عطا

Root entry · 23 derived lemmas

The root 'عطا' primarily denotes the act of reaching out for, taking, or receiving something. It extends to concepts of giving, handling, and even striving or undertaking tasks, with nuances related to willingness, generosity, and sometimes presumption or grasping.

Derived headwords

عَطَاverb

1.
to reach forboth
To extend one's hand or body towards something in order to take it.
2.
to takeboth
To grasp or seize something.

عطوت أعطو — I reached for, I took.

وتعطو البرير، إذا فاتها، ... بجيد ترى الخد منه أسيلا — And it reaches for the desert shrub when it misses it... with a neck whose cheek appears slender.

عَطَا إِلَيْهِverb

1.
to reach forboth
To extend oneself towards something, often implying an effort to attain it.

عطا إليه عطوا: تناوله — He reached for it, he took it.

عَطْوٌadjective

1.
reachingclassical
Describing an animal, like a gazelle or kid, that stretches itself upwards to reach for trees or foliage.

وظبي عطو: يتطاول إلى الشجر ليتناول منه — And a gazelle that reaches, stretching towards the trees to take from them.

أَعْطَىverb

1.
to giveboth
To bestow or grant something to someone.
2.
to yieldclassical
To become compliant or submissive, especially referring to a camel that follows its rider.

أعطى البعير إذا انقاد ولم يستصعب — The camel yielded when it became compliant and not stubborn.

أعطاه مالا — He gave him money.

عَطَاءٌnoun

1.
givingboth
The act of giving or bestowing.
2.
giftboth
Something that is given; a present or donation.
3.
generosityboth
The quality of being generous or bountiful.

وهو جزيل العطاء — And he is of abundant giving.

عَطِيَّةٌnoun

1.
giftboth
A specific item or amount given as a present or donation.

وإذا أفرد قيل العطية، وجمعها العطايا — And if it is singular, it is called 'al-ʿaṭiyyah', and its plural is 'al-ʿaṭāyā'.

عَطَايَاnoun

1.
giftsboth
Plural of 'ʿaṭiyyah', referring to multiple items given.

والجمع عطايا وأعطية — And the plural is 'ʿaṭāyā' and 'aʿṭiyyah'.

أَعْطِيَةٌnoun

1.
giftsboth
Plural of 'ʿaṭāʾ', referring to multiple items given.

والجمع عطايا وأعطية — And the plural is 'ʿaṭāyā' and 'aʿṭiyyah'.

أَعْطِيَاتٌnoun

1.
giftsboth
Plural of plural, referring to a large collection of gifts.

وأعطيات جمع الجمع — And 'aʿṭiyāt' is the plural of the plural.

مِعْطَاءٌadjective

1.
generousboth
A person, male or female, who gives abundantly.

ورجل معطاء: كثير العطاء — And a man who is 'miʿṭāʾ': abundant in giving.

مَعَاطٍnoun

1.
generous peopleclassical
Plural of 'miʿṭāʾ', referring to a group of generous individuals.

وقوم معاطي ومعاط — And a people who are 'maʿāṭī' and 'maʿāṭ'.

إِعْطَاءٌnoun

1.
givingboth
The act of handing over or giving something.
2.
handing overboth
The act of transferring possession.

والإعطاء والمعاطاة جميعا: المناولة — 'Al-iʿṭāʾ' and 'al-muʿāṭāh' both mean handing over.

مُعَاطَاةٌnoun

1.
handing overboth
The act of giving and receiving, mutual transfer.
2.
handlingclassical
The act of passing something back and forth between people.

والمعاطاة: المناولة — And 'al-muʿāṭāh': handing over.

والمعاطاة: أن يستقبل رجل رجلا ومعه سيف فيقول أرني سيفك، فيعطيه فيهزه هذا ساعة وهذا ساعة — And 'al-muʿāṭāh': is when a man meets another with a sword and says 'Show me your sword', and he gives it to him, and one shakes it for a while and the other shakes it for a while.

عَاطَverb

1.
to reach forclassical
To extend towards something, to grasp.
2.
to handleclassical
To pass something back and forth.

عاط بغير أنواط — He reached for without any means or possibility.

أكفرا بعد رد الموت عني، ... وبعد عطائك المائة الرتاعا؟ — Is it disbelief after death was turned away from me, ... and after your handling of the hundred she-camels?

