Quranic root
لهو
l · h · w
The root has two principal semantic axes: occupying or diverting someone from one matter by another, and throwing or putting something by hand into an opening.
The first axis yields meanings of distraction, diversion, amusement, and becoming occupied or heedless. The second extends to the mill-feed or mill opening, the uvula, and figuratively a gift.
- Maqāyīs · row 4242
- 4
- Quran-attested forms
- 4
- Quran senses
- 16
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
تَلَهَّىٰ
talahhāā
- 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 divert oneself or become occupied with something, with resulting distraction.
A self-directed or reflexive use describing the subject's becoming distracted or turning attention away.
- Lane · entry 20743
Selected Quran examples
Quran 80:10word 3
“(are) distracted”
أَلْهَىٰ
ʾalhāā
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form IV
- Form
- IV
- 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 divert, distract, or occupy someone, drawing the person's attention away from another concern.
A transitive causative construction; the diverting cause may be a thing or an activity, including an activity such as singing.
- Lane · entry 20742
Selected Quran examples
Quran 63:9word 5
“divert you”
Quran 102:1word 1
“Diverts you”
لَاهٍ
lāhin
- 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.
Distracted or heedless, with attention occupied away from its proper concern.
An active-participle adjective; the Quranic occurrence is the feminine form describing a state of inward distraction.
- Lane · entry 20741
Selected Quran examples
Quran 21:3word 1
“Distracted”
لَهْو
lahw
- Part of speech
- Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 10 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.
Diversion, amusement, pastime, sport, or play that occupies a person away from another concern.
A noun for diversionary occupation; Quranic contexts use it for activities such as amusement, pastime, or sport, without requiring one particular type of activity.
- Lane · entry 20744
Selected Quran examples
Quran 21:17word 5
“a pastime”
Quran 62:11word 5
“a sport”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 6:32وَلَهْوٌۭ ۖand amusement
- 6:70وَلَهْوًۭاand amusement
- 7:51لَهْوًۭا(as) an amusement
- 15:3وَيُلْهِهِمُand diverted them
- 21:3لَاهِيَةًۭDistracted
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 5 Classical meanings
لَهِيَ
To become diverted from something and consequently forget it.
Reported with عَنْ in the construction لَهِيَ عَنْهُ; لَهَا عَنْهُ is also reported.
- Lane · entry 20741
لَهِيَ
To become cheered, delighted, and pleased by someone's discourse.
Occurs in constructions such as لَهَتْ إِلَى حَدِيثِهِ and لَهَوْتُ بِحَدِيثِهِ.
- Lane · entry 20741
لَهْو
An instrument of diversion, especially a musical instrument.
An object used for diversion; musical instruments are given as the characteristic application.
- Lane · entry 20744
لَهَاة
The uvula or the farthest part of the mouth; in a camel, the corresponding throat sac or شِقْشِقَة.
An anatomical noun with variant descriptions referring to the hanging flesh, the rear of the mouth, or the analogous camel anatomy.
- Lane · entry 20745
لُهْوَة
The quantity of grain thrown by hand into a mill's opening, and also the mouth or opening of the millstone.
A technical term for the hand-fed material or the receiving opening of a mill.
- Lane · entry 20746
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The supplied QAC metadata labels تَلَهَّىٰ as Form I, while its Arabic pattern and the supplied Lane entry correspond to Form V; the public form preserves the supplied QAC grouping and Quranic headword pending resolution of that classification discrepancy.
Unassigned or ambiguous evidence
The morphological classification of the تَلَهَّىٰ group is internally inconsistent: QAC supplies Form I, whereas the Arabic pattern and Lane's corresponding entry are Form V. The lexical meaning is assigned confidently, but the form label remains as supplied by QAC.