1
A conjunction, to which the later authors have ascribed meanings amounting to twelve.
A particle which, when it occurs in a khabar phrase, [generally] denotes doubt and vagueness of meaning; and when it occurs in an imperative or a prohibitive phrase, [generally] denotes the giving of option, or choice, and the allowing of a thing, or making it allowable.
1.1I saw Zeyd or ʿAmr—رَأَيْتُ زَيْدًا أَوْ عَمْرًا
A man or a woman came to me—جَآنِى رَجُلٌ أَوِ ٱمْرَأَةٌ
We have remained a day or part of a day—لَبِئْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ
In the Kur 18:18 and 23:115.
on this sense First: it denotes doubt.
Qur’ān 18:20 approximate — somewhere between 18:1 and 18:42 Lane cites “Kur xviii. 18”
Qur’ān 18:20 the verse Lane’s citation points to, and it uses this word
إِنَّهُمْ إِن يَظْهَرُوا۟ عَلَيْكُمْ يَرْجُمُوكُمْ أَوْ يُعِيدُوكُمْ فِى مِلَّتِهِمْ وَلَن تُفْلِحُوٓا۟ إِذًا أَبَدًا"For if they should come upon you, they would stone you or force you to return to their cult, and in that case ye would never attain prosperity."Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)
1.2And truly we or you are following a right direction or in manifest error—وَأَنَّا أَوْ إِيَّاكُمْ لَعَلَى هُدًي أَوْ فِى ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ
Secondly: it denotes vagueness of meaning.
It may also be used in the first of the examples given above.
In the Kur 34:23; the instance being in the former او.
1.3Eat the fish, or drink the milk—كُلِ السَّمَكَ أَوِ ٱشْرَبِ اللَّبَنَ
That is, do not do both of these actions; choose whichever of them you wish.
Take Hind or her sister as wife—تَزَوَّجْ هِنْدًا أَوْ أُخْتَهَا
I will take Hind or her sister as wife, whichever of them I choose—سَأَتَزَوَّجُ هِنْدًا أَوْ أُخْتَهَا
[And in the same way it denotes the making of a choice.]
on this sense Thirdly: it denotes the giving of option, or choice.
1.4Sit with El-Ḥasan or Ibn-Seereen—جَالِسِ حَسَنَ أَوِ ٱبْنَ سِيرِينَ
Stand or sit—قُمْ أَوِ ٱقْعُدْ
And do not obey, among them, a sinner or a person very ungrateful to God—وَلَا تُطِعْ مِنْهُمْ آثِمًا أَو كَفُورًا
Fourthly: it denotes the allowing of a thing, or making it allowable.
The person to whom this is said may do one of these actions or both. [And similar examples are given in the Mughnee.]
In the Kur 76:24; but here it means that you shall not obey either of such persons.
In that case او is more forcible than وَ: for when you say to someone لَا تُطِعْ زَيْدًا وَعَمْرًا [Do not obey Zeyd and ʿAmr], he may obey one of them, since the command is that he shall not obey the two.
Lane cites “Kur lxxvi. 24” — Flügel numbering, not yet mapped
1.5And if any one of you comes from the privy—أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ مِنَ الغَائِطِ
Fifthly: it denotes unrestricted conjunction.
In the Kur 4:46 and 5:9; here, however, it may also be rendered "or", though the meaning is وَجَآءَ, the و in this explanation being what is termed a denotative of state.
And they exceeded that number—أَوْ يَزِيدُونَ
So too, according to AZ, in the Kur 37:147; but see below.
And our doing, in respect of our possessions, what we will—أَوْ أَنْ نَفْعَلَ فِى أَمْوَالِنَا مَا نَشَآءُ
In the Kur 11:89.
1.6Zeyd did not stand: nay, rather ʿAmr did not stand—مَا قَامَ زَيْدٌ أَوْ مَا قَامَ عَمْرٌو
Sixthly: it denotes transition, used in the sense of [the adversative particle] بَلْ in a case of amplification of speech.
Let not Zeyd stand: nay, rather let not ʿAmr stand—لَا يَقْمٌ زَيدٌ أَوْ لَا يَقُمْ عَمْرُو
Nay, rather they exceeded that number—أَوْ يَزِيدُونَ
According to Sb, on two conditions: that it be preceded by a negation or a prohibition, and that the agent be mentioned a second time.
According to Fr, it has this meaning in the Kur 37:147, cited above.
Or the meaning is: or they would exceed that number in your estimation.
