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ما

Root entry · 6 derived lemmas

This root primarily deals with negation and the concept of 'what'. It also encompasses verbs related to ceasing, forgetting, and breaking, often in conjunction with negation.

Derived headwords

ما فتئverb
  1. 1.
    to not ceaseboth

    Used in the negative to mean 'to continue' or 'to still be doing something'.

ما زالverb
  1. 1.
    to not ceaseboth

    Synonymous with 'ما فتئ' in the negative, meaning 'to continue' or 'to still be doing something'.

أفتأverb
  1. 1.
    to ceaseclassical

    The positive form of the verb, meaning to stop or cease.

فتئ عنهverb
  1. 1.
    to forget itclassical

    To forget something or someone, to become heedless of it.

  2. 2.
    to break away from itclassical

    To break away from or become detached from something.

فتئverb
  1. 1.
    to breakclassical

    To break something, to shatter it.

  2. 2.
    to extinguishclassical

    To extinguish a fire or light.

تفتأverb
  1. 1.
    to keep rememberingboth

    Used in the negative ('ما تفتأ') to mean 'to continue to remember' or 'to keep remembering'.

Parallel reading

ما فتئ، مثلثة التاء: مازال، كما أفتأ.
Ma fati'a, with three pronunciations for the 'ta', means 'ma zala', as in 'afata'a'.
وفتئ عنه، كسمع: نسيه وانقذع عنه، أو خاص بالجحد.
And 'fati'a 'anhu', as in 'sami'a', means to forget it and break away from it, or it is specific to denial.
تفتأ تذكر يوسف
You keep remembering Joseph.
أي: ما تفتأ.
Meaning: you do not cease remembering.
وكمنع: كسر، وأطفأ عن ابن مالك في كتابه" جمع اللغات المشكلة"، وعزاه للفراء، وهو صحيح، ms0029 وغلط أبو حيان وغيره في تغليطه.
And as in 'mana'a': to break, and to extinguish, according to Ibn Malik in his book 'Jam' al-Lughat al-Mushkilah', attributing it to Al-Farra', and it is correct, ms0029, and Abu Hayyan and others erred in their refutation.