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سوى

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Form 1سَوِىَ2 senses
maṣdarسِوًىmuḍāriʿيَسْوَى

Core sense — it was equal to it, it was equivalent to itgenerated

1.1

. See form 3, in two places.

1.2

[According to Golius, سَوَى, means: he intended, or proposed to himself. He says this on the authority of the KL, in which only the maṣdar is mentioned, with the explanation قصد وآهنگ كردن; and Freytag adds the authority of Meyd, and also that the verb governs its object in the accusative. In the S and other lexicons of good repute I find the meaning of قَصَدَ assigned to اِسْتَوَى followed by إِلَى, but in none to سَوَى.]

Qur’ānic occurrences Form 1
4:42
يَوْمَئِذٍ يَوَدُّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَعَصَوُا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ لَوْ تُسَوَّىٰ بِهِمُ ٱلْأَرْضُ وَلَا يَكْتُمُونَ ٱللَّهَ حَدِيثًا

On that day those who reject Faith and disobey the messenger will wish that the earth Were made one with them: But never will they hide a single fact from Allah!

Occurrences of this form in the Qur’ān, not Lane’s choice of verse. They show the word in use; they do not say which sense above applies. Where more occur than are shown, the shortest āyāt are chosen.

Show Lane's original text
, aor. يَسْوَى : see 3, in two places. [Accord. to Golius, سَوَى , inf. n. سِوًى , signifies He intended, or proposed to himself: this he says as on the authority of the KL, in which only the inf. n. is mentioned with the explanation قصد وآهنگ كردن : and to this, Freytag adds the authority of Meyd; and also that the verb governs the thing which is its objective complement in the accus. case. In the S and other lexicons of good repute, I find the meaning of قَصَدَ assigned to اِسْتَوَى followed by إِلَى ; but in none to سَوَى .]
Form 2سوّاهُ5 senses · 3 main
maṣdarتَسْوِيَةٌ

Core sense — he made it equal, even, or level; he made it symmetrical or completegenerated

2.1he made it equal, even, level, flat, or plane—اسواهُ

. Er-Rāghib: he made it equal, uniform, even, level, flat, or plane; or equal in respect of elevation or of depression. [And straight, right, direct, or rightly directed; see its quasi-passive, form 8.]

[And he gave orders respecting the ruins, and they were levelled]—فَأَمَرَ بِالخِرَبِ فَسُوِّيَتْ

Said of a place, or a thing; or of an uneven, or a crooked, thing.

From a tradition; mentioned under the article خرب.

we buried Rukeiyeh, and made the earth of the grave level over her—سَوَّيْنَا عَلَى رُقَيَّةَ

سُوِّيتْ عَلَيْهِ الأَرْضُ: see form 8.

that they were buried, and that the ground were made level over them—لُوْ تُسَوَّى بِهِمُ ٱلْأَرْضُ

Qur'ān 4:45, where بِ is synonymous with عَلَى — so under the article ب. Or the meaning is that they became like the dust of the earth, as Th explains it; or that they had not been created, and that they and the earth were alike.

[Yes: we are able] to make his hand like the foot of the camel, without fingers—بَلَى قَادِرِينَ عَلَى أَنْ نُسَوِّىَ بَنَانَهُ
until, when he had made the space between the two sides of the mountains level, by filling it up—حَتَّى إِذَا سَاوَى بَيْنَ ٱلصَّدَفَيْنِ

Qur'ān 75:4. Or: to make his fingers uniform, of one measure or size; or the meaning is, we are able to put together the bones of his fingers as they were.

Qur'ān 18:95, meaning سَوَّى بَيْنَهُمَا.

2.1.1I made it uniform, or equal, with it; or like it—سَوَّيْتُهُ بِهِ

[Also: he made it uniform, equal, or closely similar, with another thing.]

maṣdar as above; سَاوَيْتُهُ به and أَسْوَيْتُهُ به mean the same.

I raised this so as to make it equal in measure, or amount, with that—سَاوَيْتُ هٰذَا بِذَاكَ
I made them uniform, or equal, each with the other; or like each other—سَوَّيْتُ بَيْنَهُمَا

Also سَاوَيْتُ.

2.1.2I made his creation symmetrical; or I completed him—سَوَّيْتُهُ
He made what He created consistent in its several parts—سَوَّى
[Who created you,] and made your creation fit for the requirements of wisdom—ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكَ فَسَوَّاكَ
By a soul and what made it fit for its needs, that is, for the performance of its functions—وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا

[Also: he made it symmetrical, by a just adaptation of its parts; made it congruous, or consistent in its several parts; made, formed, or fashioned it in a suitable manner; made it fit for the requirements of its case, or of wisdom; made it complete, or completed its make; made it right or good, rectified it, adjusted it, or put it into a good state.]

In the Qur'ān 32:8 it means: He made him symmetrical, by the fit, or suitable, formation of his members.

Qur'ān 15:29 and 38:72.

Qur'ān 87:2.

Qur'ān 82:7.

Qur'ān 91:7; for the soul is indicative of its own faculties. This explanation is better than the one that makes ما mean God.

He has raised high the measure of its elevation from the earth, and made it symmetrical, or completed it by adorning it with the stars—رَفَعَ سَمْكَهَا فَسَوَّاهَا
such a one rectified, or adjusted, his affair; or put it into a good state—سوّى فُلَانٌ أَمْرَهُ
rectify, and do not corrupt, or mar—سَوِّ وَلَا تُسَوِّئْ

Qur'ān 79:28; agreeably with what is said in the Qur'ān 37:6, and by means of the revolvings, and so on. From the saying that follows.

Mentioned in the A and TA under the article سوأ.

he cooked the food thoroughly—سوّى الطَّعَامَ
such a one framed a stratagem, or plot—سوّى فُلَانٌ مَنْصُوبَةً

See form 8 as its quasi-passive.

Mentioned under the article نصب.

Qur’ān 32:9 approximate — somewhere between 32:7 and 32:25 Lane cites “Kur xxxii. 8”
Qur’ān 37:6 approximate — somewhere between 37:1 and 37:12 Lane cites “Kur xxxvii. 6”
Lane cites “Bd in lxxix. 28” — a commentary, not the verse; no modern number is given
Qur’ān 32:9 the verse Lane’s citation points to, and it uses this root
ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِهِۦ ۖ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْأَبْصَـٰرَ وَٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةَ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ

But He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him something of His spirit. And He gave you (the faculties of) hearing and sight and feeling (and understanding): little thanks do ye give!Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)

2.2

سَوَّى, as an intransitive verb — if it is not a mistranscription for سُوِّىَ — maṣdar as above: see form 8.

2.3it was, or became, altered [for the worse]—سُوِّىَ

Apparently for سُوِّئَ; maṣdar as above; synonym غُيِّرَ.

Qur’ānic occurrences Form 2 5 shown of 13
26:98
إِذْ نُسَوِّيكُم بِرَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ

"'When we held you as equals with the Lord of the Worlds;

75:38
ثُمَّ كَانَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ

Then did he become a leech-like clot; then did (Allah) make and fashion (him) in due proportion.

79:28
رَفَعَ سَمْكَهَا فَسَوَّىٰهَا

On high hath He raised its canopy, and He hath given it order and perfection.

87:2
ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ

Who hath created, and further, given order and proportion;

91:7
وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا

By the Soul, and the proportion and order given to it;

Occurrences of this form in the Qur’ān, not Lane’s choice of verse. They show the word in use; they do not say which sense above applies. Where more occur than are shown, the shortest āyāt are chosen.

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, (S, M, &c.,) inf. n. تَسْوِيَةٌ , (K,) He made it equal, equable, uniform, even, level, flat, plane or plain; (S, * M, MA, Msb, K;) or equal in respect of elevation or of depression; (Er-Rághib, TA;) [and straight, right, direct, or rightly directed; (see its quasi-pass. 8;)] and اسواهُ signifies the same; (M, K;) namely, a place, (Msb, K,) or a thing, (S, M, Er-Rághib, TA,) or an uneven, or a crooked, thing. (Mgh.) It is said in a trad., فَأَمَرَ بِالخِرَبِ فَسُوِّيَتْ [And he gave orders respecting the ruins, and they were levelled]. (TA in art. خرب .) And in another trad., سَوَّيْنَا عَلَى رُقَيَّةَ , meaning We buried Ru- keiyeh, and made the earth of the grave even, or level, over her. (Mgh.) [Hence also,] سُوِّيتْ عَلَيْهِ الأَرْضُ : see 8. And hence the saying in the Kur [iv. 45], لُوْ تُسَوَّى بِهِمُ ٱلْأَرْضُ , (TA,) i. e. That they were buried, and that the ground were made level over them; (S, * Bd;) بِ being here syn. with عَلَى : (TA in art. ب :) or the meaning is, that they became like the dust of the earth; (M, Jel;) thus expl. by Th; (M;) or that they had not been created, and that they and the earth were alike. (Bd.) [Hence also,] بَلَى قَادِرِينَ عَلَى أَنْ نُسَوِّىَ بَنَانَهُ , in the same [lxxv. 4], is said to mean [Yea: we are able] to make his hand like the foot of the camel, without fingers: or to make his fingers uniform, of one measure or size: (TA:) or the meaning is, we are able to put together the bones of his fingers [consistently] as they were. (Bd, Jel.) And حَتَّى إِذَا سَاوَى بَيْنَ ٱلصَّدَفَيْنِ , in the Kur [xviii. 95], means سَوَّى بَيْنَهُمَا [i. e. Until, when he had made the space between the two sides of the mountains even, or level, by filling it up]. (TA.) [Also He made it uniform, equal, or consimilar, with another thing.] One says, سَوَّيْتُهُ بِهِ , (M, K,) inf. n. as above; (K;) and سَاوَيْتُهُ به , (M, * TA, TK,) and أَسْوَيْتُهُ به ; I made it uniform, or equal, with it; or like it: (M, K, TA:) and سَاوَيْتُ هٰذَا بِذَاكَ I raised this so as to make it equal in measure, or quantity, or amount, with that. (TA.) And سَوَّيْتُ بَيْنَهُمَا , and سَاوَيْتُ , (S, M, K,) I made them uniform, or equal, each with the other; or like each other. (M, K, TA.) [And He made it symmetrical or symmetrically, by, or with, a just adaptation of its component parts; made it congruous or consistent in its several parts, or with congruity or consistency in its several parts: he made it, formed it, or fashioned it, in a suitable manner: he made it to be adapted, or so as to be adapted, to the exigencies, or requirements, of its case, or of wisdom: he made it complete, or in a complete manner; completed it, or completed its make: he made it right or good, or in a right or good manner; rectified it; adjusted it; or put it into a right, or good, state.] In the Kur xxxii. 8, it means He made him symmetrical [or symmetrically], by the fit, or suitable, formation of his members. (Bd,) And سَوَّيْتُهُ in the same, xv. 29 and xxxviii. 72, I made his creation symmetrical: (Bd:) or I completed him, or made him complete. (Jel.) And سَوَّى in the same, lxxxvii. 2, He made what He created congruous or consistent in the several parts. (Jel.) And ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكَ فَسَوَّاكَ , in the same [lxxxii. 7], means [Who created thee,] and made thy creation to be adapted to the exigencies, or requirements, of wisdom. (TA.) وَنَفْسٍ وَمَا سَوَّاهَا , in the same, [xci. 7, means By a soul and what made it to be adapted to its exigencies, i. e., to the performance of its functions, for it] is indicative of the faculties of the soul: this explanation is more proper than that which makes ما to mean [Him who, i. e.] God. (TA.) And رَفَعَ سَمْكَهَا فَسَوَّاهَا , in the same, lxxix. 28, means He hath raised high [its canopy, or] the measure of its elevation from the earth, or its thickness upwards, and made it symmetrical, or even, (Bd,) or completed it by adorning it with the stars, (Bd, TA, *) agreeably with what is said in the Kur xxxvii. 6, (TA,) and by means of the revolvings [thereof], &c.: from the saying next following. (Bd.) سوّى فُلَانٌ أَمْرَهُ Such a one rectified, or adjusted, his affair; or put it into a right, or good, state. (Bd in lxxix. 28.) [Hence,] one says, سَوِّ وَلَا تُسَوِّئْ Rectify thou, and do not corrupt, or mar. (A and TA in art. سوأ .) [One says also, سوّى الطَّعَامَ He cooked the food thoroughly: see 8 as its quasi-pass.] And سوّى فُلَانٌ مَنْصُوبَةً [Such a one framed a stratagem, or plot]. (TA in art. نصب .) سَوَّى [as an intrans. verb, if not a mistranscription for سُوِّىَ ], inf. n. as above: see 8. And سُوِّىَ , [app. for سُوِّئَ ,] inf. n. as above, signifies It was, or became, altered [for the worse]; syn. غُيِّرَ . (TA.)
Form 3ساواهُ3 senses · 2 main
maṣdarمُسَاوَاةٌmuḍāriʿيَسْوَاهُ

