مثل

See also: مبل, متل, and م ث ل

Arabic

Etymology 1

Root
م ث ل (m-ṯ-l)

Compare Hebrew מָשָׁל (mašál, example).

Verb

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

Verb

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

Noun

مِثْل • (miṯl) m (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 miṯla!Do it like us!
  2. resemblance, similarity, likeness
  3. image
  4. equivalent
Usage notes
  • 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
Descendants
  • South Levantine Arabic: متل (mitl)
  • Ottoman Turkish: مثل (misl)
  • Persian: مثل (mesl)
  • Punjabi: ਮਿਸਲ (misal)
  • Swahili: mithili
See also

Etymology 3

Root
م ث ل (m-ṯ-l)

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

Noun

مَثَل • (maṯal) m (plural أَمْثَال (ʔamṯāl))

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

Noun

مُثُل • (muṯul) m pl

  1. plural of مِثَال (miṯāl)

Noun

مُثْل • (muṯl) m pl

  1. plural of مِثَال (miṯāl)

References

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

Pashto

Etymology 1

From Arabic مِثْل (miṯl).

Noun

مثل • (misl) m

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

Etymology 2

From Arabic مَثَل (maṯal).

Noun

مثل • (masál) m

  1. example, model

Persian

Etymology 1

From Arabic مِثْل (miṯl).

Pronunciation

(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

Dari مثل
Iranian Persian
Tajik мисл

مثل • (mesl)

  1. resemblance, similarity

Preposition

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

From Arabic مَثَل (maṯal).

Pronunciation

 

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

Noun

Dari مثل
Iranian Persian
Tajik масал

مثل • (masal)

  1. proverb
  • ضرب‌المثل (zarb-ol-masal)

South Levantine Arabic

Root
م ث ل
3 terms

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Arabic مَثَّلَ (maṯṯala).

Pronunciation

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

Verb

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

  1. to act
  2. to represent

Conjugation

    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)
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