كان

Root entry · 11 derived lemmas

The root 'كان' primarily relates to existence, being, and states of being. It encompasses concepts of submission, sorrow, and specific anatomical terms. It also forms a complex interrogative/quantitative particle.

Derived headwords

كانَverb

1.
to beboth
The fundamental verb indicating existence, presence, or occurrence. It can also denote a past state or condition.

يَكِينُverb

1.
to submitclassical
To be subservient, to yield, or to be humbled.

كان يكين: خضع — He submitted/was subservient.

اِكْتَانَverb

1.
to grieveclassical
To feel sorrow or sadness.

اكتان: حزن — He grieved.

الكِينُnoun

1.
flesh of the vulvaclassical
Refers to the flesh within the female genitalia, or glands therein resembling date seeds.
2.
clitorisclassical
The clitoris is also referred to by this term.

كُيُونnoun

1.
plural of al-kinuclassical
The plural form of the term for parts of the female genitalia.

الكِينَةnoun

1.
nabqa fruitclassical
The fruit of the nabqa tree (Christ's thorn jujube).
2.
guaranteeclassical
A pledge, surety, or sponsorship.
3.
humiliating hardshipclassical
A state of severe difficulty that brings humiliation.
4.
stateboth
A condition or situation.

كَأَيْنَparticle

1.
how many (interrogative)both
Used to ask about quantity, similar to 'how many'.
2.
how many (quantitative)both
Used to express a large or unspecified quantity, similar to 'many' or 'a number of'.

كَائِنparticle

1.
how many (quantitative)both
Used to express a large or unspecified quantity, similar to 'many' or 'a number of'.

المُكْتَانnoun

1.
the guarantorclassical
One who provides a guarantee or surety.

أَكَانَهُ اللهُ إِكَانَةًverb

1.
to make subservientclassical
To cause someone to be humbled, submissive, or to bring them into a state of humiliation.

أكانه الله إكانة: خضعه، وأدخل عليه الذل — May God make him subservient, humbling him and bringing him humiliation.

اِكْتَانَverb

1.
to grieve (while pleased)classical
To feel sorrow or sadness, even while experiencing something that might otherwise bring pleasure.

اكتان: حزن وهو يسره — He grieved while he was pleased.

Parallel reading

واكتان: حزن.

And 'iktana' means to grieve.

والكين: لحم باطن الفرج، أو غدد فيه كأطراف النوى، والبظر ج: كيون.

And 'al-kinu' is the flesh of the inner vulva, or glands therein like the ends of date pits, and the clitoris, plural: 'kuyun'.

والكينة: النبقة، والكفالة، وبالكسر: الشدة المذلة، والحالة.

And 'al-kinatu' is the nabqa fruit, and the guarantee, and with kasra: the humiliating hardship, and the state.

وكأين وكائن: بمعنى كم في الاستفهام والخبر، مركب من كاف التشبيه، وأي المنونة، ولهذا جاز الوقف عليها بالنون، ورسم في المصحف نونا.

And 'ka'ayna' and 'ka'in' mean 'kam' in interrogation and narration, composed of the particle 'ka' of likeness and the inflected 'ay', and for this reason it is permissible to pause on it with 'nun', and it is written with 'nun' in the Mus'haf.

وتوافق "كم" في خمسة أمور: الإبهام، والافتقار إلى التمييز، والبناء، ولزوم التصدير، وإفادة التنكير تارة، والاستفهام أخرى، وهو نادر.

And it agrees with 'kam' in five matters: vagueness, need for a specifier, fixedness, necessity of being at the beginning, and conveying indefiniteness at times, and interrogation at others, and this is rare.

قال أبي لابن مسعود: كأين تقرأ سورة الأحزاب آية؟ قال: ثلاثا وسبعين.

Abi said to Ibn Mas'ud: 'Ka'ayna do you recite the chapter of Al-Ahzab, verse?' He said: 'Seventy-three.'

وتخالفها في خمسة أمور: 1 أنها مركبة وكم بسيطة على الصحيح.

And it differs from it in five matters: 1. That it is compound and 'kam' is simple, according to the correct view.

2 أن مميزها مجرور بمن غالبا، حتى زعم ابن عصفور لزومه.

2. That its specifier is usually preceded by 'min', to the extent that Ibn 'Usfur claimed its necessity.

3 أنها لا تقع استفهامية عند الجمهور.

3. That it is not used interrogatively according to the majority.

4 أنها لا تقع مجرورة، خلافا لمن جوز: بكأين تبيع هذا.

4. That it is not used in the genitive case, contrary to those who permit: 'Bi-ka'ayna do you sell this?'

5 أن خبرها لا يقع مفردا.

5. That its predicate does not occur as a single word.

والمكتان: الكفيل.

And 'al-maktanu' is the guarantor.

وأكانه الله إكانة: خضعه، وأدخل عليه الذل.

And 'akānahu Allahu ikānatan' means: He made him subservient, and brought upon him humiliation.

واكتان: حزن وهو يسره.

And 'iktana' means: he grieved while he was pleased.