كيل

Root entry · 19 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the act of measuring, specifically by volume (كيل), but also extends to weighing (وزن) as a related concept. It encompasses the tools used for measuring, the act of measuring itself, and metaphorical extensions related to comparison, estimation, and even cowardice.

Derived headwords

كالَverb

1.
to measure (by volume)both
To measure goods, especially dry goods, using a specific measure or volume.
2.
to weighclassical
To weigh something, particularly coins, as a form of measurement.
3.
to fail to igniteclassical
Said of a flint (زند) when it strikes but produces no spark or fire.
4.
to compareclassical
To measure or compare one thing against another.

كال الطعام يكيله كيلا — He measured the food, measuring it by volume.

كَيْلnoun

1.
measuring (by volume)both
The act or process of measuring by volume.
2.
measureboth
A quantity measured by volume.
3.
what falls from flintclassical
The dust or shavings that fall from a flint when struck without producing fire.

كال الطعام — The measuring of food.

مَكِيلnoun

1.
measured (by volume)both
Something that has been measured by volume.
2.
measured quantityboth
A measured amount or portion.

بر مكيل — A measured barley field.

مَكْيَالnoun

1.
measuring vesselboth
A container or tool used for measuring volume, such as a scoop or cup.
2.
standard measureclassical
A recognized standard for measuring volume.

المكيال مكيال أهل المدينة — The measuring vessel is the measure of the people of Medina.

اِكْتَالَverb

1.
to measure out for oneselfboth
To measure something for oneself, often implying taking one's full due.
2.
to take one's full shareboth
To receive the complete amount one is entitled to, especially when measuring from others.

اكتالوا على الناس يستوفون — When they measure out for people, they take their full share.

اِكْتِيَالnoun

1.
measuring outboth
The act of measuring out for oneself.
2.
taking one's full shareboth
The act of receiving one's complete due.

اكتاله اكتيالا — He measured it out for himself.

كِيلَةnoun

1.
measure (of volume)both
A specific measure or quantity, often by volume.
2.
quality of measureclassical
The manner or quality of being measured.

إنه لحسن الكيلة — Indeed, he has a good measure.

كَالَverb

1.
to measure for someoneboth
To measure something for another person.

كاله طعاما — He measured food for him.

مُكَالnoun

1.
measured (by volume)classical
Something that has been measured by volume.

ما في برك مكال — There is no measured amount in your well.

مُكَايَلَةnoun

1.
reciprocal actionclassical
The act of doing to someone what they do to you, especially in terms of speech or action.
2.
retaliationclassical
Responding to bad deeds with similar bad deeds, without forgiveness.
3.
comparisonclassical
Measuring or comparing things, especially in matters of religion or practice.

نهى عن المكايلة — He prohibited reciprocal action (retaliation).

كَيْلُولnoun

1.
rear ranksclassical
The last rows of a military formation, where fighters might not be actively engaged.
2.
cowardclassical
A person who stays in the rear ranks, implying cowardice.

أن لا أقوم الدهر في الكيول — That I will never stand in the rear ranks.

تَكَلَّىverb

1.
to stand in the rear ranksclassical
To position oneself in the rear ranks of a battle formation.

تكلى الرجل: قام فيه أي في الكيول — The man stood in the rear ranks: he stood in the kaylool.

كَيَّالnoun

1.
measurerboth
One who measures, especially by volume.
2.
competitorclassical
One who competes or vies with another, especially in speed or performance.

رجل كيال — A measuring man.

مُكَايِلadjective

1.
reciprocatingclassical
One who responds in kind to another's actions or words.

فهو مكايل بغير همز — And he is a reciprocator, without hamza.

مَكِيلَةnoun

1.
measured quantityclassical
A measured amount or portion.

ما كيل به حديدا كان أو خشبا — What it is measured with, whether iron or wood.

مَكْوَلnoun

1.
measured (by volume)classical
Something that has been measured by volume (a variant pronunciation).

الطعام مكول — The food is measured.

مَكَالnoun

1.
measured (by volume)classical
Something that has been measured by volume (a less common variant).

ولغة رديئة: مكال — And a poor dialect: makaal.

كَيْلَةnoun

1.
measure (of volume)classical
A specific measure or quantity, often by volume.

حشف وسوء كيلة — Dryness and a bad measure.

