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Pray for the Truth

Quranic root

حيي

ḥ · y · y

The root has two principal orientations: life and vitality, opposed to death; and shame or modest restraint, opposed to shamelessness.

The life branch extends to growth, sensation, intellect, enduring life, revival, and greetings originally phrased as prayers for life. The other branch concerns shrinking from what is improper, shame, and refraining.

  • Maqāyīs · row 1483
  • Mufradāt · row 380
12
Quran-attested forms
18
Quran senses
184
Quran occurrences

Forms in the Quran

The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.

حَيِيَ

ḥayiya

Part of speech
Verb · Form I
Form
I
Quran occurrences
7 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.

  1. To live; be alive.

    Used of continuing or coming to be in life, in contrast with dying.

    • Lane · entry 16247
    • Mufradāt · row 380
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 7:25word 3

    “you will live”

    Quran 8:42word 29

    “(were to) live”

حَيَّى

ḥayyā

Part of speech
Verb · Form II
Form
II
Quran occurrences
4 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.

  1. To greet or salute; to offer a greeting.

    The greeting is historically a prayer for the recipient's life, preservation, or well-being.

    • Lane · entry 16248
    • Mufradāt · row 380
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 4:86word 2

    “you are greeted”

    Quran 58:8word 20

    “they greet you”

أَحْيَا

ʾaḥyā

Part of speech
Verb · Form IV
Form
IV
Quran occurrences
51 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.

  1. To give life, bring to life, or revive.

    Includes restoring life to the dead and reviving lifeless land through growth.

    • Lane · entry 16250
    • Mufradāt · row 380
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 2:243word 17

    “He restored them to life”

    Quran 41:39word 15

    “gives it life”

  2. To endow with intellectual or spiritual life.

    Used figuratively of one formerly described as dead being given understanding and guidance.

    • Lane · entry 16250
    • Mufradāt · row 380
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 6:122word 4

    “and We gave him life”

  3. To preserve or save from destruction.

    Used where keeping a person alive is expressed as giving life.

    • Mufradāt · row 380
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 5:32word 23

    “saves it”

اِسْتَحْيَا

āistaḥyā

Part of speech
Verb · Form X
Form
X
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.

  1. To spare, leave alive, or refrain from killing.

    Used of allowing someone to live or leaving them unharmed.

    • Lane · entry 16253
    • Mufradāt · row 380
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 2:49word 11

    “and letting live”

  2. To feel shame or modest restraint; to refrain from doing something out of shame.

    May express reluctance or abstention in a construction with an act or matter.

    • Lane · entry 16253
    • Mufradāt · row 380
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 2:26word 4

    “ashamed”

    Quran 33:53word 32

    “and he is shy”

حَيَاة

ḥayāh

Part of speech
Noun
Quran occurrences
76 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.

  1. Life; the state or span of living.

    Often denotes worldly life in contrast with the Hereafter; it can also denote enduring life.

    • Lane · entry 16260
    • Mufradāt · row 380
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 13:26word 11

    “(is) the life”

    Quran 89:24word 4

    “for my life”

  2. Preservation of life; life-giving benefit or advantage.

    Used in the statement that retribution contains life, because it restrains killing and preserves people.

    • Lane · entry 16260
    • Mufradāt · row 380
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 2:179word 4

    “(is) life”

  3. A good or wholesome life.

    Used for a divinely granted life of well-being; explanations include lawful provision or Paradise.

    • Lane · entry 16260
    • Mufradāt · row 380
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 16:97word 11

    “a life”

حَيَوَان

ḥayawān

Part of speech
Noun
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.

  1. True, abiding, or everlasting life.

    An intensive life-noun used of the final abode as the life not followed by death.

    • Lane · entry 16260
    • Lane · entry 16266
    • Mufradāt · row 380
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 29:64word 12

    “(is) the life”

حَيّ

ḥayy

Part of speech
Adjective / Noun
Quran occurrences
24 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.

  1. Living; alive; a living being.

    May apply to persons, animals, plants, or living things generally.

    • Lane · entry 16255
    • Mufradāt · row 380
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 3:169word 10

    “They are alive”

    Quran 21:30word 16

    “living thing”

  2. The Ever-Living; the One not subject to death.

    Used as a divine attribute.

