عليم

Arabic

Root
ع ل م (ʕ-l-m)

Etymology

فَعِيل (faʕīl)-type stative-verb derived from the active participle from the verb عَلِمَ (ʕalima, “to know”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʕa.liːm/
• Rhymes: -iːm

Adjective

عَلِيم • (ʕalīm) (feminine عَلِيمَة (ʕalīma), masculine plural عَلِيمُون (ʕalīmūn) or عُلَمَاء (ʕulamāʔ), feminine plural عَلِيمَات (ʕalīmāt), elative أَعْلَم (ʔaʕlam))

1. having great knowledge, knowing, knowledgeable, learned [+ بِـ (object) = of]
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 7:109:

     قَالَ ٱلْمَلَأُ مِنْ قَوْمِ فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَسَاحِرٌ عَلِيمٌ

     qāla l-malaʔu min qawmi firʕawna ʔinna hāḏā la-sāḥirun ʕalīmun

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 29:62:

     اللَّٰهُ يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ وَيَقْدِرُ لَهُ إِنَّ اللَّٰهَ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ

     allāhu yabsuṭu r-rizqa li-man yašāʔu min ʕibādihi wa-yaqdiru lahu ʔinna llāha bi-kulli šayʔin ʕalīmun

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. omniscient, all-knowing (when used of God)
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 8:53:

     ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَمْ يَكُ مُغَيِّرًا نِعْمَةً أَنْعَمَهَا عَلَى قَوْمٍ حَتَّى يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

     ḏālika bi-ʔanna l-laha lam yaku muḡayyiran niʕmatan ʔanʕamahā ʕalā qawmin ḥattā yuḡayyirū mā bi-ʔanfusihim wa-ʔanna l-laha samīʕun ʕalīmun

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Declension

Declension of adjective عَلِيم (ʕalīm)

Singular	Masculine		Feminine
	basic singular triptote		singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	عَلِيم ʕalīm	الْعَلِيم al-ʕalīm	عَلِيمَة ʕalīma	الْعَلِيمَة al-ʕalīma
Nominative	عَلِيمٌ ʕalīmun	الْعَلِيمُ al-ʕalīmu	عَلِيمَةٌ ʕalīmatun	الْعَلِيمَةُ al-ʕalīmatu
Accusative	عَلِيمًا ʕalīman	الْعَلِيمَ al-ʕalīma	عَلِيمَةً ʕalīmatan	الْعَلِيمَةَ al-ʕalīmata
Genitive	عَلِيمٍ ʕalīmin	الْعَلِيمِ al-ʕalīmi	عَلِيمَةٍ ʕalīmatin	الْعَلِيمَةِ al-ʕalīmati
Dual	Masculine		Feminine
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	عَلِيمَيْن ʕalīmayn	الْعَلِيمَيْن al-ʕalīmayn	عَلِيمَتَيْن ʕalīmatayn	الْعَلِيمَتَيْن al-ʕalīmatayn
Nominative	عَلِيمَانِ ʕalīmāni	الْعَلِيمَانِ al-ʕalīmāni	عَلِيمَتَانِ ʕalīmatāni	الْعَلِيمَتَانِ al-ʕalīmatāni
Accusative	عَلِيمَيْنِ ʕalīmayni	الْعَلِيمَيْنِ al-ʕalīmayni	عَلِيمَتَيْنِ ʕalīmatayni	الْعَلِيمَتَيْنِ al-ʕalīmatayni
Genitive	عَلِيمَيْنِ ʕalīmayni	الْعَلِيمَيْنِ al-ʕalīmayni	عَلِيمَتَيْنِ ʕalīmatayni	الْعَلِيمَتَيْنِ al-ʕalīmatayni
Plural	Masculine		Feminine
	sound masculine plural‎; basic broken plural diptote		sound feminine plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	عَلِيمِين‎; عُلَمَاء ʕalīmīn‎; ʕulamāʔ	الْعَلِيمِين‎; الْعُلَمَاء al-ʕalīmīn‎; al-ʕulamāʔ	عَلِيمَات ʕalīmāt	الْعَلِيمَات al-ʕalīmāt
Nominative	عَلِيمُونَ‎; عُلَمَاءُ ʕalīmūna‎; ʕulamāʔu	الْعَلِيمُونَ‎; الْعُلَمَاءُ al-ʕalīmūna‎; al-ʕulamāʔu	عَلِيمَاتٌ ʕalīmātun	الْعَلِيمَاتُ al-ʕalīmātu
Accusative	عَلِيمِينَ‎; عُلَمَاءَ ʕalīmīna‎; ʕulamāʔa	الْعَلِيمِينَ‎; الْعُلَمَاءَ al-ʕalīmīna‎; al-ʕulamāʔa	عَلِيمَاتٍ ʕalīmātin	الْعَلِيمَاتِ al-ʕalīmāti
Genitive	عَلِيمِينَ‎; عُلَمَاءَ ʕalīmīna‎; ʕulamāʔa	الْعَلِيمِينَ‎; الْعُلَمَاءِ al-ʕalīmīna‎; al-ʕulamāʔi	عَلِيمَاتٍ ʕalīmātin	الْعَلِيمَاتِ al-ʕalīmāti

References

• Wehr, Hans (1979) “عليم”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN