnu' indicates the group, and the group of pronouns indicates them by the mīm or the wāw.

والواو من جنس الضمة

And the wāw is of the same kind as the ḍamma.

فأما قراءة من قرأ: نحن نحيي ونميت، فلا بد أن تكون النون الأولى مختلسة الضمة تخفيفا وهي بمنزلة المتحركة

As for the recitation of one who recites: 'We give life and we cause to die,' then the first nūn must have its ḍamma elided for lightness, and it is in the position of being vocalized.

فأما أن تكون ساكنة والحاء قبلها ساكنة فخطأ

But for it to be silent and the ḥā' before it silent, that is an error.

نحن كلمة يعنى بها جمع أنا من غير لفظها

'Naḥnu' is a word by which is meant the plural of 'anā' (I) from a different form.

وحرك آخره بالضم لالتقاء الساكنين لأن الضمة من جنس الواو التي هي علامة الجمع

And its end is vocalized with a ḍamma due to the meeting of two silent letters, because the ḍamma is of the same kind as the wāw, which is the sign of the plural.

ونحن كناية عنهم

And 'naḥnu' is a substitute for them.

لا يصح قول الجوهري إن الحركة في نحن لالتقاء الساكنين لأن اختلاف صيغ المضمرات يقوم مقام الإعراب

Al-Jawharī's statement that the vowelization in 'naḥnu' is due to the meeting of two silent letters is incorrect, because the variation in the forms of pronouns stands in place of inflection.

ولهذا بنيت على حركة من أول الأمر نحو هو وهي وأنا فعلت كذا، لكونها قد تنزلت منزلة ما الأصل في التمكين

And for this reason, it was built upon a vowel from the beginning, like 'huwa' (he), 'hiya' (she), and 'anā fa'altu' (I did such-and-such), because they have taken the position of something whose origin is in being firmly established.

وإنما بنيت نحن على الضم لئلا يظن بها أنها حركة التقاء ساكنين، إذ الفتح والكسر يحرك بهما ما التقى فيه ساكنان نحو رد ومد وشد

And 'naḥnu' was only built upon the ḍamma so that it would not be thought to be a vowelization for the meeting of two silent letters, as the fatḥa and kasra are used to vocalize what has two silent letters meeting, like in 'radda' (he returned), 'madda' (he extended), and 'shadda' (he tightened).