Root · 38 in the Quran · 27 in 9 texts of the library
مرأ (root mr)
الميم والراء والهمزة وإذا همز خرج عن القياس وصارت فيه كلمات لا تنقاس
Ibn Fāris, Maqāyīs al-lugha
The family of the root
Patterns computed · our dataThe words of م ر أ that our sources attest: the root's letters in green, the added letters in gold.
8 words8 other nouns
- امْرَأَت—
- اِمْرَأَةwoman
- امْرِئ—
- مَرْء—
- مَرْأَةwoman
The whole family1 group, by pattern; tap a pattern to see what it does
Other nouns8امْرَأَت · اِمْرَأَة · امْرِئ
Nouns on other patterns; their meaning is learned word by word.grammar →
- امْرَأَتnounQurʾān ×26
- اِمْرَأَةwomanautonounlibrary ×11Ibn Fāris
- امْرِئnounQurʾān ×5
- مَرْءnounQurʾān ×4
Reference
Why this shape?What each of the 1 patterns does
What each pattern does. The pattern gives a tendency, not a rule: many words have drifted into meanings of their own.
The pattern machinePour the root into a pattern; see whether the word exists
Choose a pattern; the root's letters pour into it. Then see whether the word exists in our sources. The machine makes shapes; only usage makes words.
Not in our sources. A possible shape, not a word we can show: the Quran, the library and Lane do not have it for this root.
Place noun with -a. The place noun with the feminine -a. Sometimes it is only a variant of mafʿal; often it names the place where a thing is found in abundance (maʾsada, 'a place full of lions'). So maktab is the place of writing, and maktaba, where writings are gathered: a library, a bookshop. Our summary AI
But: maktaba is not in our classical dictionaries for k-t-b: Lane and al-Jawharī give maktab ('a school'), none gives maktaba. Its sense of 'library, bookshop' fits the pattern of abundance, but that is our reading of the pattern, not a classical entry. Many mafʿala words are single items of usage (maqbara 'cemetery'), which the grammarians call heard, not formed by rule.
The grammarians on this pattern (4)
ما يكون مفعلة لازمة لها الهاء والفتحة … وذلك إذا أردت أن تكثر الشيء بالمكان، وذلك قولك: أرض مسبعة، ومأسدة
Chapter on what is mafʿala, with the -a and the a-vowel always: that is when you mean that a thing abounds in a place, as you say 'a land of many beasts of prey (masbaʿa), of many lions (maʾsada)' AI
Sībawayh (d. c. 180/796), al-Kitāb, ed. ʿAbd al-Salām Hārūn, 3rd ed. (Cairo: al-Khānjī, 1988), 4:94 · OpenITI line 21027–21028 ↗ · on this site · OpenITI RELEASE v2025.1.9, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
و نحو المظنة و المقبرة فتحا و ضما ليس بقياس
and words like maẓinna and maqbara (with a or u) are not by rule AI
Ibn al-Ḥājib (d. 646/1249), al-Shāfiya fī ʿilm al-taṣrīf, ed. Ḥasan Aḥmad al-ʿUthmān (Mecca: al-Maktaba al-Makkiyya, 1995), 1:30 · OpenITI line 223 ↗ · on this site · OpenITI RELEASE v2025.1.9, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
- “designate the place where the object signified by the noun from which they are formed, is found in large numbers or quantities” Wright, Grammar I, §247, p. 148 ↗ · on nouns of abundance, maf'ala · 3rd ed. (Cambridge, 1896) · public domain
- “Nouns of time and place not unfrequently take the feminine form” Wright, Grammar I, §225, p. 128 ↗ · on maf'ala as a variant of maf'al · 3rd ed. (Cambridge, 1896) · public domain
This root has a weak or doubled letter, so real words change shape (qāla → qāʾil, not qāwil); the machine pours the letters in as they are, and matches attested words by their regular pattern.
About thisWhat “attested” means here; the sources
Attested means found in our data: the Quranic Arabic Corpus (lemmas, verb Forms, participles, verbal nouns, plurals), the library's words (automatic analysis), Lane's Lexicon (his headwords, the Forms he numbers, the verbal nouns and plurals he names) and Ibn Fāris's entry. Nothing is generated for this list. Meanings are Lane's first gloss in his entry, or else the analyser's gloss (“auto”). Vowelling follows the corpus, then Lane, then the analyser; verbs are given in the regular perfect. Lane's Lexicon thins out after qāf, and a few of his entries cover several roots at once: those roots show no Lane. The patterns, written with ف ع ل, are computed by us.
