دل

Arabic

Root
د ل ل (d-l-l)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dal.la/

Verb

دَلَّ • (dalla) I, non-past يَدُلُّ‎ (yadullu)

1. to show, to indicate, to direct
2. [+ على] to be evidence of, to be proof of, to attest to, to demonstrate, to establish, to substantiate
3. [+ على] to denote, to designate, to signify, to suggest

Conjugation

Conjugation of

دَلَّ

(form-I geminate, verbal noun دَلَالَة)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						دَلَالَة dalāla
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						دَالّ dāll
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول						مَدْلُول madlūl
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	دَلَلْتُ dalaltu	دَلَلْتَ dalalta	دَلَّ dalla		دَلَلْتُمَا dalaltumā	دَلَّا dallā		دَلَلْنَا dalalnā	دَلَلْتُمْ dalaltum	دَلُّوا dallū
	f		دَلَلْتِ dalalti	دَلَّتْ dallat			دَلَّتَا dallatā			دَلَلْتُنَّ dalaltunna	دَلَلْنَ dalalna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أَدُلُّ ʔadullu	تَدُلُّ tadullu	يَدُلُّ yadullu		تَدُلَّانِ tadullāni	يَدُلَّانِ yadullāni		نَدُلُّ nadullu	تَدُلُّونَ tadullūna	يَدُلُّونَ yadullūna
	f		تَدُلِّينَ tadullīna	تَدُلُّ tadullu			تَدُلَّانِ tadullāni			تَدْلُلْنَ tadlulna	يَدْلُلْنَ yadlulna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَدُلَّ ʔadulla	تَدُلَّ tadulla	يَدُلَّ yadulla		تَدُلَّا tadullā	يَدُلَّا yadullā		نَدُلَّ nadulla	تَدُلُّوا tadullū	يَدُلُّوا yadullū
	f		تَدُلِّي tadullī	تَدُلَّ tadulla			تَدُلَّا tadullā			تَدْلُلْنَ tadlulna	يَدْلُلْنَ yadlulna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أَدُلَّ or أَدُلِّ or أَدْلُلْ ʔadulla or ʔadulli or ʔadlul	تَدُلَّ or تَدُلِّ or تَدْلُلْ tadulla or tadulli or tadlul	يَدُلَّ or يَدُلِّ or يَدْلُلْ yadulla or yadulli or yadlul		تَدُلَّا tadullā	يَدُلَّا yadullā		نَدُلَّ or نَدُلِّ or نَدْلُلْ nadulla or nadulli or nadlul	تَدُلُّوا tadullū	يَدُلُّوا yadullū
	f		تَدُلِّي tadullī	تَدُلَّ or تَدُلِّ or تَدْلُلْ tadulla or tadulli or tadlul			تَدُلَّا tadullā			تَدْلُلْنَ tadlulna	يَدْلُلْنَ yadlulna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		دُلَّ or دُلِّ or اُدْلُلْ dulla or dulli or udlul			دُلَّا dullā				دُلُّوا dullū
	f		دُلِّي dullī							اُدْلُلْنَ udlulna
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	دُلِلْتُ duliltu	دُلِلْتَ dulilta	دُلَّ dulla		دُلِلْتُمَا duliltumā	دُلَّا dullā		دُلِلْنَا dulilnā	دُلِلْتُمْ duliltum	دُلُّوا dullū
	f		دُلِلْتِ dulilti	دُلَّتْ dullat			دُلَّتَا dullatā			دُلِلْتُنَّ duliltunna	دُلِلْنَ dulilna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُدَلُّ ʔudallu	تُدَلُّ tudallu	يُدَلُّ yudallu		تُدَلَّانِ tudallāni	يُدَلَّانِ yudallāni		نُدَلُّ nudallu	تُدَلُّونَ tudallūna	يُدَلُّونَ yudallūna
	f		تُدَلِّينَ tudallīna	تُدَلُّ tudallu			تُدَلَّانِ tudallāni			تُدْلَلْنَ tudlalna	يُدْلَلْنَ yudlalna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُدَلَّ ʔudalla	تُدَلَّ tudalla	يُدَلَّ yudalla		تُدَلَّا tudallā	يُدَلَّا yudallā		نُدَلَّ nudalla	تُدَلُّوا tudallū	يُدَلُّوا yudallū
	f		تُدَلِّي tudallī	تُدَلَّ tudalla			تُدَلَّا tudallā			تُدْلَلْنَ tudlalna	يُدْلَلْنَ yudlalna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُدَلَّ or أُدَلِّ or أُدْلَلْ ʔudalla or ʔudalli or ʔudlal	تُدَلَّ or تُدَلِّ or تُدْلَلْ tudalla or tudalli or tudlal	يُدَلَّ or يُدَلِّ or يُدْلَلْ yudalla or yudalli or yudlal		تُدَلَّا tudallā	يُدَلَّا yudallā		نُدَلَّ or نُدَلِّ or نُدْلَلْ nudalla or nudalli or nudlal	تُدَلُّوا tudallū	يُدَلُّوا yudallū
	f		تُدَلِّي tudallī	تُدَلَّ or تُدَلِّ or تُدْلَلْ tudalla or tudalli or tudlal			تُدَلَّا tudallā			تُدْلَلْنَ tudlalna	يُدْلَلْنَ yudlalna