Core sense — it was equal to it, it was like it, it was worth itgenerated

3.1this garment, or piece of cloth, is equal in length and breadth to that garment—هٰذَا الثَّوْبُ مُسَاوٍ لِذٰلِكَ الثَّوْبِ

maṣdar مُسَاوَاةٌ and سِوآءٌ: it was, or became, equal to it, and like it, in measure, extent, size, bulk, quantity or amount, in value, in linear measure, in weight, and in the measure of capacity.

this garment, or piece of cloth, is equivalent to that dirhem—هٰذَا الثَّوْبُ مُسَاوٍ لِذٰلِكَ الدِّرْهَمِ
this blackness is equal in quality to this blackness—هٰذَا السَّوَادُ لِذٰلِكَ السَّوَادِ
the shade, or shadow, was equal in its extent to the mounds in their height—سَاوَى الظِّلُّ التِّلَالَ
the thing equalled his head in height—ساوى الشَّىْءُ رَأْسَهُ

Sometimes it refers to mode, or manner of being.

This account is Er-Rāghib's.

Said in a tradition.

For an example of the verb used figuratively in this sense, see سِىٌّ.

this is worth, or equal in value to, a dirhem—هٰذَا يُسَاوِى دِرْهَمًا

In a rare dialect one says سَوِىَ دِرْهَمًا; Abu Zeyd disallows this, saying that one says ساواه but not يَسْوَاهُ.

this thing is not equivalent to, or not worth, such a thing—هٰذَا الشَّىْءُ لَا يُسَاوِى كَذَا
it (a garment, or some other thing) is not worth anything—لَايُسَاوِى شَيْئًا

لا يَسْوَى belongs to a rare dialect, unknown to Fr, disallowed by A'Obeyd, but mentioned by others. Az says that it is not of the language of the Arabs of pure speech, but post-classical; and likewise لا يُسْوِى is not correct Arabic. This last has damm to the first ى. MF says that most authorities disallow it, and the Fs expressly disallows it, but its expositors say that it is correct and chaste, of the dialect of the people of El-Ḥijāz, though it is an instance of a verb of which only the muḍāriʿ is used.

the man equalled his opponent, or competitor, in knowledge, or in courage—ساوى الرَّجُلُ قِرْنَهُ
3.1.1

See also form 6.

3.2

And see form 2, in four places in the earlier half of the paragraph.

Qur’ānic occurrences Form 3
18:96
ءَاتُونِى زُبَرَ ٱلْحَدِيدِ ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا سَاوَىٰ بَيْنَ ٱلصَّدَفَيْنِ قَالَ ٱنفُخُوا۟ ۖ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا جَعَلَهُۥ نَارًا قَالَ ءَاتُونِىٓ أُفْرِغْ عَلَيْهِ قِطْرًا

"Bring me blocks of iron." At length, when he had filled up the space between the two steep mountain-sides, He said, "Blow (with your bellows)" Then, when he had made it (red) as fire, he said: "Bring me, that I may pour over it, molten lead."

Occurrences of this form in the Qur’ān, not Lane’s choice of verse. They show the word in use; they do not say which sense above applies. Where more occur than are shown, the shortest āyāt are chosen.

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, (S, * M, * Msb,) inf. n. مُسَاوَاةٌ (M, Er-Rághib, Msb, TA) and سِوآءٌ , (M,) It was, or became, equal to it, (S, Er-Rághib, Msb, TA,) and like it, in measure, extent, size, bulk, quantity, or amount, and in value, (Msb, TA,) or in linear measure, and in weight, and in the measure of capacity, [as well as in value:] one says هٰذَا الثَّوْبُ مُسَاوٍ لِذٰلِكَ الثَّوْبِ [This garment, or piece of cloth, is equal in length and breadth to that garment, or piece of cloth]; and هٰذَا الثَّوْبُ مُسَاوٍ لِذٰلِكَ الدِّرْهَمِ [This garment, or piece of cloth, is equivalent to that dirhem]: and sometimes it means in mode, or manner of being: one says, هٰذَا السَّوَادُ لِذٰلِكَ السَّوَادِ [This blackness is equal in quality to this blackness]. Er-Rághib, TA.) It is said in a trad., سَاوَى الظِّلُّ التِّلَالَ The shade, or shadow, was like, in its extent, to the mounds, in their height. (TA.) [And ساوى الشَّىْءُ رَأْسَهُ means The thing equalled in height his head: see an ex. of the verb tropically used in this sense voce سِىٌّ .] One says also, هٰذَا يُسَاوِى دِرْهَمًا This is worth, or equal in its value to, a dirhem: and in a rare dial., one says, سَوِىَ دِرْهَمًا , aor. يَسْوَاهُ ; (Msb, TA;) which AZ disallows, saying, one says ساواه , but not يَسْوَاهُ . (Msb.) And هٰذَا الشَّىْءُ لَا يُسَاوِى كَذَا This thing is not equivalent to [or is not worth] such a thing: (Fr, S:) or لَايُسَاوِى شَيْئًا [It (a garment, or some other thing, M) is not worth anything]: (M, K:) لا يَسْوَى is of a rare dial., (K,) unknown to Fr, (S,) disallowed by A'Obeyd, but mentioned by others: (M:) Az says that it is not of the language of the Arabs [of pure speech], (Msb, TA,) but is post-classical; and in like manner لا يُسْوِى is not correct Arabic: this last is with damm to the [first] ى : MF says that the generality of authorities disallow it, and the Fs expressly disallows it, but the expositors thereof say that it is correct and chaste, of the dial. of the people of El-Hijáz, though an instance of a verb of which the aor. only is used. (TA.) One says likewise, ساوى الرَّجُلُ قِرْنَهُ The man equalled his opponent, or competitor, in knowledge, or in courage. (TA.) See also 6. And see 2, in four places, in the former half of the paragraph.
Form 4اسوى11 senses · 4 main

Core sense — he made it equal; he omitted or neglected a thing; he was like his offspringgenerated

4.1

As a transitive verb: see form 2, in two places in the earlier half of the paragraph.

4.1.1

لَايُسْوِى in the sense of لَايُسَاوِى is not correct Arabic: see form 3, in the later part of the paragraph.

4.2

As an intransitive verb: see form 8.

4.2.1

He was like his son, or offspring, in make, or in symmetry of proportion; or simply he was like his son, or offspring. Some copies of the K have 'his father', which, as the TA says, is a mistake.

In this sense, and in all the senses below that are mentioned in the K, the verb is wrongly written in the CK as استوى.

4.2.2he inserted the whole of his ذَكَر into the فَرْج [of the woman]—اسوى فِى المَرْأَةِ

Same as أَوْعَبَ.

4.3

He was, or became, base, abject, vile, or despicable; as though the verb were originally أَسْوَأَ; synonym خَزِىَ, from السَّوْأَةُ.

4.3.1

And he voided his excrement; synonym أَحْدَثَ, likewise from السَّوْأَةُ in the sense of "the anus".

4.3.2

And hence, in Az's opinion — and J thought it originally أَسْوَأَ, as he says in the S, though it is transitive — he dropped, left out, omitted, or neglected, and did so through inadvertence, a thing, or a letter or word of the Qur'ān, or a verse of it. Mentioned by A'Obeyd; and likewise, according to IAth, in reckoning, and in shooting or casting. Hr says that أَشْوَى with ش is allowable, meaning أَسْقَطَ.

4.3.3

Also he was, or became, affected with بَرَص [or leprosy, which is sometimes termed السُّوْءُ, so that the verb in this sense also seems to be originally أَسْوَأَ].

4.3.4

And he was, or became, restored to health, [or free from سُوْءٌ as meaning an evil affection, as though the verb were in this sense too originally أَسْوَأَ, the initial أ being privative, as it is in many other cases, like the Greek privative,] after a disease, or malady.

4.4

أَسْوَيْتُهُ بِهِ: see Q. Q. 1 in the article اسو.

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as a trans. verb: see 2, in two places, in the former half of the paragraph. لَايُسْوِى in the sense of لَايُسَاوِى is not correct Arabic: see 3, in the latter part of the paragraph. As an intrans. verb: see 8. Also He was like his son, or offspring, [in some copies of the K his father, which, as is said in the TA, is a mistake,] in make, (M, K,) or in symmetry, or justness of proportion; (Fr, TA;) or simply he was like his son, or offspring. (M.) [In this instance, and in all the senses here following that are mentioned in the K, the verb is erroneously written in the CK استوى .] اسوى فِى المَرْأَةِ i. q. أَوْعَبَ , (M, K, TA,) i. e. He inserted the whole of his ذَكَر into the فَرْج [of the woman]. (TA.) Also, [as though originally أَسْوَأَ ,] He was, or became, base, abased, object, vile, despicable, or ignominious; syn. خَزِىَ ; (M, K;) from السَّوْأَةُ . (TA.) And He voided his ordure; syn. أَحْدَثَ ; (Az, M, K;) [likewise] from السَّوْأَةُ , as meaning “ the anus. ” (Az, TA.) And hence, in the opinion of Az, and thought by J to be originally أَسْوَأَ [as he says in the S], (TA,) [though trans.,] He dropped, left out, omitted, or neglected, (S, M, K,) and did so through inadvertence, (S, K,) a thing, (S,) or a letter, or word, of the Kur-án, (M, K,) or a verse thereof: (M:) mentioned by A'Obeyd: (S:) and in like manner, accord. to IAth, in reckoning, and in shooting, or casting: and Hr says that أَشْوَى , with ش , is allowable, as meaning أَسْقَطَ . (TA.) Also He was, or became, affected with بَرَص [or leprosy, which is sometimes termed السُّوْءُ ; so that the verb in this sense also seems to be originally أَسْوَأَ ]. (TA.) And He was, or became, restored to health, [or free from سُوْءٌ as meaning an evil affection, (as though the verb were in this sense likewise originally أَسْوَأَ , the incipient أ being privative, as it is in many other instances, like the Greek privative ,)] after a disease, or malady. (TA.) أَسْوَيْتُهُ بِهِ : see Q. Q. 1 in art. اسو .
Form 5تَسَوَّىَ1 sense

Core sense — it became equal, even, or levelgenerated

5.1

See form 8.

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see 8.
Form 6تَسَاوَيَا1 sense

Core sense — they two were, or became, equal, or alikegenerated

6.1[Zeyd and 'Amr and Khálid were equal, or alike, in this]—استوى زَيْدٌ وُعَمْرُو وَخَالِدٌ فِى هٰذَا

They two were, or became, equal, like each other, or alike; and اِسْتَوَيَا means the same.

استوى has two and more agents assigned to it.

That is, تَسَاوَوْا; from which comes the saying in the Qur'ān 9:19.

[They will not be equal, or alike, in the sight of God]—لَا يَسْتَوُونَ عِنْدَ ٱللّٰهِ
they were, or became, equal in respect of the property, none of them exceeding another—تَسَاوَوْا فِى المَالِ

Also اِسْتَوَوْا فِيهِ.

he whose two days are alike, neither being distinguished above the other by any good done by him, is weak-minded—مَنْ سَاوَى يَوْمَاهُ فَهُوَ مَغْبُونٌ

From a tradition, as some relate it; the meaning is said to be تَسَاوَى.

men will not cease to be in a good state while they vie in excellence—لَا يَزَالُ النَّاسُ بِخَيْرٍ مَا تَفَاضَلُوا فَإِذَا تَسَاوَوْا هَلَكُوا

But when they cease from vying in excellent qualities and are content with defect, and so become alike, they perish; or when they become equal in ignorance; or when they form themselves into parties and divisions, each one alone in his opinion, not agreeing to acknowledge one exemplar, chief, or leader, so that they are all alike; or, according to Az, when they are alike in evil, none among them possessed of good.

Show Lane's original text
They two were, or became, equal, like each other, or alike; as also اِسْتَوَيَا . (M, K.) استوى has two and more agents assigned to it: one says, استوى زَيْدٌ وُعَمْرُو وَخَالِدٌ فِى هٰذَا [Zeyd and 'Amr and Khálid were equal, or alike, in this]; i. e. تَسَاوَوْا : whence the saying in the Kur [ix. 19], لَا يَسْتَوُونَ عِنْدَ ٱللّٰهِ [They will not be equal, or alike, in the sight of God]. (TA.) And one says, تَسَاوَوْا فِى المَالِ They were, or became, equal in respect of the property, none of them exceeding another; as also اِسْتَوَوْا فِيهِ . (Msb.) It is said in a trad., as some relate it, مَنْ سَاوَى يَوْمَاهُ فَهُوَ مَغْبُونٌ , in which the meaning is said to be تَسَاوَى [i. e. He whose two days are alike, neither being distinguished above the other by any good done by him, is weak-minded]. (TA.) And in another it is said, لَا يَزَالُ النَّاسُ بِخَيْرٍ مَا تَفَاضَلُوا فَإِذَا تَسَاوَوْا هَلَكُوا , (S, * TA,) i. e. [Men will not cease to be in a good state while they vie in excellence,] but when they cease from vying in excellent qualities and are content with defect [and thus become alike, they perish]: or when they become equal in ignorance: or when they form themselves into parties and divisions, and every one is alone in his opinion, and they do not agree to acknowledge one exemplar or chief or leader [so that they are all alike]: or, accord. to Az, when they are alike in evil, there being none among them possessed of good. (TA.)
Form 8استوى2 senses · 1 main
maṣdarتَسْوِيَةٌ

Core sense — it became even, level, or straight; he directed himself towards it; he became maturegenerated

8.1

According to Bd it seems to mean primarily: he sought, or desired, what was equal, uniform, even, or the like; for he says, on the Qur'ān 2:27, that the primary meaning of الاِسْتِوَآءُ is طلَبُ السَّوَآءِ, apparently indicating by what follows the sense in which السوآء is used here.

8.1.1figurative · مجازit became even, or level — said of a place—فِى ذَاتِهِ

And hence, according to Bd — though I would rather say primarily, as the quasi-passive of سَوَّاهُ — it was, or became, equal, uniform, even, level, flat, or plane, or equal in respect of elevation or of depression (see form 2, first sentence), straight, right, direct, or rightly directed; synonym اِعْتَدَلَ.

it became straight — said of a stick, or piece of wood, and the like—اِسْتَقَامَ

سَوَّى — if it is not a mistranscription for سُوِّىَ —, means the same as استوى, according to IAar; and so does أَسْوَى, and أَوْسَى as well, formed from it by transposition.

the ground became level with him, he having been buried in it — meaning he perished in the earth—اِسْتَوَتْ بِهِ الأَرْضُ

Also تَسَوَّتْ and سُوِّيَتْ عَلَيْهِ.

their land became [even in its surface, being] affected with drought, or barrenness—استوت أَرْضُهُمْ
the water became even, or level, with the piece of wood—استوى المَآءُ وَالخَشَبَةَ

That is, مَعَ الخَشَبَةِ.

the crooked, or uneven, became straight, or even—استوى المُعَوَّجُ

See also form 6, in four places.

Or المُعْوجُّ.

it became even from a state of unevenness—استوى مِنِ ٱعُوِجَاجٍ
and it has stood erect, or become strong, and stood erect upon its stems—فَٱسْتَوَى عَلَى سُوقِهِ

Qur'ān 48, last verse. Golius wrongly assigns a similar meaning to استسوى, a verb which I do not find anywhere.

and he stood erect in the proper form in which God created him—فَٱسْتَوَى
it stood up, or erect; and it became even, or straight—استوى
he, or it, went towards him, or it, with a direct, undeviating course, like an arrow shot forth—استوى إِلَيْهِ كَالسَّهْمِ المُرْسَلِ
then He directed Himself by His will to the heaven, or the elevated regions—ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَآءِ

Qur'ān 53:6. Or: he was endowed by his strength with power over the affair appointed to him; or he became firm, or steady.

Said of a stick and the like.

Said figuratively of God, Qur'ān 2:27 and 41:10; or upwards, or to the heavenly bodies. Synonyms عَمَدَ and قَصَدَ, and بِإِرَادَتِةِ.

When الاِسْتِوَآءُ is made transitive by means of إِلَى it carries the sense of directing oneself, or, as here, of directing one's design; of anyone who has finished one work and turned to another you say قَدِ ٱسْتَوَى لَهُ and إِلَيْهِ.

Or the meaning here is صَعِدَ or صَعِدَ أَمْرُهُ, i.e. his command ascended; and this is what is intended here by صَعِدَ or أَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهَا, i.e. he advanced to it, namely the heaven; just as one says كَانَ فُلَانٌ مُقْبِلًا عَلَى فُلَانٍ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَى عَلَىَّ يُشَاتِمُنِى, and also إِلَىّض, meaning أَقْبَلَ, i.e. such a one was advancing against such a one, then he advanced against me, and to me, reviling me, or contending with me in reviling. Or, as some say, it means اِسْتَوْلَى.

J says, though not in explanation of the verse cited above, that it also signifies اِسْتَوْلَى and ظَهَرَ, meaning he had, or gained, the mastery, or victory; and hence the saying of El-Akhtal, which he cites:

shāhid
قَدِ ٱسْتَوَى بِشْرٌ عَلَى العِرَاقِمِنْ غَيْرِ سَيْفٍ وَدَمٍ مُهْرَاقِ

[Bishr has gained the mastery over El-'Irāk without sword and without blood shed].

Er-Rāghib says that when this verb is made transitive by means of عَلَى it carries the sense of الاِسْتِيلَآء, as in the saying in the Qur'ān 20:4, اَلرَّحْمٰنُ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱسْتَوَى, which may be rendered: The Compassionate has ascendancy over the empyrean so as to have everything in the universe equally within His grasp. He then adds that it is said to mean that everything is alike in relation to Him, so that no one thing is nearer to Him than another, since He is not like bodies that abide in one place and not another.

[when his riding-camel] ascended with him upon the desert—لَمَّا ٱسْتَوَتْ بِهِ رَاحِلَتُهُ عَلَى البَيْدَآءِ
he was, or became, firm, or steady, upon the back of his beast—استوى عَلَى ظَهْرِ دَابَّتِهِ

Or: stood up with him straight upon its legs.

Or عَلَى الفَرَسِ, upon the horse.

he settled himself firmly in his sitting place; he sat firmly—استوى جَالِسًا

استوى, as quasi-passive of سَوَّاهُ, also means: it was made, or became, symmetrical, or consistent in its several parts; was made, formed, or fashioned in a suitable manner; was made fit for the requirements of its case, or of wisdom; was made, or became, complete; was made, or became, right, or good, rectified, adjusted, or put into a good state.

the man became full-grown, of full vigour, or mature, in body, or in body and intellect—استوى الرَّجُلُ

Same as بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ: he attained the utmost limit of the period termed his شَبَاب; or attained the utmost limit of his شَبَاب and the completion of his make and of his intellect, by the completion of from twenty-eight to thirty years; or reached forty years.

the food became thoroughly cooked—استوى الطَّعَامُ

خَطُّ الاِسْتِوَآءِ means the equinoctial line.

Qur’ān 2:29 matched to Lane’s own quotation of it Lane cites “Kur ii. 27”
Lane cites “Bd in ii. 27” — a commentary, not the verse; no modern number is given
Qur’ān 2:29 Lane quotes this verse
هُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ لَكُم مَّا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَىٰٓ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ فَسَوَّىٰهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَـٰوَٰتٍ ۚ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

It is He Who hath created for you all things that are on earth; Moreover His design comprehended the heavens, for He gave order and perfection to the seven firmaments; and of all things He hath perfect knowledge.Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)

Qur’ānic occurrences Form 8 2 shown of 33
20:5
ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱسْتَوَىٰ

(Allah) Most Gracious is firmly established on the throne (of authority).

53:6
ذُو مِرَّةٍ فَٱسْتَوَىٰ

Endued with Wisdom: for he appeared (in stately form);

Occurrences of this form in the Qur’ān, not Lane’s choice of verse. They show the word in use; they do not say which sense above applies. Where more occur than are shown, the shortest āyāt are chosen.

