مثال

Arabic

Etymology

From the root م ث ل‎ (m-ṯ-l). Compare Hebrew מָשָׁל‎ (“example, allegory”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mi.θaːl/

Noun

مِثَال • (miṯāl) m (plural أَمْثِلَة‎ (ʔamṯila) or مُثُل‎ (muṯul) or مُثْل‎ (muṯl))

1. verbal noun of مَاثَلَ‎ (māṯala) (form III)
2. resemblance, anything equal or similar
3. image, type, model, example, specimen
4. pattern, standard
5. form, formula, formulary
6. simile, allegory, parable, fable, tale
7. vision in a dream
8. manner, method
9. definite quantity
10. order, command, written order
11. retaliation
12. (grammar) assimilated verb (beginning with و‎ (w) or ي‎ (y))
13. bed, carpet

Declension

Declension of noun مِثَال (miṯāl)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	مِثَال miṯāl	الْمِثَال‎ al-miṯāl	مِثَال miṯāl
Nominative	مِثَالٌ miṯālun	الْمِثَالُ‎ al-miṯālu	مِثَالُ miṯālu
Accusative	مِثَالًا‎ miṯālan	الْمِثَالَ‎ al-miṯāla	مِثَالَ miṯāla
Genitive	مِثَالٍ miṯālin	الْمِثَالِ‎ al-miṯāli	مِثَالِ miṯāli
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	مِثَالَيْن‎ miṯālayn	الْمِثَالَيْن‎ al-miṯālayn	مِثَالَيْ‎ miṯālay
Nominative	مِثَالَانِ‎ miṯālāni	الْمِثَالَانِ‎ al-miṯālāni	مِثَالَا‎ miṯālā
Accusative	مِثَالَيْنِ‎ miṯālayni	الْمِثَالَيْنِ‎ al-miṯālayni	مِثَالَيْ‎ miṯālay
Genitive	مِثَالَيْنِ‎ miṯālayni	الْمِثَالَيْنِ‎ al-miṯālayni	مِثَالَيْ‎ miṯālay
Plural	broken plural triptote in ـَة (-a)‎; basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	أَمْثِلَة‎‎; مُثُل‎‎; مُثْل‎ ʔamṯila‎; muṯul‎; muṯl	الْأَمْثِلَة‎‎; الْمُثُل‎‎; الْمُثْل‎ al-ʔamṯila‎; al-muṯul‎; al-muṯl	أَمْثِلَة‎‎; مُثُل‎‎; مُثْل‎ ʔamṯilat‎; muṯul‎; muṯl
Nominative	أَمْثِلَةٌ‎‎; مُثُلٌ‎‎; مُثْلٌ‎ ʔamṯilatun‎; muṯulun‎; muṯlun	الْأَمْثِلَةُ‎‎; الْمُثُلُ‎‎; الْمُثْلُ‎ al-ʔamṯilatu‎; al-muṯulu‎; al-muṯlu	أَمْثِلَةُ‎‎; مُثُلُ‎‎; مُثْلُ‎ ʔamṯilatu‎; muṯulu‎; muṯlu
Accusative	أَمْثِلَةً‎‎; مُثُلًا‎‎; مُثْلًا‎ ʔamṯilatan‎; muṯulan‎; muṯlan	الْأَمْثِلَةَ‎‎; الْمُثُلَ‎‎; الْمُثْلَ‎ al-ʔamṯilata‎; al-muṯula‎; al-muṯla	أَمْثِلَةَ‎‎; مُثُلَ‎‎; مُثْلَ‎ ʔamṯilata‎; muṯula‎; muṯla
Genitive	أَمْثِلَةٍ‎‎; مُثُلٍ‎‎; مُثْلٍ‎ ʔamṯilatin‎; muṯulin‎; muṯlin	الْأَمْثِلَةِ‎‎; الْمُثُلِ‎‎; الْمُثْلِ‎ al-ʔamṯilati‎; al-muṯuli‎; al-muṯli	أَمْثِلَةِ‎‎; مُثُلِ‎‎; مُثْلِ‎ ʔamṯilati‎; muṯuli‎; muṯli

