شمال

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Arabic

Root
ش م ل (š m l)
6 terms

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *śimāl-. Cognate with Hebrew שְׂמֹאל (s'mól, left), Akkadian 𒆏 (šumēlum, left side), Aramaic סְמָלָא (səmālā) / ܣܡܠܐ (semmālā, left side), Ugaritic 𐎌𐎎𐎀𐎍 (šmảl). The north sense derives from the left-hand side facing the sunrise, also attested in Sabaean 𐩠𐩦𐩱𐩣𐩡 (hs²ʾml, to be northward).

Pronunciation

Noun

شِمَال (šimālf (plural أَشْمُل (ʔašmul) or شَمَائِل (šamāʔil) or شُمُل (šumul))

  1. left hand
  2. left side
  3. bad omen
  4. handful of ears
Declension
Synonyms
Antonyms
References

Etymology 2

From the root ش م ل (š-m-l) meaning “to bundle, “to wrap”, “to huddle”, “to be cold” – such senses are influenced by the cold-dry northerly wind necessitating wrapping up with clothes.

Noun

شِمَال (šimālm (plural شَمَائِل (šamāʔil))

  1. case, sheath, wrapping
Declension
References

Etymology 3

    From the root ش م ل (š-m-l) meaning “to be leftward” – the north direction being the left-hand side facing the sunrise; constrast with اَلْيَمَن (al-yaman), originally denoting one's right-hand side, before developing the sense of "the south". Additionally it is relatable to the root meaning “to bundle” or “to wrap”, as the cold northern wind necessitated wrapping up with clothes, contrasting with جَنُوب (janūb, south) from the root ج ن ب (j-n-b) meaning “changing”, “laying aside” clothes, the warm southern wind allowing to put off clothes.

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /ʃa.maːl/
    • Audio:(file)

    Noun

    شَمَال (šamālm

    1. north
    Declension
    Coordinate terms
    شَمَال غَرْبِيّ (šamāl ḡarbiyy) شَمَال (šamāl) شَمَال شَرْقِيّ (šamāl šarqiyy)
    غَرْب (ḡarb) شَرْق (šarq)
    جَنُوب غَرْبِيّ (janūb ḡarbiyy) جَنُوب (janūb) جَنُوب شَرْقِيّ (janūb šarqiyy)

    Noun

    شَمَال (šamālf (plural شَمَالَات (šamālāt))

    1. north wind
    Declension
    References

    Chagatai

    Etymology

    Borrowed from Arabic شَمَال (šamāl).

    Noun

    شمال (šimal)

    1. north

    Descendants

    • Uyghur: شىمال (shimal, north)
    • Uzbek: shimol (north)

    Noun

    شمال (šämal)

    1. wind

    Descendants

    Hijazi Arabic

    Root
    ش م ل
    1 term

    Etymology 1

    From Arabic شَمَال (šamāl).

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    شمال (šamālm

    1. north
    Coordinate terms
    شَمَال غَرْب (šamāl ḡarb) شَمَال (šamāl) شَمَال شَرْق (šamāl šarg)
    غَرْب (ḡarb) شَرْق (šarg)
    جَنُوب غَرْب (janūb ḡarb) جَنُوب (janūb) جَنُوب شَرْق (janūb šarg)
    Derived terms

    Etymology 2

    From Arabic شِمَال (šimāl).

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    شمال (šumālm

    1. (rare) left
      Synonym: يَسار (yasār)

    Moroccan Arabic

    Root
    ش م ل
    1 term

    Etymology 1

    From Arabic شَمَال (šamāl).

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    شمال (šamālm

    1. north
    Derived terms
    See also

    (compass points)

    شمال
    غرب شرق
    جنوب

    Etymology 2

    From Arabic شِمَال (šimāl).

    Pronunciation

    Noun

    شمال (šmālm

    1. left
    Derived terms

    Pashto

    Etymology

    Borrowed from Arabic شَمَال (šamāl).

    Pronunciation

    IPA(key): /ʃɪˈmɑl, ʃaˈmɑl/

    Noun

    شمال (šimālm

    1. north

    Declension

    Coordinate terms

    • (compass points)
    شمال لوېديځ شمال شمال ختيځ
    لوېديځ ختيځ
    جنوب لوېديځ جنوب‎ جنوب ختيځ


    Derived terms

    References

    Pashtoon, Zeeya A. (2009) “شمال”, in Pashto–English Dictionary, Hyattsville: Dunwoody Press

    Persian

    Etymology

      Borrowed from Arabic شَمَال (šamāl).

      Pronunciation

      Readings
      Classical reading? šamāl, šumāl, šimāl
      Dari reading? šamāl
      Iranian reading? šomâl
      Tajik reading? šimol, šamol

      Noun

      Dari شمال
      Iranian Persian
      Tajik шимол, шамол

      شمال (šomâl)

      1. north
      2. north wind
        Synonym: باد شمال (bâd-e šomâl)
      3. (Iran, colloquial) Northern Iran
        Synonym: شمال ایران (šomâl-e irân)
      4. (Tajik) wind
        Synonym: باد (bâd)

      Usage notes

      • In Tajik Persian, шимол (šimol) (شِمال) refers to "north", while шамол (šamol) (شَمال) refers to "wind". These are etymologically doublets, and not phonetically or orthographically distinguished in Iranian Persian.

      Derived terms

      South Levantine Arabic

      Root
      ش م ل
      1 term

      Etymology 1

      From Arabic شِمَال (šimāl).

      Pronunciation

      Noun

      شمال (šmālm

      1. left
        Antonym: يمين (yamīn)

      Etymology 2

      From Arabic شَمَال (šamāl).

      Pronunciation

      Noun

      شمال (šamālm

      1. north
      Derived terms
      See also

      (compass points)

      شمال (šamāl)
      غرب (ḡarb) شرق (šarq)
      جنوب (janūb)

      Urdu

      Urdu Wikipedia has an article on:
      Wikipedia ur

      Etymology

        Borrowed from Classical Persian شُمَال (šumāl)

        Pronunciation

        Noun

        شُمال or شِمال (śumāl or śimālm (Hindi spelling शुमाल or शिमाल)

        1. north

        See also

        (compass points)

        شمال مغربی شمال شمال مشرقی
        مغرب مشرق
        جنوب مغربی جنوب جنوب مشرقی


        References

        • شمال”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
        • شمال”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary , Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2024.

        Ushojo

        Noun

        شمال (šmāl)

        1. light spray