صورة

Arabic

Etymology 1

While it would be possible to comprehend it from يَصُورُ (yaṣūru, “to make bent towards a shape”), in the same fashion as سُنّة (sunna, “image, figure, form, external appearance”) is from سَنَّ (sanna, “to mold; to establish”), this would require it to be already Central Semitic in view of Hebrew צוּרָה (ṣūrā́, “form, shape”) and Aramaic צוּרְתָא / ܨܘܪܬܐ (ṣūrtā), and the likelihoods are good that we have a borrowing – in Arabic via the latter – from Akkadian 𒄑𒄯 (iṣurtu, “drawing, plan”), as we find it probable that this is itself from Sumerian 𒄑𒄯 (g̃ešḫur, “drawing, plan”), a compound of 𒄑 (g̃eš, “wood”) +‎ 𒄯 (ḫur, “to scratch”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sˤuː.ra/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

صُورَة • (ṣūra) f (plural صُوَر (ṣuwar) or صُور (ṣūr) or صِوَر (ṣiwar))

1. form, shape, figure
2. image, picture, photograph

   Synonym: تَصْوِيرَة (taṣwīra)

3. copy

   Synonym: نُسْخَة (nusḵa)

4. appearance
5. attribute
6. manner
7. character
8. face

Declension

Declension of noun صُورَة (ṣūra)

Singular	singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	صُورَة ṣūra	الصُّورَة aṣ-ṣūra	صُورَة ṣūrat
Nominative	صُورَةٌ ṣūratun	الصُّورَةُ aṣ-ṣūratu	صُورَةُ ṣūratu
Accusative	صُورَةً ṣūratan	الصُّورَةَ aṣ-ṣūrata	صُورَةَ ṣūrata
Genitive	صُورَةٍ ṣūratin	الصُّورَةِ aṣ-ṣūrati	صُورَةِ ṣūrati
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	صُورَتَيْن ṣūratayn	الصُّورَتَيْن aṣ-ṣūratayn	صُورَتَيْ ṣūratay
Nominative	صُورَتَانِ ṣūratāni	الصُّورَتَانِ aṣ-ṣūratāni	صُورَتَا ṣūratā
Accusative	صُورَتَيْنِ ṣūratayni	الصُّورَتَيْنِ aṣ-ṣūratayni	صُورَتَيْ ṣūratay
Genitive	صُورَتَيْنِ ṣūratayni	الصُّورَتَيْنِ aṣ-ṣūratayni	صُورَتَيْ ṣūratay
Plural	basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	صُوَر‎; صُور‎; صِوَر ṣuwar‎; ṣūr‎; ṣiwar	الصُّوَر‎; الصُّور‎; الصِّوَر aṣ-ṣuwar‎; aṣ-ṣūr‎; aṣ-ṣiwar	صُوَر‎; صُور‎; صِوَر ṣuwar‎; ṣūr‎; ṣiwar
Nominative	صُوَرٌ‎; صُورٌ‎; صِوَرٌ ṣuwarun‎; ṣūrun‎; ṣiwarun	الصُّوَرُ‎; الصُّورُ‎; الصِّوَرُ aṣ-ṣuwaru‎; aṣ-ṣūru‎; aṣ-ṣiwaru	صُوَرُ‎; صُورُ‎; صِوَرُ ṣuwaru‎; ṣūru‎; ṣiwaru
Accusative	صُوَرًا‎; صُورًا‎; صِوَرًا ṣuwaran‎; ṣūran‎; ṣiwaran	الصُّوَرَ‎; الصُّورَ‎; الصِّوَرَ aṣ-ṣuwara‎; aṣ-ṣūra‎; aṣ-ṣiwara	صُوَرَ‎; صُورَ‎; صِوَرَ ṣuwara‎; ṣūra‎; ṣiwara
Genitive	صُوَرٍ‎; صُورٍ‎; صِوَرٍ ṣuwarin‎; ṣūrin‎; ṣiwarin	الصُّوَرِ‎; الصُّورِ‎; الصِّوَرِ aṣ-ṣuwari‎; aṣ-ṣūri‎; aṣ-ṣiwari	صُوَرِ‎; صُورِ‎; صِوَرِ ṣuwari‎; ṣūri‎; ṣiwari

