نكح

Root entry · 16 derived lemmas

The root نكح (nakaha) primarily concerns the act of sexual intercourse and marriage. It encompasses both the physical act and the legal contract of marriage, with scholarly debate on which is the primary or metaphorical meaning. The root also extends to related concepts like being married, having many spouses, and metaphorical uses for overpowering or mixing.

Derived headwords

النِّكَاحnoun

1.
Marriage contractboth
The legal contract of marriage, which is considered the primary meaning in the Quran and is more fitting for eloquence and ادب (adab - politeness/etiquette).
2.
Sexual intercourseboth
The physical act of sexual intercourse, considered the original meaning by some, though often used metaphorically in the Quran.
3.
Marriageboth
The state of being married or the institution of marriage.
4.
Genitalsclassical
Refers to the private parts, specifically the vagina.

نَكَحَverb

1.
To marryboth
To enter into a marriage contract with someone.
2.
To have sexual intercourseboth
To engage in sexual intercourse with someone.

نَكِحَverb

1.
To marryboth
To enter into a marriage contract with someone. This form is more common in the Quran.
2.
To have sexual intercourseboth
To engage in sexual intercourse with someone.

نَكْحnoun

1.
Sexual intercourseboth
The act of sexual intercourse.
2.
Marriageboth
The act or state of marriage.

نَكْحَةnoun

1.
Marriageboth
A single instance or act of marriage.

نَاكِحadjective

1.
Marriedboth
A woman who is married, or a man who has taken a wife.
2.
Having a spouseboth
Possessing a husband or wife.

نَاكِحَةadjective

1.
Married womanboth
A woman who is married.

اسْتَنْكَحَverb

1.
To marry herboth
To have sexual intercourse with a woman or to marry her.
2.
To marry into (a tribe)both
To marry someone from within a particular tribe or group.

أَنْكَحَverb

1.
To give in marriageboth
To give a woman in marriage to a man.
2.
To cause to marryboth
To arrange a marriage for someone.

أَنْكَحَهَاverb

1.
He married her offboth
He gave her in marriage to someone.

نَكَحَةadjective

1.
Frequent (in marriage)both
A man who frequently marries and divorces.

نَكْحnoun

1.
Vaginaclassical
Refers to the private parts, specifically the vagina.

مَنَاكِحnoun

1.
Marriagesboth
Plural of 'manakih', referring to marriages, with a preference for virgins.

نَكْحverb

1.
To overpower (sleep)
Sleep overpowering the eyes.
2.
To mix with (rain)
Rain mixing with or affecting the earth.

نَاكَحَverb

1.
To mix with (rain)
Rain mixing with or affecting the earth.

اسْتَنْكَحَverb

1.
To overpower (sleep)
Sleep overpowering the eyes.

Parallel reading

النِّكَاحُ ، بالكسر، في كلام العرب: الوَطْءُ ، في الأصل

An-nikah, with a kasra, in the speech of the Arabs: sexual intercourse, in origin.

وَقِيلَ: هُوَ العَقْدُ لَهُ ، وَهُوَ التَّزْوِيجُ

And it was said: it is the contract for it, which is marriage.

وَفِي (الصَّحَاحِ) : النِّكَاحُ: الوَطْءُ، وَقَدْ يَكُونُ العَقْدُ.

And in (As-Sahah): An-nikah is sexual intercourse, and it may be the contract.

قَالَ ابْنُ سِيدَه: النِّكَاحُ: البِضْعُ، وَذَالِكَ فِي نَوْعِ الإِنْسَانِ خَاصَّةً

Ibn Sidah said: An-nikah means the vagina, and that is specific to the human species.

قَالُوا: لَمْ يُرَدِ النِّكَاحُ فِي القُرْآنِ إِلَّا بِمَعْنَى العَقْدِ

They said: An-nikah was not used in the Quran except with the meaning of the contract.

لِأَنَّهُ فِي الوَطْءِ صَرِيحٌ فِي الجِمَاعِ، وَفِي العَقْدِ كِنَايَةٌ عَنْهُ.

Because in the context of intercourse it is explicit, and in the context of the contract it is an allusion to it.

نَكَحَ الرَّجُلُ، كَمَنَعَ اقْتَضَاهُ القِيَاسُ وَأَنْكَرَهُ جَمَاعَةٌ

The man married/had intercourse, following the pattern of 'man'a', which was implied by analogy and denied by a group.

وَضَرَبَ، هَذَا هُوَ الأَكْثَرُ وَبِهِ وَرَدَ القُرْآنُ

And 'daraba', this is the most common and by it the Quran came.

قَالَ ابْنُ فَارِسٍ: النِّكَاحُ يُطْلَقُ عَلَى الوَطْءِ، وَعَلَى العَقْدِ دُونَ الوَطْءِ

Ibn Faris said: An-nikah is used for sexual intercourse, and for the contract without intercourse.

نَكَحْتُهَا، إِذَا وَطِئْتَهَا أَوْ تَزَوَّجْتَهَا

I had intercourse with her, if I had sexual intercourse with her or married her.

يُقَالُ مَأْخُوذٌ مِنْ نَكَحَهُ الدَّوَاءُ إِذَا خَامَرَهُ وَغَلَبَهُ

It is said to be derived from 'nakaha' the medicine if it mixed with and overpowered it.

أَوْ مِنْ تَنَاكَحَ الأَشْجَارُ، إِذَا انْضَمَّ بَعْضُهَا إِلَى بَعْضٍ

Or from 'tanakaha' the trees, if some of them joined together.

