Quranic root
جوب
j · w · b
The root has two principal semantic axes: making an opening or cutting through something, and answering or reciprocating in speech or response.
The opening-and-cutting axis extends to hollowing, traversing, gaps, and related implements or objects. A distinct communicative axis develops into replying, responding to a summons, answering a prayer, and reciprocal dialogue.
- Maqāyīs · row 1251
- Mufradāt · row 278
- 5
- Quran-attested forms
- 7
- Quran senses
- 43
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
جَابَ
jāba
- 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 cut through, perforate, hollow out, or excavate something.
In the Quran, used of Thamūd cutting or hollowing the rocks to make dwellings.
- Lane · entry 47679
- Mufradāt · row 278
Selected Quran examples
Quran 89:9word 3
“carved out”
أَجَابَ
ʾajāba
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form IV
- Form
- IV
- Quran occurrences
- 8 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 answer or respond to a question, saying, call, or summons, whether by giving a reply or by heeding it.
With a caller or summons, the construction can mean to heed, obey, or comply; with a question or saying, the reply may be affirmative or negative.
- Lane · entry 47682
- Mufradāt · row 278
Selected Quran examples
Quran 46:31word 2
“Respond”
To answer a prayer or request by granting what was sought.
Used of God answering a supplication through gift, acceptance, or the granting of the requested matter.
- Lane · entry 47682
- Mufradāt · row 278
Selected Quran examples
Quran 10:89word 3
“has been answered”
اِسْتَجَابَ
āistajāba
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form X
- Form
- X
- Quran occurrences
- 28 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 respond to, heed, or comply with a call, summons, or appeal.
The form is explained as turning toward and preparing for a response, and is conventionally used for the resulting response or compliance.
- Mufradāt · row 278
Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:186word 12
“So let them respond”
To answer a prayer or request by granting it.
Used when a supplication receives a favorable response or its requested outcome is granted.
- Mufradāt · row 278
Selected Quran examples
Quran 21:76word 6
“so We responded”
جَوَابٌ
jawābun
- Part of speech
- Noun
- 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.
An answer, reply, or response to a question, saying, letter, writing, or demand.
The answer may be affirmative or negative; in Quranic usage it denotes the response returned by a people to a prophetic or angelic message.
- Lane · entry 47693
- Mufradāt · row 278
Selected Quran examples
Quran 27:56word 3
“(the) answer”
Quran 29:24word 3
“(the) answer”
مُجِيبٌ
mujībun
- 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.
One who answers or responds; especially God as the Answerer of prayer.
An active participle used substantively, including a divine epithet and its plural form in reference to responders.
- Lane · entry 47700
Selected Quran examples
Quran 11:61word 27
“All-Responsive”
Quran 37:75word 5
“(are We as) Responders”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 2:186أُجِيبُI respond
- 2:186فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا۟So let them respond
- 3:172ٱسْتَجَابُوا۟responded
- 3:195فَٱسْتَجَابَThen responded
- 5:109أُجِبْتُمْ ۖwas (the) response you received
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 38 Classical meanings
جَابَ
To cut out or hollow a garment, its neck opening, a piece of cloth, or a sandal.
A related cutting use applied to garments, cloth, and footwear rather than to excavating rock.
- Lane · entry 47679
جَابَ
To traverse or cross a country, land, desert, or darkness.
Often used of traveling through a region or through darkness; this is a broader Classical use than the Quranic rock-cutting use.
- Lane · entry 47679
جَوْبٌ
The pouncing descent of a bird, or the sound associated with such a descent.
A rare traditional usage.
- Lane · entry 47679
- Lane · entry 47693
جَابَ
To be rent apart or separated.
Attested in a passive-looking traditional expression describing people separated from one another.
- Lane · entry 47679
جَوَّبَ
To illumine or clear a dark night by penetrating it.
A figurative or assumed-tropical use, said of moonlight.
- Lane · entry 47680
جَوَّبَ
To shield or protect someone.
Derived from جَوْبٌ in the sense of a shield.
- Lane · entry 47680
جَاوَبَ
To exchange answers with someone; to hold a dialogue, colloquy, conference, disputation, or debate.
The exchange is reciprocal, with each party returning words or answers to the other.
- Lane · entry 47681
أَجَابَ
Of land, to produce plants or herbage.
An assumed-tropical Classical usage.
- Lane · entry 47682
أَجَابَ
Of tears, to run or flow as though answering a call.
An assumed-tropical description of flowing tears.
- Lane · entry 47682
تَجَاوَبَ
To answer one another or exchange responses; to engage in reciprocal dialogue.
Also used of the reciprocal calls or cries of turtle-doves, pigeons, camels, or horses.
- Lane · entry 47683
تَجَاوَبَ
Of parts of speech, to correspond, agree, or be mutually consistent.
A figurative use describing coherence between the beginning and end of an utterance.
- Lane · entry 47683
اِنْجَابَ
To become rent or slit.
Said especially of a garment.
