Quranic root
منن
m · n · n
The root develops along two principal orientations: cutting off or coming to an end, and performing a good deed or bestowing a favor.
The cutting branch yields meanings such as depletion, death, exhaustion, and an unending or undiminished state when negated. The benefaction branch yields granting favor, bestowed provision, and the social extension of reminding or reproaching someone for a gift.
- Maqāyīs · row 4466
- Mufradāt · row 1391
- 4
- Quran-attested forms
- 8
- Quran senses
- 27
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
مَنَّ
manna
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form I
- Form
- I
- Quran occurrences
- 16 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 confer or bestow a favor or benefit upon someone.
Used for the granting of favor or grace, whether by God or by a human benefactor; the construction may take عَلَيْهِ or بِـ.
- Lane · entry 5837
- Mufradāt · row 1391
Selected Quran examples
Quran 3:164word 2
“bestowed a Favor”
Quran 49:17word 12
“has conferred a favor”
To remind someone of a favor, reproach them for it, or count it against them.
A social and verbal use in which a gift or past action is recounted as leverage or as a claim over the recipient.
- Lane · entry 5837
- Mufradāt · row 1391
Selected Quran examples
Quran 26:22word 3
“with which you reproach”
Quran 49:17word 1
“They consider (it) a favor”
Quran 74:6word 2
“confer favor”
To give while seeking a greater return in exchange.
An interpretation of the construction in 74:6 distinct from verbally reproaching someone for a favor: the giving is performed with the expectation of receiving more.
- Mufradāt · row 1391
Selected Quran examples
Quran 74:6word 2
“confer favor”
مَمْنُون
mamnūn
- Part of speech
- Passive participle
- 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.
Unlimited, unending, and undiminished.
Used of reward or recompense; the Quranic interpretation includes not being reckoned or limited, not being cut off, and not being reduced.
- Mufradāt · row 1391
Selected Quran examples
مَنُون
manūn
- 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.
Death, or the death-dealing vicissitudes of time that diminish life and cut off continuance.
A Quranic noun used in the expression describing the expectation that the passage or calamities of time will overtake someone.
- Mufradāt · row 1391
Selected Quran examples
Quran 52:30word 7
“a misfortune of time”
مَنّ
mann
- Part of speech
- Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 6 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.
The manna, a provision bestowed on the Israelites.
The concrete provision associated in the Quran with the salwā; it is also understood as a bestowed divine blessing.
- Mufradāt · row 1391
Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:57word 6
“[the] manna”
A favor or benefit, especially when recalled as a reminder or reproach.
In charitable contexts, the favor may be mentioned in a way that compromises the recipient's dignity or nullifies the merit of the gift.
- Mufradāt · row 1391
Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:262word 12
“(with) reminders of generosity”
Quran 2:264word 7
“with reminders (of it)”
Release or freeing without compensation.
Used for releasing captives or others without taking a substitute or payment.
- Mufradāt · row 1391
Selected Quran examples
Quran 47:4word 13
“a favor”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 2:57ٱلْمَنَّ[the] manna
- 2:262مَنًّۭا(with) reminders of generosity
- 2:264بِٱلْمَنِّwith reminders (of it)
- 3:164مَنَّbestowed a Favor
- 4:94فَمَنَّthen conferred favor
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 8 Classical meanings
مَنّ
A unit of weight.
A concrete measure; this is a Classical lexical use distinct from the Quranic senses of the noun.
- Mufradāt · row 1391
مِنّة
An obligation or burden owed by one person to another.
The obligation is associated with a favor received or conferred.
- Lane · entry 5845
مِنّة
A favor or benefit bestowed.
A nominal form of the benefaction branch of the root, distinct in headword from مَنّ.
- Lane · entry 5845
المَنُون
The end or term of time.
Occurs in the Classical idiom meaning “until the end of time.”
- Lane · entry 5846
مَنِين
The main or first rope of a well.
A specialized concrete noun.
- Lane · entry 5847
مَنَّان
Very bountiful or beneficent.
An intensive descriptive form for one who gives abundantly.
- Lane · entry 5848
مَنَّان
One who gives only while reproaching the recipient and keeping account of the gift.
An intensive descriptive form for the reproachful social use of giving.
- Lane · entry 5848
اِمْتِنَانِيّ
Granted gratuitously or as a favor, rather than as something obligatory.
A technical or descriptive adjective contrasted with what is obligatory.
- Lane · entry 5849
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The Lane supplement was matched through geminate contraction and contains homographic مَنْ and مِنْ material; the affected units are retained as ambiguous or non-semantic audit evidence rather than assigned to root منن.
The Quranic construction in 74:6 supports two reported interpretations: verbal reproachful reminding of a favor, and giving while seeking a greater return.
The QAC occurrence for مَنُون in 52:30 is supplied without a Quran Foundation contextual gloss, so its example gloss is left empty.
Unassigned or ambiguous evidence
Lane units lane-unit:mnn:5840:g1:main, lane-unit:mnn:5841:g1:sub2, lane-unit:mnn:5841:g1:sub9, lane-unit:mnn:5841:g1:sub11, lane-unit:mnn:5841:g1:sub12, lane-unit:mnn:5841:g1:sub14, lane-unit:mnn:5841:g1:sub15, lane-unit:mnn:5841:g1:sub16, and lane-unit:mnn:5841:g1:sub18 are materially lexical uses of homographic مَنْ or مِنْ, but cannot be confidently assigned to root منن.
Lane unit lane-unit:mnn:5842:g1:main concerns the oath expression مُنَى الله / أَيْمُنُ الله and is not confidently assignable to root منن.