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ما

Root entry · 4 derived lemmas

This root primarily deals with negation and questioning, functioning as a particle. It can also be used as a relative pronoun or an interrogative, indicating 'what' or 'that which'. Its usage is extensive in classical Arabic for various grammatical functions.

Derived headwords

مَاparticle
  1. 1.
    notboth

    A particle used for negating verbs and nominal sentences. It is the most common form of negation.

  2. 2.
    whatboth

    An interrogative particle used to ask about something.

  3. 3.
    that whichboth

    A relative pronoun, similar to الذي, referring to an indefinite antecedent.

  4. 4.
    how much/manyclassical

    Used in exclamatory sentences to express abundance.

زِنَةnoun
  1. 1.
    weightboth

    The measure of how heavy something is; a unit of mass.

  2. 2.
    balanceboth

    A device used for weighing or comparing weights.

  3. 3.
    sound/utteranceclassical

    A spoken word or sound, often used in the context of speech or voice.

كَلِمَةnoun
  1. 1.
    wordboth

    A single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing.

  2. 2.
    utteranceboth

    A spoken word or sound.

  3. 3.
    statementboth

    A formal or explicit declaration or account.

نَبْسَةnoun
  1. 1.
    whisperclassical

    A soft or confidential utterance.

  2. 2.
    slight soundclassical

    A very low or barely audible sound.

Parallel reading

ما سمعت له زجنة
I did not hear from him a single sound/utterance.
أي: كلمة ونبسة
Meaning: a word and a whisper.