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Quranic root

وسن

w · s · n

The root principally concerns drowsiness, slumber, and a sleep-like lapse of awareness; it also preserves a separate idiomatic line concerning the abandonment of an affair.

The evidence connects the sleep-related branch with drowsiness, sleeping states, being overcome, and a sleep-associated sexual approach, while separately recording an idiom for not pursuing or making an affair one's concern.

  • Maqāyīs · row 5111
  • Mufradāt · row 1578
1
Quran-attested forms
1
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.

سِنَة

sinah

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. Drowsiness, a brief doze, or a sleep-like lapse of awareness.

    Quranically attested in the negated construction لا تَأْخُذُهُ سِنَةٌ وَلا نَوْمٌ, which denies even drowsiness or a brief lapse as well as full sleep.

    • Mufradāt · row 1578
    Selected Quran examples

    Quran 2:255word 10

    slumber

Occurrences in the Quran

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

  • 2:255سِنَةٌۭslumber
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 3 Classical meanings
  • تَوَسَّنَ

    To approach sexually or have sexual intercourse with a sleeping partner.

    A specialized derived-verb construction, reported in the expression تَوَسَّنَهَا where the partner is asleep.

    • Mufradāt · row 1578
    • Maqāyīs · row 5111
  • وَسِنَ، أَسِنَ

    To be overcome or lose consciousness from the air or vapors of a well.

    This is reported as an alternate or qualified Classical usage, distinct from ordinary drowsiness.

    • Mufradāt · row 1578
  • وَسَنًا

    In the expression لا يَكُونَنَّ لَكَ وَسَنًا, an affair made one's concern or pursuit; the idiom means to leave the matter and not seek it.

    Conventional idiomatic usage concerning the abandonment of an affair, not the sleep-related noun sense.

    • Maqāyīs · row 5111

Cautions

Points that affect how this root should be read.

  • The well-related unconsciousness sense is explicitly presented as a reported and qualified usage, so it is retained as Classical evidence rather than assigned to the Quranic noun.

  • No Lane primary source units were supplied for this root; the form-level Quranic sense is supported by the supplied Mufradat evidence.