كَيَّالَةnoun

1.
payment for measuringclassical
The fee or wage paid for the act of measuring.

والكيالة: أجرة الكيل — And kayyala: the fee for measuring.

Parallel reading

كال الطعام يكيله كيلا ومكيلا، وهو شاذ لأن المصدر من فعل يفعل مفعل بكسر العين، قال ابن بري: هكذا قاله الجوهري، وصوابه: مفعل، بفتح العين، ومكالا

He measured the food, measuring it by volume (kaylan) and by a measure (makilan), which is irregular because the مصدر from fa'ala yaf'ulu is maf'al with a kasra on the 'ayn. Ibn Birri said: Al-Jawhari said this, and its correct form is maf'al with a fatha on the 'ayn, and makalan.

يقال: ما في برك مكال

It is said: There is no measured amount in your well.

اكتاله اكتيالا بمعنى واحد

He measured it out for himself, measuring it out, meaning the same thing.

الذين إذا اكتالوا على الناس يستوفون

Those who, when they measure out for people, take their full share.

اكتلت عليه: أخذت منه

I measured it out against him: I took from him.

يقال: كال المعطي، واكتال الآخذ

It is said: The giver measured (for others), and the taker measured (for himself).

والاسم الكيلة، بالكسر، يقال: إنه لحسن الكيلة

And the noun is al-kila, with a kasra; it is said: Indeed, he has a good measure.

وكاله طعاما وكاله له بمعنى

He measured food for him, and he measured it for him, meaning the same.

وإذا كالوهم أو وزنوهم أي كالوا لهم

And when they measure them or weigh them, meaning they measure for them.

والكيل، والمكيل، والمكيال، والمكيلة، كمنبر ومحراب ومكنسة، الأخيرة نادرة: ما كيل به حديدا كان أو خشبا.

And al-kayl, and al-makil, and al-makyal, and al-makila, like minbar, mihrab, and miknasa; the last is rare: what it is measured with, whether iron or wood.

وكال الدراهم والدنانير: وزنها، عن ابن الأعرابي خاصة

And he measured dirhams and dinars: he weighed them, according to Ibn al-A'rabi specifically.

فإما أن يكون هذا وضعا، وإما أن يكون على النسب لأن الكيل والوزن سواء في معرفة المقادير

Either this is an established usage, or it is by analogy because measuring and weighing are the same in determining quantities.

ويقال: كل هذه الدراهم: يريدون زن

And it is said: Measure all these dirhams: they mean weigh them.

روي في الحديث: المكيال مكيال أهل المدينة، والميزان ميزان أهل مكة

It is narrated in the hadith: The measuring vessel is the measure of the people of Medina, and the scale is the scale of the people of Mecca.

أن كل ما لزمه اسم المختوم والقفيز والمكوك والمد والصاع فهو كيل، وكل ما لزمه اسم الأرطال والأواقي والأمناء فهو وزن

That everything to which the name al-makhtum, al-qafiz, al-makuk, al-mudd, and al-sa' applies is a measure (kayl), and everything to which the name al-artal, al-awaqi, and al-umina applies is a weight (wazn).

كال الزند يكيل كيلا كبا ولم يخرج ناره

The flint struck, striking (kaylan), it failed and did not produce its fire.

كال الشيء بالشيء كيلا: إذا قاسه به

He measured a thing by a thing (kaylan): if he compared it to it.

يقال: إذا أردت علم رجل فكله بغيره أي قسه بغيره

It is said: If you want to know a man, measure him by others, meaning compare him to others.

وكل الفرس بغيره: أي قسه به في الجري

And compare the horse to another: meaning measure it against it in running.

قد كلتموني بالسوابق كلها ... فبرزت منها ثانيا من عناني

You have measured me by all the previous ones... and I emerged second from my reins.

هما يتكايلان: أي يتعارضان بالشتم أو الوتر

They are measuring each other: meaning they are confronting each other with insults or boasts.

وكايله مكايلة: قال له مثل مقاله أو فعل كفعله

And he engaged in reciprocal action with him (mukaayala): he said to him like his saying or did like his doing.

فهو مكايل، بغير همز

And he is a reciprocator, without hamza.

أو كايله: شاتمه فأربى عليه

Or he engaged in reciprocal action with him: he insulted him and surpassed him.

