Quranic root
عول
ʿ · w · l
The root centers on burden, excess, and departure from a balanced or just state: what burdens or overwhelms, the dependants one sustains, and an apportionment or judgment that exceeds its proper limit.
The lexical evidence connects bearing burdens and sustaining dependants with excess, imbalance, and injustice; related branches also express reliance, seeking aid, and lamentation.
- Mufradāt · row 1026
- 1
- Quran-attested forms
- 2
- Quran senses
- 1
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
عَالَ
ʿāla
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form I
- Form
- I
- Quran occurrences
- 1 occurrence
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
To deviate from justice or the right course; to act wrongfully or oppressively.
In the Quranic construction أَلَّا تَعُولُوا, the verb is interpreted as a warning against deviation from the right course and injustice.
- Lane · entry 5326
- Mufradāt · row 1026
Selected Quran examples
Quran 4:3word 28
“you oppress”
To have a numerous household or an excessive number of dependants.
This is an alternative lexical interpretation of أَلَّا تَعُولُوا in Quran 4:3, referring to the burden of a numerous household rather than directly to judicial deviation.
- Lane · entry 5326
- Mufradāt · row 1026
Selected Quran examples
Quran 4:3word 28
“you oppress”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 4:3تَعُولُوا۟you oppress
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 46 Classical meanings
عَالَ
To feed, nourish, sustain, and provide for one's family or household.
The object may be a household, family, or an individual whose means of subsistence one supplies.
- Lane · entry 5326
عَالَ
To become poor or in want.
A less common intransitive use, also expressed by related forms in the same lexical branch.
- Lane · entry 5326
عَالَ
Of a balance, to incline, become defective, exceed, or depart from its proper state; figuratively, to act unfaithfully.
The balance may rise on one side or fail to represent an even or faithful measure.
- Lane · entry 5326
عَالَ / أَعَالَ
Of an inheritance apportionment, to exceed the total of the fixed primary shares, thereby reducing the shares received by the heirs; transitively, to cause this excess.
A technical legal use concerning the arithmetic excess of the prescribed inheritance portions.
- Lane · entry 5326
عَالَ
Of an affair or event, to be hard to bear, severe, distressing, or formidable.
The use describes the severity or burden of an affair rather than an action performed upon a person.
- Lane · entry 5326
عَالَ
To overcome, burden, oppress, distress, or disquiet a person or thing.
It is also used in passive expressions for patience or another faculty being overcome, and in proverbial or figurative applications.
- Lane · entry 5326
عَالَكَ عَالِيًا
To rise, or be raised, after stumbling or falling.
A conventional expression in which the agent effecting the raising may be understood.
- Lane · entry 5326
عَالَ عَوْلُهُ / عِيلَ عَوْلُهُ
To have one's lamentation or wailing raised; an imprecation that one's mother be bereaved of one.
An idiomatic expression of lamentation or bereavement.
- Lane · entry 5326
عَيَّلَ
To make people dependants, neglect one's family, or feed them inadequately.
The Form II branch concerns poor or neglected provision rather than ordinary support.
- Lane · entry 5327
عَوَّلَ
To impose an affair or burden upon someone; to behave presumptuously toward someone in reliance on his affection or tolerance.
Commonly construed with عَلَى and an object upon whom an affair is placed.
- Lane · entry 5327
عَوَّلَ
To ask aid or assistance from someone.
A related construction uses بِهِ or an equivalent prepositional complement.
- Lane · entry 5327
عَوَّلَ عَلَيْهِ
To rely upon, place confidence in, or seek support from a thing or person.
The construction عَلَيْهِ marks the object of reliance; some attestations are interpreted differently as forms of lamentation.
- Lane · entry 5327
مُعَوَّلٌ
A place of weeping or lamentation; in an alternative interpretation, the act of weeping.
This meaning is reported as an interpretation of a poetic occurrence and is distinct from the ordinary sense of reliance.
- Lane · entry 5327
- Lane · entry 5348
مُعَوَّلٌ
The seeking of a means by which one may obtain benefit.
A reported alternative interpretation of the poetic expression involving مُعَوَّل.
- Lane · entry 5327
عَوَّلَ
To construct a shelter from rain called عَالَة.
The shelter is made by binding branches together and covering them with small cut wood.
- Lane · entry 5327
أَعْوَلَ
To weep, wail, and raise one's voice in crying out.
The form may be used with عَلَى for the person or thing mourned.
- Lane · entry 5328
أَعْوَلَتِ القَوْسُ
Of a bow, to produce a sound.
A figurative or transferred use derived from the sound of raised lamentation.
- Lane · entry 5328
أَعَالَ / أَعْوَلَ
To desire, covet, or pursue something vehemently, greedily, or excessively.
The use may carry a reproachful sense of excessive avidity.
- Lane · entry 5328
عَالٌ
In the expression مَا لَهُ عَالٌ وَلَا مَالٌ, to have nothing belonging to oneself.
