المثل

Root entry · 28 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the concept of likeness, resemblance, and similarity. It extends to encompass proverbs, examples, representations, and the act of embodying or following something. It also touches upon concepts of justice, preference, and punishment.

Derived headwords

المَثَلnoun

1.
Proverbboth
A well-known saying that expresses a general truth or piece of advice, often metaphorical.
2.
Likenessboth
The state of being similar or resembling something else.
3.
Exampleboth
A thing characteristic of its kind or illustrating a general rule.

المثل، بالكسر والتحريك وكأمير: الشبه — The proverb, with kasra and haraka and like 'amir: likeness.

ج: أمثال — Plural: amthal.

مِثْلnoun

1.
Resemblanceboth
The quality of being similar to something else.
2.
Proverbboth
A saying that expresses a general truth.

وقولهم: "مستراد لمثله"، أي: مثله يطلب ويشح عليه — And their saying: "Mustarad limithlihi", meaning: its like is sought and is grudgingly given.

المَثَلnoun

1.
Argumentclassical
A reason or set of reasons given with the aim of persuading others that an action or idea is right or wrong.
2.
Narrativeclassical
A spoken or written account of connected events; a story.

والمثل، محركة: الحجة والحديث — And al-mathal, with haraka: the argument and the narrative.

مَثَّلَ بهverb

1.
To make an example ofboth
To punish someone severely as a warning to others.
2.
To representboth
To act as an agent or representative for; to symbolize.

وقد مثل به تمثيلا — And he made an example of him, a thorough making of an example.

تَمَثَّلَverb

1.
To embodyboth
To be an expression of or give a tangible or visible form to (an idea, quality, or feeling).
2.
To reciteclassical
To say (something) from memory.
3.
To followboth
To go in the same direction as (someone or something, or a path or line).

وتمثل عندهم مثلا حسنا وتمثل: أنشد بيتا ثم آخر ثم آخر — And he became a good example among them and recited: a verse, then another, then another.

اقتص، كتمثل منه — to follow, like tamaththala from it.

امْتَثَلَverb

1.
To obeyboth
To comply with a command, direction, or request; submit to another's authority.
2.
To embodyboth
To give a tangible or visible form to an idea or quality.
3.
To followboth
To go in the same direction as; to adhere to.

وامتثل عندهم مثلا حسنا وتمثل — And he became a good example among them and recited.

وامتثله هو: ms1461 تصوره — And he embodied it: he pictured it.

وامتثل طريقته: تبعها فلم يعدها — And he followed his way: he followed it and did not deviate from it.

الأمثولةnoun

1.
Recitationclassical
The action of reciting something from memory.

وهي الأمثولة — And it is the recitation.

المِثَالnoun

1.
Measureboth
A quantity or number that is measured or is measurable.
2.
Retaliationclassical
The action of harming or attacking someone in return for an injury or offense.
3.
Descriptionboth
A spoken or written representation or account of a person or thing.
4.
Beddingclassical
A bed or mattress.

والمثال: المقدار، والقصاص، وصفة الشيء، والفراش — And al-mithal: the measure, the retaliation, the description of the thing, and the bedding.

ج: أمثلة ومثل — Plural: amthilah and mithal.

تَمَاثَلَverb

1.
To approach recoveryclassical
To be nearing a state of health after illness.
2.
To resembleboth
To be or look like someone or something else.

وتماثل العليل: قارب البرء — And the sick person's tamathala: he approached recovery.

الأَمْثَلadjective

1.
Bestboth
Of the highest standard or quality; most excellent.
2.
Most similarboth
Having the greatest degree of resemblance.

والأمثل: الأفضل — And al-amthal: the best.

ج: أماثل — Plural: amathil.

والطريقة المثلى: الأشبه بالحق — And the most ideal way: the most similar to the truth.

المَثَالَةnoun

1.
Excellenceclassical
The quality of being outstanding or extremely good.
2.
Superiorityclassical
The state or fact of being superior.

والمثالة: الفضل — And al-mathalah: the excellence.

مَثُلَverb

1.
To be excellentclassical
To possess or exhibit outstanding qualities.

وقد مثل، ككرم — And it was excellent, like karuma.

المُثْلَىadjective

1.
Most idealboth
The most suitable or perfect.
2.
Most similar to the truthboth
Closely resembling what is right or correct.

والطريقة المثلى: الأشبه بالحق — And the most ideal way: the most similar to the truth.