أنه نهى عن المكايلة

That he prohibited reciprocal action (mukaayala).

وهي المقايسة بالقول والفعل، والمراد: المكافأة بالسوء وترك الإغضاء والاحتمال

And it is the comparison by word and deed, and the intent is: responding to evil with evil and abandoning overlooking and forbearance.

آخر صفوف الحرب

The last rows of war.

أن رجلا أتى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو يقاتل العدو فسأله سيفا يقاتل به، فقال له: فلعلك إن أعطيتك أن تقوم في الكيول

A man came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, while he was fighting the enemy and asked him for a sword to fight with, and he said to him: Perhaps if I give it to you, you will stand in the rear ranks.

إني امرؤ عاهدني خليلي أن لا أقوم الدهر في الكيول أضرب بسيف الله والرسول

I am a man whose companion promised me that I would never stand in the rear ranks, striking with the sword of Allah and His Messenger.

تكلى الرجل: قام فيه أي في الكيول

The man stood in the rear ranks: he stood in the kaylool.

الكيول فيعول من كال الزند إذا كبا ولم يخرج نارا، فشبه مؤخر الصفوف به لأن من كان فيه لا يقاتل

Al-kaylool is a fa'ool pattern from kal al-zind when it fails and does not produce fire, so the rear ranks are likened to it because whoever is in it does not fight.

وقد كيل تكيلا

And he was made a coward (kaylan).

وهو ما أشرف من الأرض، وبه فسر الحديث، يريد تقوم فيه فتنظر ما يصنع غيرك

And it is what is elevated from the ground, and by this the hadith is interpreted, meaning you stand in it and watch what others do.

الكيول في كلام العرب: السحالة وهو ما خرج من حر الزند مسودا لا نار فيه

Al-kaylool in the speech of the Arabs: the shavings, which is what comes out of the friction of the flint, blackened without fire.

فيقتل جبرا بامرئ لم يكن له ... بواء ولكن لا تكايل بالدم

So he kills unjustly by a man for whom there was no... retribution, but rather no reciprocity in blood.

أي لا يجوز لك أن تقتل إلا ثأرك ولا تعتبر فيه المساواة في الفضل إذا لم يكن غيره

Meaning it is not permissible for you to kill except your avenger, and equality in merit is not considered if there is no one else.

والكيل: ما يتناثر من الزند، وهي السحالة

And al-kayl: what scatters from the flint, which is the shavings.

هذا طعام لا يكيلني: أي لا يكفيني كيله

This food does not measure up for me: meaning its measure is not enough for me.

إذا طلع سهيل، رفع كيل ووضع كيل

When Suhail rises, one measure is raised and another measure is lowered.

كيل الطعام على ما لم يسم فاعله، وإن شئت ضممت الكاف

The food was measured, with the doer unnamed, and if you wish, you can add a damma to the kaf.

والطعام مكيل ومكيول

And the food is makil and makyul.

ومنهم من يقول: كول الطعام وبوع واصطود الصيد واستوق ماله

And some of them say: kawl the food, and baw, and astada the prey, and astawqa his property.

أحشفا وسوء كيلة

Dryness and a bad measure.

أتجمع علي أن يكون المكيل حشفا، وأن يكون الكيل مطففا

Do you combine against me that the measured thing is dry, and that the measuring is deficient?

وبر مكيل، ويجوز في القياس مكيول

And barley measured (makil), and by analogy, makyul is permissible.

ولغة بني أسد مكول، ولغة رديئة مكال

And the dialect of Banu Asad is makul, and a poor dialect is makaal.

حتى تكال النيب في القفيز

Until the she-camels are measured in the qafiz.

أراد حين تغزر فيكال لبنها كيلا، فهذه الناقة أغزرهن

He meant when she becomes abundant, so her milk is measured by volume, so this she-camel is the most abundant.

الف A horse measures itself against another horse in running: if it confronts and vies with it, as if it were measuring for it from its run what the other measures for it.

إن كان من أمر كياله

If it is a matter of its competition.

وكايلناهم صاعا بصاع: كافأناهم

And we measured them a sa' for a sa': we reciprocated them.

وكال فلان بسلحه من الفزع

So-and-so measured with his intestines out of fear.

ومننه الكيول للجبان، وهو مجاز

And from it is al-kaylool for the coward, and this is metaphorical.