ظن

Root entry · 13 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the concept of thinking, assuming, suspecting, or doubting. It extends to notions of certainty, accusation, and places where something is likely to be found.

Derived headwords

الظَّنّnoun

1.
thinking, assumptionboth
The act of thinking or assuming something, often without certainty.
2.
suspicionboth
A feeling or belief that someone has done something wrong or is guilty of something.
3.
certaintyclassical
In some contexts, it can be used to mean certainty or firm belief, especially when used to instill fear or conviction.

ظَنَّverb

1.
well-knownboth
well-known
2.
and it may be placed in the position of knowledgeboth
and it may be placed in the position of knowledge

ظَنَنْتُكَ زَيْدًاverb

1.
I thought you were Zaydclassical
A specific grammatical construction where a pronoun is used in place of a noun, reflecting the subject-predicate relationship in the assumption.

ظَنَنْتُ زَيْدًا إِيَّاكَverb

1.
I thought Zayd was youclassical
Another grammatical construction illustrating the use of detached pronouns in place of attached ones when referring to the subject and predicate of the thought.

الظَّنِينadjective

1.
suspected, accusedboth
A person who is suspected of wrongdoing or is accused of something.

الظِّنَّةnoun

1.
suspicion, accusationboth
The state of being suspected or accused; a ground for suspicion.

الظُّنُونnoun

1.
suspicion (plural)classical
Plural of 'al-ẓinnah', referring to multiple suspicions or accusations.
2.
pessimistic personclassical
A person who is habitually suspicious or has a negative outlook.
3.
well of uncertain waterclassical
A well whose water level is unknown or variable, or one with little water.

اِتَّهَمَverb

1.
to suspect, accuseboth
To consider someone guilty of a crime or offense; to impute suspicion.

يُظْتَنّverb

1.
to be suspectedclassical
Passive form of the verb, meaning to be the object of suspicion or accusation.

التَّظَنِّيnoun

1.
exercising suspicionclassical
The act of actively engaging in suspicion or imputation.

مَظِنَّةnoun

1.
its place and what it is accustomed to, where its existence is suspectedboth
its place and what it is accustomed to, where its existence is suspected

المَظَانّnoun

1.
places of likelihood (plural)both
Plural of 'maẓinnah', referring to multiple likely places or situations.

الدَّيْن الظُّنُونnoun

1.
debt of uncertaintyclassical
A debt where it is unclear whether the creditor will be able to collect it.

Parallel reading

الظَّنّ معروف، وقد يوضع موضع العلم.

Assumption is known, and it may be used in place of knowledge.

فقلت لهم ظنوا بألفي مدجج * سراتهم في الفارسي المسرد

So I said to them, 'Assume two thousand armored men * whose prime is in the chainmail Persian.'

أي استيقنوا.

Meaning: Be certain.

وإنما يخوف عدوه باليقين لا بالشك.

One only frightens his enemy with certainty, not with doubt.

وتقول: ظنتك زيدا وظننت زيدا إياك، تضع المنفصل موضع المتصل في الكناية عن الاسم والخبر، لأنهما مبتدأ وخبر.

And you say: 'I thought you were Zayd' and 'I thought Zayd was you,' placing the detached pronoun in the position of the attached one in the substitution for the noun and predicate, because they are a subject and predicate.

والظنين: الرجل المتهم.

And 'al-ẓanīn': the suspected man.

والظنة: التهمة، والجمع الظنن.

And 'al-ẓinnah': the suspicion, and the plural is 'al-ẓunan'.

يقال منه: اطنه واظنه بالطاء والظاء، إذا اتهمه.

It is said from it: 'aṭannahu' and 'aẓunnahu' with ṭāʾ and ẓāʾ, meaning if you suspect him.

لم يكن على عليه السلام يظن في قتل عثمان، وهو يفتعل من يظتن فأدغم.

Ali, peace be upon him, did not suspect [anyone] in the killing of Uthman, and it is derived from 'yuẓtan' and then assimilated.

ولاكل من يظنني أنا معتب * ولا كل ما يروى علي أقول

And not everyone who suspects me is to be considered, nor do I say everything that is narrated about me.

والتظنى: إعمال الظ، وأصله التظنن أبدل من إحدى النونات ياء.

And 'al-taẓannī': exercising suspicion, and its origin is 'al-taẓannun', where one of the nūns was replaced by a yāʾ.

ومظنة الشئ: موضعه ومألفه الذى يظن كونه فيه ; والجمع المظان.

And 'maẓinnat' of a thing: its place and its habitat where it is presumed to be; and the plural is 'al-maẓānn'.

موضع كذا مظنة من فلان، أي معلم منه.

Such-and-such a place is a sign of so-and-so, meaning an indication from him.

فإن يك عامر قد قال جهلا * فإن مظنة الجهل الشباب

If 'Āmir' has spoken ignorantly, then the likelihood of ignorance is youth.

والدين الظنون: الذى لا يدرى أيقضيه آخذه أم لا.

And 'al-dayn al-ẓunūn': the debt about which one does not know if its recipient will pay it or not.

والظنون: الرجل السيئ الظن.

And 'al-ẓanūn': the pessimistic man.

والظنون: البئر لا يدرى أفيها ماء أم لا، ويقال القليلة الماء.

And 'al-ẓanūn': the well about which it is unknown whether it has water or not, and it is said to be one with little water.

ما جعل الجد الظنون الذى * جنب صوب اللجب الماطر

The ancestor did not make the uncertain well which is beside the downpour of the heavy rain.