أَوْ مِنْ نَكَحَ المَطَرُ الأَرْضَ، إِذَا اخْتَلَطَ فِي ثَرَاهَا

Or from 'nakaha' the rain the earth, if it mixed in its soil.

وَلَا يُفْهَمُ الوَطْءُ إِلَّا بِقَرِينَةٍ، نَحْوَ نَكَحَ زَوْجَتَهُ

And sexual intercourse is not understood except by a context, such as 'he had intercourse with his wife'.

وَقَوْلُهُ: وَاسْتِعْمَالُهُ لُغَةٌ فِي العَقْدِ، إِلَخْ هُوَ ظَاهِرُ كَلَامِ جَمَاعَةٍ

And his saying: and its use as a language for the contract, etc., is the apparent meaning of the speech of a group.

نَكَحَهَا يَنْكِحُهَا، إِذَا تَزَوَّجَهَا

He married her, he marries her, if he married her.

وَنَكَحَهَا يَنْكِحُهَا، إِذَا بَاضَعَهَا

And he had intercourse with her, he has intercourse with her, if he had sexual intercourse with her.

فَانْكِحْنَ أَوْ تَأَبَّدَا

So marry them or remain single.

وَنَكَحَتْ هِيَ: تَزَوَّجَتْ

And she married: she got married.

وَهِيَ نَاكِحٌ فِي بَنِي فُلَانٍ

And she is married among the Banu Fulan.

أَحَاطَتْ بِخُطَّابِ الأَيَامَى وَطَلَّقَتْ غَدَاةَ غَدٍ مِنْهُنَّ مَنْ كَانَ نَاكِحَا

She was surrounded by suitors of single women and divorced tomorrow morning from them whoever was married.

وَمِثْلُكَ نَاحَتْ عَلَيْهِ النِّسَاءُ مِنْ بَيْنِ بِكْرٍ إِلَى نَاكِحَةٍ

And women mourned for someone like you, from among virgins to married women.

انْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى أُخْتٍ لِي نَاكِحٍ فِي بَنِي شَيْبَن

I went to a sister of mine who is married among the Banu Shayban.

مَا أَنْتَ بِنَاكِحٍ حَتَّى تَنْقَضِيَ العِدَّةُ

You will not marry until the waiting period is completed.

وَاسْتَنْكَحُوا أُمَّ جَابِرٍ

And they married Umm Jabir.

وَاسْتَنْكَحَ فِي بَنِي فُلَانٍ: تَزَوَّجَ فِيهِمْ

And he married into the Banu Fulan: he married among them.

وَأَنْكِحُوهَا

And marry her off.

وَأَنْكِحْهَا. وَالاسْمُ النَّكَحُ وَالنِّكَحُ (بِالضَّمِّ وَالكَسْرِ)، لُغَتَانِ

And he married her. And the noun is an-nakah and an-nikah (with damma and kasra), two variants.

وَنَكَحَهَا الَّذِي يَنْكِحُهَا وَهِيَ نَكَحَتْهُ، كِلَاهُمَا عَنِ اللِّحْيَانِيِّ

And he who marries her married her, and she married him, both from Al-Lihyani.

وَرَجُلٌ نَكْحَةٌ، كَهُمَزَةٍ، وَنَكَحٌ، بِغَيْرِ هَاءٍ: كَثِيرَةٌ، أَيِ النِّكَاحُ، المُرَادُ بِهِ هُنَا التَّزْوِيجُ

And a man is 'nakha', like 'humaza', and 'nakah', without ha: frequent, meaning frequent marriage, the intended meaning here is marriage.

لَسْتَ بِنَكْحِ طَلْقَةٍ

You are not one who frequently marries and divorces.

إِنَّهُ لَنَكْحَةٌ مِنْ قَوْمٍ نَكَحَاتٍ، إِذَا كَانَ شَدِيدَ النِّكَاحِ

Indeed, he is a frequent husband from a people of frequent husbands, if he is intense in marriage.

فَيَقُومُ فِي نَادِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُ: خَطَبَ، أَيْ جِئْتُ، خَاطِبًا، فَيُقَالُ لَهُ: نَكَحَ، أَيْ قَدْ أَنْكَحْنَاكَ إِيَّاهَا

So he stands in their gathering and says: I proposed, meaning I came, as a suitor, and it is said to him: He married, meaning we have given her to you in marriage.

فَتَقُولُ: نَكَحَ، فَقَالُوا: (أَسْرَعُ مِنْ نِكَاحِ أُمِّ خَارِجَةً)

So she says: He married, and they said: (Faster than the marriage of Umm Kharajah).

نَكَحَ النُّعَاسُ عَيْنَهُ: غَلَبَهَا

Sleep overpowered his eye: it overcame it.

وَكَذَلِكَ اسْتَنْكَحَ النَّوْمُ عَيْنَهُ

And likewise sleep overpowered his eye.

نَكَحَ المَطَرُ الأَرْضَ وَنَاكَحَهَا، إِذَا اعْتَمَدَ عَلَيْهَا

The rain affected the earth and 'nakaha' it, if it relied upon it.

وَالنِّكَحُ، بِالْفَتْحِ: البِضْعُ

And an-nikah, with a fatha: the vagina.

وَالمَنَاكِحُ خَيْرُهَا الأَبْكَارُ

And the marriages, the best of them are virgins.