Lisan al-Arab (Ibn Manzur, d. 711H)

The root صبع (ṣ-b-ʿ) primarily relates to the digit 'finger' or 'toe'. It extends metaphorically to signify an ' اثر' (trace, mark, influence), especially a good one, and by extension, a sign or indication. It also encompasses actions related to pointing, and in a negative sense, betrayal or ill intent.

This root primarily describes a wild ass, extending to concepts of a strong young man, and by extension, someone who comes without provisions or support. It also encompasses notions of hesitation, wavering, and a physical twist or stiffness, particularly in the head of a male ostrich.

The root صدع (ṣadaʿa) primarily denotes the act of splitting, cracking, or breaking something solid. It extends to concepts of separation, division, and divergence, both physical and metaphorical. It also encompasses meanings related to appearance, revelation, and the dawn.

This root primarily describes sounds, particularly sharp, rattling, or cracking noises. It can also refer to the act of making such sounds or the objects that produce them.

This root primarily relates to shining, radiating, and brilliance, often associated with light or eloquent speech. It can also describe something that is prominent or stands out.

The root صعع (ṣaʿʿ) primarily denotes movement, agitation, and dispersion. It extends to concepts of scattering, disturbing, and causing disarray, both physically and metaphorically. It also encompasses related ideas like fear, submission, and even specific terms for a bird and a tribal ancestor.

This root primarily concerns the act of striking someone with an open palm, specifically on the back of the head. It also extends to related concepts of being struck in this manner and the specific location of the strike.

The root صقع (ṣ-q-ʿ) primarily denotes striking, hitting, or impacting, often with a hard or dry object. It extends to concepts of severe injury, falling, and even abstract notions like ruin, loss, and distant absence. It also relates to frost and ice.

The root صقع (ṣ-q-ʿ) primarily relates to striking, hitting, or a sharp sound. It extends to concepts of direction, regions, and also describes specific markings or features, particularly on the head of animals, and can denote eloquence or a loud voice.

This root primarily relates to concepts of destruction, ruin, and severe misfortune. It extends to meanings of financial ruin, decapitation, and the act of shaving one's head.

This root primarily denotes extreme poverty, destitution, and ruin. It can also refer to a severe blow, specifically to the neck, leading to death. The terms often carry a sense of emptiness or desolation.

This root primarily relates to the act of uprooting, plucking out, or removing something completely. It also extends to concepts of being unknown, impoverished, or having one's head shaved. The root carries a strong sense of thoroughness and finality in its various applications.

The root صمع (ṣamaʿa) primarily relates to smallness, closeness, and a refined or pointed shape, particularly concerning ears, limbs, and structures. It extends to concepts of sharpness, determination, and even conciseness in speech or form.

The root 'صنع' primarily relates to making, doing, crafting, and producing. It extends to the concept of skill and artistry, as well as the place name 'San'a'. It can also imply a fabricated or artificial quality.

This root appears to relate to concepts of hardness, solidity, and perhaps a certain coarseness or stubbornness, particularly in animals like camels. It also has a derived place name.

This root describes something or someone as strong, robust, and firm. It is primarily used to describe young men, animals like donkeys, ostriches, and horses, and even abstract qualities like firmness of head or strength of constitution.

The root صوع primarily relates to scattering, dispersing, and moving rapidly. It also extends to meanings of preparing a place, a specific unit of measurement, and a drinking vessel.

This root primarily deals with concepts of scattering, dispersing, and causing division or separation. It can also describe the agitation or stirring of things, such as plants or water.

The root ضبع primarily relates to the upper arm, armpit, and the region between them. It extends to describe actions involving the arm or hand, the act of embracing or holding, and metaphorically, to concepts of injustice, hardship, and desire. It also denotes a specific wild animal.

This root appears to relate to small creatures, possibly insects or birds, and also carries a connotation of foolishness or being slow-witted. It is also linked to a similar-sounding word that is considered more accurate.

This root primarily concerns concepts of submission, humility, and weakness. It extends to physical frailty, smallness, and the yielding of milk. It also encompasses resemblance and, in a specialized sense, the future tense of verbs.

This root appears to be very limited in its usage, primarily referring to a specific type of wild animal. Its derivatives are scarce and not widely attested in classical or modern Arabic literature.

This root primarily concerns states of weakness, submission, humility, and diminishment. It extends to physical frailty, poverty, and the act of demolishing or reducing something. The core idea is a reduction in strength, status, or substance.

This root primarily relates to bodily excretions, specifically defecation and urination. It also extends to the concept of revealing or exposing something, and includes a specific botanical term for a thorny fruit.

The root ضفدع primarily relates to frogs, their sounds, and characteristics. It extends to describe internal rumbling, a specific bone in a horse's hoof, and actions like crouching, being sluggish, or passing gas.

This root describes someone who is foolish, slow, and physically heavy or sluggish. It often implies a lack of intelligence combined with a cumbersome physique.

This root primarily describes women who are wide in their private parts, implying a stout or corpulent build. It also refers to a place name and the act of shaving or scraping.

This root primarily concerns movement, agitation, and disturbance, often in the context of physical motion, emotional distress, or the spreading of scents. It can also refer to specific types of birds and their sounds.

This root describes intense, rapid running, particularly when motivated by fear or panic. It conveys a sense of fleeing or bolting in a state of extreme agitation.

This root primarily describes a lack of jealousy or honor, particularly concerning one's spouse. It can also refer to the act of sexual intercourse.

This root primarily describes a lack of jealousy or honor, particularly concerning one's spouse. It extends to terms for sexual intercourse and, in a less common usage, a vast place or a greedy person.

This root primarily relates to the action of licking or lapping, often with a specific sound associated with it. It also extends to describe a low-lying or depressed area of land.

This root primarily concerns the concept of ascending, reaching, or coming upon something, often from a higher vantage point. It extends to notions of appearance, arrival, and even the beginning or source of something. It can also denote the act of observing or becoming aware of something.

This root primarily concerns the concept of desire, greed, and covetousness. It extends to hope, ambition, and the act of inciting desire in others. It also has a specific military application related to provisions.

This root primarily concerns the concepts of obedience, willingness, and submission. It extends to the idea of something being easy or pliable, and by extension, to the act of making something easy or submissive.

This root primarily concerns the concept of obedience, compliance, and willingness. It extends to the idea of being amenable, submissive, or easily managed, and can also refer to something that is readily available or manageable.

This root pertains to making a loud, indistinct noise or clamor, often associated with a crowd or a group of people. It describes the sound of shouting, uproar, or a general hubbub.

This root describes the state of being unable to proceed or being stuck, particularly when facing an intended goal or task. It conveys a sense of exhaustion, perplexity, or being overwhelmed to the point of inaction.

This root primarily concerns intense grief, sorrow, and affliction, particularly due to loss or calamity. It describes the act of causing such pain, the state of being afflicted, and the painful events themselves.

This root primarily describes crookedness, deviation, or displacement, particularly in joints like the wrist or ankle. It extends to describe a person or animal with such a condition, or a slight crack or break.