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ليت

Form 1 · Form 4  ·  4 entries  ·  Qur'ānic frequency 1

Form 1لَاتَهُ12 senses · 1 main
maṣdarلَيْتٌmuḍāriʿيَليِتُ يَلُوتُ يَلِيتُ

Core sense — he withheld him from his purpose; he diminished his due, or defrauded himgenerated

1.1he withheld him, restrained him, and turned him from his course or purposeلَاتَةُ

.

Muḍāriʿ يَلُوتُ or لَاتَهُ عَنْ وَجْهِهِ; also أَلَاتَهُ, and أَلَتَهُ, under the article أَلت.

The Rájiz says:

shāhid
وَلَيْلَةٍ ذَاتِ دُجًا سَرَيْتُوَلَمْ يَلِتْنِى عَنْ سُرَاهَا لَيْتُ

[During many a dark night (or many a rainy, or wet, night, according to the reading ذات نَدًى) have I journeyed;] and no hindrance hindered me from journeying during it. Or the meaning is:

1.1.1

And no averting thing averted me, and so on — لَيْتُ being put for لَائِتُ.

Or: nothing made me repent and say لَيْتَنِى مَا سَرَيْتُهَا Would that I had not journeyed during it!

Or, according to the T: no deficiency and no weakness averted me, and so on.

1.1.2he diminished his due to him, or defrauded him of part of itلَاتَهُ حَقَّهُ

maṣdar لَيْتٌ and أَلَاتَهُ, the former being the more approved. Also أَلَاتَهُ and أَلِتهُ.

He will not diminish for you, nor defraud you of, anything [of the reward] of your worksلَايَلِتْكُمْ مِنْ أَعْمَالِكُمْ شَيْئًا

In the Qur'ān 49:14.

1.1.3he did not diminish anything of his dueمَا أَلَانَهُ شَيْئًا

Also مَا أَلَتَهُ and مَا أَلتَهُ.

In مَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَىْءٍ in the Qur'ān 52:21 the verb may be from أَلَتَ or from أَلَاتَ.

1.1.4I passed the night putting the thought of death away from my mindبِتُّ أُلِيتُ الحَقَّ

In a verse of 'Orweh Ibn-El-Ward, meaning أُحِيلُهُ and أُصْرِفُهُ. The poet had just mentioned the death of some of his camels.

1.1.5Praise be to God, whom nothing escapes, and to whom voices are not confused one with anotherالحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِى لَا يُفَاتُ وَلَا يَلَاتُ وَلَا تَشْتَبِهُ عَلَيْهِ الأَصْوَاتُ

Literally, who will not be escaped; see the Qur'ān 34:50, and form 1 in the article فوت.

one to whom no one can diminish [anything that is his due], and whom prayer cannot be hindered from reachingلا يلات

It is from أَلَاتَ, a variant dialect form of لَاتَ, muḍāriʿ يلِيتُ, in the sense of نَقَصَ.

So according to IAar. Or, according to Khálid Ibn Jembeh: one over whom nothing that anyone says has any power (explained by لا يأخد فيه قول قائل), that is, one who obeys no one.

Qur’ān 34:51 approximate — somewhere between 34:49 and 34:54 Lane cites “Kur xxxiv. 50”
1.1.6he concealed a thing that he knew and told something different from itلَاتَ شَيْاً

. See the article لوث.

1.1.7he told him the news obscurely, or concealed it from himلَاتَهُ

. So according to As, and the like is said in the L.

But according to some the verb is لَاتَهُ, for which see the article لوت. See also the article لوت.

1.1.8when it, or the time, was not a time of flightوَلَاتَ حِينَ مَنَاصٍ

Occurring in the Qur'ān 38:2, where this is the general opinion; in other cases the meaning is: and it, or the time, is, or was, not a time of flight.

لات is here likened to لَيْسَ, and the name of the agent is understood. So says Akh according to J; but this is Sb's opinion, as noted in the margin of some copies.