    • Lane · entry 16255
    • Mufradāt · row 380
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 2:255word 6

    “the Ever-Living”

حَيَّة

ḥayyah

Part of speech
Noun
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.

  1. A serpent; snake.

    Used for a snake without a lexical restriction to either sex.

    • Lane · entry 16257
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 20:20word 4

    “(was) a snake”

مُحْيِي

muḥyī

Part of speech
Active participle
Quran occurrences
2 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.

  1. One who gives life or revives.

    Active participle of Form IV.

    • Mufradāt · row 380
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 41:39word 16

    “(is) surely the Giver of life”

مَحْيَا

maḥyā

Part of speech
Noun
Quran occurrences
2 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.

  1. A lifetime, state of living, or manner of life.

    Used with possessive suffixes for a person's or group's living.

    • Lane · entry 16277
    • Mufradāt · row 380
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 6:162word 5

    “and my living”

    Quran 45:21word 13

    “(in) their life”

تَحِيَّة

taḥiyyah

Part of speech
Verbal 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.

  1. A greeting or salutation.

    Originally a formula praying for life or well-being; in Quranic usage, a greeting rather than a gift.

    • Lane · entry 16276
    • Mufradāt · row 380
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 4:86word 3

    “with a greeting”

    Quran 24:61word 64

    “a greeting”

اِسْتِحْيَاء

āistiḥyāʾ

Part of speech
Verbal noun
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.

  1. Shame, shyness, or modest restraint.

    The verbal noun of Form X in its shame-and-modesty sense.

    • Lane · entry 16253
    • Mufradāt · row 380
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 28:25word 5

    “shyness”

Occurrences in the Quran

Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.

  • 2:26يَسْتَحْىِۦٓashamed
  • 2:28فَأَحْيَـٰكُمْ ۖthen He gave you life
  • 2:28يُحْيِيكُمْHe will give you life
  • 2:49وَيَسْتَحْيُونَand letting live
  • 2:73يُحْىِrevives
View all 184 occurrences

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 42 Classical meanings

  • حَيِيَ

    To become well-conditioned or prosperous; to grow fat after leanness.

    Said of a people or company.

    • Lane · entry 16247

  • حَيِيَ / حَيّ

    To burn brightly; burning or live.

    Said of fire.

    • Lane · entry 16247
    • Lane · entry 16255

  • حَيِيَ / حَيّ

    To become apparent or distinct.

    Said of a road or way.

    • Lane · entry 16247
    • Lane · entry 16255

  • حَيِيَ

    To feel shame or bashfulness.

    A Form-I usage related to the shame branch of the root.

    • Lane · entry 16247

  • حَيَّى

    To approach the age of fifty.

    Used with fifty as the age approached.

    • Lane · entry 16248

  • حَيَّى

    To write the letter ḥāʾ.

    Used of writing a well-formed ḥāʾ.

    • Lane · entry 16248

  • حَايَى

    To enliven or revive a fire by blowing on it.

    Also associated with nourishment sustaining a child's life.

    • Lane · entry 16249

  • أَحْيَا

    To bring uncultivated land into productive use by cultivation, enclosure, building, or similar improvement.

    A technical use concerning unused land.

    • Lane · entry 16250

  • أَحْيَا / حَيّ

    To find land fruitful or rich in fresh herbage; fruitful land.

    Also used of abundance of pasture and herbage.

    • Lane · entry 16250
    • Lane · entry 16255

  • أَحْيَا

    To spend the night awake, especially in worship or devotion.

    Used with night or one's night.

    • Lane · entry 16250

  • أَحْيَتْ / مُحْيٍ

    To have living offspring that seldom or never die.

    Said of a she-camel.

    • Lane · entry 16250
    • Lane · entry 16278

  • أَحْيَا

    To enjoy abundant pasture, rain, or cattle in good condition.

    Said of a people or company.

    • Lane · entry 16250

  • تَحَيَّى

    To shrink back from something.

    A figurative Form-V use.

    • Lane · entry 16251

  • تَحَايَا

    To revive or enliven oneself.

    Quasi-passive of the Form-III sense.

    • Lane · entry 16252

  • اِسْتَحْيَا

    To disdain, avoid, or refuse something out of pride.

    Used with min for abstaining from a thing.

    • Lane · entry 16253

  • حَيَّ

    Come! Hasten!

    An invariable summons or urging expression, commonly followed by ʿalā.