Show Lane's original text
[seems, accord. to Bd, to signify primarily He sought, or desired, what was equal, equable, uniform, even, or the like: for he says (in ii. 27) that the primary meaning of الاِسْتِوَآءُ is طلَبُ السَّوَآءِ ; app. indicating the sense in which السوآء is here used by what follows. And hence, accord. to him, but I would rather say primarily, as being quasi-pass. of سَوَّاهُ ,] It was, or became, equal, equable, uniform, even, level, flat, plane or plain, [or equal in respect of elevation or of depression, (see 2, first sentence,)] straight, right, direct, or rightly directed; syn. اِعْتَدَلَ (S, M, Msb, K, TA, and Ksh and Bd in ii. 27) فِى ذَاتِهِ , (TA,) said of a place, (Msb,) and اِسْتَقَامَ , said of a stick, or piece of wood, &c. (Ksh ubi suprà.) And سَوَّى , [if not a mistranscription for سُوِّىَ ,] inf. n. تَسْوِيَةٌ , signifies the same as استوى [app. meaning as above], accord. to IAar; and so does أَسْوَى , as also أَوْسَى , formed from it by transposition. (TA.) One says, اِسْتَوَتْ بِهِ الأَرْضُ [lit. The earth, or ground, became equable, uniform, even, &c., with him, he having been buried in it], meaning he perished in the earth; as also تَسَوَّتْ , and سُوِّيَتْ عَلَيْهِ . (M, K.) And استوت أَرْضُهُمْ Their land became [even in its surface, being] affected with drought, or barrenness. (M, * TA.) And استوى المَآءُ وَالخَشَبَةَ , meaning مَعَ الخَشَبَةِ [i. e. The water became even, or level, with the piece of wood]. (TA.) See also 6, in four places. One says also, استوى المُعَوَّجُ [or المُعْوجُّ (as in the MA) i. e. The crooked, or uneven, became straight, or even]: (Mgh:) and استوى مِنِ ٱعُوِجَاجٍ [It became even from a state of unevenness]. (S.) فَٱسْتَوَى عَلَى سُوقِهِ , in the Kur xlviii. last verse, means And has stood straight, or erect, (Bd,) or become strong, and stood straight, or erect, (Jel,) upon its stems. (Bd, Jel. [Golius erroneously assigns a similar meaning to استسوى , a verb which I do not anywhere find.]) And فَٱسْتَوَى in the same, liii. 6, And he stood straight, or erect, in his proper form in which God created him: or was endowed by his strength with power over the affair appointed to him: (Bd:) or became firm, or steady. (Jel.) استوى said of a stick &c. means It stood up or erect: and was, or became, even, or straight: hence one says, استوى إِلَيْهِ كَالسَّهْمِ المُرْسَلِ He, or it, went towards him, or it, with an undeviating, a direct, or a straight, course, like the arrow hot forth: and hence, ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَى إِلَى السَّمَآءِ is metaphorically said of God, in the Kur ii. 27 [and xli. 10]; (Ksh;) meaning Then He directed himself by his will to the [heaven, or] elevated regions, (Ksh, Bd,) or upwards, (Ksh,) or to the heavenly bodies; (Bd;) syn. عَمَدَ , (Zj, M, K,) and قَصَدَ (Zj, S, M, K, and Ksh and Bd) بِإِرَادَتِةِ ; (Ksh, Bd;) for when الاِسْتِوَآءُ is trans. by means of إِلَى it imports the meaning of the directing of oneself, or, as in this case, of one's design: (TA;) you say of any one who has finished a work and has directed himself to another, قَدِ ٱسْتَوَى لَهُ and إِلَيْهِ : (Har p. 631:) or the meaning here is صَعِدَ , (Zj, M, K,) or صَعِدَ أَمْرُهُ [i. e. his command ascended]; (M;) and this is what is intended here by صَعِدَ : (TA:) or أَقْبَلَ عَلَيْهَا [i. e. He advanced to it, namely, the heaven]; (Fr, Th, M, K;) like as one says, كَانَ فُلَانٌ مُقْبِلًا عَلَى فُلَانٍ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَوَى عَلَىَّ يُشَاتِمُنِى and إِلَىّض also, meaning أَقْبَلَ [i. e. Such a one was advancing against such a one, then he advanced against me, and to me, reviling me, or contending with me in reviling]: (TA:) or it means اِسْتَوْلَى , (M, K,) as some say: (M:) J says, [in the S,] but not explaining thereby the verse above cited, that it signifies also اِسْتَوْلَى and ظَهَرَ [as meaning He had, or gained, the mastery, or victory]: and hence the saying of El-Akhtal, cited by him [in the S,] 1 [Bishr has gained the mastery over El-'Irák without sword and without shed blood]: Er-Rághib says that when this verb is trans. by means of عَلَى , it imports the meaning of الاِسْتِيلَآء ; as in the saying in the Kur [xx. 4], اَلرَّحْمٰنُ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱسْتَوَى [which may be rendered, The Compassionate hath ascendancy over the empyrean so as to have everything in the universe equally within his grasp; agreeably with what here follows]: he then adds, it is said to mean that everything is alike in relation to Him in such manner that no one thing is nearer to Him than another thing, since He is not like the bodies that abide in one place exclusively of another place. (TA.) The saying لَمَّا ٱسْتَوَتْ بِهِ رَاحِلَتُهُ عَلَى البَيْدَآءِ means [When his riding-camel] ascended with him upon the desert: or stood up with him straight upon its legs. (Mgh.) And one says, استوى عَلَى ظَهْرِ دَابَّتِهِ , (S, TA,) or عَلَى الفَرَسِ , (Msb,) He was, or became, firm, or steady, [or he settled himself, or became firmly seated, or sat firmly,] upon the back of his beast, or upon the horse: (S, Msb, TA:) and استوى جَالِسًا [He became firm, or steady, sitting; or he settled himself in his sitting place; or sat firmly]. (Msb.) [ استوى as quasi-pass. of سَوَّاهُ also signifies It was made, or became, symmetrical; congruous, or consistent in its several parts: was made, formed, or fashioned, in a suitable manner: was made, or became, adapted to the exigencies, or requirements, of its case, or of wisdom: was made, or became, complete: was made, or became, right, or good; became rectified, adjusted, or put into a right or good state. And hence,] استوى الرَّجُلُ i. q. بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ [q. v.]; (M, K;) [generally meaning] The man [became full-grown, of full vigour, or mature, in body, or in body and intellect; i. e.] attained the utmost limit of [the period termed] his شَبَاب ; (S;) or attained the utmost limit of his شَبَاب , and the completion of his make and of his intellect, by the completion of from twenty-eight to thirty [years]: (T, TA:) or attained to forty (T, M, K) years. (K.) And استوى الطَّعَامُ The food became thoroughly cooked. (Msb.) [ خَطُّ الاِسْتِوَآءِ means The equinoctial line.] قَدِ ٱسْتَوَى بِشْرٌ عَلَى العِرَاقِ | مِنْ غَيْرِ سَيْفٍ وَدَمٍ مُهْرَاقِ

Derived nouns 18

Nounسَىٌّ1 sense

Core sense — a like, an equalgenerated

1

Apparently a dialectal variant of سِىٌّ: see لَا سِيَّمَا in the next paragraph.

Show Lane's original text
, [app. a dial. var. of سِىٌّ ]: see لَا سِيَّمَا , in the next paragraph.
Nounسِىٌّ5 senses · 1 main

Core sense — a like, an equal; a level desertgenerated

1

Originally سِوْىٌ, and its dual: see سَوَآءٌ in ten places, all but one in the later half of the paragraph.

1.1figurative · مجاز — inferredhe is in, or has come upon, what is in the category of his head, in point of eminence, of wealth or welfare—هُوَ فِى سِىِّ رَأْسِهِ

Said of one who is, or has become, in a state of wealth or welfare, or rather of abundant wealth or welfare. One also says سَوَآءِ رَأْسِهِ, or وَقَعَ فِى سِىِّ رَأْسِهِ, and سَوَآءِ رأسه and سِوَآءِ رأسه, or وَقَعَ مِنَ النِّعْمَةِ فِى سِوَآءِ رأسه; the CK wrongly has سَىِّ.

That is, حُكْمِ رَأْسِهِ: or what covers his head; or what equals his head in eminence, of wealth or welfare; or what has equalled his head in eminence, of wealth or welfare, i.e. what has accumulated upon him and filled, or satisfied, him; or, as some explain it, what equals the number of the hairs of his head, of wealth or good.

See also سِنٌّ, last sentence but one.

1.2there is not the like of Zeyd — virtually, and generally, meaning above all Zeyd, or especially Zeyd—لَا سِيَّمَا زَيْدٍ

لَا سِيَّمَا, also pronounced لا سِيَمَا without tashdīd, with the dialectal variant لا سَيَّمَا: a compound of سِىّ and مَا, denoting exception.

That is, لَا مِثْلَ زَيْدٍ, مَا being redundant; and لا سيّما زَيْدٌ also, just as one says دَعْ مَا زَيْدٌ.

J says that with respect to the case of the noun following ما there are two ways. You may make مَا stand in the place of الَّذِى, understanding a mubtadaʾ [namely هو or the like], and put the noun you mention in the nominative as the khabar: so you may say جَآءَنِى القَوْمُ لَا سِيَّمَا أَخُوكَ, meaning لَا سِىَّ الَّذِى هُوَ أَخُوكَ, i.e. the people, or party, came to me, and there was not the like of him who is your brother; or above all, or especially, he who is your brother.

So in one copy of the S; in other copies of it, and in the TA, سِيَّمَا stands for سِىَّ.

But this rendering is invalidated, in a phrase like وَلَا سِيَّمَا زَيْدٌ, by the suppression of the correlative of the noun in the nominative where there is no lengthiness, and by applying ما to a rational being.

Or you may put the noun after it in the genitive, making ما redundant and letting سِىّ govern the noun in that case, because the meaning of سِىّ is مِثْل; and this is the preferable way.

I will beat the people, or party, but there shall not be the like of the beating of your brother—أَضْرِبُ القَوْمَ وَلَا سِيَّمَا أَخِيكَ

In both of these ways is recited the saying of Imra-el-Keys:

shāhid
أَلَا رُبَّ يُوْمٍ لَكَ مِنْهُنَّ صَالِحٍوَلَا سِيَّمَا يَوْمٌٍ بِدَارَةِ جُلْجُلِ

[Many a good day indeed was there for you because of them; but there was not the like of a day, or above all a day, at Dárat Juljul] — a certain pool, where Imra-el-Keys surprised his beloved, 'Oneyzeh, with her companions, bathing: see EM pp. 9 and 10.

That is, وَلَا مِثْلَ ضَرْبِ أَخِيكَ.

and there shall not be the like of him who is your brother—وَلَا سِيَّمَا أَخُوكَ

That is, وَلَا مِثْلَ الَّذِى هُوَ أَخُوكَ.

In the saying إِنَّ فُلَانًا كَرِيمٌ وَلَا سِيَّمَا إِنْ أَتَيْتَهُ قَاعِدًا, according to Akh, ما is a substitute for the suppressed affixed pronoun هُ, the meaning being وَلَا مِثْلَهُ إِنْ أَتَيْتَهُ قَاعِدًا, i.e. such a one is generous, and there is not the like of him if you come to him sitting.

It is said in the Msb — after explaining that ما in سيّما may be redundant, the noun after it being in the genitive as the complement of a prefixed noun, and that ما may be used in the sense of الّذى, the noun following being put in the nominative as khabar of the suppressed mubtadaʾ هو — that according to some the noun following may be in the accusative, as being preceded by an exceptive, [or as a specifying word, in which case we must regard ما as a substitute for the affixed pronoun هُ,] but that this is not a good way; and in that case, according to most authorities, it must be an indeterminate noun, not determinate like زَيْدٌ.

It is added there that سيّما should not be used without لا before it, and that it marks the predominance of what follows it over what precedes it; but لا is sometimes suppressed, because it is known to be meant, though this is rare.

there is not the like of such a one—لَاسِىَّ لِمَا فُلَانٌ
such a one is not the like of you—لَا سِيَّكَ مَا فُلَانٌ

In both of these, ما is obviously redundant. Other similar usages of سِىّ are mentioned under سَوَآءٌ, referred to above.

1.3a desert, of the kind termed مُفَازَة—سِىٌّ

So called because of the evenness of its routes, and its uniformity.

Hence السِّىُّ is the name of a particular tract, said in the M to be a certain smooth place in the بَادِيَة.

1.4

See also the article سيو.

