أول

See also: أؤل and اول

Arabic

Etymology 1

Arabic numbers ^(edit)

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Cardinal: وَاحِد (wāḥid)     Ordinal: أَوَّل (ʔawwal)     Multiplier: أُحَادِيّ (ʔuḥādiyy), مُفْرَد (mufrad), مُوَحَّد (muwaḥḥad)     Distributive: أُحَادَ (ʔuḥāda), مَوْحَدَ (mawḥada), فُرَادَى (furādā), فُرَادَ (furāda)

Root
ء و ل (ʔ w l)
10 terms

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔaw.wal/

• Adjective:

  (file)

Adjective

أَوَّل • (ʔawwal) (feminine أُولَى (ʔūlā), masculine plural أَوَّلُون (ʔawwalūn) or أَوَائِل (ʔawāʔil) or أَوَالٍ (ʔawālin), feminine plural أُولَيَات (ʔūlayāt) or أُوَل (ʔuwal))

1. first

   Antonym: آخِر (ʔāḵir)

Declension

Declension of adjective أَوَّل (ʔawwal)

Singular	Masculine		Feminine
	basic singular diptote		singular invariable
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	أَوَّل ʔawwal	الْأَوَّل al-ʔawwal	أُولَى ʔūlā	الْأُولَى al-ʔūlā
Nominative	أَوَّلُ ʔawwalu	الْأَوَّلُ al-ʔawwalu	أُولَى ʔūlā	الْأُولَى al-ʔūlā
Accusative	أَوَّلَ ʔawwala	الْأَوَّلَ al-ʔawwala	أُولَى ʔūlā	الْأُولَى al-ʔūlā
Genitive	أَوَّلَ ʔawwala	الْأَوَّلِ al-ʔawwali	أُولَى ʔūlā	الْأُولَى al-ʔūlā
Dual	Masculine		Feminine
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	أَوَّلَيْن ʔawwalayn	الْأَوَّلَيْن al-ʔawwalayn	أُولَيَيْن ʔūlayayn	الْأُولَيَيْن al-ʔūlayayn
Nominative	أَوَّلَانِ ʔawwalāni	الْأَوَّلَانِ al-ʔawwalāni	أُولَيَانِ ʔūlayāni	الْأُولَيَانِ al-ʔūlayāni
Accusative	أَوَّلَيْنِ ʔawwalayni	الْأَوَّلَيْنِ al-ʔawwalayni	أُولَيَيْنِ ʔūlayayni	الْأُولَيَيْنِ al-ʔūlayayni
Genitive	أَوَّلَيْنِ ʔawwalayni	الْأَوَّلَيْنِ al-ʔawwalayni	أُولَيَيْنِ ʔūlayayni	الْأُولَيَيْنِ al-ʔūlayayni
Plural	Masculine		Feminine
	sound masculine plural‎; basic broken plural diptote‎; broken plural diptote in ـٍ (-in)		sound feminine plural‎; basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	أَوَّلِين‎; أَوَائِل‎; أَوَالِي ʔawwalīn‎; ʔawāʔil‎; ʔawālī	الْأَوَّلِين‎; الْأَوَائِل‎; الْأَوَالِي al-ʔawwalīn‎; al-ʔawāʔil‎; al-ʔawālī	أُولَيَات‎; أُوَل ʔūlayāt‎; ʔuwal	الْأُولَيَات‎; الْأُوَل al-ʔūlayāt‎; al-ʔuwal
Nominative	أَوَّلُونَ‎; أَوَائِلُ‎; أَوَالٍ ʔawwalūna‎; ʔawāʔilu‎; ʔawālin	الْأَوَّلُونَ‎; الْأَوَائِلُ‎; الْأَوَالِي al-ʔawwalūna‎; al-ʔawāʔilu‎; al-ʔawālī	أُولَيَاتٌ‎; أُوَلٌ ʔūlayātun‎; ʔuwalun	الْأُولَيَاتُ‎; الْأُوَلُ al-ʔūlayātu‎; al-ʔuwalu
Accusative	أَوَّلِينَ‎; أَوَائِلَ‎; أَوَالِيَ ʔawwalīna‎; ʔawāʔila‎; ʔawāliya	الْأَوَّلِينَ‎; الْأَوَائِلَ‎; الْأَوَالِيَ al-ʔawwalīna‎; al-ʔawāʔila‎; al-ʔawāliya	أُولَيَاتٍ‎; أُوَلًا ʔūlayātin‎; ʔuwalan	الْأُولَيَاتِ‎; الْأُوَلَ al-ʔūlayāti‎; al-ʔuwala
Genitive	أَوَّلِينَ‎; أَوَائِلَ‎; أَوَالٍ ʔawwalīna‎; ʔawāʔila‎; ʔawālin	الْأَوَّلِينَ‎; الْأَوَائِلِ‎; الْأَوَالِي al-ʔawwalīna‎; al-ʔawāʔili‎; al-ʔawālī	أُولَيَاتٍ‎; أُوَلٍ ʔūlayātin‎; ʔuwalin	الْأُولَيَاتِ‎; الْأُوَلِ al-ʔūlayāti‎; al-ʔuwali