The dictionaries
Ibn Fāris · 395الميم والراء والهمزة وإذا همز خرج عن القياس وصارت فيه كلمات لا تنقاس يقال امرؤ وامرآن وقوم امرىء وامرأة تأنيث امرىء والمروة كمال الرجولية وهي مهموزة مشددة ولا يبنى منه فعل والمراءة مصدر الشىء المرىء الذي يستمرأ ويقال مرأ
Ibn Fāris (d. 395/1004), Maqāyīs al-Lugha. Seeks each root's original sense (aṣl).
The same letters, turned
The same three letters in all six orders. Choose one.
م ر أ
الميم والراء والهمزة وإذا همز خرج عن القياس وصارت فيه كلمات لا تنقاس
m-r-ʾ: when it takes a hamza, it departs from analogy, and it contains words that do not follow a single pattern. AI
Ibn Fāris ↗Lisān ↗Quran ×38
an entry in Ibn Fārislater sources onlyin none of them
Do these six share one core meaning?
Reference
About thisal-Khalīl, Ibn Jinnī, Ibn Fāris; the counts across the dictionary
al-Khalīl (d. c. 170/786), Kitāb al-ʿAyn, as transmitted by al-Layth: a two-letter word “turns in two ways”, a three-letter word “in six ways” (masdūsa), four letters in 24, five in 120; “its used forms are written down and its unused ones dropped” (line 975 ↗). The dictionary is built on this: each chapter takes a set of letters and names which orders are used (mustaʿmal) and which unused (muhmal). The ring shows that verdict, from the chapter heading as edited (documented in the text; how much of the book is al-Khalīl's own is disputed).
A reported total. al-Suyūṭī transmits, from Ḥamza al-Iṣfahānī, that al-Khalīl put the possible forms, used and unused, of two to five letters at 12,305,412 (al-Muzhir, line 1347 ↗). It is reported, not found in the ʿAyn. It equals exactly the arrangements of 2 to 5 different letters out of 28 (756 + 19,656 + 491,400 + 11,793,600); the breakdown printed beside it is corrupt, and al-Zubaydī's count, given next, differs (6,659,400).
Ibn Jinnī (d. 392/1002), al-Khaṣāʾiṣ, names the greater derivation (al-ishtiqāq al-akbar): bind a three-letter root and its six orders to one meaning, and bring stray members back “by the subtlety of the craft and interpretation” (line 7536 ↗). He says himself that it does not hold for every root (line 167 ↗; line 7603 ↗).
Ibn Fāris (d. 395/1004) gives each root its own aṣl and treats a rearranged word as maqlūb, “turned round”, and so not a root of its own: “j-b-dh is not a root, because it is a single word, turned round” (Maqāyīs, line 6147 ↗). The ring sets his aṣl for each order side by side; whether they meet is the question.
Neighbours on the ring differ by one swap of two letters.
The critique. A source quoted by al-Suyūṭī calls the greater derivation Ibn Jinnī's innovation, “not relied on in the language” (al-Muzhir, line 6159 ↗).
The other axis. The root's letters also go into patterns that keep their order and change the frame: the patterns (awzān) and the verb Forms I–X.
Across Ibn Fāris's dictionary. Of the 2,300 possible sets of three different sound letters (no hamza, w or y), 1,021 have at least one order as an entry. How many of their six orders are entries:
- 1 of 6319
- 2 of 6218
- 3 of 6164
- 4 of 6155
- 5 of 6107
- 6 of 658
- 1 of 6148
- 2 of 6108
- 3 of 6157
- 4 of 6179
- 5 of 6111
- 6 of 643
Of the orders al-Khalīl calls used, 2,097 are entries in Ibn Fāris and 267 are not; 17 that he calls unused are entries in Ibn Fāris.
Attested here means found in our digital texts (Ibn Fāris, Lisān al-ʿArab, Lane, the Quranic Arabic Corpus), with w and y kept apart and hamza spellings merged; it is our data, not a classical verdict. English beside the Arabic is AI translation. Sources and grades: docs/research/root-permutations.md.
Letters & sound
- مmīmbetween the lips · voiced, in betweenSīb. · I. Jinnī
- رrāʾtip of the tongue, near the nūn · voiced, in betweenSīb. · I. Jinnī
- أhamzadeep in the throat · voiced, stopSīb. · I. Jinnī
How each letter is made, in brief, from Sībawayh's and Ibn Jinnī's own sentences (linked); their words are under Reference.
