Quranic root
ذرر
dh · r · r
The root centers on fineness joined with spreading or dispersal: minute particles, sprinkling, and things emerging in small dispersed forms.
The semantic orientation extends from scattering salt, grain, or medicine to fine particles, dispersed light at sunrise, and the emergence of small shoots or parts. Some further usages are figurative or divergent extensions.
- Maqāyīs · row 1887
- Lane · entry 21382
- 2
- Quran-attested forms
- 2
- Quran senses
- 38
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
ذَرَّة
dharrah
- Part of speech
- Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 6 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
An atom-sized particle, mote, or speck.
In Quranic expressions concerning the weight or effect of even the smallest amount, it denotes an exceedingly minute particle.
- Lane · entry 21385
- Mufradāt · row 501
Selected Quran examples
Quran 10:61word 27
“(of) an atom”
Quran 34:22word 11
“(of) an atom”
ذُرِّيَّة
dhurriyyah
- Part of speech
- Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 32 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
Offspring, children, or descendants.
A collective family term that can refer to a person's children or continuing progeny; the Quranic form occurs in both singular and plural morphology.
- Lane · entry 21390
- Mufradāt · row 501
Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:124word 14
“my offspring”
Quran 25:74word 8
“and our offspring”
Quran 6:87word 3
“and their descendents”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 2:124ذُرِّيَّتِى ۖmy offspring
- 2:128ذُرِّيَّتِنَآour offspring
- 2:266ذُرِّيَّةٌۭchildren
- 3:34ذُرِّيَّةًۢDescendents
- 3:36وَذُرِّيَّتَهَاand her offspring
Broader Classical Arabic meanings
Recorded for this root in the Classical lexicons beyond its Quran usage. These are secondary to the Quran senses above.
Show 14 Classical meanings
ذَرَّ
To sprinkle or scatter something, and to spread or disperse people or things.
Used of scattering salt, pepper, medicine, or grain; also of spreading people over the earth. The repeated-action noun ذَرْذَرَةٌ is likewise associated with this action.
- Lane · entry 21382
ذَرَّ
To emerge, come up, or begin to put forth a small part of itself.
Used of a plant coming up from the ground and of something such as a horn beginning to appear.
- Lane · entry 21382
ذَرَّ
To rise, appear, or begin to rise, especially of the sun.
The expression describes the sun's rising and its light becoming visible.
- Lane · entry 21382
ذَرَّ
For flesh to become contracted, shrunk, or wrinkled.
A bodily condition expressed as a specialized verbal usage.
- Lane · entry 21382
ذَرَّ
For the forepart of the head to become white or hoary.
Used of the whitening of the front part of a person's head.
- Lane · entry 21382
ذَرٌّ
Young ants, including very small or small red ants.
The singular or unit noun is ذَرَّةٌ; this zoological meaning is distinct from the Quranic sense of ذَرَّة as a minute particle.
- Lane · entry 21385
ذَرُورٌ
A thing sprinkled, especially a dry medicament sprinkled into the eye or onto a wound or sore.
Also used for a kind of إثمد, an antimony-based eye cosmetic or medicament.
- Lane · entry 21386
ذُرَارَةٌ
What falls about when perfume or another substance is sprinkled; a particle or sprinkling of such material.
Refers to the particles that fall from perfume, a dry medicament, or something else being scattered.
- Lane · entry 21387
ذَرِيرَةٌ
A kind of perfume, especially powdered calamus aromaticus.
The perfume is described as having particles from the aromatic reed; it is also reported as a mixed perfume.
- Lane · entry 21388
ذَرِّىٌّ
The diversified wavy marks, streaks, or grain of a sword; by extension, a sword bearing such marks.
The markings are likened to the tracks or appearance of young ants.
- Lane · entry 21389
ذُرِّيَّةٌ
Progenitors or ancestors.
A broader Classical Arabic usage distinct from the Quranic offspring sense.
- Lane · entry 21390
ذُرِّيَّةٌ
Women.
A specialized Classical Arabic usage reported separately from the ordinary offspring sense.
- Lane · entry 21390
مِذَرَّةٌ
An instrument used for scattering grain.
A tool named in relation to the act of scattering.
- Lane · entry 21391
ذَارَّتْ / مُذَارٌّ
Of a she-camel, to be evil in disposition; in a person, anger-driven aversion or disapprobation.
The camel usage describes an irritable or hostile disposition, while the personal construction denotes anger and turning away. The form is discussed as ذَارَّتْ and مُذَارٌّ, with an etymological disagreement over its relation to ذَأَرَ.
- Lane · entry 21383
- Lane · entry 21392
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The packet records an unresolved suggestion that ذُرِّيَّة may originally involve hamza; this artifact follows the canonical QAC root ذ ر ر.
The aversion branch has a reported etymological disagreement over whether it belongs with ذَرَّ or ذَأَرَ, but it is retained because it is directly included in the supplied lexical evidence.