Quranic root
وطأ
w · ṭ · ʾ
The root centers on preparing, leveling, and making something easy, with physical stepping as a closely related action.
From making a surface prepared or easy to traverse and placing the foot upon it, the lexicon develops branches for treading, pressure or assault, bedding and covering, agreement as following another's footsteps, and related forms of preparation.
- Maqāyīs · row 5140
- 4
- Quran-attested forms
- 5
- Quran senses
- 6
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
وَطِئَ
waṭiʾa
- 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 tread upon, step on, or trample.
The Quranic occurrences use the physical action of setting the foot on land or on people; the object may be a place or persons. A reported interpretation of Ṭā Hā as an imperative meaning “tread” belongs to the same lexical branch, but no QAC occurrence is assigned to it here.
- Lane · entry 45379
- Mufradāt · row 1589
Selected Quran examples
Quran 9:120word 32
“they step”
Quran 33:27word 7
“you (had) trodden”
Quran 48:25word 21
“you may trample them”
وَاطَأَ
wāṭaʾa
- Part of speech
- Verb · Form III
- Form
- III
- 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 agree with, concur with, or correspond to something.
In the Quranic construction, the verb means to make one's observance or arrangement correspond to the number of things God has declared sacred; more generally it takes the sense of agreement or concurrence with another.
- Lane · entry 45381
- Mufradāt · row 1589
Selected Quran examples
Quran 9:37word 14
“to adjust”
مَوْطِئٌ
mawṭiʾun
- 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.
A place where the foot is set; a step or footprint.
In the Quranic occurrence, the noun denotes a step or place of treading. The related usage also allows a place or instance of setting foot, including in expressions about treading on something.
- Lane · entry 45390
- Lane · entry 45379
Selected Quran examples
Quran 9:120word 33
“any step”
وَطْءٌ
waṭʾun
- 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.
Standing or being upright.
This is the reading وَطْئًا reported for 73:6, explained as قيامًا. It is a Quran-specific interpretation of the verbal noun, not a general definition of every occurrence of the root.
- Lane · entry 45381
- Mufradāt · row 1589
Selected Quran examples
Quran 73:6word 6
“and most potent”
Suitability or concordance; that which is more suitable or conducive to agreement.
This corresponds to the reported reading وِطَاءً in 73:6 and the expression أَشَدُّ وِطَاءً, understood as more or most suitable, especially for prayer and recitation.
- Lane · entry 45381
- Mufradāt · row 1589
Selected Quran examples
Quran 73:6word 6
“and most potent”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 9:37لِّيُوَاطِـُٔوا۟to adjust
- 9:120يَطَـُٔونَthey step
- 9:120مَوْطِئًۭاany step
- 33:27تَطَـُٔوهَا ۚyou (had) trodden
- 48:25تَطَـُٔوهُمْyou may trample them
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 32 Classical meanings
وَطِئَ
To settle near a road so that travelers resort to the people there as guests; used in an idiom in which the road is said to tread upon them.
A tropical expression based on travelers' treading the road and visiting those who live beside it.
- Lane · entry 45379
وَطِئَ
To approach sexually or have sexual intercourse.
A conventional euphemistic expression for sexual intercourse.
- Lane · entry 45379
- Mufradāt · row 1589
وَطَأَ
To trample underfoot and despise or humiliate.
An explicitly figurative extension of physical trampling.
- Lane · entry 45379
وَطَأَ
To prepare or make something plain, smooth, or soft.
The form and vocalization are reported with lexical variation in the source.
- Lane · entry 45379
وَطُؤَ
To become easy or smooth to travel, walk, ride, or lie upon; of a riding animal, to become easy to ride.
The evidence applies the branch both to terrain and to a mount; it also supports the general idea of ease of passage or use.
- Lane · entry 45379
وَطِئَ
To conceal or keep hidden the mention of someone or something.
An assumed-tropical usage attested in a traditional expression.
- Lane · entry 45379
وَطَّأَ
To make a surface plain, level, smooth, soft, or easy to use; to prepare a bed or chamber, train a riding animal, or arrange and facilitate an affair.
The same causative branch includes making land lower or depressed when the object is terrain.
- Lane · entry 45380
أَوْطَأَ
To make another person, a horse, or oneself tread upon someone or the ground.
A causative construction in which the object is made to tread or trample.
- Lane · entry 45382
أَوْطَأَ
To overcome or prevail over someone in a contention or dispute.
A figurative development from making an opponent fall and be trampled upon.
- Lane · entry 45382
أَوْطَأَ
To make someone pursue a course without being rightly directed.
