ويح

Root entry · 11 derived lemmas

This root primarily deals with expressions of pity, compassion, and sometimes mild condemnation or regret. It is often used to express sympathy for someone in distress, distinguishing it from 'wail' which signifies a more severe misfortune without pity.

Derived headwords

ويحparticle

1.
pityboth
A word used to express pity and compassion for someone who has fallen into misfortune or hardship.
2.
alasboth
An expression of regret or sorrow, often used when someone faces a difficult situation.

ويحك يا ابن سمية بؤسا لك، تقتلك الفئة الباغية — Woe to you, O son of Sumayyah, may you be miserable, the rebellious group will kill you.

ويحهparticle

1.
pity himboth
An expression of pity directed towards a male individual.

ويحه ما أملحه — How charming he is!

ويسparticle

1.
pityclassical
Similar to 'wayh', used to express pity and endearment, especially towards a child.

ويسه ما أملحه — How charming he is!

ويلparticle

1.
woeboth
A word signifying a severe misfortune or destruction, typically for which the person is not pitied.
2.
destructionboth
A term used for someone who has fallen into ruin or a great calamity, without eliciting pity.

الويل في القرآن لمستحقي العذاب بجرائمهم — 'Wail' in the Quran is for those deserving punishment for their crimes.

ويحماparticle

1.
pityclassical
A word used similarly to 'wayh' to express pity and compassion.

ألا هيما مما لقيت وهيما وويح لمن لم يدر ماهن ويحما — Alas for what you have suffered and alas, and pity for him who does not know what they are, pity!

ويparticle

1.
regretclassical
An expression of regret or remorse.

وعي — Alas!

وعيparticle

1.
regretclassical
An expression used by someone who is regretful, signifying regret and a call to attention.

وعي — Alas!

ويحnoun

1.
pityboth
The concept or state of pity.

ويلnoun

1.
woeboth
The state of extreme misfortune or destruction.

ويحverb

1.
to pityboth
To feel or express pity for someone.

ويلverb

1.
to be destroyedboth
To suffer destruction or ruin.

Parallel reading

لأن القياس نفاه ومنع منه

because analogy negated it and prevented it.

لوجب إعلال فائه كوعد، وعينه كباع

it would necessitate the weakening of its first radical like 'wa'ada' and its middle radical like 'baa'a'.

فتحاموا استعماله لما كان يعقب من اجتماع إعلالين

so they refrained from using it due to what would result from the combination of two weakenings.

و ذالك لأنه لو صرف الفعل من ذالك لوجب إعلال فائه كوعد، وعينه كباع، فتحاموا استعماله لما كان يعقب من اجتماع إعلالين.

And that is because if the verb were conjugated from that, its first radical would have to be weakened like 'wa'ada', and its middle radical like 'baa'a', so they refrained from using it due to the combination of two weakenings that would follow.

و قال الخليل: ويس كلمة في موضع رأفة واستملاح

And Al-Khalil said: 'wais' is a word in the place of compassion and endearment.

كقولك للصبي ويحه ما أملحه، وويسه ما أملحه

like your saying to the child, 'Wayhahu ma amlahahu' (How charming he is!) and 'Waisahu ma amlahahu' (How charming he is!).

سمعت بعض من يتنطع يقول: الويح رحمة، وليس بينه وبين الويل فرقان إلا أنه كان ألين قليلا.

I heard some who are pedantic say: 'Al-wayhu' is mercy, and there is no difference between it and 'al-waylu' except that it is slightly softer.

قد قال أكثر أهل اللغة إن الويل كلمة تقال لكل من وقع في هلكة وعذاب

Most linguists have said that 'al-waylu' is a word said for anyone who falls into destruction and torment.

والفرق بين ويح وويل، أن ويلا تقال لمن وقع في هلكة أو بلية لا يترحم عليه

And the difference between 'wayh' and 'wayl' is that 'waylun' is said for one who falls into destruction or a calamity for whom one does not show pity.

وويح ثقال لكل من وقع في بلية يرحم ويدعى له بالتخلص منها

And 'wayhun' (heavy) is for anyone who falls into a calamity for whom one shows pity and prays for their deliverance from it.

