Quranic root
غير
gh · y · r
The root has two principal orientations: provision, benefit, and improvement; and difference, otherness, alteration, and substitution.
The first orientation includes supplying a household, benefiting, watering, and protective jealousy. The second develops through being other or different, changing a state or form, replacing one thing with another, and using غير in negative and exceptive constructions.
- Maqāyīs · row 3485
- 4
- Quran-attested forms
- 7
- Quran senses
- 154
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
غَيَّرَ
ghayyara
- 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.
To change or alter a thing from its former state or quality.
Transitive; may concern an outward form, a condition, or what is within a people. The alteration may be beneficial, neutral, or for the worse depending on context.
- Lane · entry 30232
- Mufradāt · row 1079
Selected Quran examples
Quran 8:53word 12
“they change”
Quran 13:11word 15
“change”
Quran 13:11word 19
“they change”
Quran 4:119word 8
“so they will surely change”
To replace or exchange one thing for another.
This is the substitution sense, distinct from merely modifying the same thing while it remains the same entity.
- Lane · entry 30232
- Mufradāt · row 1079
تَغَيَّرَ
taghayyara
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form V
- Form
- V
- 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 become changed or altered from one's former state.
Intransitive or quasi-passive; the change may be in condition, quality, or other properties, including a deterioration when the context indicates it.
- Lane · entry 30235
Selected Quran examples
Quran 47:15word 16
“changes”
غَيْر
ghayr
- Part of speech
- Noun / adjective
- Quran occurrences
- 147 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.
Not; without the stated quality, condition, or attribute.
A negative qualifier that removes or denies a stated description; in some constructions it functions predicatively in the sense “is not.”
- Lane · entry 30238
- Mufradāt · row 1079
Selected Quran examples
Quran 1:7word 5
“not (of)”
Other than; different from, including a distinct counterpart or replacement.
It can identify something as non-identical in form or substance, designate a substitute, or denote what is contrary to truth or right, as in بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ. It commonly governs a following noun in the genitive.
- Lane · entry 30238
- Mufradāt · row 1079
Selected Quran examples
Quran 4:56word 13
“for other (than) that”
Except; save; excluding the following person or thing.
An exceptive construction whose case is determined by the syntax of the phrase; it may correspond to إِلَّا.
- Lane · entry 30238
- Mufradāt · row 1079
Selected Quran examples
Quran 11:50word 13
“other than Him”
مُغَيِّر
mughayyir
- Part of speech
- Active participle
- 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.
One who changes or alters.
Active participle of Form II, denoting an agent that effects the change described under غَيَّرَ.
- Lane · entry 30232
- Mufradāt · row 1079
Selected Quran examples
Quran 8:53word 6
“One Who changes”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 1:7غَيْرِnot (of)
- 2:59غَيْرَother (than)
- 2:61بِغَيْرِwithout (any)
- 2:173لِغَيْرِto other than
- 2:173غَيْرَwithout
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
غَارَ
To bring provisions to one's household; to benefit them, provide them with abundance, or water the land with rain.
Used with a household, people, or land as the beneficiary or recipient.
- Lane · entry 30231
غَارَهُ
To give the bloodwit as compensation for a slain person.
A legal and customary compensation in place of retaliation.
- Lane · entry 30231
غَارَ عَلَى
To be jealous of or protective toward one's wife or household.
The construction may express jealousy, protective concern, indignation, or anger at a spouse's conduct.
- Lane · entry 30231
غَيَّرَ
To alter something for the worse; to corrupt, taint, spoil, or make it foul.
A deteriorative use, especially of odor, quality, or condition.
- Lane · entry 30232
غَيَّرَ
To pluck out white or hoary hairs.
Used specifically of removing gray hairs.
- Lane · entry 30232
غَيَّرَ عَنْ بَعِيرِهِ
To put down a camel's saddle and set it right, adjust it, or repair it.
A customary expression concerning the adjustment or repair of a camel's saddle.
- Lane · entry 30232
غَايَرَ
To differ from another; to be different, one from the other.
The reciprocal relation is expressed by مُغَايَرَةٌ.
- Lane · entry 30233
غَايَرَ
To barter or exchange with someone.
Used in buying and selling, including exchanging an article of merchandise.
- Lane · entry 30233
أَغَارَ
To make a wife jealous by marrying another in addition to her.
A causative construction describing the jealousy that results in the wife.
- Lane · entry 30234
تَغَيَّرَ
To become altered for the worse; to become spoiled, tainted, corrupted, or foul.
An intransitive deteriorative use, especially of odor or condition.
- Lane · entry 30235
تَغَيَّرَ
To become exchanged for another thing.
A use describing substitution rather than a mere change of state.
- Lane · entry 30235
تَغَايَرَ
To differ, one thing from another.
Used of multiple things that are mutually different.
- Lane · entry 30236
اِغْتَارَ
To procure provisions; to obtain benefit, advantage, or profit.
Often used of going out to procure provisions for one's family.
- Lane · entry 30237
غَيْرٌ
An act of altering or changing.
A substantive formed from غَيَّرَ, distinct from the ordinary nominal use meaning “other than.”
- Lane · entry 30238
غِيَرٌ
Alterations or changes brought by time or fortune.
Used of changing circumstances or states caused by the accidents of time.
- Lane · entry 30238
بَنَاتُ غَيْرٍ
Lies, falsehoods, or untrue statements.
A figurative idiom, as in uttering or bringing “the daughters of ghayr.”
- Lane · entry 30238
وَغَيْرُ ذَلِكَ
And so forth; et cetera.
A frequent idiomatic phrase referring to further items of the same general kind.
- Lane · entry 30238
غَيْرَةٌ
Jealousy or protective concern over what belongs to or is sacred to oneself.
May involve dislike of another's participation in one's right, care to avoid suspicion, disdain, scorn, indignation, or anger at a wife's conduct.
- Lane · entry 30240
غِيرَةٌ
A provision of corn, wheat, or other food procured for oneself.
A provision or supply obtained for personal or household use.
- Lane · entry 30241
غِيرَةٌ
Bloodwit, or compensation paid in place of retaliation.
A legal compensation also called دِيَةٌ; the term may be understood as a substitute for retaliation.
- Lane · entry 30241
غِيَارٌ
A distinctive badge or identifying garment of non-Muslim subjects under a Muslim government.
Examples include a designated waist-belt or similar cognizance associated with a particular community.
- Lane · entry 30243
بِغِيَارِهِ
Having its own proper guise or characteristic form; unaltered from that form.
A figurative or technical expression applied to speech or language.
- Lane · entry 30243
غَيُورٌ
Very jealous; characterized by intense protective jealousy.
An intensive epithet used of a man or woman, with corresponding feminine forms.
- Lane · entry 30244
مَغِيرَةٌ
Land that has been watered or rained upon.
An adjective applied to land benefiting from rain or watering.
- Lane · entry 30247
مُغَيِّرٌ
One who puts down a camel's load or furniture to relieve and ease it.
A specialized active-participial use concerning the handling of a camel.
- Lane · entry 30248
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The nominal غَيْر has distinct negative, contrastive, and exceptive uses; English renderings such as “not,” “without,” and “other than” reflect construction and sense rather than mere stylistic variation.
The Form IV active participle مُغِيرَات in 100:3 is not assigned a Quranic lexical sense because the supplied direct lexical evidence does not establish the contextual charging or raiding meaning.
Unassigned or ambiguous evidence
The Quranic context gloss “the chargers” for qac-form:gyr:mugiyra`t:nominal:- remains lexically unsupported by the supplied Lane and Mufradat evidence and is therefore excluded from the public Quranic forms.