Or these words, with those preceding them in the same verse, mean: we sent him to a multitude of whom, if you saw them, you would say, "They are a hundred thousand," or "they exceed that number"; so that it denotes doubt on the part of men, not of God, for He is not subject to doubt.
Or: we sent him to a hundred thousand in the estimation of men, or they exceeded that number in the estimation of men; for God does not doubt.
Or, according to IB, او is here used to denote vagueness of meaning.
Or, it is said, it denotes that a person might choose between saying "they are a hundred thousand" and saying "they are more"; but this may not be when one of the two things is the fact.
Or, according to some of the Koofees, it has the meaning of وَ.
Each of these meanings, except the last, has been assigned to او as occurring in the Kur 2:69 and 16:79.
Lane cites “Kur ii. 69” — Flügel numbering, not yet mapped
1.7The word is a noun or a verb or a particle—الكَلِمَةُ ٱسْمٌ أَوْ فِعْلٌ أَوْ حَرْفٌ
Seventhly: it denotes division.
So said Ibn-Mālik; or, as he afterwards said, in preference, it denotes separation stripped of the attribute of denoting doubt, vagueness of meaning, and the giving of option or choice.
And they said, "Be Jews" or "Christians"—وَقَالُوا كُونُوا هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى
In the Kur 2:129; he adduces it as one of his examples of this meaning, because the use of و in division is better, as when you say الكَلِمَةُ ٱسْمٌ وَفِعْلٌ وَحَرْفٌ.
Or it denotes, according to some, distinction; and the meaning here, they say, is: the Jews said, "Be Jews," and the Christians said, "Be Christians."
I used to eat flesh-meat or honey—كُنْتُ آكُلُ اللَّحْمَ أَوِ العَسَلَ
It is [said to be] used in this last sense here; that is, I used to eat flesh-meat one time and honey another time. So also in the Kur 7:3 and 10:13.
Lane cites “Kur ii. 129” — Flügel numbering, not yet mapped
Lane cites “Kur vii. 3” — Flügel numbering, not yet mapped
1.8I will certainly slay him, or he shall become a Muslim—لَأَقْتُلَنَّهُ أَوْ يُسْلِمَ
Eighthly: it is used in the sense of the exceptive إِلَّا or إِلَّا أَنْ; and in this case the muḍāriʿ after it is manṣūb, because of أَنْ left out.
That is, unless he become a Muslim.
So too in the saying: [And I used, when I pinched and pressed the spear of a people, to break its knots, or joints, or its internodal portions, (the shaft being a cane,) or, that is, unless, it became straight]
shāhidوَكُنْتُ إِذَا غَمَزْتُ قَنَاةَ قَوْمٍكَسَرْتُ كُعُوبَهَا أَوْ تَسْتَقِيمَا
A proverb, whose author is Ziyād El-Aajam; meaning: when a people behaved with hardness to me, I tried to soften them; so it is explained under the article غمز.
Sb related it thus, the verb ending it being made manṣūb by او, and he heard it so from some of the Arabs; but in the original verses, which are only three, it is تَسْتَقِيمُ, with rafʿ, according to IB, under the article غمز.
And similar to these are the sayings: إنَّهُ لِفُلَانٍ أَوْمَا بِنَجْدٍ قَرظَهُ [It certainly belongs to such a one, or there is not, that is, unless there be not, in Nejd, a قَرَظَة ]; and لَآتِيَنَّكَ أَوْ مَا بِنَجْدٍ قَرَظَةٌ [I will certainly come to you, or there is not, that is, unless there be not, in Nejd, a قَرَظَة ], meaning: I will certainly come to you, in truth.
1.9I will certainly beat him until he repents—لَأَضْرِبَنَّهُ أَوْ يَتُوبَ
Ninthly: it is used in the sense of إِلَى or إِلَى أَنْ, in which case also the muḍāriʿ after it is manṣūb, because of أَنْ left out; and in the sense of حَتَّى [which also means the same as إِتَى ].
And so in the saying of the poet: [I will certainly deem easy what is difficult until I attain the objects of wish; for hopes do not become easy of accomplishment except to one who is patient]
shāhidلَأَسْتَسْهِلَنَّ الصَّعْبَ أَوْ أُدْرِكَ المُنَىفَمَا ٱنْقَادَتِ الآمَالُ إِلَّا لِصَابِرِ
And similar examples of او, as explained by حَتَّي, are also given.
1.10I do not know whether he saluted or bade farewell—مَا أَدْرِى أَسَلَّمَ أَوْ وَدَّعَ
Tenthly: some say it denotes nearness [of one event or thing to another].
