سبيل

See also: سبیل

Arabic

Etymology

From the root س ب ل (s-b-l). Given the frequent religious usage of the word, there is some semantic interference of the Classical Syriac ܫܒܝܠܐ (šəbīlā). Cognate to Aramaic שְׁבִילׇא (šəḇīlā), Hebrew שְׁבִיל (šəḇī́l).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -iːl

Noun

سَبِيل • (sabīl) m or f (plural سُبُل (subul))

1. way, path, road
2. manner, method
3. ways and means
4. kinship
5. necessary connection
6. distribution of water
7. public fountain
8. blame
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 42:42:

     إِنَّمَا السَّبِيلُ عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَظْلِمُونَ النَّاسَ وَيَبْغُونَ فِي الْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

     ʔinnamā as-sabīlu ʕalā allaḏīna yaẓlimūna n-nāsa wayabḡūna fī l-ʔarḍi biḡayri l-ḥaqqi ʔulāʔika lahum ʕaḏābun ʔalīmun

     The blame is only against the ones who wrong the people and tyrannize upon the earth without right. Those will have a painful punishment.

Declension

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	سَبِيل sabīl	السَّبِيل as-sabīl	سَبِيل sabīl
Nominative	سَبِيلٌ sabīlun	السَّبِيلُ as-sabīlu	سَبِيلُ sabīlu
Accusative	سَبِيلًا sabīlan	السَّبِيلَ as-sabīla	سَبِيلَ sabīla
Genitive	سَبِيلٍ sabīlin	السَّبِيلِ as-sabīli	سَبِيلِ sabīli
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	سَبِيلَيْن sabīlayn	السَّبِيلَيْن as-sabīlayn	سَبِيلَيْ sabīlay
Nominative	سَبِيلَانِ sabīlāni	السَّبِيلَانِ as-sabīlāni	سَبِيلَا sabīlā
Accusative	سَبِيلَيْنِ sabīlayni	السَّبِيلَيْنِ as-sabīlayni	سَبِيلَيْ sabīlay
Genitive	سَبِيلَيْنِ sabīlayni	السَّبِيلَيْنِ as-sabīlayni	سَبِيلَيْ sabīlay
Plural	basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	سُبُل subul	السُّبُل as-subul	سُبُل subul
Nominative	سُبُلٌ subulun	السُّبُلُ as-subulu	سُبُلُ subulu
Accusative	سُبُلًا subulan	السُّبُلَ as-subula	سُبُلَ subula
Genitive	سُبُلٍ subulin	السُّبُلِ as-subuli	سُبُلِ subuli

Declension of noun سَبِيل (sabīl)

Derived terms

• اِبْن السَّبِيل (ibn as-sabīl, “wanderer”)

Descendants

• → Punjabi: ਛਬੀਲ f (chabīl)

References

• Jeffery, Arthur (1938) The Foreign Vocabulary of the Qurʾān (Gaekwad’s Oriental Series; 79), Baroda: Oriental Institute, page 162
• Schwally, Friedrich (1899) “Lexikalische Studien. (Fortsetzung.)”, in Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft‎ (in German), volume 53, page 197
• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884) “سبيل”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary‎, London: W.H. Allen