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Quranic root

نجد

n · j · d

The root centers on elevation, strength, and prominence: rising above, becoming powerful, or standing out clearly.

From this orientation develop the senses of highland and elevated road, courage and overcoming, aid and strengthening, conspicuousness, and experience gained through hardship.

  • Maqāyīs · row 4552
  • Mufradāt · row 1413
1
Quran-attested forms
2
Quran senses
1
Quran occurrences

Forms in the Quran

The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.

نَجْدٌ

najdun

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.

  1. An elevated or conspicuous way; in the dual expression النَّجْدَيْنِ, the two ways, figuratively the paths of right and wrong.

    Quranic use in 90:10. The figurative contrast extends to right and wrong in belief, truth and falsehood in speech, and good and evil in action.

    • Lane · entry 43272
    • Mufradāt · row 1413
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 90:10word 2

    the two ways

  2. The two breasts, as an alternative interpretation of النَّجْدَيْنِ.

    An alternative Quranic interpretation of the dual expression in 90:10; it is not the contextual rendering represented by the supplied Quran Foundation gloss.

    • Lane · entry 43272

Occurrences in the Quran

Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.

  • 90:10ٱلنَّجْدَيْنِthe two ways
View all 1 occurrences

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 74 Classical meanings
  • نَجَدَهُ

    To overcome, conquer, subdue, overpower, prevail over, or surpass someone.

    • Lane · entry 43266
  • نَجَدَ رَأْيَهُ

    To exert one's judgment in affairs.

    • Lane · entry 43266
  • نَجُدَ

    To become courageous, vigorous, sharp, and effective in difficult affairs; to be very valiant or prompt to undertake what one is called to do.

    The source applies the description to a person; the promptness may concern either good or evil.

    • Lane · entry 43266
  • نَجِدَ

    To become overcome, afflicted, distressed, or oppressed by sorrow, grief, or anxiety.

    • Lane · entry 43266
  • نَجِدَ

    To sweat from work, sorrow, grief, or anxiety; of a body, to flow with sweat.

    • Lane · entry 43266
  • نَجِدَ

    To become dull, unintelligent, weak, ineffective, weary, or fatigued.

    • Lane · entry 43266
  • نَجُدَ

    To become terrified or frightened.

    • Lane · entry 43266
  • نَجَدَ

    To become apparent, manifest, plain, or evident; of a road, to become conspicuous or clear.

    Used of a thing, affair, or road.

    • Lane · entry 43266
  • نَجَّدَهُ الدَّهْرُ

    For time, habit, or fortune to try and strengthen someone, teaching and making him experienced, well informed, or firm in judgment.

    The source also records the variant نَجَّذَهُ as the more approved form.

    • Lane · entry 43267
  • نَجَّدَ

    To run.

    • Lane · entry 43267
  • نَجَّدَ

    To ornament or decorate a house or tent with household furnishings, carpets, beds, pillows, or similar articles.

    • Lane · entry 43267
  • نَاجَدَهُ

    To go forth to fight or combat someone.

    • Lane · entry 43268
  • نَاجَدَتِ الإِبِلَ

    For a she-camel to vie with other camels in abundance of milk, yielding much when the others yield little.

    The source gives this as a camel-specific conventional use.

    • Lane · entry 43268
  • أَنْجَدَ

    To aid, assist, or succour another.

    The construction أَنْجَدَهُ عَلَيْهِ means to aid him against another.

    • Lane · entry 43269
  • أَنْجَدَ

    To answer or comply with a call, prayer, or invitation.

    May be used with the call or invitation as object.

    • Lane · entry 43269
  • أَنْجَدَ

    To draw near to one's family or wife.

    Explained by قَرُبَ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ.

    • Lane · entry 43269
  • أَنْجَدَتِ السَّمَاءُ

    For the sky to become clear.

    • Lane · entry 43269
  • أَنْجَدَ

    For a person or thing, especially a mountain, to become high or lofty.

    • Lane · entry 43269
  • غَارَ وَأَنْجَدَ

    To become famous in both the lowlands and the highlands.

    Recorded as a figurative expression.

    • Lane · entry 43269
  • أَنْجَدَ

    To enter, reach, go to, or set out toward the high country or the region of Nejd.

    The expression may describe movement from low country into highland.

    • Lane · entry 43269
  • تَنَجَّدَ

    To swear a great oath.

    • Lane · entry 43270
  • اِسْتَنْجَدَهُ

    To ask or seek aid, assistance, or succour from someone.

    • Lane · entry 43271
  • اِسْتَنْجَدَ

    To become strong after weakness or illness.

    • Lane · entry 43271
  • اِسْتَنْجَدَ عَلَيْهِ

    To become emboldened against someone after having regarded him with awe or fear.

    The preposition عَلَيْهِ marks the person against whom boldness is gained.

    • Lane · entry 43271
  • اِسْتَنْجَدَ بِهِ

    To cling or attach oneself to someone after previously regarding him with awe or fear.

    The preposition بِهِ marks the person to whom one resorts or clings.

    • Lane · entry 43271
  • اِسْتَنْجَدَ

    To become courageous after having been cowardly.

    • Lane · entry 43271
  • نَجْدٌ

    High, elevated, hard, or rugged table-land; especially the high country opposed to the low country.

    The geographical name Nejd refers to the elevated central region described in relation to Tihamah and other neighboring regions.

    • Lane · entry 43272
  • نَجْدٌ

    An elevated or conspicuous road, including a road through a mountain.

    • Lane · entry 43272
  • نَجْدٌ

    A woman's breast.

    The plural dual نجداَن may occur in an oath referring to a woman's two breasts.

    • Lane · entry 43272
  • نَجْدٌ

    A thing or affair that is apparent, manifest, plain, or evident.

    • Lane · entry 43272
  • طَلَّاعُ الأَنْجُدِ

    A person who surmounts difficult affairs, manages and masters them thoroughly, or rises to lofty aims.

    A figurative idiom describing expertise, judgment, and the ability to overcome demanding circumstances.

    • Lane · entry 43272
  • نَجْدٌ

    Household furnishings used to ornament a house or tent, including carpets, beds, pillows, curtains, and wall hangings.

    This is the singular of نُجُودٌ and related plural forms.

    • Lane · entry 43272
  • نَجْدٌ

    A skilful or expert guide of the way.

    • Lane · entry 43272
  • نَجْدٌ

    A place in which there are no trees.

    • Lane · entry 43272
  • نَجْدٌ

    A tree resembling the shubrum in color, growth, and thorns.

    • Lane · entry 43272
  • نَجَدٌ

    Sweat caused by work, sorrow, grief, anxiety, or similar exertion.

    • Lane · entry 43273
  • النَّجَدَاتُ

    The Najadāt, a sect or followers of the Kharijite leader Najdah ibn ʿĀmir.

    A proper historical designation, not a general lexical meaning of courage or aid.

    • Lane · entry 43273
  • نَجِدٌ

    A courageous, strong, sharp, vigorous, and effective person; one who is very valiant or quick to undertake what is requested.

    The source also uses the adjective for a person quick to accomplish what is needed.

    • Lane · entry 43275
  • نَجِدٌ

    A lion, so called for its courage.

    • Lane · entry 43275
  • نَجِدٌ فِي الحَاجَةِ

    Quick in accomplishing what is wanted or needed.

    A conventional construction with فِي الحَاجَةِ.

    • Lane · entry 43275
  • نَجِدٌ

    Sweating from work, sorrow, grief, anxiety, or similar exertion.

    An adjectival use describing one who is sweating.

    • Lane · entry 43275
  • نَجْدَةٌ

    Courage, valour, and effective vigor in difficult affairs; courage with steadiness in facing danger.

    The noun may also denote great valour or readiness to undertake what one is called to do.

    • Lane · entry 43277
  • نَجْدَةٌ

    Fight, combat, or battle.

    • Lane · entry 43277
  • نَجْدَةٌ

    Terror or fright.

    • Lane · entry 43277
  • نَجْدَةٌ

    Difficulty, distress, affliction, trouble, or adversity.

    The expression لَاقَى نَجْدَةً means that someone experienced difficulty or adversity.

    • Lane · entry 43277
  • نَجْدَةٌ

    Aid or assistance.

    • Lane · entry 43277
  • ابْنُ نَجْدَتِهَا

    An idiom meaning ignorant of a matter.

    A figurative expression explained through an allusion to Najdah al-Harurī.

    • Lane · entry 43277
  • نِجْدَةٌ

    A trial or affliction experienced in war.

    This vocalized form is specifically reported for hardship in warfare.

    • Lane · entry 43278
  • نِجَادٌ

    The suspensory cords or strap of a sword, especially the part resting on the shoulder.

    The figurative expression طَوِيلُ النِّجَادِ describes a tall man.