    • Lane · entry 16254

  • حَيَّ هَلَ

    Come quickly; hasten to.

    A compound summons expression with several recorded variants.

    • Lane · entry 16254

  • حَيّ

    Intellectually alive; possessing understanding; hence, a believer.

    Figurative usage contrasted with intellectual death or unbelief.

    • Lane · entry 16255

  • حَيّ

    Lively and free from grief or sorrow.

    Figurative usage.

    • Lane · entry 16255

  • حَيّ

    Whole, sound, or unbroken.

    Figurative usage.

    • Lane · entry 16255

  • حَيّ / حَيَاة

    Bright, clear, or still powerful.

    Said of the sun before setting, with reference to remaining whiteness, light, heat, or power.

    • Lane · entry 16255
    • Lane · entry 16260

  • حَيّ

    A tribal group, clan, or descendants of one ancestor.

    Plural: أحياء.

    • Lane · entry 16255

  • حَيّ / حَيَاء

    The external female genitalia.

    Applied in Classical usage to specified humans and animals.

    • Lane · entry 16255
    • Lane · entry 16259

  • لا حَيَّ عَنْهُ

    There is no prohibition or restraint upon him.

    Fixed negative expression.

    • Lane · entry 16255

  • لا يَعْرِفُ الحَيَّ مِنَ اللَّيِّ

    To be unable to distinguish truth from falsehood.

    Idiomatic expression with several reported explanations.

    • Lane · entry 16255

  • حَيَّة

    A serpent used figuratively for a crafty, malicious, strong, courageous, or exceptionally sharp person.

    Includes idiomatic comparisons and epithets.

    • Lane · entry 16257

  • الحَيَّة

    The constellation Draco.

    A stellar designation.

    • Lane · entry 16257

  • حَيَّة

    A winding brand-mark made with a hot iron.

    Said of a mark on a camel's neck or thigh.

    • Lane · entry 16257

  • حَيَا

    Rain; also abundant herbage, fatness, or plenty resulting from rain.

    Named for giving life to land.

    • Lane · entry 16258
    • Lane · entry 16259

  • حَيَاء

    Shame, bashfulness, modesty, or a shrinking of the soul from blameworthy conduct.

    Also used for repentance in one reported lexical usage.

    • Lane · entry 16259

  • حَيَوَان

    An animal or any being possessing animal life.

    Can be used as singular or plural.

    • Lane · entry 16266

  • حَيَوِيّ

    Of or relating to a serpent.

    Relational adjective.

    • Lane · entry 16265

  • حَيَوَانِيّ

    Animal; relating to animals.

    Relational adjective.

    • Lane · entry 16267

  • حَيَوَانِيّ

    A seller of birds.

    A specialized occupational use.

    • Lane · entry 16267

  • حَيَوَانِيَّة

    Animality; animal nature.

    • Lane · entry 16268

  • أَحْيَى

    More long-lived; or, in a separate comparison, more shy or bashful.

    Used in proverbial comparative expressions.

    • Lane · entry 16273

  • التَّحَايِي

    A group of stars associated with the lunar mansions.

    Its name is related to rain in the reported explanation.

    • Lane · entry 16275

  • تَحِيَّة

    Continuance, endurance, or everlasting existence.

    A Classical extension of the greeting noun.

    • Lane · entry 16276

  • تَحِيَّة

    Dominion or kingship.

    Associated with forms of royal salutation.

    • Lane · entry 16276

  • مُحَيًّا

    The face, especially the visible or prominent part of it.

    Used as a term of praise.

    • Lane · entry 16279

  • مُحَيًّا

    The place below a horse's forelock where the flesh or hair separates.

    Also in the expression دَائِرَةُ المُحَيَّا.

    • Lane · entry 16279

  • أَبُو يَحْيَى

    Death.

    An epithet or kunya-like expression.

    • Lane · entry 16282

Cautions

Points that affect how this root should be read.

  • The Form-X verb has two Quranic branches: sparing someone and feeling shame or refraining; the immediate construction determines the sense.

  • حَيَوَان in 29:64 is an intensive expression for abiding life, not merely the ordinary collective noun 'animals'.

Unassigned or ambiguous evidence

  • lane-unit:Hyy:16281:g1:main: مَحْيَاة 'land abounding with serpents' is explicitly equated with a form assigned to the different root حوى, so it is not confidently assigned to this root.