Sharing two of its three letters (computed; kinship of form, not of meaning)
Reference
How it is madeSībawayh and Ibn Jinnī · phonetics
English throughout: AI translation of the Arabic AI
م
ومما بين الشفتين مخرج الباء، والميم، والواو
From between the two lips is the place of the bāʾ, the mīm and the wāw. Sībawayh, line 26563 ↗
ومما بين الشفتين مخرج الباء والميم والواو
From between the two lips is the place of the bāʾ, the mīm and the wāw. Ibn Jinnī, line 986 ↗
ر
ومن مخرج النون غير أنه أدخل في ظهر اللسان قليلا لانحرافه إلى اللام مخرج الراء
From the place of the nūn, except that it goes a little further onto the back of the tongue, because it leans towards the lām, is the place of the rāʾ. Sībawayh, lines 26557–26558 ↗
ومن مخرج النون غير أنه أدخل في ظهر اللسان قليلا، لانحرافه إلى اللام، مخرج الراء
From the place of the nūn, except that it goes a little further onto the back of the tongue, because it leans towards the lām, is the place of the rāʾ. Ibn Jinnī, lines 980–981 ↗
أ
فأقصاها مخرجا: الهمزة والهاء والألف
The furthest of them [the three in the throat] in place: the hamza, the hāʾ and the alif. Sībawayh, line 26548 ↗
فأولها من أسفله وأقصاه، مخرج الهمزة والألف والهاء، هكذا يقول سيبويه
The first of them [in the throat], from its lowest and furthest part, is the place of the hamza, the alif and the hāʾ: so Sībawayh says. Ibn Jinnī, line 965 ↗
Sībawayh, al-Kitāb (ed. Hārūn) and Ibn Jinnī, Sirr ṣināʿat al-iʿrāb; OpenITI digital texts (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). Full credits on each letter's page.
In the Breath of the All-MercifulIbn ʿArabī · metaphysics
English throughout: AI translation of the Arabic AI
م
Level of existence: الإنسان · the human being
Divine Name: الجامع · al-Jāmiʿ, the Gatherer
Lunar mansion: المؤخر · al-Muʾakhkhar
Futūḥāt ch. 198, line 62119Spheres of its simples (ch. 2): 10 line 2573 ↗
Nature (ch. 2)
المرتبة العشرية فحروفها حارة يابسة
The tenfold rank: its letters are hot and dry.
Ibn ʿArabī, al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya, line 2582ر
Level of existence: السماء الخامسة · the fifth heaven
Divine Name: المصور · the Form-Giver (al-Muṣawwir)
Lunar mansion: الغفر · al-Ghafr
Futūḥāt ch. 198, line 64675Spheres of its simples (ch. 2): 10 line 2573 ↗
Nature (ch. 2)
المرتبة العشرية فحروفها حارة يابسة
The tenfold rank: its letters are hot and dry.
Ibn ʿArabī, al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya, line 2582أ
Nature (ch. 2)
وإلا الهاء والهمزة فإنهما باردتان رطبتان
And except hāʾ and hamza, for these two are cold and moist.
Ibn ʿArabī, al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya, line 2583Meaning by vowelal-Dabbāgh · a visionary claim about a primordial “Syriac”, not historical Syriac
English throughout: AI translation of the Arabic AI
م
With fatḥa ـَ
فهي جميع المكونات.
It is all created beings.
With ḍamma ـُ
فهي العزيز القليل كماء العين، ومنه قيل مومو.
It is the precious, scarce thing, like the water of the eye; from it comes the expression 'mūmū'.
With kasra ـِ
فهي نور الذات ظاهرا كما في العين، وباطنا كما في القلب.
It is the light of the self, outwardly as in the eye and inwardly as in the heart.
ر
With fatḥa ـَ
فهي إشارة إلى جميع الخيرات الظاهرة والباطنة.
It is an indication of all goods, outward and inward.
With ḍamma ـُ
فهي إشارة إلى الواحد في نفسه وهو ظاهر.
It is an indication of the one in itself, and it is manifest.
With kasra ـِ
فهي إشارة إلى الشيء الذي فيه الروح وليس من بني آدم، أو إشارة إلى الروح نفسها.
It is an indication of a thing that has spirit in it but is not of the children of Adam, or an indication of the spirit itself.
أ
With fatḥa ـَ
فهي إشارة إلى جميع الأشياء قلت أو كثرت، وتكون الإشارة في بعض الأحيان من المتكلم إلى ذاته ونفسه، وهذه الإشارة سالمة من القبض.
It is an indication of all things, whether few or many. At times the indication is from the speaker to his own essence and self, and this indication is free of contraction (qabḍ).
With ḍamma ـُ
فهي إشارة إلى الشيء القريب القليل.
It is an indication of the near, small thing.
With kasra ـِ
فهي إشارة إلى الشيء القريب المناسب.
It is an indication of the near, fitting (congruent) thing.
