Quranic root
مور
m · w · r
A recurrent back-and-forth or oscillating movement, especially movement that sways, circulates, or goes to and fro.
This motion-oriented root develops into meanings of commotion, drifting dust, flowing blood, waves, swift or swaying animal movement, a road traversed by people, and causative movement.
- Maqāyīs · row 4483
- Lane · entry 13139
- Lane · entry 13142
- Lane · entry 13143
- Lane · entry 13144
- 2
- Quran-attested forms
- 2
- Quran senses
- 3
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
مَارَ
māra
- 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 move to and fro, sway, reel, or be in turbulent commotion.
In the Quran, the imperfect form describes the heaven's commotion and the earth's swaying movement; the intensity is supplied by context rather than constituting a separate sense.
- Lane · entry 13139
- Mufradāt · row 1397
Selected Quran examples
Quran 52:9word 2
“will shake”
Quran 67:16word 11
“sways”
مَوْرٌ
mawrun
- 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.
Rapid, turbulent movement, swaying, or commotion.
The Quranic accusative مَوْرًا is a cognate verbal noun in the expression describing the heaven's motion or commotion.
- Lane · entry 13139
- Mufradāt · row 1397
Selected Quran examples
Quran 52:9word 4
“(with violent) shake”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
View all 3 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 12 Classical meanings
مَارَ
Of dust, to move to and fro, rise, or be carried by the wind.
A Classical verbal use applied specifically to dust stirred or raised in the air.
- Lane · entry 13139
مَارَ
Of blood or tears, to flow or run across the surface of the ground, sometimes spreading hither and thither.
A use describing liquid movement over a surface.
- Lane · entry 13139
مَارَ
In the idiom أَغَارَ أَمْ مَارَ, to have gone to the low country or turned back toward the high country.
A fixed expression concerning coming and going between lowland and highland.
- Lane · entry 13139
أَمَارَ
To cause something to move from side to side or to and fro; to stir or raise dust.
Causative Form IV usage, including causing a spearhead to move within a wound and wind to stir dust.
- Lane · entry 13140
أَمَارَ
To cause blood to flow or run across the ground.
A causative use applied to the flowing of blood.
- Lane · entry 13140
مَوْرٌ
A road, especially a trodden and even road.
A verbal noun used substantively, associated with people's repeated coming and going along it.
- Lane · entry 13142
مُورٌ
Dust moving to and fro in the air, raised or carried by the wind.
A noun for wind-borne or wind-raised dust.
- Lane · entry 13143
مَوَّارٌ
Characterized by quick or to-and-fro movement: a camel with a swaying, quick, or easy gait, and a wind that drives or raises dust.
The masculine and feminine adjectival forms are used of camels and of dust-moving wind.
- Lane · entry 13144
مَائِرَاتٌ
Flowing or running bloods that move hither and thither.
A plural adjectival expression used of blood in poetic usage.
- Lane · entry 13145
مَوْرٌ
A wave or moving swell.
A Classical nominal extension of the root's recurrent-motion sense.
- Maqāyīs · row 4483
مُوَارَةٌ
A fallen piece of a donkey's spring coat or mane.
A rare lexical use explained through the piece's movement as it falls.
- Maqāyīs · row 4483
مَائِرٌ
A cutting sword that moves through the object struck.
A rare agentive use describing the sword's penetrating motion.
- Maqāyīs · row 4483
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The Quranic verb is attested as the imperfect تَمُورُ but is presented under the normalized Classical citation form مَارَ.
The Quran Foundation glosses are contextual illustrations; the two verbal glosses are treated as one back-and-forth or commotion sense.