Or لات is originally لا, with ت added, as in ثُمَّتَ [in the CK, ثَمَّت] and رُبَّتَ. El-Muärrij.

1.1.9

There are four opinions about the proper meaning and origin of لات.

First, that it is a single word, a verb in the past tense. Some say it is originally لَاتَ in the sense of نَقَصَ, afterwards used as a negative, like قَلَّ; so says Aboo-Dharr El-Khushanee in his commentary on the Book of Sb. Others say it is originally لَيِسَ, its س being changed into ت and then the ى into ا, because it has a vowel and is preceded by fet-ḥah; so says Abu-r-Rabeea.

Second, that it is two words: the negative لا with the feminine ت added to make the word feminine, as IHsh and Er-Radee say, or to make the negation stronger, as is said in the commentary on the Katr by its author. This is the general opinion.

Third, that it is an independent word, not originally ليس nor لا, as related by the sheykh Aboo-Ishák Esh-Shátibee alone.

Fourth, that it is a word and part of a word, namely the negative لا and ت prefixed to حين; this opinion is ascribed to A'Obeyd and Ibn-El-Taráweh. A'Obeyd argues for it from the fact that ت is found so prefixed in 'Othmán's copy of the Qur'ān; but this is no proof, because the writing of that copy contains things at variance with analogy.

تَحِينَ does however occur without لات in this verse of Aboo-Wejzeh:

shāhid
العَاطِفُونَ تَحِينَ مَا مِنْ عَاطِفٍوَالمُطْعِمُونَ زَمَانَ أَيْنَ المُطْعِمُ

[The persons who act affectionately in the time when there is none other that acts affectionately; and the feeders in the time when it is said, Where is the feeder?]

The general opinion is supported by these facts: لات is pronounced in a case of pause لَاتْ and لَاهْ; it is written separately from حين; and it is sometimes written لَاتِ with kesreh to the ت, as Z mentions, in agreement with the basic rule about the meeting of two sākin letters [when followed by a conjunctive ا], whereas if it were a verb in the past tense there would be no reason for writing it with kesreh. It is also written لَاتُ with dammeh to the ت, and both these variations occur in readings of the Qur'ān; but لَاتَ with fet-ḥah to the ت is the most common.

1.1.10

There are also four opinions about its grammatical government.

First, that it has no government. If a noun in the nominative follows it, that noun is a mubtadaʾ whose khabar is left out; if a noun in the accusative follows, it is the object of a verb left out. This is Akh's opinion. So the meaning of لات حين مناص is, in the first case, لاحِينُ مَنَاصٍ كَائِنٌ لَهُمْ [A place of flight not existing for them; which does not imply that there was none for others, since لا here has the force of a particular, not a general, negation], and in the second case لَا أَرَى حِينَ مَنَاصٍ [I do not see a time of flight].

Second, that it governs in the same way as إِنَّ; this is another opinion of Akh and the Koofees.

Third, that it is a particle governing the genitive; an opinion ascribed to Fr by Er-Radee, IHsh and others.

Fourth, that it governs like لَيْسَ, which is the general opinion; but IHsh restricts it by two conditions: the two nouns it governs must signify time, and one of them must be left out. [It is generally the subject, rarely the predicate, that is left out.]

1.1.11And she conceived a longing desire; but it was not a time for her to conceive oneوَحَنَّتْ وَلَاتَ هَنَّتْ وَأَنَّى لَكِ مَقْرُوعٌ

لات [when it has grammatical government] does not occur without حين [or, as many say, some word of the same meaning, such as وَقْت and the like]. So says Akh according to J; but this is Sb's assertion, since Sb holds it to have the same government as ليس, whereas Akh assigns it no government.

But حين is said to be sometimes left out, in poetry or in prose, though still meant to be understood, as in this saying of Mázin Ibn-Málik about 'Abd-Shems, surnamed Makrooa, son of Saad son of Zeyd-Menáh son of Temeem, and about Heyjumáneh, daughter of El-'Ambar son of 'Amr son of Temeem, who was in love with Makrooa.