Two-letter nucleus17 roots in Ibn Fāris’s chapterم ر
Ibn Fāris groups his roots under two-letter chapters (“the X and the Y and what makes them three”). These are the roots of this root's chapter with the core sense he gives each. Setting them side by side is our juxtaposition; he does not himself draw a shared meaning. His chapter heading, line 29931 ↗
- مرسالميم والراء والسين أصل صحيح يدل على مضامه شيء لشيء بشدة وقوة منه المرس الحبل سمي لتمرس قواه بعضها ببعض والجمع أمراس ومرس الحبل يمرس مرسا وقع بين الخطL29937
- مرشالميم والراء والشين يقولون المرش خرق الجلد بأطراف الأظافير والمرش أيضا الخدش الخفيف والمرش الأرض تسيل من أدنى مطرL29945
- مرصالميم والراء والصاد يقولون المرص مثل المرش وتمرص عن السلت قشره طار وهذا عندنا كلامL29948
- مرضالميم والراء والضاد أصل صحيح يدل على ما يخرج به الإنسان عن حد الصحة في أي شيء كان منه العلة مرض و يمرض وجمع المريض مرضي وأمرضه أعله ومرضه أحسن القيام Q 24 · L29951
- مرطالميم والراء والطاء أصل صحيح يدل على تحات الشيء أو حته وتمرط الشعر تحات ومرطته والأمرط من السهام الساقط قذذه والأمرط الفرس لا شعر على أشاعره والمريطاءL29961
- مرعالميم والراء والعين أصل صحيح يدل على خصب وخير ومرع المكان وأمرع القوم أصابوه مريعا وأمرع الوادي أكلاL29966
- مرغالميم والراء والغين أصل صحيح يدل على سيلان شيء أو إسالة شيء والمرغ اللعاب وأمرغ الإنسان سال لعابه ومرغت الشيء أشبعته دهنا والإمراغ في العجين أن يكثر مL29969
- مرقالميم والراء والقاف أصل صحيح يدل على خروج شيء من شيء منه المرق لأنه شيء يمرق من اللحم وأمرقت القدر ومرقتها والمروق الخروج من الشيء ومرق السهم من الرميL29975
- مرهالميم والراء والهاء كلمة تدل على بياض في شيء سراب أو شراب أمره أي أبيض والمرأة لا تتعهد الكحل مرهاءL29988
- مريالميم والراء والحرف المعتل أصلان صحيحان يدل أحدهما على مسح شيء واستدرار والآخر على صلابة في شيءQ 20 · L29991
- مرأالميم والراء والهمزة وإذا همز خرج عن القياس وصارت فيه كلمات لا تنقاسQ 38 · L30002
- مرتالميم والراء والتاء كلمة واحدة هي المرت الفلاة القفر ومكان مرت بين المروتة إذا لم يكن فيه خير وجمع مرت أمرات ومروت وبلغنا أن اشتقاق ماروت منه ويقال الL30008
- مرثالميم والراء والثاء كلمة ليست بأصل بل هي من الإبدال ومرث الدواء يمرثه مثل مرسه يمرسه ومنه رجل ممرث صبور على الخصومات والجمع ممارث والأصل السين وقد ذكرL30012
- مرجالميم والراء والجيم أصل صحيح يدل على مجيء وذهاب واضطراب ومرج الخاتم في الإصبع قلق وقياس الباب كله منه ومرجت أمانات القوم وعهودهم اضطربت واختلطت والمرجQ 6 · L30016
- مرحالميم والراء والحاء أصل يدل على مسرة لا يكاد يستقر معها طربا ومرح يمرح وفرس ممراح ومروحQ 3 · L30022
- مرخالميم والراء والخاء كلمة صحيحة تدل على تليين في شيء ومرخت الجلد بالدهن وأمرخته وأمرخت العجين أكثرت ماءه حتى يسترخي والمرخ شجر سريع الورىL30035
- مردالميم والراء والدال أصل صحيح يدل على تجريد الشيء من قشره أو ما يعلوه من شعره والأمرد الشاب لم تبد لحيته ومرد يمرد ومرد الغصن تمريدا ألقى عنه لحاءه فترQ 5 · L30041
In the sister scriptsHebrew מ ר אSyriac ܡ ܪ ܐ
| Arabic | م ر أ |
| Hebrew | מ ר א |
| Syriac | ܡ ܪ ܐ |
| Ancient South Arabian (musnad) | 𐩣 𐩧 𐩱 |
| Phoenician | 𐤌 𐤓 𐤀 |
Letter for letter, by the regular sound correspondences of the Semitic languages (Arabic keeps several sounds the others merged). This shows how the root would be spelled; whether a related word exists is a separate question, answered in the Semitic lens. Where an Arabic sibilant (s, sh) continues two older sounds, both spellings are shown.
Reference