Baluchi

Etymology

From Classical Persian دل (dil), from Proto-Iranian *jŕ̥dayam, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ȷ́ʰŕ̥dayam, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱḗr.

Compare Avestan 𐬰𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬛 (zərəd), old Mazanderani زیله (zila) Sanskrit हृदय (hṛdaya), Armenian սիրտ (sirt), and English heart.

Doublet of زرد, which was inherited.

Noun

دل • (dil)

1. (anatomy) heart

   Synonym: زرد (zird)

Derived terms

• دلبر (dilbar, “sweetheart, beloved”)
• دلکهر (dilkahr, “heartbroken”)
• زنده‌دل (zinda-dil, “lively”)
• شیردل (šérdel, “brave”)

Gujarati

Noun

دل • (dil) n (Lisan ud-Dawat)

1. Arabic spelling of દિલ (dil)

   Synonyms: ھيّوں (haiyũ), ھردہ (hirdā), قلب (qalb), فؤاد (fuwād)

Laki

Noun

دل (dil)

1. heart

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology 1

From Proto-Turkic *til, *tïl (“tongue; language”).

Alternative forms

• دیل (dil)

Noun

دل • (dil)

1. tongue (organ)
2. anything shaped like a tongue
   1. (geography) spit, promontory
   2. tenon
3. tongue (language)
4. a prisoner taken to gain information

Derived terms

• دل باغی (dil bağı, “frenulum”)
• دل بالغی (dil balığı, “kind of flatfish”)
• دلجك (dilcik, “clitoris”)

Descendants

• Turkish: dil

Etymology 2

From Classical Persian دل (dil).

Noun

دل • (dil)

1. heart (organ)

   Synonyms: یورك (yürek), قلب (kalb)

2. (figurative) heart, courage; mind, feelings

   Synonym: گوڭل (göñül)

Descendants

• Turkish: dil

References

• Kélékian, Diran (1911) “دل”, in Dictionnaire turc-français‎^[1], Constantinople: Mihran, page 600
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “dil1”, in Nişanyan Sözlük
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “dil2”, in Nişanyan Sözlük
• Redhouse, James W. (1890) “دل”, in A Turkish and English Lexicon‎^[2], Constantinople: A. H. Boyajian, page 910

Persian

Etymology

From Middle Persian 𐭣𐭩𐭫 (dyl /⁠dil⁠/), from Proto-Iranian *jŕ̥dayam, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ȷ́ʰŕ̥dayam, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱḗr; with a regular phonetic shift *ȷ́ŕ̥d- > *dŕ̥d > *dŕ̥l > dil. For the phonetic change, compare گل (gol) and سالار (sâlâr).

Cognates with Parthian 𐫉𐫏𐫡𐫅 (zyrd /⁠zirδ⁠/), Avestan 𐬰𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬛 (zərəd), old Mazanderani زیله (zila), Northern Kurdish dil, Sanskrit हृदय (hṛdaya), Armenian սիրտ (sirt), Pashto زړه (zrë,zra) and English heart.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [dil]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [d̪ɪl]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [d̪ɪl]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [d̪ɪl]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [d̪il̥]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [d̪el̥]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [d̪il]

Readings
Classical reading?	dil
Dari reading?	dil
Iranian reading?	del
Tajik reading?	dil

Noun

Dari	دل
Iranian Persian
Tajik	дил

دِل • (del) (plural دل‌ها (del-hâ))

1. (original sense, now less common) heart

   Synonym: (now more common) قلب (qalb)

2. (now common) stomach

   دلم درد می‌کند ― del-am dard mi-konad ― I have a stomachache

3. mind; (figurative) the heart (as the seat of emotion)