Noun

أَوَّل • (ʔawwal) m (plural أَوَائِل (ʔawāʔil) or أَوَالٍ (ʔawālin))

1. first part, beginning

   قَرَأْتُ أَوَّلَ الْكِتَابِ.

   qaraʔtu ʔawwala l-kitābi.

   I read the beginning of the book.

   مَا لَهُ أَوَّلٌ وَلَا آخِرٌ.

   mā lahu ʔawwalun walā ʔāḵirun.

   It has neither a beginning nor an end.

Declension

Declension of noun أَوَّل (ʔawwal)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	أَوَّل ʔawwal	الْأَوَّل al-ʔawwal	أَوَّل ʔawwal
Nominative	أَوَّلٌ ʔawwalun	الْأَوَّلُ al-ʔawwalu	أَوَّلُ ʔawwalu
Accusative	أَوَّلًا ʔawwalan	الْأَوَّلَ al-ʔawwala	أَوَّلَ ʔawwala
Genitive	أَوَّلٍ ʔawwalin	الْأَوَّلِ al-ʔawwali	أَوَّلِ ʔawwali
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	أَوَّلَيْن ʔawwalayn	الْأَوَّلَيْن al-ʔawwalayn	أَوَّلَيْ ʔawwalay
Nominative	أَوَّلَانِ ʔawwalāni	الْأَوَّلَانِ al-ʔawwalāni	أَوَّلَا ʔawwalā
Accusative	أَوَّلَيْنِ ʔawwalayni	الْأَوَّلَيْنِ al-ʔawwalayni	أَوَّلَيْ ʔawwalay
Genitive	أَوَّلَيْنِ ʔawwalayni	الْأَوَّلَيْنِ al-ʔawwalayni	أَوَّلَيْ ʔawwalay
Plural	basic broken plural diptote‎; broken plural diptote in ـٍ (-in)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	أَوَائِل‎; أَوَالِي ʔawāʔil‎; ʔawālī	الْأَوَائِل‎; الْأَوَالِي al-ʔawāʔil‎; al-ʔawālī	أَوَائِل‎; أَوَالِي ʔawāʔil‎; ʔawālī
Nominative	أَوَائِلُ‎; أَوَالٍ ʔawāʔilu‎; ʔawālin	الْأَوَائِلُ‎; الْأَوَالِي al-ʔawāʔilu‎; al-ʔawālī	أَوَائِلُ‎; أَوَالِي ʔawāʔilu‎; ʔawālī
Accusative	أَوَائِلَ‎; أَوَالِيَ ʔawāʔila‎; ʔawāliya	الْأَوَائِلَ‎; الْأَوَالِيَ al-ʔawāʔila‎; al-ʔawāliya	أَوَائِلَ‎; أَوَالِيَ ʔawāʔila‎; ʔawāliya
Genitive	أَوَائِلَ‎; أَوَالٍ ʔawāʔila‎; ʔawālin	الْأَوَائِلِ‎; الْأَوَالِي al-ʔawāʔili‎; al-ʔawālī	أَوَائِلِ‎; أَوَالِي ʔawāʔili‎; ʔawālī

Derived terms

• أَسَاطِير الْأَوَّلِينَ (ʔasāṭīr al-ʔawwalīna)

Descendants

• Egyptian Arabic: أول (ʔawwil)
• Gulf Arabic: اول (awwal)
• → Azerbaijani: əvvəl
• → Domari: awwal
• → Malay: awal
  • → Ternate: awal
• → Classical Persian: اَوَّل (awwal)
  • Dari: اَوَّل (awwal)
  • Iranian Persian: اَوَّل (avval)
  • Tajik: аввал (avval)
  • → Bengali: আউয়াল (aual)
  • → Hindustani:

