مَصْدَرٌ

Full Definition

مَصْدَرٌ A place of returning or going back, or of going, or turning, away [from water, and from a country or place, and from an affair or thing].
2 [Hence, مَصْدَرُ أَمْرٍ The way of return from, or of completing, a thing or an affair: opposed to مَوْرِدُهُ.] One says, هُوَ يَعْرِفُ مَوَارِدَ الأُمُورِ وَمَصَادِرَهَا [He knows the ways of betaking himself to things or affairs, and the ways of withdrawing himself from them; or of commencing them and of completing them]. [See also another ex. in art. رحب, conj. 6.]
3 And hence [also], the مَصَادِر [pl. of مَصْدَر] of verbs: مَصْدَرٌ signifies The root of a word, from which proceed the derivatives of verbs: [in this sense it is a conventional term of grammar and lexicology, not belonging to the classical language; but on account of the importance of understanding its true application in lexicology, it is necessary to give here a full explanation of it: it is, agreeably with its etymology, the source of derivation, accord. to the grammarians of ElBasrah; and is what I term an infinitive noun: it is defined as] a noun signifying, by its original application, an accident as subsisting in, or proceeding from, an agent (as الفَرَحُ [“ the being joyful ”], الضَّرْبُ [“ the act of beating ”], and القُعُودُ [“ the act of sitting ”]), or affecting an object of action, (as الجُنُونُ [“ the being possessed by a jinnee ”]), conformable to its verb, so as to comprise all the letters in that verb, either literally or virtually (as in القِتَالُ [“ the act of fighting ”], which wants the ا that is before the ت in the verb, yet wants it as to the letter only, and not virtually, wherefore it is sometimes pronounced as if with the said letter, as in قَاتَلَ قِيتَالًا, but the ا is changed into ى on account of the kesr of the letter before it), or substituting another letter for any of those letters that it wants (as in العِدَةُ [“ the act of promising ”], which wants the و that is in its verb as to the letter and virtually, but has ة substituted for it [by way of compensation]): (from a comparison of definitions &c. in the Expos. of the “ Kitab Hodood en-Nahw ” by the author of the work thus entitled, arts. مصدر and اسم مصدر; the Expos. of the “ Shudhoor edh-Dhahab ” by the author of the work thus entitled, section on the nouns that govern as verbs; I' Ak; &c.:) but the grammarians of El-Koofeh hold that the verb is the root, and that the مصدر is derived from it: some مصادر, moreover, are derived from real substantives, as التَّحَجُّرُ [“ the becoming stone ”] from الحَجَرُ [“ stone ”]. The مصدر has the same government as its own verb: it is often, and may be at pleasure, used as an ideal subst. or abstract noun: and it is often employed in the place of an act. or a pass. part. n.: [when thus used as an epithet, it is employed alike as sing. and pl. and masc. and fem.:] accord. to Zj, every مصدر used as an epithet is for ذُو [or ذَات &c.] followed by the مصدر, and therefore it has no dual nor pl. [nor fem.] form. (TA voce حَرَضٌ.) [It has also other uses, which are expl. in the grammars. Used as a مَصْدَر, it is sometimes made fem.; as it is also when used in the sense of a noun that is properly fem.: see صَرْفٌ, third sentence.]
4 اِسْمُ مَصْدَرٍ, called by some اِسْمٌ لِلْمَصْدَرِ, is a term applied to [ A quasi-infinitive noun; i. e.] a noun which is not a مصدر, but which is occasionally used in the place of a مصدر; like as a مصدر is used in the place of an act. part. n., and in that of a pass. part. n.: such as الوُضُوْءُ for التَّوَضُّؤُ [“ the performing of the ablution preparatory to prayer ”], and الغُسْلُ for الاِغْتِسَالُ [“ the washing of oneself ”]; each of which wants somewhat that is in its verb without substituting anything for that which is wanting. This kind of noun the grammarians of El-Koofeh and Baghdád allow to govern as a مصدر; but the grammarians of ElBasrah hold that the noun governed in the accus. case in each of the exs. adduced by the former as confirmatory of their opinion is so governed by a verb understood. It is also applied to A proper name signifying an accident [or attribute]; as فَجَارِ and حَمَادِ, proper names, by original application, for الفَجْرَةُ and المَحْمَدَةُ [“ vice ” and “ praise ”] and the like: and this kind does not govern as a مصدر. It is also applied to [what is more properly termed اِسْمٌ لِلْمَعْنَى الحَاصِلِ بِالمَصْدَرِ, by some termed simply حَاصِلٌ بِالمَصْدَرِ, i. e. An ideal substantive, or abstract noun;] a noun applied to signify an accident [or attribute] considered abstractedly [such as صَدَرٌ signifying “ return; ” and this kind is commonly termed in the lexicons simply an اِسْم as distinguished from a مصدر]. Some apply it also to what is [properly] termed مَصْدَرٌ مِيمِىٌّ [i. e. A مصدر commencing with an augmentative م], if not of the measure مُفَاعَلَةٌ: but such is really a مَصْدَر. And some of the grammarians [and of the lexicographers likewise] apply it to A noun that signifies the instrument [or means] with [or by] which the action signified by a مصدر is performed: as الأُكْلُ [“ food, ” as being “ that by means of which the act of eating (الأَكْلُ) is performed ”].
5 See also صَدْرٌ, last sentence but two.

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