Quranic root
عوم
ʿ · w · m
The root centers on cyclical movement or coursing, especially through water, and is associated with the annual cycle expressed by عَامٌ.
The physical sense of swimming or coursing is connected in the lexical tradition with the sun's passage through its celestial stations; عَامٌ consequently denotes a complete annual cycle, conventionally distinguished from سَنَةٌ as a period containing winter and summer.
- Lane · entry 5351
- Lane · entry 5355
- Mufradāt · row 1027
- 1
- Quran-attested forms
- 2
- Quran senses
- 9
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
عَامٌ
ʿāmun
- Part of speech
- Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 9 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.
A year; a complete annual period.
A temporal noun often synonymous with سَنَةٌ or حَوْلٌ. Lexical usage can distinguish it as the cycle comprising a winter and a summer, while ordinary Quranic contexts use it for a counted year or years.
- Lane · entry 5355
- Mufradāt · row 1027
Selected Quran examples
A year of prosperity, fertility, and relief.
In the Quran-focused contrast with سَنَةٌ, which is often associated with hardship or drought, عَامٌ can designate a favorable and fruitful year, especially in the expression describing the year in which people receive rain and press produce.
- Mufradāt · row 1027
Selected Quran examples
Quran 12:49word 6
“a year”
Quran 29:14word 12
“year(s)”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 2:259عَامٍۢyear(s)
- 2:259عَامٍۢyear(s)
- 9:28عَامِهِمْthis, their (final) year
- 9:37عَامًۭاone year
- 9:37عَامًۭا(another) year
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 25 Classical meanings
عَامَ
To swim or course along in water; of ships, to sail or float; by extension, of stars to course through the sky and of camels to travel across the desert.
The extensions retain the idea of sustained movement through a medium or expanse.
- Lane · entry 5351
عَوَّمَ
To make a ship swim or float.
A causative Form II construction with a ship as object.
- Lane · entry 5352
عَوَّمَ
To turn or twist a turban upon the head.
A conventional Form II use applied to the arrangement of a turban.
- Lane · entry 5352
تَعْوِيمٌ
The placing of reaped corn in handfuls.
A derived-noun use referring to the arrangement of harvested grain.
- Lane · entry 5352
عَاوَمَهُ
To hire or engage someone for a year, or to make a yearly contract for work or a similar service.
The construction denotes an agreement measured by the year.
- Lane · entry 5353
مُعَاوَمَةٌ
A transaction extending across multiple years, especially selling the future produce or fruit of trees for two or more years, or extending and increasing a debt after it falls due.
This is the transaction called مُعَاوَمَةٌ in the discussion of prohibited or disapproved dealings.
- Lane · entry 5353
عَاوَمَ
Of a palm tree: to bear in one year and not in another; of a grapevine: to bear much one year and little the next.
An agricultural use describing alternating or markedly unequal yearly production.
- Lane · entry 5353
عَاوَمَ
Of a palm tree, to complete a year of growth.
A use referring to the completion of an elapsed year rather than to a contractual period.
- Lane · entry 5353
أَعَامَتِ الدَّارُ
Of a dwelling, to become altered or weathered as years pass over it.
A Form IV use describing the visible effects of the passage of years on a dwelling.
- Lane · entry 5354
عَامٌ
In temporal expressions, a former year, a year before the present one, or some years ago.
This conventional use appears with expressions such as عَامٌ أَوَّلُ, عَامُ الأَوَّلِ, and related phrases involving a period of years.
- Lane · entry 5355
عَامَةٌ
A float, raft, or small ferry used for crossing water.
The object may be made from branches or similar materials and may toss about on the water.
- Lane · entry 5356
عَامَةٌ
The head of a ruler or camel-rider when it appears at a distance in an open desert.
The term may be applied especially when the head is seen with a turban.
- Lane · entry 5356
عَامَةٌ
A turn or twist of a turban.
A nominal use for one arrangement or winding of the turban.
- Lane · entry 5356
عَامَةٌ
A quantity of reaped corn placed in handfuls.
This is an ordinary noun for a grouped portion of harvested grain.
- Lane · entry 5356
عُومَةٌ
A small smooth, round aquatic insect that swims in water.
The lexical description compares its shape and dark appearance to the stone of a ring.
- Lane · entry 5357
عُومَةٌ
A species of serpent found in Oman.
A regional zoological designation.
- Lane · entry 5357
عَامِيٌّ
A year old or having had a year pass over it.
Applied to a plant, it can mean a year old and therefore dry; applied to a dwelling trace, it means that a year has passed over it.
- Lane · entry 5358
عَامِيٌّ
Of a colocynth, associated with or useful in a year of drought or barrenness.
A specialized adjectival use referring to its preparation or usefulness during a drought year.
- Lane · entry 5358
عَوَّامٌ
A person skilled in swimming; figuratively, a horse fleet or excellent in running.
The second application extends the image of vigorous arm-and-leg movement from swimming to running.
- Lane · entry 5360
عَائِمٌ
Swimming or coursing along; of ships, sailing or floating.
The active participle is used of a swimmer and, by extension, of ships moving on water.
- Lane · entry 5361
سِنُونَ عُوَّمٌ
Severe, seemingly long years caused by drought or barrenness.
A conventional expression in which the years are described as if they were prolonged by the hardship they bring.
- Lane · entry 5361
عَائِمٌ
The name of a certain idol of the Arabs.
A proper-name use distinct from the active participle meaning.
- Lane · entry 5361
مُعْوِمٌ
Of a grapevine, bearing in one year and not in the next.
A specialized agricultural adjective describing alternate-year bearing.
- Lane · entry 5363
شَحْمٌ مُعَوِّمٌ
Fat characterized as being from one year after another.
An idiomatic description of fat in relation to successive years.
- Lane · entry 5365
مُسْتَعَامٌ
A ship upon the sea.
A specialized nominal designation for a vessel at sea.
- Lane · entry 5366
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The supplied QAC group is the noun عَامٌ; the swimming and coursing meanings belong to the verb and its derivatives and are not additional Quranic occurrences of this noun.
A Quranic expression mentioned in the swimming discussion is retained only as lexical context. Its historical citation is not converted into a modern verse location or assigned to the QAC noun عام.