لا

Root entry · 5 derived lemmas

This root primarily deals with negation and prohibition. It functions as a particle to deny or reject statements and commands. It can also be nominalized, referring to the word 'la' itself, or used in specific constructions.

Derived headwords

لاparticle

1.
notboth
A particle used to negate a verb or nominal sentence, expressing denial or rejection.
2.
noboth
Used as a response to a question, indicating negation or refusal.

كلاparticle

1.
no (emphatic)classical
A particle that functions similarly to 'la' but often carries a stronger sense of emphatic negation or rejection, sometimes used as a response.

بلىparticle

1.
yes (to a negative question)both
A particle used to affirm a statement that was posed in the negative, essentially meaning 'yes' in response to a negative question.

لويةnoun

1.
small writingclassical
A diminutive form referring to a small or insignificant piece of writing, derived from the nominalized form of 'la'.

لاءnoun

1.
a good 'la'classical
A noun referring to a well-crafted or effective instance of the particle 'la', indicating it has been nominalized and treated as a distinct entity.

Parallel reading

مركبة من كاف التشبيه ولا النافية

composed of the particle 'ka' (like) and 'la' the negating particle

وإنما شددت لامها لتقوية المعنى ولدفع توهم بقاء معنى الكلمتين

And its 'lam' was only intensified to strengthen the meaning and to dispel the illusion that the meaning of both words remained.

قد تأتي كلا بمعنى لا

Indeed, 'kalla' can come to mean 'la' (no).

فقلت لهم: خلوا النساء لأهلها، فقالوا لنا: كلا، فقلنا لهم: بلى

So I said to them: Leave the women to their people, and they said to us: No, and we said to them: Yes (to your negative statement).

لا: تكون نافية

'La': it is negating.

أي حرف ينفى به ويجحد به

Meaning, a particle by which something is negated and denied.

وأصل ألفها ياء عند قطرب حكاية عن بعضهم أنه قال: لا أفعل ذلك فأمال لا

And the origin of its alif is 'ya' according to Qutrub, narrating from some of them who said: 'I will not do that,' and they inclined the 'la' (making it sound like 'layaf'al').

يقال: هذه لا مكتوبة، فتمدها لتتم الكلمة اسما

It is said: 'This is 'la' written,' so you extend it to complete the word as a noun.

ولو صغرت لقلت: هذه لوية مكتوبة إذا كانت صغيرة الكتبة غير جليلة

And if you were to make it diminutive, you would say: 'This is a small 'la' written,' if it was small in writing and not significant.

وحكى ثعلب لويت لاء حسنة عملتها

And Tha'lab narrated: 'I made a good 'la' (a well-formed instance of the particle 'la').'

ومدلا لأنه قد صيرها اسما

And he extended it (made it 'laa') because he has made it a noun.

والاسم لا يكون ع

And a noun cannot be...