Quranic root
دلل
d · l · l
The root has two principal semantic orientations: making something known through a sign or indication, and movement or disturbance.
The first orientation yields directing, guiding, indicating, evidence, and signification. The second yields dangling, agitation, wavering, and figurative bodily or social movement; related lexical extensions include boldness and presumptuous behavior.
- Maqāyīs · row 1802
- Mufradāt · row 479
- 2
- Quran-attested forms
- 2
- Quran senses
- 8
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
دَلَّ
dalla
- 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.
To direct, guide, show, or indicate something to someone.
Used for directing someone toward a way, thing, person, or knowledge, including indicating a matter to those who learn of it.
- Lane · entry 1022
- Mufradāt · row 479
Selected Quran examples
دَلِيلٌ
dalīlun
- 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.
An indication or sign by which something is known or guidance is obtained.
A thing may function as a دليل when it makes another thing knowable or directs attention toward it; the Quranic occurrence uses this sense of an indication.
- Lane · entry 1036
- Mufradāt · row 479
Selected Quran examples
Quran 25:45word 16
“an indication”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 7:22فَدَلَّىٰهُمَاSo he made both of them fall
- 20:40أَدُلُّكُمْI show you
- 20:120أَدُلُّكَI direct you
- 25:45دَلِيلًۭاan indication
- 28:12أَدُلُّكُمْdirect you
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 41 Classical meanings
دَلَّ، دَلٌّ
Amorous or coquettish behavior, including pleasing talk, jesting, gesture, or mien.
Reported especially of a woman toward her husband, and also of a man in conduct toward his wife.
- Lane · entry 1022
- Lane · entry 1031
دَلَّ
To glory in or boast of particular qualities or properties.
A distinct classical use of the Form I verb.
- Lane · entry 1022
دَلَّ
To favor someone with or confer a gift or benefit.
The object is a gift or benefit bestowed on another.
- Lane · entry 1022
دَلَّ
To embolden someone or make that person presume against another.
Used in constructions expressing what has emboldened someone to act against another.
- Lane · entry 1022
أَدَلَّ
To act boldly or presumptuously toward someone.
The boldness is directed toward another person.
- Lane · entry 1024
أَدَلَّ
To presume on another's love or confidence, or to confide in someone.
This use expresses confidence in the affection or support of the person concerned.
- Lane · entry 1024
أَدَلَّ
To overcome or overpower an adversary, literally taking him from above.
Used of combat, war, or a predator overcoming its prey.
- Lane · entry 1024
أَدَلَّ
Of a wolf, to become mangy or scabby, lean, emaciated, and small-bodied.
A specialized lexical use reported specifically of a wolf.
- Lane · entry 1024
تَدَلَّلَ
To exalt oneself or become haughty, proud, or disdainful.
Used of behaving arrogantly or disdainfully toward an authority or another person.
- Lane · entry 1025
اِنْدَلَّ
To pour out or forth, or to become poured out or forth.
An intransitive Form VII use describing something issuing or flowing out.
- Lane · entry 1026
اِسْتَدَلَّ
To seek, use, adduce, or regard something as an indication, evidence, proof, or argument, and thereby infer or deduce another thing.
The construction commonly relates one thing used as evidence to another thing inferred or established.
- Lane · entry 1028
اِسْتَدَلَّ
To be guided, or to guide oneself, by one thing to another thing or to knowledge of it.
A quasi-passive or reflexive use of the Form X verb.
- Lane · entry 1028
دَلْدَلَ
To put a suspended thing into motion or commotion, or to move the head and limbs while walking.
A transitive reduplicated form describing movement of something suspended or bodily movement.
- Lane · entry 1029
دَلْدَلَ
To go away into the country or land.
An idiomatic use in the construction دَلْدَلَ فِي الأَرْضِ.
- Lane · entry 1029
تَدَلْدَلَ
To move or hang down loosely; to dangle.
An intransitive description of something suspended and moving or hanging down.
- Lane · entry 1030
تَدَلْدَلَ
To waver, vacillate, or remain suspended between two affairs without pursuing a direct course.
A figurative extension of hanging or suspended movement.
- Lane · entry 1030
دَلٌّ
A calm, placid, grave, and pleasing manner of deportment or mien.
Used of a person's manner, aspect, or natural disposition.
- Lane · entry 1031
دَلٌّ
Boldness or presumptuousness toward a person whose esteem, affection, or love one possesses.
A noun associated with the corresponding Form IV usage.