أَمْثَلَهمverb

1.
To be the most just among themclassical
To be the fairest and most equitable in their dealings.
2.
To be the most knowledgeable among themclassical
To possess the most knowledge regarding what they say.

وأمثلهم طريقة: أعدلهم وأشبههم بأهل الحق، وأعلمهم عند نفسه بما يقول — And the most ideal among them in way: the most just and most similar to the people of truth, and the most knowledgeable in his own estimation of what he says.

التِّمْثَالnoun

1.
Representationboth
The depiction of someone or something in a work of art or literature.
2.
Statueboth
A carved or cast figure of a person or animal, especially one that is life-size or larger.

والتمثال، بالفتح: التمثيل — And al-timthal, with fatha: representation.

وبالكسر: الصورة — And with kasra: the image/statue.

مَثَّلَ لهverb

1.
To portray for himboth
To create an image or likeness of something for someone.

ومثله له تمثيلا: صوره له حتى كأنه ينظر إليه — And he portrayed it for him a portrayal: he depicted it for him until it was as if he were looking at it.

مَثَلَverb

1.
To stand uprightboth
To be in or assume a vertical position.
2.
To fall to the groundclassical
To descend to the surface of the earth.
3.
To move from its placeclassical
To change position.

ومثل: قام منتصبا — And mathala: he stood upright.

كمثل، بالضم، مثولا — like mathala, with damma, muthulā.

ولطأ بالأرض، ضد — and lat'a on the ground, the opposite.

نَكَّلَverb

1.
To punish severelyboth
To inflict a harsh penalty on someone.
2.
To make an example ofboth
To punish someone as a warning to others.

وبفلان مثلا ومثلة، بالضم: نكل، كمثل، تمثيلا — And with so-and-so, mathalan and muthlah, with damma: he punished severely, like mathala, tamthīlan.

المُثْلَةnoun

1.
Severe punishmentboth
A harsh penalty inflicted as a deterrent.
2.
Exemplary punishmentboth
Punishment intended to serve as a warning to others.

وهي المثلة، بضم الثاء وسكونها ج: مثولات ومثلات — And it is al-muthlah, with damma on the tha and sukun, pl: muthulāt and muthlāt.

أَمْثَلَverb

1.
To kill by retributionclassical
To execute someone as a form of legal retribution or punishment.

وأمثله: قتله بقود — And amthalahu: he killed him by retribution.

مَاثَلَverb

1.
To strive hardclassical
To make great efforts to achieve or resist something.

ومثل ماثل، أي: جهد جاهد — And mathala māthala, meaning: he strove hard, he struggled.

الماثولname

1.
A place nameclassical
A location in Medina.

والماثول: ع بالمدينة — And al-mathūl: a place in Medina.

الماثلةnoun

1.
Lampstand baseclassical
The base or stand for a lamp.

والماثلة: منارة المسرجة — And al-māthilah: the lampstand.

الماثِلadjective

1.
Faded traceclassical
A mark or sign whose trace has disappeared.

والماثل من الرسوم: ما ذهب أثره — And al-māthil of the traces: that whose trace has gone.

المَثَلname

1.
A king of Yemenclassical
A historical ruler of Yemen.

وبالكسر: المثل بن عجل بن لجيم ملك اليمن — And with kasra: Al-Mathal son of 'Ijil son of Lujaym, king of Yemen.

فقالوا: يا أمير المؤمنين، كان ملك لنا يقال له المثل، فخجل — So they said: O Commander of the Faithful, we had a king called Al-Mathal, so he was embarrassed.

بنو المثلname

1.
A tribeclassical
A lineage or clan named after 'Al-Mathal'.

وبنو المثل بن معاوية: قبيلة — And Banu Al-Mathal son of Mu'awiyah: a tribe.

المَثَلname

1.
A place nameclassical
A location in Falaj.

وبالضم: ع بفلج — And with damma: a place in Falaj.

الأمثالname

1.
A region near Basraclassical
An area characterized by similar-looking mountains.

والأمثال: أرضون متشابهة ذات جبال قرب البصرة — And Al-Amthal: lands resembling each other with mountains near Basra.

Parallel reading

المثل، بالكسر والتحريك وكأمير: الشبه.

Al-mathal, with kasra and haraka and like 'amir: likeness.

وقولهم: "مستراد لمثله"، أي: مثله يطلب ويشح عليه.

And their saying: "Mustarad limithlihi", meaning: its like is sought and is grudgingly given.