    Hindi: अव्वल (avval)

    Urdu: اَوَّل (avval)

  • → Khalaj: əvvəl
• → Rohingya: áwal
• → Turkish: evvel
  • → Armenian: ավալ (aval)
• → Uyghur: ئاۋۋال (awwal)
• → Uzbek: avval
• → Kazakh: әуелгі (äuelgı)

References

• Ibrahim Al-Shamsan (2024 August 23) “يجيء أوَّل مصروفًا وغير مصروف”, in Al-Jazirah‎^[1], retrieved 2024-08-23

Etymology 2

From Proto-Semitic *ʔil-, otherwise أَيْل (ʔayl), إِيل (ʔīl), إِلّ (ʔill), the most important god in the paganic pantheon—equivalent to the Sun, after which in the Western world the Sunday is named, in others. Origin from “first” above is unlikely since all other pagan weekday names are named after planets and thus indirectly gods and the other Semitic languages there employ *ʔaḥad-, which would have been retained. Lastly the Banu Bakr and Taghlib tribes actually worshiped a deity called أَوَال (ʔawāl) or أُوَال (ʔuwāl).

Proper noun

أَوْل or أَوَّل • (ʔawl or ʔawwal) m

1. (obsolete) Sunday

Declension

Declension of noun أَوْل (ʔawl)‎; أَوَّل (ʔawwal)

Singular	basic singular diptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	—	أَوْل‎; أَوَّل ʔawl‎; ʔawwal	—
Nominative	—	أَوْلُ‎; أَوَّلُ ʔawlu‎; ʔawwalu	—
Accusative	—	أَوْلَ‎; أَوَّلَ ʔawla‎; ʔawwala	—
Genitive	—	أَوْلَ‎; أَوَّلَ ʔawla‎; ʔawwala	—

See also

• (Pre-Islamic days of the week) أَيَّامُ الْأُسْبُوع السَّابِقَة لِلْإِسْلَام (ʔayyāmu al-ʔusbūʕ as-sābiqa lilʔislām); أَوْل (ʔawl) ~ أَوَّل (ʔawwal), أَهْوَن (ʔahwan) ~ أَوْهَد (ʔawhad) ~ أَهْوَد (ʔahwad), جُبَار (jubār), دُبَار (dubār), مُؤْنِس (muʔnis), عَرُوبَة (ʕarūba), شِيَار (šiyār) ^{(Category: ar:Days of the week)}

References

• Fischer, August (1896) “Die altarabischen Namen der sieben Wochentage”, in Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft‎^[2] (in German), volume 50, page 224
• Hommel, Fritz (1893) Süd-Arabische Chrestomathie. Minäo-sabäische Grammatik. – Bibliographie. – Minäische Inschriften nebst Glossar‎^[3] (in German), München: G. Franz’sche Hofbuchhandlung, page 57
• Rotter, Gernot (1993) “Der dies veneris im vorislamischen Mekka, eine neue Deutung des Namens „Europa“ und eine Erklärung für kobar = Venus”, in Der Islam‎^[4] (in German), volume 70, number 1, →DOI, pages 116–118
• Wellhausen, Julius (1897) Reste arabischen Heidentumes‎^[5] (in German), Berlin: Georg Reimer, page 64
• Yāqūt al-Ḥamawīy (a. 1229) Ferdinand Wüstenfeld, editor, كتاب معجم البلدان [kitāb muʿjam al-buldān]‎^[6] (in Arabic), volume 1, Leipzig: F.A. Brockhaus, published 1866, page 395

Etymology 3

Root
ء و ل (ʔ w l)
10 terms

Causative to آلَ (ʔāla, “to return”), semantically like German zurückführen, and parallelling Arabic عَبَّرَ (ʕabbara, “to get across”).