This, however, is clearly wrong: او is here used to denote doubt, and the denoting of nearness is only inferred from the fact that the saluting is confused in the mind with the bidding of farewell, since this is impossible or improbable when the two times are far apart.
1.11I will certainly beat him if he lives (after the beating) or if he dies—لَأَضْرِبَنَّهُ عَاشَ أَوْ مَاتَ
Eleventhly: it occurs as a conditional, according to Ks alone; or rather as a conjunctive and conditional, وَإِنْ being meant to be understood in its place.
Though in truth the verb that precedes it shows that the conditional particle [ إِنْ ] is meant to be understood before that verb, and او keeps its proper character, but forms part of what has a conditional meaning because it is joined to a preceding conditional phrase.
That is, إِنْ عَاِض بَعْدَ الضَّرْبِ وَ إِنْ مَاتَ; so says Ibn-Esh-Shejeree.
1.12And they said, "Be, some of you, Jews, and, some of you, Christians"—وَقَالُوا كُونُوا هُودًا أَو نَصَارَى
Twelfthly: according to Ibn-Esh-Shejeree, on the authority of some of the Koofees, it denotes division into parts, or portions.
In the Kur 2:129, cited before.
But IHsh says: it appears to me that the meaning here is that of التَّفْصِيل, mentioned before.
Lane cites “Kur ii. 129” — Flügel numbering, not yet mapped
1.13
[In the K it is said to occur also in the sense of أَنْ, but this is clearly a mistake, apparently originating in one of the two principal sources of the K, namely the M, where the same is said, but is exemplified by a phrase in which it is explained by إِلَّا أَنْ, the eighth of the meanings of أَوْ mentioned above.]
1.14
See also أَوٌّ below.
Show Lane's original text
a conjunction, (M, Mughnee, K,) to which the later authors have ascribed meanings amounting to twelve: (Mughnee:) a particle which, when occurring in an enunciative phrase, [generally] denotes doubt, and vagueness of meaning; and when occurring in an imperative or a prohibitive phrase, [generally] denotes the giving of option, or choice, and the allowing a thing, or making it allowable. (S.) First, (Mughnee,) it denotes doubt. (T, S, M, Msb, Mughnee, K.) So in the saying, رَأَيْتُ زَيْدًا أَوْ عَمْرًا [I saw Zeyd or 'Amr]. (T, * S, Msb.) And جَآنِى رَجُلٌ أَوِ ٱمْرَأَةٌ [A man or a woman came to me]. (Mbr, T.) And لَبِئْنَا يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ [in the Kur xviii. 18 and xxiii. 115, We have remained a day or part of a day]. (Mughnee.) Secondly, (Mughnee,) it denotes vagueness of meaning. (S, Msb, Mughnee, K.) S [it may be used] in the first of the .exs. given above. (Msb.) And so in the saying, وَأَنَّا أَوْ إِيَّاكُمْ لَعَلَى هُدًي أَوْ فِى ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ [And verily we or ye are following a right direction or in manifest error], (S, Mughnee,) in the Kur [xxxiv. 23]; (S;) the ex. being in the former او . (Mughnee.) Thirdly, (Mughnee,) it denotes the giving of option, or choice. (T, S, M, Mughnee, K.) So in the saying, كُلِ السَّمَكَ أَوِ ٱشْرَبِ اللَّبَنَ [Eat thou the fish, or drink thou the milk]; i. e. do not thou both of these actions; (Mbr, T, S;) but choose which of them thou wilt. (Mbr, T.) And تَزَوَّجْ هِنْدًا أَوْ أُخْتَهَا [Take thou as wife Hind or her sister]. (Mughnee.) And [in like manner] it denotes the making choice. (T.) [So when you say, سَأَتَزَوَّجُ هِنْدًا أَوْ أُخْتَهَا , meaning I will take as wife Hind or her sister; whichever of them I choose.] Fourthly, (Mughnee,) it denotes the allowing a thing, or making it allowable. (T, S, Msb, Mughnee, K.) So in the saying, جَالِسِ حَسَنَ أَوِ ٱبْنَ سِيرِينَ [Sit thou with El- Hasan or Ibn-Seereen]. (Mbr, T, S.) And قُمْ أَوِ ٱقْعُدْ [Stand thou or sit]: and the person to whom this is said may do [one or] both of the se actions. (Msb.) [And similar exs. are given in the Mughnee.]) But وَلَا تُطِعْ مِنْهُمْ آثِمًا أَو كَفُورًا [in the Kur lxxvi. 