Quranic root
كثر
k · th · r
The root denotes the opposite of paucity: being numerous, abundant, or increased in quantity or number.
Its basic quantitative sense extends to comparative superiority, making or acquiring more, rivalry over having more, and intensified abundance such as كَوْثَر.
- Maqāyīs · row 3938
- Mufradāt · row 1236
- 9
- Quran-attested forms
- 13
- Quran senses
- 167
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
كَثُرَ
kathura
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form I
- Form
- I
- 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.
To become numerous, abundant, or great in quantity; to multiply.
An intransitive verb describing an increase or state of plurality in people, things, or quantity.
- Lane · entry 27914
Selected Quran examples
Quran 4:7word 17
“much”
Quran 8:19word 20
“(they are) numerous”
كَثَّرَ
kaththara
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form II
- Form
- II
- 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 make numerous, abundant, or greater in quantity; to increase or multiply something.
A causative transitive use, with the object being the people, things, or quantity increased.
- Lane · entry 27915
- Lane · entry 27917
Selected Quran examples
Quran 7:86word 19
“and He increased you”
أَكْثَرَ
ʾakthara
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form IV
- Form
- IV
- 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.
To make something abundant, numerous, or greater; to multiply it.
A causative use that may take an explicit object, including an action or state made more extensive.
- Lane · entry 27917
Selected Quran examples
Quran 89:12word 1
“And (made) much”
To do, say, or produce much; to be profuse or excessive in an activity.
The object may be explicit or suppressed; the construction can describe profuse speech, action, or production.
- Lane · entry 27917
Selected Quran examples
Quran 11:32word 5
“and you (have been) frequent”
اِسْتَكْثَرَ
āistakthara
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form X
- Form
- X
- Quran occurrences
- 3 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 desire, seek, or aim to obtain much of something.
The desired object may be material or immaterial, such as property, good, or another desired quantity.
- Lane · entry 27920
Selected Quran examples
Quran 7:188word 16
“surely I could have multiplied”
To do or have much of something; to engage in or produce it abundantly.
This use is equivalent to doing more or much of an activity or thing, with the relevant object or complement supplied by context.
- Lane · entry 27920
Selected Quran examples
Quran 6:128word 7
“you have (misled) many”
To reckon or regard something as much, abundant, or great.
A transitive evaluative use concerning the amount or magnitude attributed to the object.
- Lane · entry 27920
Selected Quran examples
Quran 74:6word 3
“(to) acquire more”
أَكْثَر
ʾakthar
- Part of speech
- Adjective / Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 80 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.
More or most in quantity or number.
A comparative or superlative nominal used for relative quantity, numerical majority, or greater abundance; the comparison may be explicit or understood from context.
- Lane · entry 27936
Selected Quran examples
كَثِير
kathīr
- Part of speech
- Adjective / Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 74 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.
Many, much, numerous, or abundant; a large quantity or number.
Used adjectivally or substantively with countable and uncountable things, and adverbially for doing something much or extensively. In Quranic usage, abundance can also imply considerable value or benefit, not number alone.
- Lane · entry 27931
- Mufradāt · row 1236
Selected Quran examples
كَثْرَة
kathrah
- 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.
Abundance, multitude, or a large quantity or number.
An abstract noun describing plentifulness or numerical multitude, including the abundance of a possession or circumstance.
- Lane · entry 27926
- Mufradāt · row 1236
Selected Quran examples
Quran 5:100word 8
“abundance”
Quran 9:25word 11
“your multitude”
كَوْثَر
kawthar
- 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.
Immense or abundant good, especially the abundant bounty granted to the Prophet.
A Quran-specific interpretation of the noun in which intensified abundance denotes great blessing or good rather than a mere numerical quantity.
- Lane · entry 27934
- Mufradāt · row 1236
Selected Quran examples
Quran 108:1word 3
“Al-Kauthar”
The river in Paradise associated especially with the Prophet.
A Quran-specific referent identified as a paradisiacal river from which other rivers flow.
- Lane · entry 27934
- Mufradāt · row 1236
Selected Quran examples
Quran 108:1word 3
“Al-Kauthar”
تَكَاثُر
takāthur
- Part of speech
- Verbal 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.
Rivalry or competitive striving to have more, especially in wealth, status, children, property, or followers.
A reciprocal or collective construction describing parties competing with one another for superiority in abundance or number.