Show Lane's original text
, originally سِوْىٌ ; and its dual: see سَوَآءٌ , in ten places, all except one in the latter half of the paragraph. [Hence,] of him who is, or has become, in a state of wealth, or welfare, [or rather, of abundant wealth or welfare,] one says, هُوَ فِى سِىِّ رَأْسِهِ and سَوَآءِ رَأْسِهِ , (Fr, S,) or وَقَعَ فِى سِىِّ رَأْسِهِ [in the CK (erroneously) سَىِّ ] and سَوَآءِ رأسه (M, K) and سِوَآءِ رأسه , (K,) or وَقَعَ مِنَ النِّعْمَةِ فِى سِوَآءِ رأسه , (Ks, M,) i. e. [He is in, or has lighted upon, or come upon,] what is in the predicament of his head ( حُكْمِ رَأْسِهِ ) [in point of eminence, of wealth, or welfare]: or what covers his head [thereof]: (M, K:) or what equals his head [in eminence] ( يُسَاوِى رَأْسَهُ ), of wealth, or welfare: (T, TA:) or what has equalled his head [in eminence], of wealth, or welfare; i. e. what has accumulated upon him, and filled [or satisfied] him: (M:) or [what equals] the number of the hairs of his head, of wealth, or good; (A'Obeyd, S, K;) as some explain it. (A'Obeyd, S.) See also سِنٌّ , last sentence but one. [Hence likewise,] لَا سِيَّمَا , (S, M, Msb, K,) also pronounced لا سِيَمَا , without teshdeed, (Msb, Mughnee, K,) and لا سَيَّمَا is a dial. var. thereof, (Msb,) a compound of سِىّ and مَا , denoting exception: (S:) one says, لَا سِيَّمَا زَيْدٍ , i. e. لَا مِثْلَ زَيْدٍ [lit. There is not the like of Zeyd; virtually, and generally, meaning above all Zeyd, or especially Zeyd]; مَا being redundant: and لا سيّما زَيْدٌ also; like as one says, دَعْ مَا زَيْدٌ : (M, K:) [J says,] with respect to the case of the noun following ما , there are two ways: you may make مَا to be in the place of الَّذِى , and mean that an inchoative is to be understood, [namely, هو or the like,] and put the noun that you mention in the nom. case as the enunciative; thus you may say, جَآءَنِى القَوْمُ لَا سِيَّمَا أَخُوكَ , meaning لَا سِىَّ الَّذِى هُوَ أَخُوكَ [i. e. The people, or party, came to me, and there was not the like of him who is thy brother; or above all, or especially, he who is thy brother]: (S, TA: [thus in a copy of the S: in other copies of the same, and in the TA, for سِىَّ , سِيَّمَا :]) but this rendering is invalidated in such a phrase as وَلَا سِيَّمَا زَيْدٌ by the supression of the correlative of the noun in the nom. case where there is no lengthiness, and by the applying ما to denote a rational being: (Mughnee:) or you may put the noun after it in the gen. case, making ما redundant, and making سِىّ to govern the noun in that case because the meaning of سِىّ is مِثْل : [and this is the preferable way:] (Mughnee:) in both of these ways is recited the saying of Imra-el-Keys, 1 [Verily many a good day was there to thee by reason of them; but there was not the like of a day, or above all a day, or especially a day, at Dárat Juljul, a certain pool, where Imra-el-Keys surprised his beloved, 'Oneyzeh, with others, her companions, bathing: see EM pp. 9 and 10]: you say also, أَضْرِبُ القَوْمَ وَلَا سِيَّمَا أَخِيكَ , meaning وَلَا مِثْلَ ضَرْبِ أَخِيكَ [i. e. I will beat the people, or party, but there shall not be the like of the beating of thy brother]: and if you say, وَلَا سِيَّمَا أَخُوكَ , the meaning is, وَلَا مِثْلَ الَّذِى هُوَ أَخُوكَ [and there shall not be the like of him who is thy brother]: in the saying إِنَّ فُلَانًا كَرِيمٌ وَلَا سِيَّمَا إِنْ أَتَيْتَهُ قَاعِدًا , accord. to Akh, ما is a substitute for the affixed pronoun هُ , which is suppressed; the meaning being, وَلَا مِثْلَهُ إِنْ أَتَيْتَهُ قَاعِدًا [i. e. Verily such a one is generous, and there is not the like of him if thou come to him sitting]: (S, TA:) it is said in the Msb, [after explaining that ما in سيّما may be redundant, and the noun after it governed in the gen. case as the complement of a prefixed noun; and that ما may be used in the sense of الّذى , and the noun following put in the nom. case as the enunciative of the inchoative هو which is suppressed;] that, accord. to some, the noun following may be in the accus. case, as being preceded by an exceptive; [or, as a specificative; (Mughnee;) in which case we must regard ما as a substitute for the affixed pronoun هُ ;] but that this is not a good way; [and in this case, accord. to the generality of the authorities, it must be an indeterminate noun, not, like زَيْدٌ , determinate: (Mughnee:)] also that سيّما should not be used without لا preceding it: and that it denotes the predominance of what follows it over what precedes it: but it is added that لا is sometimes suppressed [as is said in the Mughnee] because known to be meant, though this is rare. (TA.) One says also, لَاسِىَّ لِمَا فُلَانٌ (Lh, M, K) i. e. There is not the like of such a one: (TA:) and لَا سِيَّكَ مَا فُلَانٌ (Lh, M, K) i. e. Such a one is not the like of thee. (TA.) [In both of these instances, ما is obviously redundant. Other (similar) usages of سِىّ are mentioned voce سَوَآءٌ , to which reference has been made above.] أَلَا رُبَّ يُوْمٍ لَكَ مِنْهُنَّ صَالِحٍ | وَلَا سِيَّمَا يَوْمٌٍ بِدَارَةِ جُلْجُلِ سِىٌّ also signifies A [desert such as is termed] مُفَازَة ; (S, M, K) because of the evenness of its routes, and its uniformity. (TA.) [Hence السِّىُّ is the name of a particular tract, said in the M to be a certain smooth place in the بَادِيَة .] See also art. سيو .
Nounسِيَّة1 sense

Core sense — a like, an equal, a fellowgenerated

1

See سَوَآء near the end of the paragraph.

Show Lane's original text
: see سَوَآء , near the end of the paragraph.
Nounسُوًى2 senses · 1 main

Core sense — other than; an equal, a likegenerated

1

See سَوَآءٌ in seven places.

1.1

And see also سِوًى in two places.

Qur’ānic occurrences سُوًى
20:58
فَلَنَأْتِيَنَّكَ بِسِحْرٍ مِّثْلِهِۦ فَٱجْعَلْ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكَ مَوْعِدًا لَّا نُخْلِفُهُۥ نَحْنُ وَلَآ أَنتَ مَكَانًا سُوًى

"But we can surely produce magic to match thine! So make a tryst between us and thee, which we shall not fail to keep - neither we nor thou - in a place where both shall have even chances."

Occurrences of this form in the Qur’ān, not Lane’s choice of verse. They show the word in use; they do not say which sense above applies. Where more occur than are shown, the shortest āyāt are chosen.

Show Lane's original text
: see سَوَآءٌ , in seven places: and see also سِوًى , in two places.
Nounسِوًى4 senses · 2 main

Core sense — other than; instead of, in the place of; a direction, a tendencygenerated

1

See سَوَاءٌ in seven places.

1.1I have with me a man instead of Zeyd, and in the place of Zeyd—عِنْدِى رَجُلٌ سِوَى زَيْدٍ

Also, and likewise سُوًى and سَوَآءٌ and سِوَآءٌ: the same as مَكَانٌ, or غَيْرٌ, according to different authorities. Each is used as an adjective, and as denoting exception, like غَيْر. According to Ez-Zejjájee and Ibn-Málik it is used in the same sense and manner as غَيْر; but according to Sb and most authorities it is an adverbial noun of place, always in the accusative except where necessity requires otherwise.

That is, بَدَلَ زَيْدٍ and مَكَانَ زَيْدٍ.

I passed by a man other than you—مَرَرْتُ بِرَجُلٍ سِوَاكَ

Also سُوَاكَ and سَوَائِكَ, meaning غَيْرِكَ.

other than you came to me—جَآءَنِى سَوَاؤُكَ

Also سِوَاك and the like; used here as an agent.

I saw other than you—رَأَيْتُ سَوَآءَكَ

Also سِوَاكَ and the like; used here as an objective complement.

none except you came to me—مَا جَآءَنِى أَحَدٌ سَوَآءَكَ

Also سِوَاكَ and the like.

none other than you came to me—سَوَاؤُكَ مَا جَآءَنِى أَحَدٌ

Also سِوَاكَ and the like.

I went to, or towards, the people, or party, others than Zeyd—قَصَدْتُ القَوْمَ سِوَى زَيْدٍ

That is, غَيْرَ زَيْدٍ, which is virtually the same as "except Zeyd".

if you do that when I am in a land other than your land, what you dislike, or hate, shall certainly come to you from me—لَئِنْ فَعَلْتَ ذَاكَ وَأَنَا سِوَاكَ لَيَأْتِيَنَّكَ مِنِّى مَا تَكْرَهُ

Ibn-Buzurj.

1.2your intellect has departed from you—عَقْلُكَ سِوَاكَ

The Arabs also said this.

2the tendency, or direction, of the thing—سِوَى الشَّىْءِ

The strangest of the meanings of سِوَى in this sense, with the short alif and with kesr, is قَصْدٌ.

That is, قَصْدُهُ.

I tended, or went, in the direction of, or towards, such a one—قَصَدْتُ سِوَى فُلَانٍ

That is, قَصَدْتُ قَصْدَهُ. In the CK, and in my manuscript copy of the K, سَوَاهُ is wrongly put for سِوَاهُ.

on this sense And hence a poet, namely Keys Ibn-El-Khateem, says:

shāhid
وَلَأَصْرِفَنَّ سِوَى حُذَيْفَةَ مِدْحَتِى

[And I will certainly turn my eulogy towards Hodheyfeh].

Show Lane's original text
: see سَوَاءٌ , in seven places. Also, and likewise سُوًى , (Akh, S, Msb, Mughnee, K,) and سَوَآءٌ , (Akh, S, M, Mughnee, K,) and سِوَآءٌ , (Mughnee,) i. q. مَكَانٌ , (Mughnee,) or غَيْرٌ , (Akh, S, M, Msb, Mughnee, K,) accord. to different authorities: each used as an epithet, and as denoting exception, like غَيْر ; accord. to Ez-Zejjájee and Ibn-Málik, used in the same sense and manner as غَيْر : but accord. to Sb and the generality of authorities, an adv. n. of place, always in the accus. case, except in instances of necessity: (Mughnee:) one says, عِنْدِى رَجُلٌ سِوَى زَيْدٍ , meaning بَدَلَ زَيْدٍ and مَكَانَ زَيْدٍ [i. e. I have with me a man instead of Zeyd and in the place of Zeyd]: (Ham p. 570, and TA: *) [but] one says [also] مَرَرْتُ بِرَجُلٍ سِوَاكَ and سُوَاكَ and سَوَائِكَ , meaning غَيْرِكَ [i. e. I passed by a man other than thee]: (S:) and جَآءَنِى سَوَاؤُكَ [and سِوَاك &c. Other than thou came to me], using it as an agent; and رَأَيْتُ سَوَآءَكَ [and سِوَاكَ &c. I saw other than thee], using it as an objective complement: and مَا جَآءَنِى أَحَدٌ سَوَآءَكَ [and سِوَاكَ &c. None except thou came to me]: and سَوَاؤُكَ مَا جَآءَنِى أَحَدٌ [and سِوَاكَ &c. None other than thou came to me]: (Mughnee:) and قَصَدْتُ القَوْمَ سِوَى زَيْدٍ , meaning غَيْرَ زَيْدٍ [i. e. I betook myself to, or towards, the people, or party, others than Zeyd, which is virtually the same as except Zeyd]: (Msb:) and لَئِنْ فَعَلْتَ ذَاكَ وَأَنَا سِوَاكَ لَيَأْتِيَنَّكَ مِنِّى مَا تَكْرَهُ , meaning [If thou do that] when I am in a land other than thy land, [what thou dislikest, or hatest, shall assuredly come to thee from me.] (Ibn-Buzurj, TA.) The Arabs also said, عَقْلُكَ سِوَاكَ , meaning Thine intellect has departed from thee. (IAar, M.) The strangest of the meanings of سِوَى , in this sense with the short alif and with kesr, is قَصْدٌ . (Mughnee.) سِوَى الشَّىْءِ means قَصْدُهُ [i. e. The tendency, or direction, of the thing]. (M.) And one says, قَصَدْتُ سِوَى فُلَانٍ , meaning قَصَدْتُ قَصْدَهُ [i. e. I tended, or betook myself, in the direction of, or towards, such a one]. (S, K. * [In the CK, and in my MS. copy of the K, سَوَاهُ is erroneously put for سِوَاهُ .]) And hence, (Mughnee,) a poet says, (namely, Keys Ibn-El-Khateem, TA,) 1 [And I will surely turn towards Hodheyfeh my eulogy]. (S, Mughnee.) وَلَأَصْرِفَنَّ سِوَى حُذَيْفَةَ مِدْحَتِى
Nounسَوَآءٌ10 senses · 2 main

Core sense — equality, evenness; the middle of a thing; a like, an equalgenerated

1they two are on an equality, or on a par, in respect of this affair, or case—هُمَا عَلَى سَوِيَّةً مِنْ هٰذَا الأَمْرِ

In some copies of the K wrongly written without ء. In its primary use it is a maṣdar, but without a proper verb, used as a simple substantive, meaning equality, uniformity, or evenness; synonym اِسْتِوَآءٌ; and so سَوِيَّةٌ. Or rather it is a substantive, meaning اِسْتِوَآءٌ, from اِسْتَوَى in the sense of اِعْتَدَلَ.

