ب ك م

Root entry · 10 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the state of being unable to speak, encompassing muteness, speechlessness, and a lack of comprehension. It extends to metaphorical uses of being prevented from speaking or acting, and even a lack of marital ability.

Derived headwords

البَكَمُnoun

1.
muteness, dumbnessboth
Muteness, which can be congenital or acquired, sometimes accompanied by other disabilities like blindness or deafness, or a complete lack of sensory and cognitive function from birth.

أَبْكَمُadjective

1.
mute, dumbboth
One who is born mute, or one who has the faculty of speech but cannot comprehend or articulate coherent responses.
2.
speechless, unable to respondboth
Someone who is unable to answer or articulate a response, often due to confusion or being overwhelmed.

بَكِمَverb

1.
to be muteboth
To be born mute or to become mute.
2.
to be unable to speakboth
To be prevented from speaking, either intentionally or due to ignorance.
3.
to refrain from speakingclassical
To intentionally abstain from speaking.
4.
to be impotentclassical
To be unable to engage in sexual intercourse, either due to ignorance or intentionally.

بَكِيمٌadjective

1.
mute, dumbclassical
An adjective describing someone who is mute, similar to 'abkam'.

فليت لساني كان نصفين منهما ... بكيم ونصف عند مجرى الكواكب — 'Would that my tongue were split in two, one part mute and the other near the course of the stars.'

بُكْمَانٌnoun

1.
mutes (plural)classical
The plural of 'abkam', referring to a group of mute individuals.

بُكْمٌnoun

1.
mutes (plural)classical
Another plural form for 'abkam', referring to mute people.

تَبَكَّمَverb

1.
to be tongue-tiedclassical
To become unable to speak or articulate words, as if one's speech is obstructed.

ذُو بُكْمٍadjective

1.
muteclassical
Possessing muteness; a descriptive phrase for someone who is mute.

بَكَّامَةٌnoun

1.
mute conditionclassical
A condition or state of being mute.

أَبْكَامٌnoun

1.
mutes (plural)classical
A plural form of 'bakim', referring to mute individuals.

Parallel reading

البكم: الخرس ما كان، كالبكامة أو هو الخرس مع عي وبله

Muteness: it is the dumbness that exists, like the state of being mute, or it is dumbness accompanied by speech impediment and weakness.

هو أن يولد الإنسان ولا ينطق ولا يسمع ولا يبصر

It is for a person to be born without speaking, hearing, or seeing.

فالأخرس الذي خلق ولا نطق له كالبهيمة العجماء

The speechless one is he who was created without the ability to speak, like a dumb animal.

والأبكم الذي للسانه نطق وهو لا يعقل الجواب ولا يحسن وجه الكلام

And the mute one is he whose tongue has speech, but he does not comprehend the answer nor does he articulate speech well.

بكم كفرح، فهو أبكم وبكيم

He became mute, like 'faraha' (he became happy), so he is 'abkam' and 'bakim'.

هو العيي المفحم

He is the one who is tongue-tied and unable to speak.

هو الأقطع اللسان، وهو العيي بالجواب

He is the one with a severed tongue, and he is the one who is unable to answer.

بكم عمي فهم لا يعقلون

Mute, blind, they do not reason.

قيل معناه أنهم بمنزلة من ولد أخرس

It was said its meaning is that they are like one who was born speechless.

البكم جمع الأبكم وهو الذي خلق أخرس

Al-bukm is the plural of al-abkam, which is he who was created mute.

ستكون فتنة صماء بكماء عمياء

There will be a deafening, mute, blind tribulation.

بكم، ككرم: امتنع عن الكلام تعمدا أو جهلا

He refrained from speaking, like 'karuma' (he was noble), either intentionally or out of ignorance.

انقطع عن النكاح جهلا أو عمدا

He abstained from marriage, out of ignorance or intentionally.

تبكم عليه الكلام، أي: أرتج عليه

Speech became obstructed for him, meaning: he became tongue-tied.

وذو بكم، كعنق: عاجز

And 'dhu bukm', like 'unuq' (neck), means unable.