Descendants

• → Azerbaijani: misal
• → Baluchi: مثال‎ (misál)
• → Hijazi Arabic: مثال‎ (miṯāl)
• → Malay: misal
• → Persian: مثال‎ (mesâl)
  • → Punjabi:

    Gurmukhi script: ਮਿਸਾਲ (misāl)

    Shahmukhi script: مثال‎ (mis̱āl)

• → Turkish: misal

References

• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884), “مثال”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary‎^[1], London: W.H. Allen
• Wehr, Hans (1979), “مثل”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN

Baluchi

Etymology

From Arabic مِثَال‎ (miṯāl).

Noun

مثال • (misál)

1. example

See also

• نمونہ‎ (namuna)

Hijazi Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic مِثَال‎ (miṯāl).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /miˈθaːl/, [mɪˈθaːl]
  • IPA^(key): /miˈsaːl/, [mɪˈsaːl] (speakers with full /θ/ and /s/ merger)

Noun

مثال • (miṯāl) m (plural أمثلة‎ (amṯila))

1. example, model, specimen

See also

• مَثَل‎ (maṯal, “proverb, saying”)

Persian

Etymology

From Arabic مِثَال‎ (miṯāl).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [mi.sɑːl]

 

• (Dari, formal/KBL) IPA^(key): [mɪ.sɑːl]

• (Dari, formal/KBL) IPA^(key): [mɪ.sɑːl]
  • (Hazaragi/approx.) IPA^(key): [mi.sɔːl̥]

• (Iran, formal/TEH) IPA^(key): [me.sɒːl̥]

• (Tajik, formal/DUS) IPA^(key): [mi.sɔl]

• Phonetic Persian:

Traditional: [مِسال]‎

Iranian: [مِسال]‎

Readings
Classical reading?	misāl
Dari reading?	misāl
Iranian reading?	mesâl
Tajik reading?	misol

Noun

Dari	مثال
Iranian Persian
Tajik	мисол

مثال • (mesâl) (plural مثال‌ها‎ (mesâl-hâ))

1. example

   ‏برای مثال‎ ― barâ-ye mesâl ― for example

2. parable
   • c. 1260s, Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rūmī, translated by Reynold A. Nicholson, مثنوی معنوی‎ [Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi], volume IV, verse 456:

     ‏این مثال جان حیوانی بود / نه مثال جان ربانی بود‎

     in mesâl-e jân-e heyvâni bovad / na mesâl-e jân-e rabbâni bovad

     This is a parable of the animal soul, not a parable of the divine soul.

3. resemblance, likeness
   • c. 1260, ʿAṭā-Malik Juwaynī, translated by John Andrew Boyle, تاریخ جهانگشای [History of the World-Conqueror]:

     ‏بحقیقت آن موضع واسطت مملکت ایشان است بر مثال مرکز و دایره.‎‎

     be-haqiqat ân mowze' vâsetat-e mamlakat-e išân ast bar mesâl-e markaz va dâyere.

     Indeed, that [home]land is the middle of their empire, like center and circle.

4. (archaic) order, command, especially written order
   • 11th century, Abu'l-Fażl Bayhaqi, edited by Ali-Akbar Fayyaz, Tarikh-i Bayhaqi, page 82:

     ‏من رفتم سوی هرات، و چنان گمان می‌برم که دیدارِ من با تو و با خانگیان با قیامت افتاده است، از آن بود که در هر بابی مثالی نبود.‎‎

     man raftam suy-e herât, va čonân gomân mi-baram ke didâr-e man bâ to va bâ xânegiyân bâ qiyâmat oftâde ast, az ân bovad ke dar har bâb-i mesâl-i na-bovad.

     I started leaving for Herat, and I conjecture that I would visit you and the relatives in the judgment day [I would be killed], that is why there is not an order [I am not issuing order] for every matter.

Descendants

• → Punjabi:

  Gurmukhi script: ਮਿਸਾਲ (misāl)

  Shahmukhi script: مثال‎ (mis̱āl)