And how, Heyjumáneh, should Makrooa be yours? See Freytag, Arab. Prov. i. 343 and ii. 525. This, however, is said to be not poetry but an example from prose.

It is also observed that لات, in this instance, has no government, and that no word signifying time is meant to be understood after it, so that the meaning is: And she conceived a longing desire, but it was as though she did not conceive such a desire. For when لات has government, the subject and the predicate cannot both be left out.

Qur’ānic occurrences Form 1
49:14
قَالَتِ ٱلْأَعْرَابُ ءَامَنَّا ۖ قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُوا۟ وَلَـٰكِن قُولُوٓا۟ أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ ٱلْإِيمَـٰنُ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ ۖ وَإِن تُطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ لَا يَلِتْكُم مِّنْ أَعْمَـٰلِكُمْ شَيْـًٔا ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

The desert Arabs say, "We believe." Say, "Ye have no faith; but ye (only) say, 'We have submitted our wills to Allah,' For not yet has Faith entered your hearts. But if ye obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not belittle aught of your deeds: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

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. يَليِتُ , (inf. n. لَيْتٌ , S,) as also لَاتَةُ , aor. يَلُوتُ ; or لَاتَهُ عَنْ وَجْهِهِ ; as also أَلَاتَهُ ; (and أَلَتَهُ ; S, K, art. أَلت ;) He withheld him, or restrained him, and turned him, or averted him, from his course, purpose, or object. (S, K.) The Rájiz says, 1 [During many a dark night (or many a rainy, or wet, night, accord. to the reading in the TA, namely ذات نَدًى ) have I journeyed;] and no hindrance hindered me from journeying during it: (S:) or the meaning is وَلَيْلَةٍ ذَاتِ دُجًا سَرَيْتُ | وَلَمْ يَلِتْنِى عَنْ سُرَاهَا لَيْتُ and no averting thing averted me, &c.; لَيْتُ being put for لَائِتُ : or, nothing made me to repent, and say, لَيْتَنِى مَا سَرَيْتُهَا Would that I had not journeyed during it! or, no deficiency, nor any impotence, averted me, &c., accord. to the T. (TA.) لَاتَهُ حَقَّهُ , aor. يَلِيتُ , inf. n. لَيْتٌ ; and أَلَاتَهُ ; but the former is the more approved; as also أَلَاتَهُ and أَلِتهُ ; He diminished unto him his due, or right: [or defrauded him of part thereof.]. (TA.) It is said in the Kur, [xlix. 14,] لَايَلِتْكُمْ مِنْ أَعْمَالِكُمْ شَيْئًا He will not diminish unto you, nor defraud you of, aught [of the reward] of your works. (Fr, Zj.) مَا أَلَانَهُ شَيْئًا ; as also مَا أَلَتَهُ (and مَا أَلتَهُ ; TA;) He did not diminish unto him aught. (Fr, S, K.) In مَا أَلَتْنَاهُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِهِمْ مِنْ شَىْءٍ , in the Kur, [lii. 21, q. v. in art. ألت .] the verb may be from أَلَتَ or from أَلَاتَ . (TA.) بِتُّ أُلِيتُ الحَقَّ in a verse of 'Orweh Ibn-El-Ward, signifies أُحِيلُهُ and أُصْرِفُهُ [I passed the night putting away (from my mind the thought of) death: the poet having just before mentioned the death of certain of his camels]. (Sh, L.) In the following saying, الحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذِى لَا يُفَاتُ وَلَا يَلَاتُ وَلَا تَشْتَبِهُ عَلَيْهِ الأَصْوَاتُ [Praise be to God, whom nothing will escape, (lit., who will not be escaped, see Kur xxxiv. 50, and 1 in art. فوت ,) and —, and to whom voices will not be confused, or undistinguishable, one from another!], لا يلات is from أَلَاتَ , a dial. var. of لَاتَ , aor. يلِيتُ , in the sense of نَقَصَ , and signifies unto whom one cannot diminish [aught that is his due], and whom prayer cannot be hindered from reaching: so accord. to IAar: or, accord. to Khálid Ibn Jembeh, upon whom nothing that any one saith can have any power; (expl. by لا يأخد فيه قول قائل ;) i. e., who obeyeth no one. (L.) لَاتَ شَيْاً , aor. يَلِيتُ , He concealed a thing that he knew, and told, or narrated, something different from it. (TA, art. لوث , q. v.) لَاتَهُ , aor. يَلِيتُ , inf. n. لَيْتٌ , He expressed to him the news, or information, obscurely, or enigmatically, or obscured it to him, or concealed it from him: so accord. to As, and the like is said in the L: but accord. to some, the verb is لَاتَهُ , aor. يَلُوتُ , q. v., in art. لوت . (TA, art. لوت ) وَلَاتَ حِينَ مَنَاصٍ , occurring in the Kur, [xxxviii. 