Quranic root
ثمن
th · m · n
The root has two established semantic branches: compensation or exchange for something sold, and a part or portion belonging to eight.
The exchange branch yields price, compensation, value, and pricing terminology; the numerical branch yields the eighth, one-eighth, eight, eighty, ordinal forms, and several eight-based conventional expressions.
- Maqāyīs · row 1049
- 5
- Quran-attested forms
- 6
- Quran senses
- 19
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
ثَامِنٌ
thāminun
- Part of speech
- Ordinal numeral
- 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.
Eighth in sequence; the eighth member of a counted group.
Used as an ordinal, including in a construction identifying the eighth member of a group.
- Lane · entry 27568
- Mufradāt · row 211
Selected Quran examples
Quran 18:22word 13
“and the eight of them”
ثَمَانِيَةٌ
thamāniyahun
- Part of speech
- Numeral · cardinal
- Quran occurrences
- 5 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 cardinal number eight.
Its form varies with gender, case, and construct or compound-number syntax; the Quranic occurrences express eight in these grammatical environments.
- Lane · entry 27565
- Mufradāt · row 211
Selected Quran examples
ثَمَانُونَ
thamānūna
- Part of speech
- Numeral · cardinal
- 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.
The cardinal number eighty.
Used as the ordinary cardinal numeral in the Quranic occurrence.
- Lane · entry 27566
Selected Quran examples
Quran 24:4word 10
“(with) eighty”
ثَمَنٌ
thamanun
- Part of speech
- Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 11 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 price or consideration received in exchange for something sold, whether money or a commodity.
In ordinary exchange, it is what the seller receives for the thing sold; Quranic usage includes the consideration associated with buying or selling.
- Lane · entry 27561
- Mufradāt · row 211
Selected Quran examples
Quran 12:20word 2
“for a price”
A substitute or compensation accepted in exchange, including a figurative price or gain.
In Quranic figurative constructions, the price need not be money: divine signs or covenantal obligations may be exchanged for a small worldly substitute or benefit.
- Lane · entry 27561
- Mufradāt · row 211
Selected Quran examples
Quran 2:174word 11
“a gain”
ثُمُنٌ
thumunun
- Part of speech
- Fractional 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.
One eighth; an eighth share or portion.
In the Quranic inheritance construction, it denotes the fixed one-eighth share.
- Lane · entry 27562
- Mufradāt · row 211
Selected Quran examples
Quran 4:12word 40
“(is) the eighth”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 2:41ثَمَنًۭاa price
- 2:79ثَمَنًۭا(for) a price
- 2:174ثَمَنًۭاa gain
- 3:77ثَمَنًۭا(for) a price
- 3:187ثَمَنًۭا(for) a price
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 29 Classical meanings
ثَمَنَ
To take one eighth of someone's goods or property.
- Lane · entry 27556
ثَمَنَ
To be or become the eighth of a group, or to make a group eight including oneself.
- Lane · entry 27556
ثَمُنَ
To be or become precious, costly, or high-priced; to have value.
Said of a commodity.
- Lane · entry 27556
ثَمَّنَ
To make something eight or designate it as eight.
- Lane · entry 27557
ثَمَّنَ
To make something octagonal.
- Lane · entry 27557
ثَمَّنَ
To remain eight nights with one's wife; by extension, to continue for eight in relation to an action or saying.
This is a conventional time-related use of the derived verb.
- Lane · entry 27557
ثَمَّنَ
To collect or bring something together.
- Lane · entry 27557
ثَمَّنَ
To state, assign, or name a price for a commodity.
May involve estimating or fixing the commodity's price.
- Lane · entry 27557
أَثْمَنَ
For a party to become eight or eighty.
Said of a group or party of people.
- Lane · entry 27558
أَثْمَنَ
For a female to bring forth her eighth offspring.
- Lane · entry 27558
أَثْمَنَ
For a man to be one whose camels come to water on the eighth night of the watering cycle.
A technical pastoral use referring to the interval between successive waterings.
- Lane · entry 27558
أَثْمَنَ
To sell something for a price.
- Lane · entry 27558
أَثْمَنَ
To give someone the price of a commodity, or to quote and assign that price.
Used with a person and the commodity or merchandise whose price is given or fixed.
- Lane · entry 27558
ثِمْنٌ
The eighth young one or offspring.
- Lane · entry 27560
ثِمْنٌ
A period between two waterings of camels, especially the eighth night of that interval.
A technical term in camel-watering schedules.
- Lane · entry 27560
ثَمَنٌ
The value or worth of a thing, including an estimated value fixed by mutual agreement.
This broader valuation sense may diverge from the thing's actual equivalent value and is distinct from the Quran-attested exchange and figurative-compensation uses listed above.
- Lane · entry 27561
الثَّمَانِي
A certain plant.
- Lane · entry 27565
ثَمَانُونَ
Deep, used as an epithet.
An extended use of the number in expressions measuring depth, distinct from the ordinary cardinal meaning.
- Lane · entry 27566
ثَمَانُونَ
Eightieth.
An ordinal use of the form.
- Lane · entry 27566
ثَمِينٌ
High-priced or of high value.
This sense is reported in the lexical evidence but is disputed by an authority who restricts the form to the meaning connected with one eighth.
- Lane · entry 27564
ثَوَامِنُ
Camels that come to water on the eighth night after the preceding watering.
A technical plural expression derived from the eighth-night sense.
- Lane · entry 27568
أَثْمَنُ
More or most valuable in price or worth.
A comparative or superlative adjective.
- Lane · entry 27569
مُثْمَنٌ
Sold for a price, or having a price named and assigned to it.
A passive participial description of a commodity.
- Lane · entry 27570
مِثْمَنَةٌ
A nosebag or similar feed-bag.
- Lane · entry 27572
مُثَمَّنٌ
Octagonal.
A passive participial or adjectival description of an eight-sided object.
- Lane · entry 27573
مُثَمَّنٌ
A verse composed of eight metrical feet.
A technical prosodic use.
- Lane · entry 27573
مُثَمَّنٌ
Collected together.
- Lane · entry 27573
مُثَمَّنٌ
Poisoned.
Synonymous with مَسْمُومٌ in the cited usage.
- Lane · entry 27573
مُثَمَّنٌ
Fevered.
Synonymous with مَحْمُومٌ in the cited usage.
- Lane · entry 27573
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The root contains distinct price/exchange and eight-based numerical branches, including homophonous forms for price, one eighth, and ordinal or cardinal numbers.
The high-value meaning reported for ثَمِينٌ is explicitly disputed in the cited lexical evidence; it is retained as a qualified Classical usage rather than treated as a Quranic sense.