    • Lane · entry 43280
  • طَوِيلُ النِّجَادِ

    Tall in stature.

    A figurative inference from the need for a long sword strap on a tall person.

    • Lane · entry 43280
  • نَجُودٌ

    Tall, long-necked, high, or overpeering, applied especially to a she-ass or she-camel.

    The source records disagreement over whether the word can mean infertile when applied to a she-ass; the tall or elevated sense is the approved interpretation.

    • Lane · entry 43281
  • نَجُودٌ

    A spirited, sharp, vigorous, strong, or leading she-camel.

    Applied to a she-camel that precedes or outgoes others.

    • Lane · entry 43281
  • نَجُودٌ

    A she-camel abundant in milk and able to outproduce the others.

    Applied to a camel that yields abundance when the others yield little.

    • Lane · entry 43281
  • نَجُودٌ

    A female animal that lies down only on high or elevated ground.

    • Lane · entry 43281
  • نَجُودٌ

    An intelligent woman, sharp or quick in intellect and possessing sound judgment.

    The source marks this as an unusual usage.

    • Lane · entry 43281
  • نَجُودٌ

    A person who shakes, spreads, stuffs, and arranges household furnishings.

    The furnishings are those called نُجُودٌ.

    • Lane · entry 43281
  • نَجَّادٌ

    One who makes and sews beds and pillows, or decorates houses, beds, carpets, and similar furnishings.

    In later usage the word can also denote one who loosens cotton for stuffing.

    • Lane · entry 43283
  • نَاجِدٌ

    Stupid, dull, weak, ineffective, soft, lacking endurance, or weary.

    • Lane · entry 43284
  • نَاجِدَةٌ

    A streak of fat upon the shoulder of a camel.

    The singular of نَوَاجِدُ; the elevation of the streak motivates the term.

    • Lane · entry 43285
  • نَاجُودٌ

    Wine, especially excellent wine or the first wine drawn from a jar.

    • Lane · entry 43286
  • نَاجُودٌ

    A vessel for wine, a wine-cup, or a vessel used to clarify or strain wine.

    The clarifying or straining vessel is identified as a rāwūq.

    • Lane · entry 43286
  • نَاجُودٌ

    Saffron.

    • Lane · entry 43286
  • نَاجُودٌ

    Blood.

    • Lane · entry 43286
  • مِنْجَدٌ

    A small mountain overlooking a valley.

    • Lane · entry 43287
  • مِنْجَدٌ

    A jeweled women's ornament or broad necklace of pearls, gold, or cloves, extending from the neck toward the breasts.

    The term is connected with the place of a sword's نِجَاد.

    • Lane · entry 43287
  • مِنْجَدَةٌ

    A light staff used to urge on a beast of carriage.

    • Lane · entry 43288
  • مِنْجَدَةٌ

    A stick or wooden instrument used to tease or separate wool and to stuff a camel's saddle-bag.

    • Lane · entry 43288
  • مِنْجَادٌ

    A person who aids or assists much or well.

    • Lane · entry 43289
  • مَنْجُودٌ

    Overcome, conquered, subdued, overpowered, or fatigued.

    A passive or resultative description of someone subjected to overcoming or exertion.

    • Lane · entry 43290
  • مَنْجُودٌ

    Afflicted, distressed, or oppressed by sorrow, grief, or anxiety.

    Applied to a person, including a female according to the cited usage.

    • Lane · entry 43290
  • مُنْجُودٌ

    In a state of perishing or destruction.

    • Lane · entry 43290
  • مُنَجَّدٌ

    Tried and strengthened by experience; expert, experienced, and well informed in affairs.

    The source also records مُنَجَّذٌ as the more approved form.

    • Lane · entry 43291
  • مُنَاجِدٌ

    A fighter or combatant.

    • Lane · entry 43293
  • مُنَاجِدٌ

    An aider or assistant.

    • Lane · entry 43293

Cautions

Points that affect how this root should be read.

  • The Quranic form is the dual النَّجْدَيْنِ, displayed under the normalized singular citation form نَجْدٌ.

  • Quran 90:10 is explicitly interpreted in more than one way in the supplied lexical evidence: as the two figurative ways and, alternatively, as the two breasts. The supplied contextual gloss supports the former only.

  • The term has several homonymous or closely connected Classical Arabic branches, including highland, courage, aid, sweat, furnishings, and specialized animal, anatomical, and material senses.