Verb

أَوَّلَ • (ʔawwala) II (non-past يُؤَوِّلُ (yuʔawwilu), verbal noun تَأْوِيل (taʔwīl))

1. (obsolete) to lead back; to bid to return
2. to interpret, to explain

   Synonym: تَأَوَّلَ (taʔawwala)

Conjugation

    Conjugation of أَوَّلَ (II, sound, full passive, verbal noun تَأْوِيل)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						تَأْوِيل taʔwīl
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						مُؤَوِّل muʔawwil
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول						مُؤَوَّل muʔawwal
active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	أَوَّلْتُ ʔawwaltu	أَوَّلْتَ ʔawwalta	أَوَّلَ ʔawwala		أَوَّلْتُمَا ʔawwaltumā	أَوَّلَا ʔawwalā		أَوَّلْنَا ʔawwalnā	أَوَّلْتُمْ ʔawwaltum	أَوَّلُوا ʔawwalū
	f		أَوَّلْتِ ʔawwalti	أَوَّلَتْ ʔawwalat			أَوَّلَتَا ʔawwalatā			أَوَّلْتُنَّ ʔawwaltunna	أَوَّلْنَ ʔawwalna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُؤَوِّلُ ʔuʔawwilu	تُؤَوِّلُ tuʔawwilu	يُؤَوِّلُ yuʔawwilu		تُؤَوِّلَانِ tuʔawwilāni	يُؤَوِّلَانِ yuʔawwilāni		نُؤَوِّلُ nuʔawwilu	تُؤَوِّلُونَ tuʔawwilūna	يُؤَوِّلُونَ yuʔawwilūna
	f		تُؤَوِّلِينَ tuʔawwilīna	تُؤَوِّلُ tuʔawwilu			تُؤَوِّلَانِ tuʔawwilāni			تُؤَوِّلْنَ tuʔawwilna	يُؤَوِّلْنَ yuʔawwilna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُؤَوِّلَ ʔuʔawwila	تُؤَوِّلَ tuʔawwila	يُؤَوِّلَ yuʔawwila		تُؤَوِّلَا tuʔawwilā	يُؤَوِّلَا yuʔawwilā		نُؤَوِّلَ nuʔawwila	تُؤَوِّلُوا tuʔawwilū	يُؤَوِّلُوا yuʔawwilū
	f		تُؤَوِّلِي tuʔawwilī	تُؤَوِّلَ tuʔawwila			تُؤَوِّلَا tuʔawwilā			تُؤَوِّلْنَ tuʔawwilna	يُؤَوِّلْنَ yuʔawwilna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُؤَوِّلْ ʔuʔawwil	تُؤَوِّلْ tuʔawwil	يُؤَوِّلْ yuʔawwil		تُؤَوِّلَا tuʔawwilā	يُؤَوِّلَا yuʔawwilā		نُؤَوِّلْ nuʔawwil	تُؤَوِّلُوا tuʔawwilū	يُؤَوِّلُوا yuʔawwilū
	f		تُؤَوِّلِي tuʔawwilī	تُؤَوِّلْ tuʔawwil			تُؤَوِّلَا tuʔawwilā			تُؤَوِّلْنَ tuʔawwilna	يُؤَوِّلْنَ yuʔawwilna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		أَوِّلْ ʔawwil			أَوِّلَا ʔawwilā				أَوِّلُوا ʔawwilū
	f		أَوِّلِي ʔawwilī							أَوِّلْنَ ʔawwilna
passive voice الْفِعْل الْمَجْهُول
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	أُوِّلْتُ ʔuwwiltu	أُوِّلْتَ ʔuwwilta	أُوِّلَ ʔuwwila		أُوِّلْتُمَا ʔuwwiltumā	أُوِّلَا ʔuwwilā		أُوِّلْنَا ʔuwwilnā	أُوِّلْتُمْ ʔuwwiltum	أُوِّلُوا ʔuwwilū
	f		أُوِّلْتِ ʔuwwilti	أُوِّلَتْ ʔuwwilat			أُوِّلَتَا ʔuwwilatā			أُوِّلْتُنَّ ʔuwwiltunna	أُوِّلْنَ ʔuwwilna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُؤَوَّلُ ʔuʔawwalu	تُؤَوَّلُ tuʔawwalu	يُؤَوَّلُ yuʔawwalu		تُؤَوَّلَانِ tuʔawwalāni	يُؤَوَّلَانِ yuʔawwalāni		نُؤَوَّلُ nuʔawwalu	تُؤَوَّلُونَ tuʔawwalūna	يُؤَوَّلُونَ yuʔawwalūna
	f		تُؤَوَّلِينَ tuʔawwalīna	تُؤَوَّلُ tuʔawwalu			تُؤَوَّلَانِ tuʔawwalāni			تُؤَوَّلْنَ tuʔawwalna	يُؤَوَّلْنَ yuʔawwalna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُؤَوَّلَ ʔuʔawwala	تُؤَوَّلَ tuʔawwala	يُؤَوَّلَ yuʔawwala		تُؤَوَّلَا tuʔawwalā	يُؤَوَّلَا yuʔawwalā		نُؤَوَّلَ nuʔawwala	تُؤَوَّلُوا tuʔawwalū	يُؤَوَّلُوا yuʔawwalū
	f		تُؤَوَّلِي tuʔawwalī	تُؤَوَّلَ tuʔawwala			تُؤَوَّلَا tuʔawwalā			تُؤَوَّلْنَ tuʔawwalna	يُؤَوَّلْنَ yuʔawwalna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُؤَوَّلْ ʔuʔawwal	تُؤَوَّلْ tuʔawwal	يُؤَوَّلْ yuʔawwal		تُؤَوَّلَا tuʔawwalā	يُؤَوَّلَا yuʔawwalā		نُؤَوَّلْ nuʔawwal	تُؤَوَّلُوا tuʔawwalū	يُؤَوَّلُوا yuʔawwalū
	f		تُؤَوَّلِي tuʔawwalī	تُؤَوَّلْ tuʔawwal			تُؤَوَّلَا tuʔawwalā			تُؤَوَّلْنَ tuʔawwalna	يُؤَوَّلْنَ yuʔawwalna