عَاطَاهُverb

1.
to hand over toboth
To pass something to someone, often mutually.
2.
to serveclassical
To work for someone or do tasks for them.

عاطاه إياه معاطاة وعطاء — He handed it over to him, mutual handling and giving.

وهو يعاطيني ويعطيني، بالتشديد، أي ينصفني ويخدمني — And he 'yuʿāṭīnī' and 'yuʿṭīnī', with emphasis, meaning he treats me fairly and serves me.

تَعَاطَىverb

1.
to takeboth
To reach for and take something.
2.
to undertakeboth
To attempt or engage in a task or matter, sometimes illicitly.
3.
to handleboth
To pass something back and forth, often in a contentious way.

وتعاطى الشيء: تناوله — And 'taʿāṭā' the thing: he took it.

وفلان يتعاطى كذا أي يخوض فيه — And so-and-so 'yataʿāṭā' such-and-such, meaning he delves into it.

فَتَعَاطَى فَعَقَرَ — So he reached for it and hamstrung it.

تعاطى فلان ظلمك — So-and-so 'taʿāṭā' your oppression.

تَعَاطَىهُverb

1.
to undertakeboth
To engage in or attempt something, especially something difficult or improper.
2.
to graspboth
To reach for and take hold of something.

وتعاطى أمرا قبيحا وتعطاه، كلاهما: ركبه — And he 'taʿāṭā' an ugly matter and 'taʿaṭāh' it, both mean he engaged in it.

فإذا تعوطي الحق لم يعرفه أحد — And when the truth was reached for (or challenged), no one recognized him.

اسْتَعْطَىverb

1.
to ask forboth
To request or beg for something, especially a gift or donation.

واستعطى وتعطى: سأل العطاء — And 'istaʿṭā' and 'taʿaṭṭā': he asked for the gift.

واستعطى الناس بكفه وفي كفه استعطاء: طلب إليهم وسألهم — And he 'istaʿṭā' the people with his palm and in his palm was a request: he sought from them and asked them.

تَعَطَّىverb

1.
to undertakeclassical
To engage in or attempt something, often something improper or difficult.

وتعاطى أمرا قبيحا وتعطاه، كلاهما: ركبه — And he 'taʿāṭā' an ugly matter and 'taʿaṭāh' it, both mean he engaged in it.

مُعْطِيَةٌadjective

1.
pliableclassical
Describing a bow that is flexible and easy to draw.

وقوس معطية: لينة ليست بكزة ولا ممتنعة على من يمد وترها — And a 'muʿṭiyah' bow: soft, not stiff or resistant to one who draws its string.

عَطْوَىadjective

1.
pliableclassical
Describing a bow that is yielding and easy to use, not breaking.

وقوس عطوى، على فعلى: مواتية سهلة بمعنى المعطية — And a 'ʿaṭwā' bow, on the pattern of 'fuʿlā': accommodating and easy, meaning 'muʿṭiyah'.

عَطَاءٌname

1.
Ataboth
A male given name derived from the root, meaning 'gift' or 'giving'.

وقد سموا عطاء وعطية — And they have named [their children] 'ʿAṭāʾ' and 'ʿAṭiyyah'.

عَطِيَّةٌname

1.
Atiyyahboth
A female given name derived from the root, meaning 'gift' or 'giving'.

وقد سموا عطاء وعطية — And they have named [their children] 'ʿAṭāʾ' and 'ʿAṭiyyah'.

Parallel reading

أربى الربا عطو الرجل عرض أخيه بغير حق

The worst form of usury is a man's taking his brother's honor unjustly.

لا تعطوه الأيدي

Do not give it to the hands (i.e., do not reach it).

وتعطو البرير، إذا فاتها، ... بجيد ترى الخد منه أسيلا

And it reaches for the desert shrub when it misses it... with a neck whose cheek appears slender.

وظبي عطو: يتطاول إلى الشجر ليتناول منه

And a gazelle that reaches, stretching towards the trees to take from them.

عطا بيده إلى الإناء: تناوله وهو محمول قبل أن يوضع على الأرض

He reached with his hand for the vessel: he took it while it was being carried before it was placed on the ground.

أو الأدم الموشحة العواطي ... بأيديهن من سلم النعاف

Or the decorated hides, the reaching ones (gazelles) with their hands from the mountain of Na'af.

