Quranic root
لوي
l · w · y
The root centers on inclining, bending, or twisting something away from a straight course.
From physical inclination and twisting, the lexicon develops uses for turning aside, distorting speech, complicating matters, delaying a debt, and naming things characterized by bending, separation, or stored-away status.
- Maqāyīs · row 4259
- 3
- Quran-attested forms
- 5
- Quran senses
- 5
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
لَوَى
lawā
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form I
- Form
- I
- 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 turn toward, pause for, or wait for someone.
In the Quranic negative construction لَا تَلْوُونَ عَلَى أَحَدٍ, it denotes not stopping or turning back toward anyone while fleeing.
- Lane · entry 20768
- Mufradāt · row 1334
Selected Quran examples
Quran 3:153word 4
“casting a glance”
To twist or distort speech or wording, thereby misrepresenting it.
Quranic usage concerns twisting the tongue in relation to scripture or distorting what is being stated; this is a figurative extension of turning something from its proper course.
- Mufradāt · row 1334
Selected Quran examples
Quran 3:78word 4
“they distort”
Quran 4:135word 29
“you distort”
To go around or round about something.
The construction لَوَى عَلَيْهِ is reported with this meaning in a Quran-commentary citation; the historical citation is not assigned a modern verse location here.
- Lane · entry 20768
لَوَّى
lawwā
- 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 turn or twist something aside, especially to turn the head away.
In the Quranic expression لَوَّوْا رُؤُوسَهُمْ, it describes turning their heads aside in refusal or aversion.
- Mufradāt · row 1334
Selected Quran examples
Quran 63:5word 9
“They turn aside”
لَيّ
layy
- Part of speech
- Verbal 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.
Twisting or distortion of speech or the tongue.
In the Quranic construction لَيًّا بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ, it denotes twisting the tongue so that speech is misrepresented.
- Mufradāt · row 1334
Selected Quran examples
Quran 4:46word 15
“twisting”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 3:78يَلْوُۥنَthey distort
- 3:153تَلْوُۥنَcasting a glance
- 4:46لَيًّۢاtwisting
- 4:135تَلْوُۥٓا۟you distort
- 63:5لَوَّوْا۟They turn aside
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 20 Classical meanings
لَوَى
To twist, wind, curl, curve, or bend a thing; to turn someone or something from its course and make it swerve.
A transitive physical use and the related causative use of making something deviate are included.
- Lane · entry 20768
- Mufradāt · row 1334
لَوَى
To delay or procrastinate payment of a debt.
Used with a debt or creditor in the conventional debt-delay construction.
- Lane · entry 20768
- Mufradāt · row 1334
لَوَى
To make an affair difficult and intricate for someone.
A causative construction concerning the complication of a person's case or affair.
- Lane · entry 20768
لَوَى
To conceal information or an affair from someone.
A figurative use for withholding or concealing reported information.
- Lane · entry 20768
أَلْوَى
To distort, wrest, or wring language.
Form IV usage specifically concerning the handling or distortion of speech.
- Lane · entry 20769
تَلَوَّى
To twist or coil itself; to writhe.
Includes self-coiling and writhing under physical pain.
- Lane · entry 20770
يَتَلاَوَيَانِ
To twist together.
Used of two things, especially two serpents, twisting around one another.
- Lane · entry 20771
اِلْتَوَى
To twist, wind, or bend.
Neuter or intransitive Form VIII usage describing something as becoming twisted or bent.
- Lane · entry 20772
اِلْتَوَى
To become difficult, intricate, or hard to attain.
Used of an affair or a need that becomes difficult to resolve or obtain.
- Lane · entry 20772
اِلْتَوَى
To behave perversely toward someone.
A conventional interpersonal use describing perverse or contrary conduct.
- Lane · entry 20772
لِوَاء
A banner or standard, especially a commander's or army's standard.
The term refers to a strip of cloth twisted or wound and tied to a spear shaft; it is distinguished from the larger رَايَة.
- Lane · entry 20773
- Mufradāt · row 1334
لَوِيَّة
Food set aside and stored for people who are absent.
The word denotes provisions held back or turned aside from those presently present.
- Mufradāt · row 1334
اللَّوِيّ
Withered vegetation or herbage.
The designation is associated with the plant's becoming twisted and inclined as it withers.
- Maqāyīs · row 4259
أَلْوَى
To signal with an object, as one signals with the hand.
Used with بِـ for indicating or gesturing with something.
- Maqāyīs · row 4259
أَلْوَى
To take or carry something away.
A Form IV use understood as drawing or taking something toward oneself.
- Maqāyīs · row 4259
الأَلْوَى
A person who keeps apart and remains solitary.
Describes one who habitually withdraws from companions into isolation.
- Maqāyīs · row 4259
اللَّيَّاء
Land situated far from water.
The name is explained through the land's being turned away from the course of the water.
- Maqāyīs · row 4259
لِوَى الرَّمْل
The bend or termination of a sand tract.
أَلْوَى القوم means that the people reached this bend or termination of the sand.
- Maqāyīs · row 4259
- Mufradāt · row 1334
اللَّيّ
Speech that is obscure or difficult to follow.
Used in contrast with clear, intelligible speech.
- Maqāyīs · row 4259
أَلْوَى
Very contentious or quarrelsome.
A rare descriptive lexical use preserved as reported.
- Lane · entry 20776
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The internal QAC lemma يَلْ is normalized to the Form I dictionary citation form لَوَى; the supplied Quran occurrences are imperfect forms.
Lane's historical Quran references for the waiting and go-around constructions are not converted into modern verse keys. Only independently supplied QAC locations are used for Quran examples.
Unassigned or ambiguous evidence
The Lane citation 'in liii. 20' attached to لَوَى عَلَيْهِ cannot be securely matched to a supplied modern QAC occurrence, so the reported go-around interpretation is retained without a modern verse location.