والمثل، محركة: الحجة والحديث، وقد مثل به تمثيلا وامتثله وتمثله و به، والصفة، ومنه: {مثل الجنة التي}.

And al-mathal, with haraka: the argument and the narrative, and he made an example of him a thorough making of an example, and he embodied it, and he recited it, and with it, and the description, and from it: {the likeness of the Paradise which}.

وامتثل عندهم مثلا حسنا وتمثل: أنشد بيتا ثم آخر ثم آخر، وهي الأمثولة.

And he became a good example among them and recited: he recited a verse, then another, then another, and it is the recitation.

والمثال: المقدار، والقصاص، وصفة الشيء، والفراش ج: أمثلة ومثل.

And al-mithal: the measure, the retaliation, the description of the thing, and the bedding, pl: amthilah and mithal.

وتماثل العليل: قارب البرء.

And the sick person's tamathala: he approached recovery.

والأمثل: الأفضل ج: أماثل.

And al-amthal: the best, pl: amathil.

والطريقة المثلى: الأشبه بالحق.

And the most ideal way: the most similar to the truth.

وأمثلهم طريقة: أعدلهم وأشبههم بأهل الحق، وأعلمهم عند نفسه بما يقول.

And the most ideal among them in way: the most just and most similar to the people of truth, and the most knowledgeable in his own estimation of what he says.

والتمثال، بالفتح: التمثيل، وبالكسر: الصورة، وسيف الأشعث بن قيس الكندي.

And al-timthal, with fatha: representation, and with kasra: the image/statue, and the sword of Al-Ash'ath bin Qays Al-Kindi.

ومثله له تمثيلا: صوره له حتى كأنه ينظر إليه.

And he portrayed it for him a portrayal: he depicted it for him until it was as if he were looking at it.

وامتثله هو: ms1461 تصوره.

And he embodied it: he pictured it.

وامتثل طريقته: تبعها فلم يعدها، و منه: اقتص، كتمثل منه.

And he followed his way: he followed it and did not deviate from it, and from it: to follow, like tamaththala from it.

ومثل: قام منتصبا، كمثل، بالضم، مثولا، ولطأ بالأرض، ضد، وزال عن موضعه، و فلانا فلانا، و به: شبهه به، و فلان فلانا: صار مثله، و بفلان مثلا ومثلة، بالضم: نكل، كمثل، تمثيلا، وهي المثلة، بضم الثاء وسكونها ج: مثولات ومثلات.

And mathala: he stood upright, like mathala, with damma, muthulā, and lat'a on the ground, the opposite, and moved from its place, and he likened so-and-so to so-and-so, and with it: he resembled him, and so-and-so became like so-and-so, and with so-and-so, mathalan and muthlah, with damma: he punished severely, like mathala, tamthīlan, and it is al-muthlah, with damma on the tha and sukun, pl: muthulāt and muthlāt.

وأمثله: قتله بقود.

And amthalahu: he killed him by retribution.

ومثل ماثل، أي: جهد جاهد.

And mathala māthala, meaning: he strove hard, he struggled.

والماثول: ع بالمدينة.

And al-mathūl: a place in Medina.

والماثلة: منارة المسرجة.

And al-māthilah: the lampstand.

والماثل من الرسوم: ما ذهب أثره، وبالكسر: المثل بن عجل بن لجيم ملك اليمن.

And al-māthil of the traces: that whose trace has gone, and with kasra: Al-Mathal son of 'Ijil son of Lujaym, king of Yemen.

صحف عبد الملك بن مروان فقال لقوم من اليمن: ما الميل منكم؟ فقالوا: يا أمير المؤمنين، كان ملك لنا يقال له المثل، فخجل.

Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan made a mistake and said to some people from Yemen: What is the الميل (slope/inclination) from you? They said: O Commander of the Faithful, we had a king called Al-Mathal, so he was embarrassed.

وبنو المثل بن معاوية: قبيلة، منهم أبو الشعثاء يزيد الكندي، وبالضم: ع بفلج.

And Banu Al-Mathal son of Mu'awiyah: a tribe, among them Abu Al-Sha'tha' Yazid Al-Kindi, and with damma: a place in Falaj.

ويقال: رحى المثل.

And it is said: Rahā Al-Mathal.

والأمثال: أرضون متشابهة ذات جبال قرب البصرة.

And Al-Amthal: lands resembling each other with mountains near Basra.