It also means equity, justice, or rectitude; synonym عَدْلٌ; and so سَوِيَّةً and سِوًى and سُوًى, as well as سَوَآءٌ, which according to Fr are synonymous with نَصَفٌ, and according to him and to Akh with عَدْلٌ — though apparently they are synonymous with عَدْلٌ and نَصَفٌ not as substantives but as adjectives, like وَسَطٌ so used. Er-Rāghib says each of them is originally a maṣdar.

That is, سَوَآءٍ.

they are on an equality, or on a par—هُمْ عَلَى سَوِيَّةٍ

That is, اِسْتِوَآءٌ, فِى هٰذَا الأَمْرِ in this affair, or case.

I divided the thing between them two with equity, or justice—قَسَمْتُ الشَّىْءَ بَيْنَهُمَا بِالسَّوِيَّةِ

That is, بِالعَدْلِ.

In the Qur'ān 8:60, فَٱنْبِذْ إِلَيْهِمْ عَلَى سَوَآءٍ means عَدْلٍ, as explained under the article نبذ.

the night of the thirteenth of the lunar month; or the night of the fourteenth—لَيْلَةُ السَّوَآءِ

The first night is that on which the new moon is first seen. In it the moon becomes uniform in illumination.

Lane cites “Bd in ii. 5” — a commentary, not the verse; no modern number is given
1.1the middle, or midst, of the thing—سَوَآءُ الشَّىْءِ

Same as وَسَطٌ, the middle, or midst, of a thing; and so سُوًى and سِوًى.

Also سُوَاهُ and سِوَاهُ.

[And he shall see him] in the middle, or midst, [of the fire of Hell]—فَرَآهُ فِى سَوَآءِ ٱلْجَحِيمِ
the middle of the road—سَوَآءُ السَّبِيلِ
my waist, or my middle, broke—اِنْقَطَعَ سَوَائِى
the middle of the day—سَوَآءُ النَّهَارِ

Qur'ān 37:53.

Or, according to Fr, it means the right direction of the road, or way.

In some copies of the K, مُتَّسَعُهُ is wrongly put for مُنْتَصَفُهُ.

1.2an eminence, or a hill, or the like—أَكَمَة
a stony tract—حَرَّة
the head of one of these—حَرَّة

on this sense Perhaps from this, as being generally the middle or nearly so: the summit of a mountain.

2an even land—أَرْضٌ سَوَآءٌ

Also used as an adjective, meaning equal, uniform, or even; synonym مُسْتَوٍ, applied in this sense to a place; and so, thus applied, سَوِىٌّ and سِىٌّ; or these two, thus applied, mean equidistant in respect of its two extremities, like سَوَآءٌ as explained below.

As synonymous with مُسْتَوٍ it is applied to a feminine noun as well as a masculine, and to one and to more than one, because it is originally a maṣdar; whence the phrase لَيْسُوا سَوَآءً [They are not equal], Qur'ān 3:109.

a house uniform in respect of the appertenances termed مَرَافِق—دَارٌ سَوَآءٌ
a garment, or piece of cloth, equal, or uniform, in its breadth, its length, and its two lateral edges—ثَوْبٌ سَوَآءٌ

But one does not say جَمَلٌ سَوَآءٌ, nor حَمَارٌ سَوَآءٌ, nor رَجُلٌ سَوَآءٌ.

a man whose belly is even with the breast—رَجُلٌ سَوَآءُ البَطْنِ
having no hollow to the sole of his foot—سَوَآءُ القَدَمِ
a man uniform in make, or symmetrical; or full-grown, of full vigour, or mature, in body, or in body and intellect—رَجُلٌ سَوِىٌّ الخَلْقِ

That is, مُسْتَوٍ; see form 8.

a man equally free from excess and deficiency in his dispositions and his make—سَوِىٌّ رَجُلٌ

Er-Rāghib. Or: sound in limbs — so in the TA under مِرَّةٌ.

a boy, or young man, uniform in make, or symmetrical, without disease, and without fault or defect—غُلَامٌ سَوِىٌّ

The feminine is سَوِيَّةٌ.

Er-Rāghib: السَّوِىُّ means that which is preserved from excess and deficiency; and hence الصِّرَاطِ السَّوِىِّ, as though meaning the road, or way, that neither exceeds nor falls short of what is right; the right, or direct, road.

the middle, good, road—السَّوَآءِ
the evil, or bad, road—السَّوْءِ
most evil, or worst—السُّوْءَى

So some read.

Feminine of أَسْوَأُ, for الصِّرَاطُ is feminine as well as masculine.

السُّوَىَ is of the measure فُعْلَى, from السَّوَآءُ, with which it is synonymous, or originally السُّوْءَى, mentioned above; and السُّوَىِّ, which is the diminutive of السَّوَآء, or the diminutive of السَّوْء, in which case it stands for السُّوَىْءِ.

Qur’ān 3:113 approximate — somewhere between 3:112 and 3:145 Lane cites “Kur iii. 109”
Qur’ān 3:113 the verse Lane’s citation points to, and it uses this root
لَيْسُوا۟ سَوَآءً ۗ مِّنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ أُمَّةٌ قَآئِمَةٌ يَتْلُونَ ءَايَـٰتِ ٱللَّهِ ءَانَآءَ ٱلَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ

Not all of them are alike: Of the People of the Book are a portion that stand (For the right): They rehearse the Signs of Allah all night long, and they prostrate themselves in adoration.Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)

2.1this is a complete dirhem—هٰذَا دِرْهَمٌ سَوَآءٌ

It also means complete.

Using the last word as an adjective.

One also says سَوَآءً, using it as a maṣdar, as though one said اِسْتِوَآءً.

In the Qur'ān 41:9 some read سَوَآءً, and others سَوَآءٍ.

Qur’ān 41:10 approximate — somewhere between 41:1 and 41:24 Lane cites “Kur xli. 9”
Qur’ān 41:10 the verse Lane’s citation points to, and it uses this root
وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا رَوَٰسِىَ مِن فَوْقِهَا وَبَـٰرَكَ فِيهَا وَقَدَّرَ فِيهَآ أَقْوَٰتَهَا فِىٓ أَرْبَعَةِ أَيَّامٍ سَوَآءً لِّلسَّآئِلِينَ

He set on the (earth), mountains standing firm, high above it, and bestowed blessings on the earth, and measure therein all things to give them nourishment in due proportion, in four Days, in accordance with (the needs of) those who seek (Sustenance).Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)

2.2come to an equitable, or a just, or right, proposition between us and you—تَعَالَوْا إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَآءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ

Also equitable, just, or right; synonym عَدْلٌ.

Qur'ān 3:57.

2.3a place equidistant, or midway, between us and you—مَكَانًا سِوًى

Also equidistant, or midway, between two parties, or between two places; applied as an adjective to a place; and so سِوًى and سُوًى. Of these three words the second is the most chaste; or the last two mean equal in respect of its two extremities, and are used as adjectives and as adverbial nouns, being originally maṣdars. Er-Rāghib.

Also read سُوًى, Qur'ān 20:60; or the meaning is a place equally distant for one coming from each of the two extremities.

Or مَكَانٌ سِوًى and سُوًى mean مُعْلَمٌ, a place marked, or مَعْلَمٌ, which stands for ذُو مَعْلَمٍ, meaning having a mark, or sign, by which one is guided, or directed, to it.

Qur’ān 20:57 approximate — somewhere between 20:1 and 20:61 Lane cites “Kur xx. 60”
2.4I passed by a man whose existence and whose non-existence are equal, or alike, to me—مَرَرْتُ بِرَجُلٍ سَوَآءٍ وَالعَدَمُ

Also equal, or alike, in any respect.

Also سِوَآءٍ وَالعَدَمُ and سِوًى وَالعَدَمُ and سُوًى وَالعَدَمُ, meaning وُجُودُهُ وَعَدَمُهُ سَوَآءٌ.

his existence and his non-existence are equal, or alike, to me—سَوَآءٌ هُوَ وَالعَدَمُ
it is equal, or alike, to me whether you stand or sit—سَوَآءٌ عَلَىَّ قُمْتَ أَوْ قَعَدْتَ

Mentioned by Sb.

سِوًى is used as an adverbial noun, or as a maṣdar adverbially, meaning alike: for an example see the verse cited under سَبْتٌ.

Qur’ān 2:6 approximate — somewhere between 2:1 and 2:17 Lane cites “Kur ii. 5”
Qur’ān 2:6 the verse Lane’s citation points to, and it uses this root
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

As to those who reject Faith, it is the same to them whether thou warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe.Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)

2.5Zeyd and 'Amr are likes—سَوَآءٌ زَيْدٌ وَعَمْرٌو

Also a like; a similar person or thing; and so سِىٌّ, each used as masculine and as feminine, and the former as singular, dual and plural, though it has proper dual and plural forms.

The plural of the former is أَسْوَآءٌ, and also, irregularly, or rather as ism jamʿ, all irregular, سَوَاسِيَةٌ and سَوَاسٍ and سَوَاسِوَةٌ; and أَسْوَآءٌ is also plural of سِىٌّ.

As to سَوَاسِيَةٌ, Akh says that سَوَآءٌ is of the measure فَعَالٌ, and سِيَةٌ may be of the measure فِعَةٌ or فِلَةٌ, the former being the more agreeable with analogy, the و being changed into ى in سِيَةٌ because of the kesreh before it, for it is originally سِوْيَةٌ; and it is from أَسْوَيْتُ الشَّىْءَ, meaning "I neglected the thing": see form 4.

According to Aboo-'Alee, the ى in سَوَاسِيَةٌ is changed from the و in سَوَاسِوَةٌ, in which latter some keep it to show that it is the final radical.

According to Fr, سَوَاسِيَةٌ has no singular, and relates only to equality in evil, as in the saying:

shāhid 1
سَوَاسِيَةٌ كَأَسْنَانِ الحِمَارِ

[Equals like the teeth of the ass].

It requires two or more nouns as its subjects.

That is, ذَوَا سَوَآءٍ, literally: two possessors of likeness are Zeyd and 'Amr, because it is originally a maṣdar.

they two are likes in this affair, or case—هُمَا فِى هٰذَا الأَمْرِ سَوَآءٌ
they two are likes—هُمَا سَوَاآنِ

Also سِيَّانِ.

they are likes—هُمْ سَوَآءٌ

Also أَسْوَآءٌ and سَوَاسِيَةٌ; or, according to Fr, the last means they are equals in evil, not in good.

he is not a person like to you—مَاهُوَ لَكَ بِسِىٍّ

Also مَاهُمْ لَكَ بِأَسْوَآءٍ [they are not persons like to you].

she is not a person like to you—مَاهِىَ لَكَ بِسِىٍّ

Also مَاهُنَّ لَكَ بِأَسْوَآءٍ [they (females) are not persons like to you].

there is not a like to him who did that—لَا سِىَّ لِمَنْ فَعَلَ ذَاكَ
there is not the like of you when you do that—لَا سِيَّكَ إِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَاكَ
there is not the like of such a one—لَا سِيَّةَ فُلَانٍ

In the CK, فُلَانٌ; perhaps the right reading is لَا سِيَّكَ فُلَانٌ, such a one is not the like of you.