   دلم شکست ― del-am šekast ― my heart is broken

4. courage

Derived terms

Derived terms

• دلبر (delbar)
• همدل (hamdel)
• اهل دل (ahl-e del)
• دلباخته (delbâxte)
• بزدل (bozdel)
• شیردل (širdel)
• دلسوز (delsuz)
• دلتنگ (deltang)
• دل دادن (del dâdan)
• دلداده (deldâde)
• دلدار (deldâr)
• دلاور (delâvar)
  • دلیر (dalir)
• یکدل (yekdel)

Descendants

• → Judeo-Tat: дуьл (dyl)
• → Azerbaijani: dil
• → Bengali: দিল (dil)
• → Chagatai: دل
  • Uyghur: دىل (dil)
  • Uzbek: dil
• → Gujarati: દિલ (dil)

  Lisan ud-Dawat Gujarati: دل (dil)

• → Old Hindi: दिल (dila)
  • Hindustani: dil

    Hindi: दिल

    Urdu: دِل (dil)

• → Kyrgyz: дил (dil)
• → Maithili: dil

  Devanagari script: दिल

  Tirhuta script: 𑒠𑒱𑒪

• → Marathi: दिल (dil)
• → Marwari: दिल (dil)
• → Nepali: दिल (dil)
• → Odia: ଦିଲ (dilô)
• → Old Punjabi: ਦਿਲੁ (dilu)
  • Punjabi: dil

    Gurmukhi script: ਦਿਲ

    Shahmukhi script: دِل

• → Ottoman Turkish: دل
  • Turkish: dil
• → Sindhi:

  Arabic script: دِلُ

  Devanagari script: दिलु

• → Turkmen: dil
• → Yagnobi: дил (dil)

Punjabi

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian دل (dil). First attested as Old Punjabi ਦਿਲੁ (dilu).

Noun

دِل • (dil) m (Gurmukhi spelling ਦਿਲ)

1. heart
2. mind
3. soul
4. spirit, valor
5. courage

Declension

Declension of دل
dir. sg.	دِل (dil)
dir. pl.	دِل (dil)
	singular	plural
direct	دِل (dil)	دِل (dil)
oblique	دِل (dil)	دِلاں (dilāṉ)
vocative	دِلا (dilā)	دِلو (dilo)
ablative	دِلوں (diloṉ)	—
locative	دِلے (dile)	دِلِیں (dilīṉ)
instrumental	دِلے (dile)	دِلِیں (dilīṉ)

South Levantine Arabic

Root
د ل ل
2 terms

Etymology

From Arabic دَلَّ (dalla).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dall/, [dal]

• Audio (al-Lidd)

  (file)

Verb

دلّ • (dall) I (present بدلّ (bidill))

1. to guide, to direct, to indicate

   Synonyms: أرشد (ʔaršad), أشر (ʔaššar)

Conjugation

Conjugation of دلّ (dall)
		singular				plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person		1st person	2nd person	3rd person
past	m	دلّيت (dallēt)	دلّيت (dallēt)	دلّ (dall)		دلّينا (dallēna)	دلّيتو (dallētu)	دلّو (dallu)
	f		دلّيتي (dallēti)	دلّت (dallat)
present	m	بدلّ (badill)	بتدلّ (bitdill)	بدلّ (bidill)		مندلّ (mindill)	بتدلّو (bitdillu)	بدلّو (bidillu)
	f		بتدلّي (bitdilli)	بتدلّ (bitdill)
subjunctive	m	ادلّ (adill)	تدلّ (tdill)	يدلّ (ydill)		ندلّ (ndill)	تدلّو (tdillu)	يدلّو (ydillu)
	f		تدلّي (tdilli)	تدلّ (tdill)
imperative	m		دلّ (dill)				دلّو (dillu)
	f		دلّي (dilli)

Urdu

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian دل (dil). First attested as Old Hindi दिल (dila).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /d̪ɪl/

• Audio (PK)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪl

Noun

دِل • (dil) m (Hindi spelling दिल)

1. heart

   Synonym: قلب (qalb)

2. (figuratively) mind

   Synonyms: من (man), دماغ (dimāġ)

3. (figuratively) wish

Declension

Declension of دل
	singular	plural
direct	دل (dil)	دل (dil)
oblique	دل (dil)	دلوں (dilō̃)
vocative	دل (dil)	دلو (dilō)

Further reading

• “دل”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “دل”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2024.
• Platts, John T. (1884) “دل”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co., page 523
• Qureshi, Bashir Ahmad (1971) “دل”, in Kitabistan's 20th Century Standard Dictionary‎, Lahore: Kitabistan Pub. Co., page 312