- Lane · entry 47684
اِنْجَابَ
To clear away or become open and unobstructed.
Used of clouds clearing from a place and of a place becoming open or clear.
- Lane · entry 47684
اِنْجَابَ
Of a she-camel, to stretch out her neck to be milked and submit to restraint.
A rare, attributed Classical usage expressing compliance with the milker's purpose.
- Lane · entry 47684
اِجْتَابَ
To dig or hollow out, such as a well or a shelter.
Used of digging a well and of a wild cow excavating a sheltered hollow.
- Lane · entry 47685
اِجْتَابَ
To put on or enter into a garment; of darkness, to envelop or enter into it.
The garment use is literal; the darkness use is assumed-tropical.
- Lane · entry 47685
جَوْبٌ
Cut, as it were, from one father; sprung from the loins of one father.
A figurative expression for a tribe or group sharing one paternal origin.
- Lane · entry 47688
جَوْبٌ
A fireplace or fire-pit.
Named from its hollowed form.
- Lane · entry 47688
جَوْبٌ
A large bucket.
Named from its hollow form.
- Lane · entry 47688
جَوْبٌ
A shield.
A nominal use distinct from the verb meaning to cut or hollow.
- Lane · entry 47688
جَوْبٌ
A garment with a central slit through which the head is put, or a woman's shift.
The slit or opening is the motivating feature of the term.
- Lane · entry 47688
جَوْبٌ
A kind, sort, or variety, especially of temperament or sound.
Used in expressions describing two kinds of disposition or two kinds of eerie voices.
- Lane · entry 47688
جَيْبٌ
The collar or neck opening of a shirt.
Its derivation from جوب is disputed; another account derives it from the separate root جيب.
- Lane · entry 47689
جِيبَةٌ
The manner or mode of answering, replying, or responding.
The word is also reported as synonymous with جَوَابٌ and as a noun used in place of the infinitive of أَجَابَ.
- Lane · entry 47692
جَوَابٌ
In grammar, a responsive particle or the complement of a condition or oath.
This is a technical grammatical use, including جواب الشرط and جواب القسم.
- Lane · entry 47693
جَوَّابٌ
An exceptionally skilled well-digger or boring worker.
A surname based on digging wells or boring rocks until they yielded water.
- Lane · entry 47694
جَوَّابٌ
A frequent traveler or traverser of countries; a guide of the desert.
Used of one who travels widely, including one who travels throughout the night.
- Lane · entry 47694
الجَائِبُ العَيْنِ
A lion.
An obscure lexical expression.
- Lane · entry 47695
جَائِبَةُ خَبَرٍ
News or tidings that travel from place to place; far-reaching reports or current proverbs.
Used of information circulating across countries or towns.
- Lane · entry 47696
أَجْوَبُ
More or most penetrating to the source from which an answer is expected, or quickest to be answered.
Used in a question about which part of the night is most favorable for a prayer to receive an answer; the form and derivation are described as anomalous or disputed.
- Lane · entry 47697
مَجُوبٌ
Anything cut through the middle or hollowed out in its middle.
A passive-participial description of a cut or excavated object.
- Lane · entry 47698
مِجْوَبٌ
An iron instrument used for cutting, perforating, or hollowing.
A tool for making an opening or excavation.
- Lane · entry 47699
مُجَوَّبٌ
Of land, having one part rained upon while another part has not.
An assumed-tropical description of unevenly watered land.
- Lane · entry 47702
مِجْوَابٌ
An instrument for boring palm-sticks, canes, and similar materials.
Used especially by makers of cages, crates, or similar objects.
- Lane · entry 47703
مُتَجَاوِبٌ
Of speech or language, having parts that correspond or are consistent with one another.
A participial description of internally coherent speech.
- Lane · entry 47704
مُنْجَابٌ
A garment that is rent or slit.
A nominal description of a garment bearing an opening or slit.
- Lane · entry 47705
جَوْبَةٌ
A depression, hollow, gap, or open space.
Used of a depressed place, pit, excavation, or hollow; a gap or opening in clouds or mountains; and a clear, open tract or intervening space between houses or lands.
- Lane · entry 47691
جَوْبَةٌ
The pudenda of women.
A plural use of جَوْبَةٌ, synonymous with فُرُوجٌ.
- Lane · entry 47691
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The public headwords normalize inflected QAC lemma forms to dictionary citation forms, especially جَابَ, أَجَابَ, and اِسْتَجَابَ.
The derivation of جَيْبٌ, the shirt opening, is disputed in the supplied evidence; it is retained as a qualified Classical possibility rather than an unqualified root assignment.
The dialectal جَابَةُ المِدْرَى is left unresolved because the supplied evidence treats it as a variant of a form associated with another root and gives no secure derivation from جوب.
Unassigned or ambiguous evidence
lane-unit:jwb:47690:g2:main: the dialectal deer term جَابَةُ المِدْرَى is materially lexical but its root assignment is not secure in the supplied evidence.