عيلة

Arabic

Etymology

Ultimately from the root ع ي ل (ʕ y l). The verb عَالَ (ʕāla) may be conjugated as deriving from ع و ل (ʕ w l) (whence عَوْل (ʕawl) and عَوِيل (ʕawīl)) or ع ي ل (ʕ y l) (whence عَيْل (ʕayl), عِيَالَة (ʕiyāla), عُيُول (ʕuyūl), and مَعِيل (maʕīl)). Hence, though distinct conjugations (or "roots") typically have different significations, the "needfulness" sense has been conflated.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʕaj.la/

Noun

عَيْلَة • (ʕayla) f

1. verbal noun of عَالَ (ʕāla, “to be poor”) (form I)
2. poverty; want, need
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 9:28:

     وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ عَيْلَةً فَسَوْفَ يُغْنِيكُمُ اللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِ إِن شَاءَ

     wa-ʔin ḵiftum ʕaylatan fa-sawfa yuḡnīkumu l-lahu min faḍlihi ʔin šāʔa

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Declension

Declension of noun عَيْلَة (ʕayla)

singular	singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	عَيْلَة ʕayla	الْعَيْلَة al-ʕayla	عَيْلَة ʕaylat
nominative	عَيْلَةٌ ʕaylatun	الْعَيْلَةُ al-ʕaylatu	عَيْلَةُ ʕaylatu
accusative	عَيْلَةً ʕaylatan	الْعَيْلَةَ al-ʕaylata	عَيْلَةَ ʕaylata
genitive	عَيْلَةٍ ʕaylatin	الْعَيْلَةِ al-ʕaylati	عَيْلَةِ ʕaylati

Egyptian Arabic

Root
ع و ل
2 terms

Etymology

Inherited from Arabic عَائِلَة (ʕāʔila).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʕeː.la/, [ˈʕeːlæ]

Noun

عيلة • (ʕēla) m (plural عيلات (ʕelāt) or عوايل (ʕawāyil))

1. family

Hijazi Arabic

Root
ع ي ل
1 term

Etymology

Inherited from Arabic عائِلَة (ʕāʔila).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʕeː.la/, [ˈʕe̞ː.la]

Noun

عيلَة • (ʕēla) f (plural عَوَايِل (ʕawāyil) or عيلات (ʕēlāt))

1. family
2. relatives

   Synonyms: أَهِل (ʔahil), أَقَارِب (ʔagārib)

North Levantine Arabic

Etymology

Inherited from Arabic عَائِلَة (ʕāʔila). Compare the development of حيط (ḥēṭ, ḥayṭ, “wall”) from Arabic حَائِط (ḥāʔiṭ).

Pronunciation

• (chiefly Syria) IPA^(key): /ˈʕeː.le/
• (chiefly Lebanon) IPA^(key): /ˈʕaj.le/

Noun

عيلة • (ʕayle) f (plural عيَل (ʕiyal) or عيلات (ʕaylāt))

1. family (nuclear family)

   Synonym: أهل (ʔahl) (extended family)

2. family in a metaphoric sense
   • 2025, Bid-Dam Promotional Télévision Bumper, Lebanon: MTV Lebanon:

     عيلة بتختارنا وعيلة نحنا منختار

     ʕayle btiḵtārna w ʕayle naḥna mniḵtār

     There's family that chooses us and there's family that we choose

   • 2025, Bid-Dam Promotional Télévision Bumper, MTV Lebanon:

     العيلة منها شي مهم، العيلة هي الأهم ومش دايما بتكون... بالدم

     l-ʕayle manna šī mhimm, l-ʕayle hiyye l-ʔahamm w miš dāyman bitkūn... bid-damm

     Family isn't something important, it's the most important thing and it isn't always... by blood.

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

Inherited from Arabic عائِلَة (ʕāʔila).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʕeː.le/, [ˈʕeː.le]
• IPA^(key): /ʕeː.la/, [ˈʕeː.la]

• Audio (Jerusalem):

  (file)

Noun

عيلة • (ʕēle) f (plural عيل (ʕiyal))

1. family (the nuclear family)

See also

• أهل (ʔahl, “parents; extended family”)