وسمعت غير واحد من العرب يقول لراحلته إذا انفسح خطمه عن مخطمه أعط فيعوج رأسه إلى راكبه فيعيد الخطم على مخطمه.

And I heard more than one Arab say to his mount when its noseband loosened from its halter, 'Yield!' and it would bend its head to its rider, returning the noseband to its halter.

أعطى البعير إذا انقاد ولم يستصعب

The camel yielded when it became compliant and not stubborn.

والعطاء: نول للرجل السمح

And 'al-ʿaṭāʾ': a gift for a generous man.

وإذا أفرد قيل العطية، وجمعها العطايا

And if it is singular, it is called 'al-ʿaṭiyyah', and its plural is 'al-ʿaṭāyā'.

ورجل معطاء: كثير العطاء

And a man who is 'miʿṭāʾ': abundant in giving.

والإعطاء والمعاطاة جميعا: المناولة

'Al-iʿṭāʾ' and 'al-muʿāṭāh' both mean handing over.

وفي المثل: عاط بغير أنواط

And in the proverb: He reached for without any means or possibility.

مثل المناديل تعاطى الأشربا

Like handkerchiefs passing the drinks.

ألا ربما لم نعط زيقا بحكمه، ... وأدى إلينا الحق، والغل لازب

Perhaps we were not given his judgment, ... and he delivered the right to us, while the chains were binding.

وفلان يتعاطى كذا أي يخوض فيه

And so-and-so 'yataʿāṭā' such-and-such, meaning he delves into it.

وتعاطينا فعطوته أي غلبته

And we competed, and I overcame him, meaning I defeated him.

والمعاطاة: أن يستقبل رجل رجلا ومعه سيف فيقول أرني سيفك، فيعطيه فيهزه هذا ساعة وهذا ساعة وهما في سوق أو مسجد، وقد نهي عنه.

And 'al-muʿāṭāh': is when a man meets another with a sword and says 'Show me your sword', and he gives it to him, and one shakes it for a while and the other shakes it for a while, while they are in a market or a mosque, and it has been forbidden.

واستعطى الناس بكفه وفي كفه استعطاء: طلب إليهم وسألهم

And he 'istaʿṭā' the people with his palm and in his palm was a request: he sought from them and asked them.

هل أنت معطيه؟

Will you give it to him?

وتعاطى فلان ظلمك

So-and-so 'taʿāṭā' your oppression.

وتعاطى أمرا قبيحا وتعطاه، كلاهما: ركبه

And he 'taʿāṭā' an ugly matter and 'taʿaṭāh' it, both mean he engaged in it.

فَتَعَاطَى فَعَقَرَ

So he reached for it and hamstrung it.

فإذا تعوطي الحق لم يعرفه أحد

And when the truth was reached for (or challenged), no one recognized him.

وهو يعاطيني ويعطيني، بالتشديد، أي ينصفني ويخدمني

And he 'yuʿāṭīnī' and 'yuʿṭīnī', with emphasis, meaning he treats me fairly and serves me.

وهو يعاطي خلمها أي تناوله قبلها وريقها

And she 'tuʿāṭī' her saliva, meaning she gives him her pre-saliva and her saliva.

تعاطيه أحيانا، إذا جيد جودة، ... رضابا كطعم الزنجبيل المعسل

Passing it to him sometimes, when it was excellent, ... saliva like the taste of honeyed ginger.

وفلان يعطو في الحمض: يضرب يده فيما ليس له

And so-and-so 'yaʿṭū' in the sour plants: he strikes his hand into what is not his.

وقوس معطية: لينة ليست بكزة ولا ممتنعة على من يمد وترها

And a 'muʿṭiyah' bow: soft, not stiff or resistant to one who draws its string.

وقوس عطوى، على فعلى: مواتية سهلة بمعنى المعطية

And a 'ʿaṭwā' bow, on the pattern of 'fuʿlā': accommodating and easy, meaning 'muʿṭiyah'.

له نبعة عطوى، كأن رنينها ... بألوى تعاطتها الأكف المواسح

He has a pliable 'ʿaṭwā' spear, whose resonance is like... in the string that the wiping hands pass.

أبوك عطاء ألأم الناس كلهم!

Your father 'ʿAṭāʾ', the most ignoble of all people!