مثل

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See also: مبل, متل, and م ث ل

Arabic[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

Root
م ث ل (m-ṯ-l)

Compare Hebrew מָשָׁל (mašál, example).

Verb[edit]

مَثَلَ (maṯala) I, non-past يَمْثُلُ‎ (yamṯulu)

  1. to resemble, to look like
  2. to imitate, to copy
  3. to compare, to liken
  4. to represent, to mean, to signify
  5. to appear before
  6. to present oneself
  7. to stand
  8. to come forth, to come forward, to enter, to appear
Conjugation[edit]

Verb[edit]

مَثَّلَ (maṯṯala) II, non-past يُمَثِّلُ‎ (yumaṯṯilu)

  1. to make to resemble, to make to look like
  2. to make similar, to make analogous
  3. to assimilate
  4. to quote as example
  5. to compare, to liken
  6. to punish severely, to treat harshly
  7. to maim, to mutilate
Conjugation[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

Noun[edit]

مِثْل (miṯlm (plural أَمْثَال (ʔamṯāl))

  1. something similar
    رَجُلٌ مِثْلُهُrajulun miṯluhua man like him
    فِي مِثْلِ هٰذِهِ ٱلظُّرُوفِmiṯli hāḏihi ẓ-ẓurūfiunder circumstances like these
    جَمِيعُ ٱلْأَطِبَّاءِ مِثْلِكَ / أَمْثَالِكَjamīʕu l-ʔaṭibbāʔi miṯlika / ʔamṯālikaall doctors like you.
    هُنَاكَ عَشَرَاتٌ مِثْلُهُ / أَمْثَالُهُ.hunāka ʕašarātun miṯluhu / ʔamṯāluhu.There are dozens like it.
    اِفْعَلْهُ مِثْلَنَا!ifʕalhu miṯlanā!Do it like us!
  2. resemblance, similarity, likeness
  3. image
  4. equivalent
Usage notes[edit]
  • This word is used for the meaning of "like, similar to", but it isn't considered a preposition in Arabic. It's a noun used in apposition and declined according to the noun it follows.
  • It can also stand without the noun it describes, especially in accusative where an omitted masdar is often assumed اِفْعَلْهُ (فِعْلًا) مِثْلَنَاifʕalhu (fiʕlan) miṯlanāDo it (the way which is) like us.
  • The dual and plural forms can be used if following a dual or plural noun, but aren't necessary.
Declension[edit]
Descendants[edit]
  • South Levantine Arabic: متل (mitl)
  • Ottoman Turkish: مثل (misl)
  • Persian: مثل (mesl)
  • Punjabi: ਮਿਸਲ (misal)
  • Swahili: mithili
See also[edit]

Etymology 3[edit]

Root
م ث ل (m-ṯ-l)

Cognate with Hebrew מָשָׁל (mashál, proverb, allegory).

Noun[edit]

مَثَل (maṯalm (plural أَمْثَال (ʔamṯāl))

  1. likeness
  2. metaphor, simile, parable
  3. proverb, adage
  4. example
  5. lesson
  6. ideal, model
Declension[edit]
Derived terms[edit]
Descendants[edit]

Etymology 4[edit]

Noun[edit]

مُثُل (muṯulm pl

  1. plural of مِثَال (miṯāl)

Noun[edit]

مُثْل (muṯlm pl

  1. plural of مِثَال (miṯāl)

References[edit]

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

Pashto[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Arabic مِثْل (miṯl).

Noun[edit]

مثل (mislm

  1. similarity, likeness
    په مثل د
    in the likeness of, (resembling)
  2. copy

Etymology 2[edit]

From Arabic مَثَل (maṯal).

Noun[edit]

مثل (masálm

  1. example, model

Persian[edit]

Etymology 1[edit]

From Arabic مِثْل (miṯl).

Pronunciation[edit]

(noun)

 

Readings
Classical reading? misl
Dari reading? misl
Iranian reading? mesl
Tajik reading? misl

(preposition, with ezâfe)

 
 

Readings
Classical reading? misli
Dari reading? misli
Iranian reading? mesle
Tajik reading? misli

Noun[edit]

Dari مثل
Iranian Persian
Tajik мисл

مثل (mesl)

  1. resemblance, similarity

Preposition[edit]

مثل (mesl-e)

Dari مثل
Iranian Persian
Tajik мисли
  1. like
    Synonyms: مانند (mânand), نظیر (nazir), (literary) همانند (hamânand)
    مثل تو نیستم.
    mesl-e to nistam.
    I'm not like you.
    چرا می‌خوای مثل من حرف بزنی؟
    čerâ mi-xây mesl-e man harf be-zani?
    Why do you want to talk like me?

Etymology 2[edit]

From Arabic مَثَل (maṯal).

Pronunciation[edit]

 

Readings
Classical reading? masal
Dari reading? masal
Iranian reading? masal
Tajik reading? masal

Noun[edit]

Dari مثل
Iranian Persian
Tajik масал

مثل (masal)

  1. proverb
Related terms[edit]

South Levantine Arabic[edit]

Root
م ث ل
3 terms

Etymology[edit]

Learned borrowing from Arabic مَثَّلَ (maṯṯala).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /maθ.θal/, [ˈmaθ.θal]
  • IPA(key): /mas.sal/, [ˈmas.sal]
  • (file)

Verb[edit]

مثّل (maṯṯal) II (present بمثّل (bimaṯṯel))

  1. to act
  2. to represent

Conjugation[edit]

    Conjugation of مثّل (maṯṯal)
singular plural
1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person
past m مثّلت (maṯṯalt) مثّلت (maṯṯalt) مثّل (maṯṯal) مثّلنا (maṯṯalna) مثّلتو (maṯṯaltu) مثّلو (maṯṯalu)
f مثّلتي (maṯṯalti) مثّلت (maṯṯalat)
present m بمثّل (bamaṯṯel) بتمثّل (bitmaṯṯel) بمثّل (bimaṯṯel) منمثّل (minmaṯṯel) بتمثّلو (bitmaṯṯlu) بمثّلو (bimaṯṯlu)
f بتمثّلي (bitmaṯṯli) بتمثّل (bitmaṯṯel)
subjunctive m امثّل (amaṯṯel) تمثّل (tmaṯṯel) يمثّل (ymaṯṯel) نمثّل (nmaṯṯel) تمثّلو (tmaṯṯlu) يمثّلو (ymaṯṯlu)
f تمثّلي (tmaṯṯli) تمثّل (tmaṯṯel)
imperative m مثّل (maṯṯel) مثّلو (maṯṯlu)
f مثّلي (maṯṯli)