- Lane · entry 27919
- Mufradāt · row 1236
Selected Quran examples
Quran 57:20word 10
“and competition in increase”
Quran 102:1word 2
“the competition to increase”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
View all 167 occurrencesBroader Classical Arabic meanings
Recorded for this root in the Classical lexicons beyond its Quran usage. These are secondary to the Quran senses above.
Show 24 Classical meanings
كَثُرَ
To occur or proceed often from someone or to be done frequently.
A construction describing repeated occurrence of an action or thing, distinct from simply becoming numerous.
- Lane · entry 27914
كَاثَرَ
To contend with another for superiority in number and overcome or surpass them in it.
A reciprocal contest between parties, distinct from the collective noun تَكَاثُر.
- Lane · entry 27916
أَكْثَرَ
To become rich or abundant in property.
An intransitive use concerning the abundance of a person's wealth or possessions.
- Lane · entry 27917
أَكْثَرَ
Of a palm-tree, to produce or put forth its spadix.
A specialized botanical use.
- Lane · entry 27917
تَكَثَّرَ
To endeavor to acquire much or an abundance of something.
The object may be knowledge or another desired possession.
- Lane · entry 27918
تَكَثَّرَ
To make a vain or false show of abundance or riches, including wealth not actually possessed.
A reflexive or social use involving boastful display or claiming more than one has.
- Lane · entry 27918
تَكَاثَرَ
To multiply or increase by degrees.
Used of riches or other things that become more in successive increase.
- Lane · entry 27919
تَكَاثَرَ
For people to multiply against someone and overcome or subdue them.
A construction in which numerical increase results in overpowering another party.
- Lane · entry 27919
تَكَوْثَرَ
Of dust, to become abundant or greatly increased.
A specialized use describing a large, rising quantity of dust.
- Lane · entry 27921
- Maqāyīs · row 3938
كُثْر
The greater, greatest, or main part of a thing; most of it.
A noun for the predominant portion, rather than the general adjective meaning many.
- Lane · entry 27923
كَثَر
The heart or pith of a palm-tree, or its spadix.
A specialized botanical noun, also reported as a variant for the palm spadix.
- Lane · entry 27925
كَثْرَة
Frequency or repeated occurrence.
A usage emphasizing how often something occurs rather than only its quantity or number.
- Lane · entry 27926
كَثْرَة
Richness or wealthiness.
A specialized extension in which abundance specifically denotes ample property or means.
- Lane · entry 27926
كُثَار
Companies, troops, or groups of men or animals.
The term is explicitly restricted in this use to groups of people or animals.
- Lane · entry 27929
كَثِير
Often or frequently.
An adverbial use emphasizing repeated occurrence rather than a large amount or number.
- Lane · entry 27931
كَثِير
Much, confused dust rising and diffusing itself.
A dialectal or specialized description of turbulent, spreading dust.
- Lane · entry 27931
كَثِيرَة
Much, used substantively in negative expressions.
A conventional substantivized use reported chiefly in negative phrases.
- Lane · entry 27932
كَوْثَر
A person abounding in good who gives generously or often.
A classical designation for a generous lord, master, or benefactor.
- Lane · entry 27934
كَوْثَر
A river.
The general lexical noun; the specifically paradisiacal river is separately represented under the Quranic sense.
- Lane · entry 27934
أَكْثَرِيّ
Pertaining to the greater number of things or cases.
A nisbah adjective formed from the comparative notion of the greater number.
- Lane · entry 27937
مُكْثِر
A person possessing wealth, especially much wealth.
A participial noun describing a wealthy person.
- Lane · entry 27938
مَكْثَرَة
A cause or means of making something abundant or multiplying it.
An instrumental or causal noun for what produces increase.
- Lane · entry 27939
مِكْثَار
Loquacious, talkative, or a great babbler.
Applied to either a man or a woman.
- Lane · entry 27940
مَكْثُور
Overcome, overwhelmed, or burdened by the multiplication of others or of claims.
It may describe a person outnumbered and subdued, a place thronged, or someone beset by numerous claimants or seekers of beneficence.
- Lane · entry 27941
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
أَكْثَر appears in separate QAC groups as both the comparative/superlative nominal and a Form IV verb; they are retained as distinct public forms.
كَوْثَر has two Quran-attested interpretive branches in the supplied lexical evidence: abundant good and the river in Paradise.
Unassigned or ambiguous evidence
lane-unit:kvr:27931:g1:sub4 contains a specialized description under كَثِير, but its editorial note says the correct reading is probably كَاثِر; it is therefore left unresolved rather than assigned to either headword.