2,] (S,) [there meaning, accord. to the general opinion, When (it, or the time,) was not a time of flight: in other cases, and (it, or the time,) is, or was, not a time of flight]. لات is here likened to لَيْسَ ; and the name of the agent is understood. (S, K.) So says Akh, accord. to J; but this is the opinion of Sb: so in the margin of some copies of the S. (TA.) Or لات is originally لا ; and the ت is added, as in ثُمَّتَ [in the CK, ثَمَّت ,] (El-Muärrij, S, K,) and رُبَّتَ . (El-Muärrij, S.) With respect to the proper meaning and etymology of لات there are four opinions. First, that it is a single word, a verb in the pret. tense: and some say, that it is originally لَاتَ in the sense of نَقَصَ , and afterwards used as a negative, like قَلَّ : so says Aboo-Dharr El-Khushanee, in his Expos. of the Book of Sb: others, that it is originally لَيِسَ ; that its س is changed into ت , and then the ى into ا , because it is movent and preceded by fet-hah: so says Abu-r-Rabeea. Second, that it is two words, the negative لا , with the fem. ت , added to make the word fem., as say IHsh and Er-Radee, or to render the negation more intensive, as is said in the Expos. of the Katr by the author of the latter work: and this is the general opinion. Third, that it is an independent word, not originally ليس nor لا ; as related by the sheykh Aboo-Is- hák Esh-Shátibee alone. Fourth, that it is a word and a part of a word, namely the negative لا , and ت prefixed to حين ; which opinion is ascribed to A'Obeyd [as is mentioned in the S] and Ibn-El-Taráweh: the former of whom argues in favour of this opinion from the fact that ت is found so prefixed in Othmán's copy of the Kur-án; but this is no proof, because there are found in the writing of that copy things at variance with analogy. (TA.) تَحِينَ [however] occurs, without لات , in the following verse of Aboo-Wejzeh: 1 [The persons who act affectionately in the time when there is none (other) that acts affectionately; and the feeders in the time when (it is said) Where is the feeder?] (S.) The general opinion is favoured by the following facts: that لات is pronounced in a case of pause لَاتْ and لَاهْ : that it is written separately from حين : and that it is sometimes written لَاتِ , with kesreh to the ت , as is mentioned by Z, agreeably with the fundamental rule with respect to the concurrence of two quiescent letters [when followed by a conjunctive ا ]; whereas, were it a verb in the pret. tense, there would be no reason for its being written with kesreh: it is also written لَاتُ , with dammeh to the ت : and both these variations occur in readings of the Kur-án: but لَاتَ , with fet-hah to the ت , is the most common. (TA.) العَاطِفُونَ تَحِينَ مَا مِنْ عَاطِفٍ | وَالمُطْعِمُونَ زَمَانَ أَيْنَ المُطْعِمُ With respect to its government there are also four opinions. First, that it has no government: that if a noun in the nom. case follow it, it is put in that case as an inchoative of which [as is mentioned in the S] the enunciative is suppressed; and that if a noun in the acc. case follow it, it is put in that case as an objective complement of a verb suppressed; which is the opinion of Akh; the meaning of لات حين مناص being, in the former case, لاحِينُ مَنَاصٍ كَائِنٌ لَهُمْ [A place of flight not existing for them; which does not imply that there was none for others; as لا here has the force of a particular, not a general, negation]; and in the latter case, the meaning being, لَا أَرَى حِينَ مَنَاصٍ [I see not a time of flight]. Second, that it governs in the same manner as إِنَّ ; which is another opinion of Akh and the Koofees. Third, that it is a particle governing the gen. case; an opinion ascribed to Fr by Er-Radee and IHsh and others. Fourth, that it governs like لَيْسَ ; and this is the general opinion; but IHsh restricts it by two conditions; that the two nouns which it governs must be significant of time, and that one of them must be suppressed. (TA.) [It is generally the subject, rarely the predicate, that is suppressed.] لات [when it has grammatical government] does not occur without حين [or, as many say, some word syn. therewith, as وَقْت , &c.]. (S, K.) So says Akh, accord. to J; but this is the assertion of Sb; because the latter holds it to have the same government as ليس ; whereas Akh assigns to it no government [as explained above]. (IB.) But [it is said that] حين is sometimes suppressed, (in poetry, S, [or in prose,]) though meant to be understood; as in the following saying of Mázin Ibn-Málik, [respecting 'Abd-Shems, surnamed Makrooa, the son of Saad the son of Zeyd-Menáh the son of Temeem, and respecting Heyjumáneh the daughter of El-'Ambar the son of 'Amr the son of Temeem, (S, art. قرع ,) who was enamoured of Makrooa,] وَحَنَّتْ وَلَاتَ هَنَّتْ وَأَنَّى لَكِ مَقْرُوعٌ [And she conceived a longing desire; but it was not a time for her conceiving such a desire. And how (O Heyjumáneh) should Makrooa be thine? See Freytag, Arab. Prov. i. 343 and ii. 525.] (S, K.) This, however, is said to be not poetry but a prose-example. (TA.) Moreover, it is observed, that لات , in this instance, has no government, and that a word signifying time is not meant to be understood after it: [so that the meaning is, And she conceived a longing desire, but it was as though she did not conceive such a desire:] (MF.) for when لات has government, the subject and predicate cannot both be suppressed. (AHei, MF.)
Form 4أَلْيَتَ1 sense