24, And obey not thou, of them, a sinner or a person very ungrateful to God,] means that thou shalt not obey either of such persons: (Mbr, T, Mughnee:) in which case او is more forcible than وَ ; for when you say to a person, لَا تُطِعْ زَيْدًا وَعَمْرًا [Obey not thou Zeyd and 'Amr], he may obey one of them, since the command is that he shall not obey the two. (Zj, T.) Fifthly, (Mughnee,) it denotes unrestricted conjunction. (Mughnee, K.) So in the saying, in the Kur [iv. 46 and v. 9], أَوْ جَآءَ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ مِنَ الغَائِطِ [And if any one of you cometh from the privy]; (TA;) [where, however, it may also be rendered or, though] meaning وَجَآءَ ; (T, TA;) the و in this explanation being what is termed a denotative of state. (T.) So, too, accord. to AZ, in the expression أَوْ يَزِيدُونَ [And they exceeded that number], in the Kur [xxxvii. 147]: but see below. (TA.) And so in the words, أَوْ أَنْ نَفْعَلَ فِى أَمْوَالِنَا مَا نَشَآءُ [And our doing, in respect of our possessions, what we will], in the Kur [xi. 89]. (T, TA.) Sixthly, it denotes transition, (Mughnee,) used in the sense of [the adversative particle] بَلْ , (T, S, M, Mughnee, K,) in a case of amplification of speech; (S;) accord. to Sb, on two conditions; that it shall be preceded by a negation or a prohibition, and that the agent shall be mentioned a second time; as in مَا قَامَ زَيْدٌ أَوْ مَا قَامَ عَمْرٌو [Zeyd did not stand: nay, rather 'Amr did not stand]; and لَا يَقْمٌ زَيدٌ أَوْ لَا يَقُمْ عَمْرُو [Let not Zeyd stand: nay, rather let not 'Amr stand]. (Mughnee.) Accord. to Fr, (Th, M, Mughnee,) it has this meaning in أَوْ يَزِيدُونَ [Nay, rather they exceeded that number], (Th, S, M, Mughnee,) in the Kur [xxxvii. 147, cited above]: (S:) or the meaning is, or they would exceed [that number] in your estimation: or these words with those preceding them in the same verse mean, we sent him to a multitude of whom, if ye saw them, ye would say, They are a hundred thousand, or they exceed [that number]; (M, Mughnee; *) so that it denotes doubt on the part of men, not of God, for He is not subject to doubt: (M:) or we sent him to a hundred thousand in the estimation of men, or they exceeded [that number] in the estimation of men; for God does not doubt: (S:) or او is here used to denote vagueness of meaning: (IB, Mughnee:) or, it is said, to denote that a person might choose between saying, “they are a hundred thousand,“ and saying, “they are more;“ but this may not be when one of the two things is the fact: or, accord. to some of the Koofees, it has the meaning of وَ : and each of these meanings, except the last, has been assigned to او as occurring in the Kur ii. 69 and xvi. 79. (Mughnee.) Seventhly, it denotes division; (Mughnee, K; *) as in the saying, الكَلِمَةُ ٱسْمٌ أَوْ فِعْلٌ أَوْ حَرْفٌ [The word is a noun or a verb or a particle]: so said Ibn-Málik: or, as he afterwards said, in preference, it denotes separation ( التَّفرِيق ) divested of the attribute of denoting doubt and vagueness of meaning and the giving of option or choice; adducing as one of his exs. of this meaning the saying, وَقَالُوا كُونُوا هُودًا أَوْ نَصَارَى [in the Kur ii. 129, And they said, “Be ye Jews” or “Christians”]; because the use of و in division is better; as when you say, الكَلِمَةُ ٱسْمٌ وَفِعْلٌ وَحَرْفٌ : or it denotes, accord. to some, distinction ( التَّفْصِيل ); and the meaning of the ex. last cited, say they, is, and the Jews said, “Be ye Jews,” and the Christians said, “Be ye Christians.” (Mughnee.) It is [said to be] used in this last sense (that of التفضيل ) in the saying, كُنْتُ آكُلُ اللَّحْمَ أَوِ العَسَلَ [I used to eat flesh-meat or honey]; i. e. I used to eat flesh-meat one time and honey another time: and so in the Kur vii. 3 and x. 13. Eighthly, (Mughnee,) it is used in the sense of the exceptive إِلَّا , (Mughnee, K,) or إِلَّا أَنْ (M;) and in this case the aor. after it is mansoob, because of أَنْ suppressed. (Mughnee, K.) So in the saying, لَأَقْتُلَنَّهُ أَوْ يُسْلِمَ [I will assuredly slay