سَوَآءٌ and سِيَّانِ should not be used with أَوْ in the place of وَ except by poetic licence; one of the exceptions to this rule is the saying of Aboo-Dhu-eyb:

shāhid 2
وَكَانَ سِيَّانِ أَلَّا يَسْرَحُوا نَعَمًاأَوْ يَسْرَحُوهُ بِهَا وَٱغْبَرَّتِ السُّوحُ

[And they were two like cases, that they should not send forth the cattle to pasture, or send him forth with them, when the tracts were very dusty by reason of drought].

For two other examples of سَوَآء, as well as of its synonym سِىّ, and for لَا سِيَّمَا also, see سِىٌّ.

2.6

See also سِوًى, in six places.

Qur’ānic occurrences سَوَآء 5 shown of 27
26:136
قَالُوا۟ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْنَآ أَوَعَظْتَ أَمْ لَمْ تَكُن مِّنَ ٱلْوَٰعِظِينَ

They said: "It is the same to us whether thou admonish us or be not among (our) admonishers!

28:22
وَلَمَّا تَوَجَّهَ تِلْقَآءَ مَدْيَنَ قَالَ عَسَىٰ رَبِّىٓ أَن يَهْدِيَنِى سَوَآءَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ

Then, when he turned his face towards (the land of) Madyan, he said: "I do hope that my Lord will show me the smooth and straight Path."

36:10
وَسَوَآءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

The same is it to them whether thou admonish them or thou do not admonish them: they will not believe.

37:55
فَٱطَّلَعَ فَرَءَاهُ فِى سَوَآءِ ٱلْجَحِيمِ

He looked down and saw him in the midst of the Fire.

44:47
خُذُوهُ فَٱعْتِلُوهُ إِلَىٰ سَوَآءِ ٱلْجَحِيمِ

(A voice will cry: "Seize ye him and drag him into the midst of the Blazing Fire!

Occurrences of this form in the Qur’ān, not Lane’s choice of verse. They show the word in use; they do not say which sense above applies. Where more occur than are shown, the shortest āyāt are chosen.

Show Lane's original text
[in some copies of the K erroneously written without ء ] in its primary acceptation is an inf. n., [but without a proper verb, used as a simple subst.,] meaning Equality, equability, uniformity, or evenness; syn. اِسْتِوَآءٌ ; (Mughnee;) as also سَوِيَّةٌ : (M, K:) or [rather] it is a subst., (S, and Ksh and Bd in ii. 5,) meaning اِسْتِوَآءٌ , (Ksh and Bd ibid.,) from اِسْتَوَى in the sense of اِعْتَدَلَ ; (S;) and signifies [as above: and] equity, justice, or rectitude; syn. عَدْلٌ ; (S, M, K;) as also سَوِيَّةً ; (M;) and سِوًى and سُوًى , as well as سَوَآءٌ , accord. to Fr, are syn. with نَصَفٌ ; and accord. to him, (TA,) and to Akh, (S, TA,) syn. with عَدْلٌ ; (S, K, TA;) [but app., only syn. with عَدْلٌ and نَصَفٌ not as a subst. but as an epithet, like وَسَطٌ thus used, as will be shown by what follows, although] each said by Er-Rághib to be originally an inf. n. (TA.) One says, هُمَا عَلَى سَوِيَّةً مِنْ هٰذَا الأَمْرِ , meaning سَوَآءٍ [i. e. They two are on an equality, or on a par, in respect of this affair, or case]: (S, TA:) and هُمْ عَلَى سَوِيَّةٍ , meaning [likewise] اِسْتِوَآءٌ [i. e. They are on an equality, or on a par], (M, K,) فِى هٰذَا الأَمْرِ [in this affair, or case]. (M.) And قَسَمْتُ الشَّىْءَ بَيْنَهُمَا بِالسَّوِيَّةِ , (S,) meaning بِالعَدْلِ [i. e. I divided the thing between them two with equity, justice, or rectitude]. (TA.) And it is said in the Kur [viii. 60], فَٱنْبِذْ إِلَيْهِمْ عَلَى سَوَآءٍ , meaning عَدْلٍ [as expl. in art. نبذ , q. v.]. (S, * TA.) [Hence,] لَيْلَةُ السَّوَآءِ The night of the thirteenth [of the lunar month; the first being that on which the new moon is first seen]; (As, S, K, TA;) in which the moon becomes equable or uniform ( يَسْتَوِى ) [in illumination]: (TA:) or the night of the fourteenth. (M, K.) And i. q. وَسَطٌ [as meaning The middle, or midst, of a thing]; (S, M, Mughnee, K;) as also سُوًى and سِوًى . (Lh, M, K.) Hence, سَوَآءُ الشَّىْءِ The middle, or midst, of the thing; (S, M;) as also سُوَاهُ and سِوَاهُ . (Lh, M.) It is said in the Kur [xxxvii. 53,] فَرَآهُ فِى سَوَآءِ ٱلْجَحِيمِ [And he shall see him] in the middle or midst [of the fire of Hell]. (S, * Mughnee, TA.) In like manner also one says سَوَآءُ السَّبِيلِ [The middle of the road]: or, accord. to Fr, it means the right direction of the road or way. (TA.) And one says, اِنْقَطَعَ سَوَائِى , meaning My waist [broke], or my middle. (TA.) And سَوَآءُ النَّهَارِ means The middle of the day. (M, K. [In some copies of the K, مُتَّسَعُهُ is erroneously put for مُنْتَصَفُهُ .]) [Hence, perhaps, as being generally the middle or nearly so,] The summit of a mountain. (M, K.) And An [eminence, or a hill, or the like, such as is termed] أَكَمَة : or a [stony tract such as is termed] حَرَّة : or the head of a حَرَّة . (M.) It is also used as an epithet; (Mughnee;) and signifies Equal, equable, uniform, or even; syn. مُسْتَوٍ ; (M, Mughnee, K;) applied in this sense to a place; (Mughnee;) as also, thus applied, سَوِىٌّ , and سِىٌّ ; (M, K;) or these two signify, thus applied, [like سَوَآءٌ as expl. hereafter,] equidistant in respect of its two extremities. (TA.) And as syn. with مُسْتَوٍ , it is applied [to a fem. noun as well as to a sing., and] to one and more than one, because it is originally an inf. n.; whence the phrase لَيْسُوا سَوَآءً [They are not equal; in the Kur iii. 109]. (Mughnee.) Using it in this sense, one says أَرْضٌ سَوَآءٌ [An even land]: and دَارٌ سَوَآءٌ A house uniform ( مُسْتَوِيَةٌ ) in respect of the [appertenances termed] مَرَافِق : and ثَوْبٌ سَوَآءٌ A garment, or piece of cloth, equal, or uniform, ( مُسْتَوٍ ,) in its breadth and its length and its two lateral edges: but one does not say جَمَلٌ سَوَآءٌ , nor حَمَارٌ سَوَآءٌ , nor رَجُلٌ سَوَآءٌ : (M, TA:) though one says رَجُلٌ سَوَآءُ البَطْنِ A man whose belly is even with the breast: and سَوَآءُ القَدَمِ having no hollow to the sole of his foot. (TA.) One says also رَجُلٌ سَوِىٌّ الخَلْقِ , (S, M,) meaning مُسْتَوٍ [i. e. A man uniform in make, or symmetrical; or full-grown, of full vigour, or mature in body, or in body and intellect: see 8]: (S:) and سَوِىٌّ رَجُلٌ A man equally free from excess and deficiency in his dispositions and his make: (Er-Rághib, TA:) or sound in limbs: (TA voce مِرَّةٌ , q. v.:) and غُلَامٌ سَوِىٌّ A boy, or young man, uniform in make, or symmetrical, ( مُسْتَوِى الخَلْقِ ,) without disease, and without fault, or defect: (Mgh:) and the fem. is سَوِيَّةٌ . (M.) Accord. to Er-Rághib, السَّوِىُّ signifies That which is preserved from excess and deficiency: and hence الصِّرَاطِ السَّوِىِّ [in Kur xx. last verse, as though meaning The road, or way that neither exceeds, nor falls short of, that which is right]; (Er-Rághib, TA;) the right, or direct, road: (Bd, Jel:) and some read السَّوَآءِ , meaning the middle, good, road: and السَّوْءِ (Ksh, Bd) i. e. the evil, or bad, road: (Bd:) and السُّوْءَى [i. e. most evil, or worst; fem. of أَسْوَأُ ; for الصِّرَاطُ is fem. as well as masc.]: (Ksh, Bd:) [and] السُّوَىَ , of the measure فُعْلَى from السَّوَآءُ , [with which it is syn.,] or originally السُّوْءَى [mentioned above]: (K:) and السُّوَىِّ , (Ksh, Bd,) which is dim. of السَّوَآء , (Lth, TA,) [or] as dim. of السَّوْء [in which case it is for السُّوَىْءِ ]. (Ksh, Bd.) [Hence,] it signifies also Complete: (Mughnee:) you say, هٰذَا دِرْهَمٌ سَوَآءٌ (M, Mughnee) This is a complete dirhem; (Mughnee;) using the last word as an epithet: and سَوَآءً also, using it as an inf. n., as though you said اِسْتِوَآءً : and in like manner in the Kur xli. 9, some road سَوَآءً ; and others, سَوَآءٍ . (M.) And Equitable, just, or right; syn. عَدْلٌ : used in this sense in the saying in the Kur [iii. 57], تَعَالَوْا إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَآءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ [Come ye to an equitable, or a just, or right, sentence, or proposition, between us and you]. (Az, TA.) And Equidistant, or midway, ( عَدْلٌ , and وَسَطٌ , S, or نَصَفٌ , Mughnee,) between two parties, (S,) or between two places; (Mughnee;) applied as an epithet to a place; as also سِوًى and سُوًى ; (S, Mughnee;) of which three words the second ( سِوًى ) is the most chaste; (Mughnee;) or the last two signify equal ( مُسْتَوٍ ) in respect of its two extremities; and are used as epithets and as adv. ns.; originally, inf. ns. (Er-Rághib, TA.) مَكَانًا سِوًى and سُوًى , (M, K,) in the Kur xx. 60, accord. to different readings, means A place equidistant, or midway, (Ksh, Bd, Jel,) between us and thee, (Ksh, Bd,) or to the comer from each of the two extremities: (Jel:) or مَكَانٌ سِوًى and سُوًى means مُعْلَمٌ [i. e. a place marked], (so in a copy of the M and in one of the K,) or مَعْلَمٌ , (so in other copies of the K and in the TA,) which is for ذُو مَعْلَمٍ , meaning having a mark, or sign, by which one is guided, or directed, thereto. (MF, TA.) [Also Equal, or alike, in any respect.] One says, مَرَرْتُ بِرَجُلٍ سَوَآءٍ وَالعَدَمُ , (M, Mughnee, K,) and سِوَآءٍ وَالعَدَمُ , (K,) and سِوًى وَالعَدَمُ , and سُوًى وَالعَدَمُ , (M, K,) meaning وُجُودُهُ وَعَدَمُهُ سَوَآءٌ [i. e. I passed by a man whose existence and whose non-existence are equal, or alike, to me, or in my opinion]: (M, K: *) and Sb mentions the phrase, سَوَآءٌ هُوَ وَالعَدَمُ [as meaning His existence and his nonexistence are equal, or alike, to me]. (M.) And سَوَآءٌ عَلَىَّ قُمْتَ أَوْ قَعَدْتَ [It is equal, or alike, to me, that thou stand or that thou sit, or whether thou stand or sit; or that thou stand or that thou sit is equal, or alike, to me: see Kur ii. 5, and the expositions thereof]. (S.) [And سِوًى is used as an adv. n., or as an inf. n. adverbially, meaning Alike: see an ex. in a verse cited voce سَبْتٌ .] Also A like; a similar person or thing; (S, M, K;) and so سِىٌّ : [each used as masc. and fem.; and the former as sing. and dual and pl., though having proper dual and pl. forms:] the pl. of the former is أَسْوَآءٌ , (S, M, K,) and also, (S, * K,) but anomalous, (S,) or [rather] quasi-pl. ns., all anomalous, (M,) سَوَاسِيَةٌ (S, M, K) and سَوَاسٍ and سَوَاسِوَةٌ : (M, K:) and أَسْوَآءٌ is also pl. of سِىٌّ : (TA:) as to سَوَاسِيَةٌ , Akh says, سَوَآءٌ is of the measure فَعَالٌ , and سِيَةٌ may be of the measure فِعَةٌ or فِلَةٌ , the former of which is the more agreeable with analogy, the و being changed into ى in سِيَةٌ because of the kesreh before it, for it is originally سِوْيَةٌ ; and it is from أَسْوَيْتُ الشَّىْءَ meaning “ I neglected the thing: ” [see 4:] (S:) accord. to Aboo-'Alee, the ى in سَوَاسِيَةٌ is changed from the و in سَوَاسِوَةٌ , in which latter some preserve it to show that it is the final radical: (M:) accord. to Fr, سَوَاسِيَةٌ has no sing., and relates only to equality in evil: (T, TA:) so in the saying, 1 [Equals like the teeth of the ass]. (TA.) It requires two [or more nouns for its subjects]: you say, سَوَآءٌ زَيْدٌ وَعَمْرٌو , meaning ذَوَا سَوَآءٍ [i. e., lit., Two possessors of equality, or likeness, are Zeyd and 'Amr], (M, K,) because it is [originally] an inf. n.: (M:) and هُمَا فِى هٰذَا الأَمْرِ سَوَآءٌ [They two are in this affair, or case, likes]: (S:) and هُمَا سَوَاآنِ (S, M, K) and سِيَّانِ i. e. They two are likes: (S, M, Mgh, Msb, K:) and هُمْ سَوَآءٌ and أَسْوَآءٌ and سَوَاسِيَةٌ i. e. They are likes; (S; [the first and last of these three are mentioned in the Mgh as identical in meaning;]) or, accord. to Fr, the last means they are equals in evil, not in good: (T, TA:) and مَاهُوَ لَكَ بِسِىٍّ He is not a person like to thee: and مَاهُمْ لَكَ بِأَسْوَآءٍ [They are not persons like to thee]: (Lh, M:) and مَاهِىَ لَكَ بِسِىٍّ (Lh, M, K *) i. e. She is not a person like to thee: (TA:) and مَاهُنَّ لَكَ بِأَسْوَآءٍ [They (females) are not persons like to thee]: and لَا سِىَّ لِمَنْ فَعَلَ ذَاكَ [There is not a like to him who did that]: and لَا سِيَّكَ إِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَاكَ [There is not the like of thee when thou doest that]: (Lh, M, K:) and لَا سِيَّةَ فُلَانٍ (K) [There is not the like of such a one: in the CK, فُلَانٌ : perhaps the right reading is لَا سِيَّكَ فُلَانٌ Such a one is not the like of thee]. سَوَآءٌ and سِيَّانِ should not be used with أَوْ in the place of وَ except by poetic license: one of the exceptions to this rule is the saying of Aboo-Dhu-eyb, 2 [And they were two like cases that they should not send forth cattle to pasture or send him forth with them when the tracts were very dusty by reason of drought]. (M.) For two other exs. of سَوَآء , [as well as of its syn. سِىّ , and for لَا سِيَّمَا also,] see سِىٌّ . سَوَاسِيَةٌ كَأَسْنَانِ الحِمَارِ وَكَانَ سِيَّانِ أَلَّا يَسْرَحُوا نَعَمًا | أَوْ يَسْرَحُوهُ بِهَا وَٱغْبَرَّتِ السُّوحُ See also سِوًى in six places.
Nounسِوَآءٌ3 senses · 1 main

