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كون

Root entry · 12 derived lemmas

This root primarily deals with the concepts of existence, being, happening, and becoming. It encompasses the past tense of existence, the occurrence of events, and the state of being. It also extends to notions of place, position, and responsibility.

Derived headwords

كانَverb
  1. 1.
    for similitudeboth

    for similitude

  2. 2.
    incomplete and requires a predicateboth

    incomplete and requires a predicate

  3. 3.
    complete, meaning 'happened' or 'occurred', and does not require a predicateboth

    complete, meaning 'happened' or 'occurred', and does not require a predicate

  4. 4.
    since he was createdboth

    since he was created

  5. 5.
    superfluous for emphasisboth

    superfluous for emphasis

  6. 6.
    A man who was.both

    A man who was.

كان زيدا عالما — He was an educated Zayd.
كان الأمر — The matter occurred.
زيد كان منطلقا — Zayd was going forth (emphatic).
كَوْنnoun
  1. 1.
    being, existenceboth

    The state of existing or being.

  2. 2.
    occurrence, eventboth

    The act or fact of happening.

  3. 3.
    creationclassical

    The act of bringing something into existence.

أنا أعرفه مذ كان — I have known him since he came into being.
كونه فتكون — I caused him to exist, and he existed.
كَيْنُونَةnoun
  1. 1.
    masdar of kanaboth

    masdar of kana

كُنْتُverb
  1. 1.
    the worst qualities of a personboth

    the worst qualities of a person

وكنت إذا جاري دعا لمضوفة أشمر حتى ينصف الساق مئزري — And when my neighbor invited me to a feast, I would gird up my loins until my waist-wrapper reached halfway up my leg.
يَكُنْverb
  1. 1.
    to be (jussive)both

    The jussive form of 'to be', often used in negative commands or conditions.

لم يك — It was not (contracted form).
يَكُونverb
  1. 1.
    to be (imperfect)both

    The imperfect tense of 'to be', indicating present or future states.

جاء ونى لا يكون زيدا — He came except Zayd (meaning: no one came except Zayd).
كَيَانnoun
  1. 1.
    entity, beingmodern

    A thing with distinct and independent existence.

  2. 2.
    foreign bookclassical

    A term for a book belonging to non-Arabs.

اِسْتِكَانَةnoun
  1. 1.
    submission, humilityboth

    submission, humility

مَكَانَةnoun
  1. 1.
    status, positionboth

    status, position

  2. 2.
    place, locationboth

    place, location

وفلان مكين عند فلان بين المكانة — And so-and-so has a high status with so-and-so.
مَكَانnoun
  1. 1.
    place, locationboth

    place, location

ولو نشاء لمسخناهم على مكانتهم — And if We willed, We could have transformed them in their place.
تَمَكَّنَverb
  1. 1.
    it was thought to be originalboth

    it was thought to be original

  2. 2.
    meaning 'he was enabled'both

    meaning 'he was enabled'

كُنْتِيّadjective
  1. 1.
    when he became oldboth

    when he became old

  2. 2.
    I became oldboth

    I became old

يقال للرجل إذا شاخ كنتي — It is said of a man when he grows old that he is 'kunti'.

Parallel reading

كان زيدا عالما
Zayd was educated.
لأنه دل على معنى وزمان
because it indicated meaning and time.
وأنا أعرفه مذ كان
and I have known him since he came into being.
إذا كان يوم ذو كواكب أشهب
when there is a day of bright stars.
زيد كان منطلقا
Zayd was going forth (emphatic).
وكان الله غفورا رحيما
And Allah was Ever Forgiving, Most Merciful.
وكنت إذا جاري دعا لمضوفة أشمر حتى ينصف الساق مئزري
And when my neighbor invited me to a feast, I would gird up my loins until my waist-wrapper reached halfway up my leg.
وإنما يخبر عن حاله، وليس يخبر بكنت عما مضى من فعله.
He is only reporting his state, and 'kuntu' does not report his past actions.
تقول: كان كونا وكينونة أيضا، شبهوه بالحيدودة والطيرورة من ذوات الياء.
You say: 'kāna' has 'kawn' and 'kaynūnah', they likened them to 'ḥayydūdah' and 'ṭayrūrah' from those with a final 'yā'.
وأصله كينونة بتشديد الياء فحذفوا كما حذفوا من هين وميت ولولا ذلك لقالوا كونونة.
And its origin is 'kaynūnah' with a doubled 'yā', so they omitted it as they omitted from 'hayyin' and 'mayyit', and otherwise they would have said 'kawnūnah'.
فلما دخلت عليها لم جزمتها فالتقى ساكنان فحذفت الواو فبقى لم يكن
So when 'lam' entered upon it, it made it jussive, and two silent letters met, so the 'wāw' was deleted, leaving 'lam yakun'.
فإذا تحركت أثبتوها فقالوا: لم يكن الرجل.
And if it becomes vocalized, they affirm it, so they say: 'lam yakun al-rajul'.
إذا لم تك الحاجات من همة الفتى
If needs are not from the ambition of a young man.
جاء ونى لا يكون زيدا
He came except Zayd (meaning: no one came except Zayd).
كونه فتكون: أحدثه فحدث.
His existence, so he existed: I caused him to exist, and he existed.
والكيانة: الكفالة.
And 'al-kiyānah': the sponsorship.
وكنت على فلان أكون كونا، أي تكفلت به.
And I undertook for so-and-so, I would undertake, meaning I sponsored him.
اكتنت به اكتيانا مثله.
I sponsored him, 'iktanta' like it.
دع الخمر يشربها الغواة فإنني رأيت أخاها مجزئا لمكانها
Leave wine for the dissolute to drink, for I have seen its brother, the raisin, as a substitute for it.
وإلا يكنها أو تكنه فإنه أخوها غذته أمه بلبانها
And if it is not it, or it is not him, then it is its brother, whose mother nourished it with her milk.
والكون: واحد الاكوان.
And 'al-kawn': the singular of 'al-akwān'.
وسمع الكيان: كتاب للعجم.
And 'al-kiyān' was heard: a book of the non-Arabs.
والاستكانة: الخضوع.
And 'al-istikānah': submission.
والمكانة: المنزلة.
And 'al-makānah': the rank.
والمكان والمكانة: الموضع.
And 'al-makān' and 'al-makānah': the place.
ولو نشاء لمسخناهم على مكانتهم
And if We willed, We could have transformed them in their place.
فقيل تمكن كما قالوا من المسكين تمسكن.
So it was said 'tamakkana' as they said from 'al-miskīn' 'tamaskana'.
يقال للرجل إذا شاخ كنتي ; كأنه نسب إلى قوله: كنت في شبابي كذا وكذا.
It is said of a man when he grows old that he is 'kunti'; as if it is attributed to his saying: 'I was in my youth such and such'.
فأصبحت كنتيا وأصبحت عاجنا وشر خصال المرء كنت وعاجن
And I became old, and I became kneading, and the worst traits of a man are being old and kneading.