- Lane · entry 1031
دُلَّةٌ
A favor or benefit conferred or bestowed.
A noun denoting the bestowed favor itself.
- Lane · entry 1033
دَلِيلٌ
A director, guide, or person who directs another toward what is sought.
Used particularly of a rational guide or leader.
- Lane · entry 1036
دَلِيلٌ
An evidence, proof, argument, or sign by which a matter is established or discovered.
The evidence may concern a sensory matter, a legal matter, or another object of knowledge, and may be decisive or indecisive.
- Lane · entry 1036
دَلَالَةٌ
The signification or indication of a word or expression.
In technical usage, signification may be by complete correspondence, partial inclusion, or a necessary implication.
- Lane · entry 1037
دِلَالَةٌ
Direction, right guidance, or the skill and practiced ability of a guide.
The word can denote either the act or quality of guiding, or a guide's well-grounded skill in finding the way.
- Lane · entry 1038
دِلَالَةٌ
The occupation or service of a broker or intermediary.
A commercial use connected with bringing a seller and buyer together.
- Lane · entry 1038
دِلَالَةٌ
The fee paid to a guide or broker.
A commercial or service payment associated with guiding or brokerage.
- Lane · entry 1038
دُلَّى
A conspicuous road or beaten track.
One reported variety specifies a white road or beaten track.
- Lane · entry 1041
دَلَّالٌ
A broker or intermediary who brings a seller and buyer together to effect a sale.
The broker directs the purchaser to the merchandise and the seller to the price.
- Lane · entry 1042
دُلْدُلٌ
A person or group wavering or vacillating between two affairs without taking a direct course.
Also used of coming or proceeding while wavering and inclining to neither side.
- Lane · entry 1044
دُلْدُلٌ
A grave, difficult, formidable, or momentous affair.
Used of a situation into which people fall and which is difficult to resolve.
- Lane · entry 1044
دُلْدُلٌ
A hedgehog or a related large, long-spined animal.
Lexicographers distinguish among a large hedgehog, a male hedgehog, and a similar spiny beast.
- Lane · entry 1044
دُلْدُلٌ
The name of a particular mule.
A proper name for a mule described as predominantly white over black.
- Lane · entry 1044
دَلْدَالٌ
Motion, commotion, agitation, convulsion, tumult, or disturbance.
A noun derived from the movement sense of دَلْدَلَ.
- Lane · entry 1045
دَلْدَالٌ
A disordered, unsteady, or fluctuating state of affairs.
Used figuratively of affairs that have become unsound or unstable.
- Lane · entry 1045
أَدَلٌّ
Very bountiful or beneficent.
An adjectival use reported as a distinct lexical item.
- Lane · entry 1050
اِسْتِدْلَالِيٌّ
Inferential, illative, or deductive knowledge.
A technical term for knowledge reached through reflection and examination of evidence, opposed to immediate or intuitive knowledge.
- Lane · entry 1051
مُدِلٌّ
Bold, daring, or presumptuous, especially one trusting in himself, his courage, weapons, or equipment.
An active-participial description of a person acting with confident boldness.
- Lane · entry 1052
مُدَلَّلَةٌ
In a Baghdadi expression, a foster-child or child under the care of a particular man.
The cited source explicitly identifies this as a Baghdadi usage rather than Classical Arabic.
- Lane · entry 1053
مُدَلِّلٌ
One who wrongfully accuses someone of a crime, offense, or injurious act.
A specialized active-participial use.
- Lane · entry 1054
مَدْلُولٌ
Directed, rightly directed, or guided.
The passive participle may describe one who has been directed or guided.
- Lane · entry 1055
مَدْلُولٌ
Indicated, denoted, or signified; the meaning indicated by a word.
Especially used in the expression مَدْلُولُ لَفْظٍ for the signified meaning of an expression.
- Lane · entry 1055
مَدْلُولٌ
Emboldened.
A separate passive-participial extension of the root's boldness branch.
- Lane · entry 1055
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The Lane material is attached to the contracted root دل, which is the supplied Lane match for canonical QAC root دلل.
The Quran Foundation gloss for 7:22, “So he made both of them fall,” has no independent form-level lexical explanation in the supplied Lane or Mufradat evidence.
Unassigned or ambiguous evidence
The 7:22 verb occurrence is retained in the QAC accounting but not assigned a separate Quranic sense: its contextual gloss suggests causing a fall, while the supplied direct lexical sources do not independently establish that usage for دَلَّ.