Core sense — equality; a like, an equalgenerated

1

See سِىٌّ, second sentence, in two places; and سَوَآءٌ also, in the later half of the paragraph.

1.1

And see سِوًى.

1.2figurative · مجاز — inferredthey sent seeking, or demanding, aid, or succour—بَعَثُوا بِالسِّوَآءِ وَاللِّوَآءِ

In the K under the article لوى. I do not find the proper meaning of السِّوَآء in this instance explained.

Show Lane's original text
: see سِىٌّ , second sentence, in two places: and سَوَآءٌ also, in the latter half of the paragraph: and see سِوًى . بَعَثُوا بِالسِّوَآءِ وَاللِّوَآءِ means They sent seeking, or demanding, aid, or succour. (K in art. لوى . [The proper signification of السِّوَآء in this instance I do not find explained.])
Nounسَوِىٌّ1 sense

Core sense — uniform in make, symmetrical; even, straightgenerated

1

See سَوَآءٌ in the earlier half of the paragraph, in six places.

Show Lane's original text
: see سَوَآءٌ , in the former half of the paragraph, in six places.
Nounسُوَىٌّ1 sense

Core sense — equal, even, uniformgenerated

1

See سَوَآءٌ in the middle of the paragraph.

Show Lane's original text
: see سَوَآءٌ , in the middle of the paragraph.
Nounسَوِيَّةٌ3 senses · 1 main

Core sense — a stuffed pad used as a vehicle by female slaves and needy peoplegenerated

1

See سَوَآءٌ in five places.

1.1

Also feminine of سَوِىٌّ.

1.2

And hence, as a substantive: a kind of vehicle of female slaves and of needy people; or a garment of the kind called كِسَآء stuffed with panic grass — so in the S, M, K, and in the L under the article كرب — or with palm-fibres, or the like, resembling the بَرْذَعَة, which is put on the back of the camel, or on the back of the ass and the like, and which is one of the vehicles of female slaves and of needy people.

Also such as is put upon the back of the camel, but in the form of a ring because of the hump, and also called حَوِيَّةٌ. Plural سَوَايَا.

Show Lane's original text
: see سَوَآءٌ , in five places. [Also fem. of سَوِىٌّ . And hence, as a subst.,] A kind of vehicle of female slaves and of necessitous persons: (K:) or a [garment of the kind called] كِسَآء , stuffed with panic grass ( ثُمَام ), (S, M, K, and L in art. كرب ,) or palm-fibres ( لِيف ), (M,) or the like, (S, M, and L ubi suprà,) resembling the بَرْذَعَة [q. v.], (S, and L ubi suprà,) which is put on the back of the camel, (M,) or on the back of the ass &c., (L ubi suprà,) and which is one of the vehicles of female slaves and of necessitous persons: (M:) and likewise such as is put upon the back of the camel, but in the form of a ring because of the hump, and [also] called حَوِيَّةٌ [q. v.]: pl. سَوَايَا . (S.)
Nounسَوَاسٍ1 sense

Core sense — equals, likesgenerated

1

This, and سَوَاسِوَةٌ and سَوَاسِيَةٌ: see سَوَآءٌ in the later half of the paragraph; the last of them in three places.

Show Lane's original text
and سَوَاسِوَةٌ and سَوَاسِيَةٌ : see سَوَآءٌ , in the latter half of the paragraph; the last of them in three places.
Nounسَوَّآءٌ لَوَّآءٌ2 senses · 1 main

Core sense — straight and bending, not staying in one state — said of womengenerated

1

Each is of the measure فَعَّالٌ, irregularly derived from اِسْتَوَى and اِلْتَوَى. A proverb, applied to women, meaning straight and bending, and gathering together and separating; not remaining in one state, or condition. Meyd.

1.1land of which the earth, or dust, is like sand—أَرْضٌ سَوَّآءٌ
Show Lane's original text
, each of the measure فَعَّالٌ , irregularly derived from اِسْتَوَى and اِلْتَوَى ; a prov., applied to women, meaning Straight and bending, and collecting together and separating; not remaining in one state, or condition. (Meyd.) And أَرْضٌ سَوَّآءٌ Land of which the earth, or dust, is like sand. (IAth, TA.)
Nounسَايَةٌ1 sense

Core sense — a speech prepared, or an evil speech framed against someonegenerated

1he prepared for me a speech; or an evil speech, which he framed against me to deceive me—ضَرَبَ لِى سَايَةً

Held by some to be of the measure فَعْلَةُ, from التَّسْوِيَةُ, the maṣdar of سوّى; mentioned by Az on the authority of Fr; but copies of the T have فَعْلَةٌ, from السَّوِيَّةُ.

Mentioned by Az on the authority of Fr. See the same word under the article سوأ.

Show Lane's original text
is [held by some to be] of the measure فَعْلَةُ from التَّسْوِيَةُ [inf. n. of سوّى ]; (K;) mentioned by Az on the authority of Fr; but in copies of the T, فَعْلَةٌ from السَّوِيَّةُ . (TA.) One says, ضَرَبَ لِى سَايَةً , meaning He prepared for me a speech: (K:) or an evil speech, which he framed ( سَوَّاهَا ) against me to deceive me: mentioned by Az on the authority of Fr. (TA.) [See the same word in art. سوأ .]
Nounأَسْوَى1 sense

Core sense — more, or most, even; more, or most, equitablegenerated

1[This place is] the most even [of these places]—هٰذَا المَكَانُ أَسْوَى هٰذِهِ الأَمْكِنَةِ

More, and most, equal, uniform, or even; and more, or most, equitable, and the like.

Show Lane's original text
[More, and most, equal, equable, uniform, or even: and more, or most, equitable, &c.]. One says, هٰذَا المَكَانُ أَسْوَى هٰذِهِ الأَمْكِنَةِ i. e. [This place is] the most even [of these places]. (M.)
Nounتَسْوَآءٌ1 sense

Core sense — an even placegenerated

1

An even place; occurring in a tradition. The ت is augmentative.

Show Lane's original text
An even place; occurring in a trad.: the ت is augmentative. (TA.)
Nounمُسْوٍ1 sense

Core sense — one who is in a good, right stategenerated

1in a good, right state, with respect to our children and our cattle—مُسْوُونَ صَالِحُونَ

Ism fāʿil of form 4.

Said in answer to one who asks, "How have you entered upon the morning?" or "How have you entered upon the evening?"; as khabar of an understood نَحْنُ.

in a good, right state, with respect to our children and our cattle—مُسْتَوِينَ صَالِحِينَ

As khabar of an understood أَصْبَحْنَا or أَمْسَيْنَا; though I think that مُسْتَوِينَ is a mistranscription for مُسْوِينَ.

Show Lane's original text
[act. part. n. of 4]. One says in answer to him who asks, “ How have ye entered upon the morning? ” (S,) or “ How have ye entered upon the evening? ” (M, TA,) مُسْوُونَ صَالِحُونَ [as enunciatives of نَحْنُ understood], (S, M,) or مُسْتَوِينَ صَالِحِينَ [as enunciatives of أَصْبَحْنَا or أَمْسَيْنَا understood, but I think that مُسْتَوِينَ is a mistranscription for مُسْوِينَ ], meaning In a good, right, state, with respect to our children and our cattle. (S, M, TA.)
Nounمُسَاوٍ1 sense

Core sense — equal to, equivalent to, likegenerated

1

See form 3, in three places.

Show Lane's original text
: see 3, in three places.
Nounمُسْتَوٍ1 sense

Core sense — even, level, straight; symmetricalgenerated

1

See سَوَآءٌ in the earlier half of the paragraph, in six places; and see also مُسْوٍ. For هِلَالٌ مُسْتَوٍ, see أَدْفَقُ.

Show Lane's original text
: see سَوَآءٌ , in the former half of the paragraph, in six places: and see also مُسْوٍ . [ هِلَالٌ مُسْتَوٍ : see أَدْفَقُ .]