ءم

Root entry · 1 derived lemma

This root entry discusses the particle 'am' (أم), primarily focusing on its use as a conjunction in interrogative sentences and as a particle indicating a correction or shift in thought.

Derived headwords

أمparticle

1.
or (in questions)both
A particle used to equate two alternatives in an interrogative sentence, functioning similarly to 'or' in English, implying 'which one'.
2.
or rather (correction)classical
A particle used to indicate a correction or a shift in one's thought or statement, functioning like 'or rather' or 'but rather'.

Parallel reading

أم مخففة فهي (حرف عطف ومعناه الاستفهام)

And 'am' (lightened) is a conjunction whose meaning is interrogation.

أن تقع معادلة لألف الاستفهام بمعنى أي

That it occurs as an equivalent to the interrogative 'alif' meaning 'which'.

أزيد في الدار أم عمر و

Is Zayd in the house or 'Umar?

والمعنى أيهما فيها

And the meaning is: which of them is in it.

وقد يكون منقطعا عما قبله خبرا كان أو استفهاما

And it may be disconnected from what preceded it, whether it was a statement or an interrogation.

إنها لإبل أم شاء يا فتى

Are they camels or sheep, O young man?

وذلك إذا نظرت إلى سواد شخص فتوهمته إبلا فقلت ما سبق إليك ثم أدركك الظن أنه شاء فانصرفت عن الأول فقلت: أم شاء

And that is when you look at a dark shape of a person and imagine it to be a camel, so you say what first came to your mind, then the suspicion dawns on you that it is sheep, so you turn away from the first (thought) and say: or rather, sheep.

بمعنى بل لأنه إضراب عما كان قبله

Meaning 'but' because it is a retraction from what was before it.