Core sense — he withheld him; he diminished his due to himgenerated

4.1

See form 1.

Show Lane's original text
see 1.

Derived nouns 2

Nounلَيْتَ3 senses · 1 main

Core sense — would that —, expressing a wish, usually for something impossiblegenerated

1Would that Zeyd were goingلَيْتَ زَيْدًا ذَاهِبٌ

A word expressing a wish: Would that —; I wish that —. It generally relates to something impossible, and rarely to something possible.

It puts the subject in the accusative and the predicate in the nominative, like كَأَنَّ (or rather إِنَّ) and the words of its class, because it resembles verbs in the force of its letters [being of at least three letters, the last with fet-ḥah], in taking most of the pronouns as affixes, and in its meaning.

Would that I had done such and such a thingلَيْتَنِى فَعَلْتُ كَذَا وَكَذَا

You say لَيْتِى as well as لَيْتَنِى, like لَعَلِّى, لَعَلَّنِى, إِنِّى and إِنَّنِى; but ليتنى is more common than ليتى, whereas لعلّنى is less common than لعلّى.

O, would that —يَا لَيْتَ

As to the poet's saying:

shāhid
يَا لَيْتَ أَيَّامَ الصِّبَا رَوَاجِعَا

meaning لَنَا رَوَاجِعَ [O, would that the days of youth were returning to us!]رواجع is put in the accusative there as a word describing state, or it is in the accusative governed by an understood verb, such as أَقْبَلَتْ or عَادَتْ or another verb suiting the meaning; so says Sb.

Or ليت in that verse may be used in the manner of وَجَدْتُ; for ليت is sometimes used in the manner of وَجَدْتُ [I found] in government, though not in meaning, as the grammarians relate on the authority of certain of the Arabs, so that it takes two objects and is used as verbs are.