Used with the idiomatic expression involving pursuing a course blindly.
- Lane · entry 45382
أَوْطَأَ
To repeat the same rhyme-word in a poem with the same meaning.
A technical poetic usage; repetition with a different meaning is distinguished from this term.
- Lane · entry 45382
تَوَطَّأَ
To become prepared.
An intransitive or reflexive preparation meaning, with related senses cross-referenced to the leveling and agreement branches.
- Lane · entry 45383
تَوَاطَأَ
To agree together or concur about something.
A reciprocal or collective agreement construction.
- Lane · entry 45384
إِتَّطَأَ
To become prepared and plain, smooth, or soft.
A derived-form usage describing a thing that becomes ready or easy to use.
- Lane · entry 45385
إِتَّطَأَ
Of evening or nightfall, to become fully dark or to arrive completely.
A traditional expression has variant readings and explanations for the onset of nightfall.
- Lane · entry 45385
إِيتَطَأَ
Of a month, to reach approximately its halfway point.
A specialized expression used on the day before or after the middle of the month.
- Lane · entry 45385
إِتَّطَأَ
To become right, reach its full period, or become perfect and complete.
A derived usage of reaching completion or maturity.
- Lane · entry 45385
إِتَّطَأَ
To concur or agree with another.
A less common derived usage of agreement.
- Lane · entry 45385
اِسْتَوْطَأَ
To find or deem something plain, level, smooth, soft, or easy to walk, ride, or lie upon.
The object may be terrain or the surface on which one rides.
- Lane · entry 45386
وَطْءٌ
Depressed or low land between elevations.
A geographical term for ground lying between eminences.
- Lane · entry 45387
طِئَةٌ
Plainness, levelness, smoothness, softness, or ease of walking, riding, or lying upon something.
A nominal form belonging to the ease and prepared-surface branch; طَأَةٌ and related forms are reported as variants or cross-references.
- Lane · entry 45389
وَطْأَةٌ
A tread or treading; a place on which the sole is set, a footstep, or a footprint.
The noun denotes either the act of treading or the resulting place or mark.
- Lane · entry 45390
وَطْأَةٌ
Pressure, oppression, affliction, violence, or a vehement assault, punishment, battle, or slaughter.
A figurative extension from the force of a tread; it may describe an assault or punishment inflicted on an opponent.
- Lane · entry 45390
وِطَاءٌ
A covering or something spread beneath a person for sitting or lying; bedding.
The commonly approved vocalization is reported as وَطَاءٌ, while وِطَاءٌ is the usual form in the cited entry.
- Lane · entry 45392
وَطِيءٌ
Plain, level, smooth, soft, or easy to travel, walk, ride, or lie upon; easy or gentle in life or disposition.
The evidence applies the adjective to terrain, a riding animal, an easy life, and an easy disposition without restricting the meaning to any one object class.
- Lane · entry 45393
وَطِيئَةٌ
A traditional prepared food made chiefly from dates, with versions involving milk, clarified butter, or other ingredients.
The sources describe several recipes and consistencies under the same food name.
- Lane · entry 45396
وَطِيئَةٌ
A sack or bag, especially one containing dried meat, cakes, or other provisions.
A separate nominal use from the food name.
- Lane · entry 45396
وَاطِئَةٌ
Fallen dates.
The term is explained either by their being trodden underfoot or by their being deliberately spread out after being despised or set aside.
- Lane · entry 45397
وَاطِئَةٌ
Travelers or wayfarers.
A plural or collective usage derived from travelers' treading the road.
- Lane · entry 45397
مَوْطُوءَةٌ
Figurative tracks or paths trodden by predestined events, whether good or evil.
A figurative expression in traditional discourse about destiny.
- Lane · entry 45401
مُوَطَّأُ الأَكْنَافِ
A person of easy disposition who is generous and hospitable, or whose vicinity gives companions security and standing without inconvenience.
An idiomatic description of a congenial, hospitable, and safe environment.
- Lane · entry 45402
مُوَطَّأُ العَقِبِ
A person followed by many others, literally one whose heels are trodden upon.
An idiomatic expression wishing or describing a person with numerous followers or dependants.
- Lane · entry 45402
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The Quranic occurrence at 73:6 has materially different reported readings and interpretations: وَطْئًا is explained as standing, while وِطَاءً is explained as suitability or concordance. No historical bracketed citation has been converted into an unsupported modern verse location.
Lane's reported interpretation of Ṭā Hā as an imperative meaning “tread” is preserved as same-branch evidence but is not treated as an additional QAC form or assigned a modern word location.