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ءو

Root entry · 13 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the particle 'aw' (أو) and its various functions in Arabic grammar. It discusses its use to indicate doubt, ambiguity, choice, permission, and sometimes acts as a conjunction meaning 'until' or 'rather'.

Derived headwords

أوparticle
  1. 1.
    they omitted the ha' with gemination and said 'aw min kadhā' without lengtheningboth

    they omitted the ha' with gemination and said 'aw min kadhā' without lengthening

  2. 2.
    when it enters a statement, it indicates doubt and ambiguityboth

    when it enters a statement, it indicates doubt and ambiguity

  3. 3.
    and when it enters a command or prohibition, it indicates choice or permissibilityboth

    and when it enters a command or prohibition, it indicates choice or permissibility

  4. 4.
    for doubt, as in 'I saw Zayd or Amr'both

    for doubt, as in 'I saw Zayd or Amr'

  5. 5.
    for ambiguity, as in His saying, 'And indeed, we or you are on guidance'both

    for ambiguity, as in His saying, 'And indeed, we or you are on guidance'

  6. 6.
    for choice, as in 'Eat the fish or drink for a year'both

    for choice, as in 'Eat the fish or drink for a year'

  7. 7.
    for permissibility, as in 'Sit with Al-Hasan or Ibn Sirin'both

    for permissibility, as in 'Sit with Al-Hasan or Ibn Sirin'

  8. 8.
    it can mean 'until', as in 'I will surely hit him until he repents'both

    it can mean 'until', as in 'I will surely hit him until he repents'

  9. 9.
    it can mean 'rather, but'both

    it can mean 'rather, but'

  10. 10.
    meaning 'rather, you'both

    meaning 'rather, you'

  11. 11.
    meaning 'rather, but'both

    meaning 'rather, but'

رأيتverb
  1. 1.
    I sawboth

    Past tense first-person singular of the verb 'to see'.

رأيت زيدا أو عمرا — I saw Zayd or Amr
إياكمpronoun
  1. 1.
    you (plural)both

    Second person plural pronoun, accusative case.

وإنا أو إياكم لعلى هدى أو في ضلال مبين — And indeed, we or you are upon guidance or in manifest error
هدىnoun
  1. 1.
    Hada and ihtada have the same meaningboth

    Hada and ihtada have the same meaning

  2. 2.
    I have no guidance if such and such is the case (an oath)both

    I have no guidance if such and such is the case (an oath)

  3. 3.
    The plural is hudāboth

    The plural is hudā

  4. 4.
    So-and-so guided, meaning he followed his pathboth

    So-and-so guided, meaning he followed his path

وإنا أو إياكم لعلى هدى أو في ضلال مبين — And indeed, we or you are upon guidance or in manifest error
ضلالnoun
  1. 1.
    the opposite of guidanceboth

    the opposite of guidance

  2. 2.
    destructionboth

    destruction

وإنا أو إياكم لعلى هدى أو في ضلال مبين — And indeed, we or you are upon guidance or in manifest error
كلverb
  1. 1.
    the man became weary, he becomes weary, wearinessboth

    the man became weary, he becomes weary, weariness

  2. 2.
    the man and the camel became weary from walking, he becomes weary, weariness also, meaning he became tiredboth

    the man and the camel became weary from walking, he becomes weary, weariness also, meaning he became tired

  3. 3.
    the sword, spear, gaze, and tongue became dull/weary, it becomes dull/weary, dullness/wearinessboth

    the sword, spear, gaze, and tongue became dull/weary, it becomes dull/weary, dullness/weariness

  4. 4.
    its form is singular, but its meaning is pluralboth

    its form is singular, but its meaning is plural

  5. 5.
    When added to a pronoun, its alif is changed to ya in the accusative and genitive cases. You say: I saw both of them, and I passed by both of them. And it remains in the nominative case as it is.both

    When added to a pronoun, its alif is changed to ya in the accusative and genitive cases. You say: I saw both of them, and I passed by both of them. And it remains in the nominative case as it is.

  6. 6.
    It is a dual and is not spoken of as a singular. If it were spoken of as a singular, it would be said: kill.both

    It is a dual and is not spoken of as a singular. If it were spoken of as a singular, it would be said: kill.

كل السمك أو اشرب اللبن — Eat the fish or drink the milk
اشربverb
  1. 1.
    He instilled its love in his heart, meaning it mingled with it.both

    He instilled its love in his heart, meaning it mingled with it.

كل السمك أو اشرب اللبن — Eat the fish or drink the milk
جالسverb
  1. 1.
    sit with/associate withboth

    Imperative form, second person singular, of the verb 'to sit with' or 'associate with'.

جالس الحسن أو ابن سيرين — Sit with Al-Hasan or Ibn Sirin
الحسنname
  1. 1.
    the opposite of uglinessboth

    the opposite of ugliness

جالس الحسن أو ابن سيرين — Sit with Al-Hasan or Ibn Sirin
ابن سيرينname
  1. 1.
    Ibn Sirinboth

    Refers to Muhammad ibn Sirin, a renowned Islamic scholar and interpreter of dreams.

جالس الحسن أو ابن سيرين — Sit with Al-Hasan or Ibn Sirin
اضربنهverb
  1. 1.
    I will strike himboth

    Future tense, first-person singular, with a direct object pronoun 'him'.

لاضربنه أو يتوب — I will strike him until he repents
يتوبverb
  1. 1.
    he repentsboth

    Present tense, third-person masculine singular, of the verb 'to repent'.

لاضربنه أو يتوب — I will strike him until he repents
يزيدونverb
  1. 1.
    they increaseboth

    Present tense, third-person masculine plural, of the verb 'to increase'.

وأرسلناه إلى مائة ألف أو يزيدون — And We sent him to a hundred thousand, or they increased

Parallel reading

حرف إذا دخل الخبر دل على الشك والابهام
A particle that, when entering a predicate, indicates doubt and ambiguity.
وإذا دخل الامر والنهى دل على التخيير أو الاباحة
And when it enters a command or prohibition, it indicates choice or permissibility.
فأما الشك فكقولك: رأيت زيدا أو عمرا
As for doubt, it is like your saying: I saw Zayd or Amr.
والابهام كقوله تعالى: (وإنا أو إياكم لعلى هدى أو في ضلال مبين)
And ambiguity is like His saying, the Almighty: (And indeed, we or you are upon guidance or in manifest error).
والتخيير كقولك: كل السمك أو اشرب اللبن، أي لا تجمع بينهما
And choice is like your saying: Eat the fish or drink the milk, meaning you do not combine them.
والاباحة كقولك: جالس الحسن أو ابن سيرين
And permissibility is like your saying: Sit with Al-Hasan or Ibn Sirin.
وقد يكون بمعنى إلى أن، تقول: لاضربنه أو يتوب
And it may mean 'until', you say: I will strike him until he repents.
وقد يكون بمعنى بل في توسع الكلام
And it may mean 'bal' (rather) in expanded speech.
بدت مثل قرن الشمس في رونق الضحى * وصورتها أو أنت في العين أملح
She appeared like the horn of the sun in the brightness of the forenoon * And her image, or rather you, is more beautiful to the eye.
وأرسلناه إلى مائة ألف ms1544 أو يزيدون
And We sent him to a hundred thousand, or they increased.
بمعنى بل يزيدون
Meaning 'rather, they increased'.
ويقال معناه إلى مائة ألف عند الناس أو يزيدون عند الناس، لان الله تعالى لا يشك
And it is said its meaning is 'up to a hundred thousand among people, or they increase among people', because God Almighty does not doubt.