him or he shall become a Muslim; i. e., unless he become a Muslim]. (Mughnee. [And a similar ex. is given in the M.]) So, too, in the saying, 1 [And I used, when I pinched and pressed the spear of a people, to break its knots, or joints, or its internodal portions, (the shaft being a cane,) or, i. e. unless, it became straight]: (Mughnee, K: *) a prov., of which the author is Ziyád ElAajam; meaning, when a people behaved with hardness to me, I endeavoured to soften them: (TA in art. غمز :) thus related by Sb, the verb ending it being rendered mansoob by او ; and thus he heard it from some one or more of the Arabs; but in the original verses, which are but three, it is تَسْتَقِيمُ , with refa. (IB and TA in art. غمز .) [And similar to these above are the sayings,] إنَّهُ لِفُلَانٍ أَوْمَا بِنَجْدٍ قَرظَهُ [Verily it belongs to such a one or there is not, i. e. unless there be not, in Nejd, a قَرَظَة (see art. قرظ )]: and لَآتِيَنَّكَ أَوْ مَا بِنَجْدٍ قَرَظَةٌ [I will assuredly come to thee or there is not, i. e. unless there be not, in Nejd, a قَرَظَة ]; meaning I will assuredly come to thee, in truth. (T.) وَكُنْتُ إِذَا غَمَزْتُ قَنَاةَ قَوْمٍ | كَسَرْتُ كُعُوبَهَا أَوْ تَسْتَقِيمَا Ninthly, (Mughnee,) it is used in the sense of إِلَى , (Mughnee, K,) or إِلَى أَنْ ; (S;) in which case also the aor. after it is mansoob, because of أَنْ suppressed: (Mughnee:) and in the sense of حَتَّى [which is also syn. with إِتَى ]. (Fr, T, M, K.) So in the saying, لَأَضْرِبَنَّهُ أَوْ يَتُوبَ [I will assuredly beat him until he repent]. (S. [And similar exs. of او as explained by حَتَّي are given in the T (from Fr) and in the M and in the Mughnee.]) And so in the saying of the poet, 1 [I will assuredly deem easy what is difficult until I attain the objects of wish; for hopes become not easy of accomplishment save to one who is patient]. (Mughnee.) لَأَسْتَسْهِلَنَّ الصَّعْبَ أَوْ أُدْرِكَ المُنَى | فَمَا ٱنْقَادَتِ الآمَالُ إِلَّا لِصَابِرِ Tenthly, some say, (Mughnee,) it denotes nearness [of one event or thing to another]; as in the saying, مَا أَدْرِى أَسَلَّمَ أَوْ وَدَّعَ [I know not whether he saluted or bade farewell]: (Mughnee, K: [but in the CK this ex. is misplaced:]) this, however, is manifestly wrong; او being here used to denote doubt, and the denoting of nearness being only inferred from the fact of the saluting being confounded in the mind with the bidding farewell, since this is impossible or improbable when the two times are far apart. (Mughnee.) Eleventhly, (Mughnee,) it occurs as a conditional, (T, Mughnee, K,) accord. to Ks alone; (T;) or rather as a conjunctive and conditional; وَإِنْ being meant to be understood in its place; though in truth the verb that precedes it indicates that the conditional particle [ إِنْ ] is meant to be understood [before that verb], and او retains its proper character, but forms part of that which has a conditional meaning because conjoined with a preceding conditional phrase. (Mughnee.) So in the saying, لَأَضْرِبَنَّهُ عَاشَ أَوْ مَاتَ , (Mughnee, K,) i. e., إِنْ عَاِض بَعْدَ الضَّرْبِ وَ إِنْ مَاتَ [I will assuredly beat him if he live (after the beating) or if he die]: so says Ibn-Esh-Shejeree. (Mughnee.) Twelfthly, accord. to Ibn-Esh-Shejeree, on the authority of some one or more of the Koofees, (Mughnee,) it denotes division into parts, or portions; as in the saying [in the Kur ii. 129, before cited,] وَقَالُوا كُونُوا هُودًا أَو نَصَارَى , (Mughnee, K,) i. e. And they said, “Be ye, some of you, Jews, and, some of you, Christians:” (TA:) but [IHsh says,] it appears to me that the meaning here is that of التَّفْصِيل mentioned before. (Mughnee.) [In the K it is said to occur also in the sense of أَنْ : but this is evidently a mistake, app. originating in one of the two principal sources of the K, namely, the M, in which the same is said, but is exemplified by a phrase in which it is explained by إِلَّا أَنْ , the eighth of the meanings of أَوْ mentioned above.] See also أَوٌّ below.