Learn ArabicA1 › ٱِسْم

ٱِسْم

name /ˈism/

nounA1#138 most common

Also: noun (grammatical term), reputation, appellation

Example sentences

ما اسمُكَ؟
What is your name?
اسمي ليلى، وهذا اسمُ أخي.
My name is Layla, and this is my brother's name.
من فضلك، اكتب اسمَكَ الكامل هنا.
Please write your full name here.
لم أستطع تذكُّر اسم المطعم الذي تناولنا فيه العشاء.
I couldn't remember the name of the restaurant where we had dinner.
تحمل الجائزة اسمَ عالِم مصري راحل تكريماً لإنجازاته.
The prize bears the name of a late Egyptian scientist in honor of his achievements.
في النحو العربي يُرفع الاسمُ ويُنصب ويُجَرّ بحسب موقعه في الجملة.
In Arabic grammar, the noun is put in the nominative, accusative, or genitive according to its position in the sentence.

Declension

CaseSingularPlural
Nominativeاسمٌأسماءٌ
Genitiveاسمٍأسماءٍ
Accusativeاسمًاأسماءً
Vocativeيا اسمُيا أسماءُ

Word family

أَسْمَاءnames (plural)
سَمَّىto name, to call
تَسْمِيَةnaming, designation
مُسَمًّىdesignation, named thing
اِسْمِيّnominal

Etymology

اسم descends from Proto-Semitic *šim-, the common Semitic word for "name." It is cognate with Hebrew shem and Akkadian shumu. Arab grammarians dispute its triliteral root: Basrans derive it from س م و, "to be high," while Kufans link it to و س م, "to mark." The initial alif carries hamzat al-waṣl, an elidable connecting vowel that drops in connected speech.

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