A fixed phrase combining the word with مَالٌ.
- Lane · entry 5330
عَوْلٌ
Woe, lamentation, or an imprecation directed against someone.
Used in accusative expressions of blame, prayer, or distress, sometimes following وَيْلٌ.
- Lane · entry 5331
عَوْلٌ
An affair or event that causes anxiety or distress.
This is a substantivized use describing a distressing matter.
- Lane · entry 5331
عَوْلٌ
A person whose aid is sought in a difficult or important affair.
The noun denotes the relied-upon helper rather than the act of asking for help.
- Lane · entry 5331
عَوْلٌ
The food or provision of a family or household.
A nominal use related to the act of sustaining dependants.
- Lane · entry 5331
عِوَلٌ
Reliance, confidence, or a source of support.
In the expression هُوَ عِوَلِي, the person is described as one's stay or support; the form is subject to variant analysis in an attested poem.
- Lane · entry 5333
عِوَلٌ
Weeping or repeated lamentation.
A reported alternative grammatical analysis treats the form as connected with عَوْلٌ and interprets it as weeping or weepings.
- Lane · entry 5333
عِوَلٌ
An asking for aid or assistance.
A nominal use distinct from the person or thing relied upon.
- Lane · entry 5333
عَالَةٌ
A shelter or covering made for protection from rain.
The shelter is constructed from cut branches and similar material.
- Lane · entry 5334
عَالَةٌ
An ostrich; alternatively, a shelter or covering.
The lexical evidence records both the animal sense and the shelter sense under this form.
- Lane · entry 5334
عَوِيلٌ
Wailing: raising the voice while weeping, or weeping with a cry.
It may also mean a cry or chest voice without weeping, or the inward burning of grief or love without outward crying.
- Lane · entry 5336
عَوِيلٌ
Weak.
An adjectival use, distinct from the noun meaning wailing.
- Lane · entry 5336
عَوِيلٌ
One of the ropes of a ship or boat.
A specialized nautical use derived from the sense of weakness.
- Lane · entry 5336
عِيَالٌ
A family, household, or the persons whom someone feeds and whose expenses are incumbent upon him.
The term may include a spouse, child, young person, slave, or other dependant; by extension it can describe dependants among birds and beasts.
- Lane · entry 5337
أُمُّ العِيَالِ
A cooking pot.
A metaphorical expression based on the pot's provision for the household.
- Lane · entry 5337
عَوَالَةٌ
Want or need.
A rare nominal use.
- Lane · entry 5338
عَوَالَةٌ
Intrusion at feasts as an uninvited guest.
A specialized social use referring to someone who joins a feast without invitation.
- Lane · entry 5338
عَوَّالٌ
Weeping or lamentation.
A quasi-verbal noun of عَوَّلَ, with a plural عَوَاوِيلُ.
- Lane · entry 5339
عَائِلٌ
Of an affair or event, hard to bear, severe, distressing, or formidable.
An active-participle form used adjectivally with an affair or event.
- Lane · entry 5340
عَائِلٌ
Of a measure of capacity, exceeding others.
A specialized adjectival use applied to a capacity measure.
- Lane · entry 5340
أَعْوَلُ
More or most hard to bear; more severe or formidable.
A comparative or elative form; an occurrence of أَعْلَى is reported as a transposed equivalent.
- Lane · entry 5342
مَعُولٌ
Fed, nourished, or sustained.
A passive-participial description of one who has been provided for.
- Lane · entry 5343
مَعُولٌ
Overcome or overborne, especially with respect to a person's patience, opinion, or judgment.
The meaning describes a faculty or judgment that has been overwhelmed.
- Lane · entry 5343
مُعْوَلٌ
One for whom lamentation is made; one who is bewailed.
Usually followed by عَلَيْهِ and used especially of a dead person for whom wailing is performed.
- Lane · entry 5344
مِعْوَلٌ
A pickaxe or heavy iron tool used to peck or hollow out rock or stone.
A concrete implement used on rocks, large masses of stone, or mountains.
- Lane · entry 5346
مُعْيِلٌ
A man with a family or household whom he must support; also, one whose property is insufficient and whose household has overwhelmed him.
The second use emphasizes that the financial burden of the household exceeds the man's means.
- Lane · entry 5347
مُعَوَّلٌ
One whose aid or succour is sought, or upon whom reliance and confidence are placed.
The noun denotes a person who serves as a source of aid or support.
- Lane · entry 5348
مُعَيِّلٌ
A constructor of a rain shelter of the kind called عَالَةٌ.
A specialized active-participle use referring to the person who builds that shelter.
- Lane · entry 5350
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The sole Quran occurrence is the imperfect form تَعُولُوا, publicly normalized here under the classical perfect citation form عَالَ.
Quran 4:3 has two explicitly attested lexical interpretations in the supplied evidence: deviation from justice and having a numerous household. The Quran Foundation gloss illustrates the first but does not by itself establish either sense.