Etymology 4

Verb

أُولَ • (ʔūla) (form I) /ʔuː.la/

1. first-person singular non-past passive jussive of وَلِيَ (waliya)

Etymology 5

Verb

أول (form IV)

1. أُولِ (ʔūli) /ʔuː.li/: first-person singular non-past active jussive of أَوْلَى (ʔawlā)
2. أُولَ (ʔūla) /ʔuː.la/: first-person singular non-past passive jussive of أَوْلَى (ʔawlā)
3. أَوْلِ (ʔawli) /ʔaw.li/: second-person masculine singular imperative of أَوْلَى (ʔawlā)

Egyptian Arabic

Egyptian Arabic numbers ^(edit)

		10
		1	2  →	10  →
Cardinal: واحد     Ordinal: أول

Alternative forms

• اول

Etymology

From Arabic أَوَّل (ʔawwal).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔæˈwːɪl/

Adjective

أول • (ʔawwil) (feminine أولى (ʔūla), masculine plural أوائل (ʔawāʔil))

1. first

   Synonym: أولانى

Hijazi Arabic

Root
ء و ل
1 term

Hijazi Arabic numbers ^(edit)

		10
		١ 1	2  →	10  →
Cardinal: واحد     Ordinal: أول

Etymology

From Arabic أَوَّل (ʔawwal).

Adjective

أول • (ʔawwal) (feminine أولى (ʔūla))

1. first

   Antonym: آخِر (ʔāḵir)

Moroccan Arabic

Moroccan Arabic numbers ^(edit)

		10
		1	2  → [a], [b], [c]	10  →
Cardinal: واحد     Ordinal: أول

Etymology

From Arabic أَوَّل (ʔawwal).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔaw.wal/

Adjective

أول • (ʔawwal) (feminine أولى (ʔūla) or أولة (ʔawwla), common plural أوائل (ʔawāʔil), masculine plural أولين (ʔawwlīn), feminine plural أولات (ʔawwlāt))

1. first

South Levantine Arabic

Root
ء و ل
3 terms

South Levantine Arabic numbers ^(edit)

		10
		١ 1	2  →	10  →
Cardinal: واحد     Ordinal: أول

Etymology

From Arabic أَوَّل (ʔawwal).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔaw.wal/, [ˈʔaw.wal]

• Audio (Ramallah):

  (file)

Adjective

أول • (ʔawwal) (feminine أولى (ʔūla), common plural أوائل (ʔawāʔel) or أولى (ʔuwala))

1. first

   Antonym: آخر (ʔāḵer)

   كيف كان أوّل يوم مدرسة؟

   kīf kān ʔawwal yōm madrase

   How was the first day of school?

2. (+ ما) as soon as

Usage notes

• Ordinal numbers can function either as regular adjectives, following the noun (المرّة الأولى (il-marra l-ʔūla, “the first time”)), or as elative adjectives, initiating a definite phrase (أوّل مرّة (ʔawwal marra, “the first time”)); the latter is more versatile and is far more common.

Derived terms

• أوّلا (ʔawwalan, “firstly, first of all”)

Noun

أول • (ʔawwal) m

1. beginning, start

   Synonym: بداية (bidāye)

   Antonyms: آخر (ʔāḵer), نهاية (nihāye)