ألا ترى أن الويل في القرآن لمستحقي العذاب بجرائمهم

Do you not see that 'al-waylu' in the Quran is for those deserving of punishment for their crimes?

وأما ويح فإن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلمقالها لعمار: (ويحك يا ابن سمية بؤسا لك، تقتلك الفئة الباغية)

As for 'wayh', the Prophet, peace be upon him, said it to Ammar: (Woe to you, O son of Sumayyah, may you be miserable, the rebellious group will kill you).

كأنه إعلم ما يبتلى به من القتل فتوجع له وترحم عليه

as if it were a notification of what he would be afflicted with of killing, so he felt pain for him and showed pity for him.

ورفعه على الابتداء، أي على أنه مبتدأ والظرف بعده خبره

And its being raised [nominative] is based on it being a subject, meaning it is a subject and the prepositional phrase after it is its predicate.

والمسوغ للابتداء بالنكرة التعظيم المفهوم من التنوين أو التنكير، أو لاءن هاذه الألفاظ جرت مجرى الأمثال، أو أقيمت مقام الدعاء، أو فيها التعجب دائما، أو لوضوحه، أو نحو ذالك مما يبديه النظر وتقتضيه قواعد العربية.

And what makes the indefinite noun permissible as a subject is the magnification understood from the tanwin or indefiniteness, or because these words have become like proverbs, or have taken the place of supplication, or always contain exclamation, or due to its clarity, or something similar that contemplation reveals and the rules of Arabic necessitate.

ونصبه بإضمار فعل، وكأنك قلت: ألزمه الله ويحا

And its being منصوب (accusative) is by omitting a verb, as if you said: 'May God impose 'wayhan' upon him'.

وأما قولهم: فتعسا لهم، وبعدا لثمود، وما أشبه ذالك فهو منصوب أبدا لأنه لا تصح إضافته بغير لام، لأنك لو قلت فتسهم أو بعدهم لم يصلح، فلذالك افترقا.

As for their saying: 'Fa ta'san lahum' (So woe to them), and 'Bu'dan li-Thamud' (Far be it from Thamud), and what resembles that, it is always منصوب (accusative) because its annexation without 'laam' is not valid, for if you said 'fa tasahum' or 'bu'dahum', it would not be correct, so they are different.

ولك أن تقول: ويح زيد وويله. بالإضافة، نصبهما به أي بإضمار الفعل أيضا

And you may say: 'Wayhu Zaydin' and 'Waylahu Zaydin'. By annexation, their being منصوب (accusative) is also by omitting the verb.

وربما جعل مع ما كلمة واحدة

And sometimes it is made a single word with 'ma'.

أو أصله وي، وكذالك ويس وويل

Or its origin is 'way', and likewise 'wais' and 'wayl'.

وصلت بحاء مرة فقيل: ويح

It was joined with 'ha' once, so it was said: 'wayh'.

وبلام مرة فقيل ويل

And with 'laam' once, so it was said 'wayl'.

وبباء مرة فقيل ويب، وقد تقدم

And with 'baa' once, so it was said 'wayb', which has preceded.

وبسين مرة فقيل وعيس، كما سيأتي

And with 'seen' once, so it was said 'way'is', as will come.

قال سيبويه: سألت الخليل عنها فزعم أن كل من ندم فأظهر ندامته قال: وعي، ومعناها التنديم والتنبيه.

Sibawayh said: I asked Al-Khalil about them, and he claimed that whoever regrets and expresses his regret says: 'Wa'i', and its meaning is regret and a call to attention.

إذا قالوا ويل له وويح له، وويس له، فالكلام فيهن الرفع على الابتداء، واللام في موضع الخبر

If they say 'Waylun lahu', 'Wayhun lahu', and 'Waisun lahu', the speech concerning them is nominative based on being a subject, and the 'laam' is in the position of the predicate.

فإن حذفت اللام لم يكن إلا النصب كقوله: ويحه وويسه.

If you omit the 'laam', it can only be accusative, like his saying: 'Wayhahu' and 'Waisahu'.