Would that Zeyd were going awayلَيْتَ زَيْدًا شَاخِصًا

This is done to give intensiveness; for this purpose one says لَيْتَ زَيْدًا قَائِمًا (Would that Zeyd were standing), putting both the subject and the predicate in the accusative.

1.1

For لَيْتَمَا, see De Sacy's Grammaire Arabe ii. 63.

1.2

For an example of ليت used as a noun, see سَوْفَ.

Show Lane's original text
a word denoting a wish [signifying Would that —; I wish that —;] (S, K;) generally relating to a thing that is impossible; rarely to a thing that is possible: (IHsh, K:) governing the subject in the acc. case, and the predicate in the nom. case, (S, K,) like كَأَنَّ (or [rather] إِنَّ , MF) and its coordinates, because it resembles verbs in their force as words, [being composed of at least three letters, and the last being meftoohah,] and in their admitting most of the pronouns as affixes, and in their meanings. (S.) Ex. لَيْتَ زَيْدًا ذَاهِبٌ [Would that Zeyd were going;] (S;) and لَيْتَنِى فَعَلْتُ كَذَا وَكَذَا [Would that I had done so and so.] (TA.) You say لَيْتِى as well as لَيْتَنِى , (S, K,) like لَعَلِّى and لَعَلَّنِى , and إِنِّى and إِنَّنِى : (S:) but ليتنى is more common than ليتى ; whereas لعلّنى is less common than لعلّى . (TA.) You also say يَا لَيْتَ O, would that —;.] As to the saying of the poet, 1 meaning لَنَا رَوَاجِعَ , [O, would that the days of youth were returning (to us)!] رواجع is put in the acc. case therein as a word descriptive of state: (S:) or it is governed in the acc. case by a verb understood, as أَقْبَلَتْ , or عَادَتْ , or some other verb suitable to the meaning: so says Sb: (TA:) or ليت in the above verse may be used in the manner of وَجَدْتُ , [see below], (S,) for ليت is sometimes used in the manner of وَجَدْتُ [I found], (Fr, S, K,) in government, not in meaning, (MF,) as related by the grammarians on the authority of certain of the Arabs, so that it is doubly transitive, and used in the manner of verbs: (S:) you say, لَيْتَ زَيْدًا شَاخِصًا [Would that Zeyd were going away, &c.]: (S, K:) this is done to give intensiveness: one says, for this purpose, لَيْتَ زَيْدًا قَائِمًا (Would that Zeyd were standing) putting both the subject and the predicate in the acc. case. (Msb.) يَا لَيْتَ أَيَّامَ الصِّبَا رَوَاجِعَا لَيْتَمَا : see De Sacy's Gr. Ar. ii. 63. See also an ex. of ليت as a subst. voce سَوْفَ .
Nounلِيتٌ2 senses · 1 main

Core sense — the side of the neck, where the earrings hang downgenerated

1the lower parts of the two sides of the neck, where the earrings hang downليتَانِ

The side of the neck.

These lie behind the two projections of the jaw-bones that are beneath the ear. Or the parts of the neck below the earrings; or the places where the cupping-instrument is applied, المَحْجَمَتَانِ.

Plural أَلْيَاتٌ and ليتة [but whether the latter is لِيتَةٌ or لِيَتَةٌ is not shown].

1.1he inclined the side of his neckأَصْغَى لِيتًا
Show Lane's original text
The side of the neck: (S, K:) or the ليتَانِ are the lower parts of the two sides of the neck, upon which the earrings hang down, behind the two projections of the jaw-bones that are beneath the ear: or the parts of the neck beneath the earrings: or the places upon which the cuppinginstrument is applied; المَحْجَمَتَانِ : pl. أَلْيَاتٌ and ليتة [but whether the latter be لِيتَةٌ or لِيَتَةٌ is not shown]. (TA.) أَصْغَى لِيتًا He inclined the side of his neck. (TA, from a trad.)