Derived terms

• بِصُورَة خَاصَّة (bi-ṣūra ḵāṣṣa, “especially”)
• بِصُورَة رَسْمِيَّة (bi-ṣūra rasmiyya, “officially”)
• بِصُورَة عَامَّة (bi-sūra ʕāmma, “generally”)
• بِصُورَة غَيْر رَسْمِيَّة (bi-ṣūra ḡayr rasmiyya, “unofficially”)
• صُورَة شَمْسِيَّة (ṣūra šamsiyya, “photograph”)
• صُورَةً (ṣūratan, “formally”)

Descendants

• Egyptian Arabic: صورة (ṣūra)
• Gulf Arabic: صورة (ṣūra)
• South Levantine Arabic: صورة (ṣūra)
• Maltese: sura
• Moroccan Arabic: صورة (ṣūra)
• → Armenian: սուրաթ (suratʻ)
• → Adyghe: сурэт (surɛt)
• → Bashkir: һүрәт (hürət)
• → Georgian: სურათი (surati)
• → Hausa: sūr̃ā̀
  • → Yoruba: súúrà
• → Kazakh: сурет (suret)
• → Kyrgyz: сүрөт (süröt)
• → Maltese: sura
• → Nogai: суьврет (süvret)
• → Persian: صورت (surat)
• → Oromo: suura
• → Swahili: sura
• → Ottoman Turkish: صورت
  • → Turkish: surat, suret
• → Tatar: сүрәт (sürät)
• → Turkmen: surat
• → Uyghur: سۈرەت (süret)
• → Uzbek: surat

Etymology 2

Root
ص و ر (ṣ w r)
9 terms

Noun

صَوْرَة • (ṣawra) f (obsolete)

1. an inclination or desire
2. an itching on the head

Declension

Declension of noun صَوْرَة (ṣawra)

Singular	singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	صَوْرَة ṣawra	الصَّوْرَة aṣ-ṣawra	صَوْرَة ṣawrat
Nominative	صَوْرَةٌ ṣawratun	الصَّوْرَةُ aṣ-ṣawratu	صَوْرَةُ ṣawratu
Accusative	صَوْرَةً ṣawratan	الصَّوْرَةَ aṣ-ṣawrata	صَوْرَةَ ṣawrata
Genitive	صَوْرَةٍ ṣawratin	الصَّوْرَةِ aṣ-ṣawrati	صَوْرَةِ ṣawrati

Etymology 3

Noun

صَوْرَة • (ṣawra) f (plural صِيرَان (ṣīrān)) (obsolete)

1. Alternative form of صَوْر (ṣawr, “small palm-trees”)

Declension

Declension of noun صَوْرَة (ṣawra)

Singular	singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	صَوْرَة ṣawra	الصَّوْرَة aṣ-ṣawra	صَوْرَة ṣawrat
Nominative	صَوْرَةٌ ṣawratun	الصَّوْرَةُ aṣ-ṣawratu	صَوْرَةُ ṣawratu
Accusative	صَوْرَةً ṣawratan	الصَّوْرَةَ aṣ-ṣawrata	صَوْرَةَ ṣawrata
Genitive	صَوْرَةٍ ṣawratin	الصَّوْرَةِ aṣ-ṣawrati	صَوْرَةِ ṣawrati
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	صَوْرَتَيْن ṣawratayn	الصَّوْرَتَيْن aṣ-ṣawratayn	صَوْرَتَيْ ṣawratay
Nominative	صَوْرَتَانِ ṣawratāni	الصَّوْرَتَانِ aṣ-ṣawratāni	صَوْرَتَا ṣawratā
Accusative	صَوْرَتَيْنِ ṣawratayni	الصَّوْرَتَيْنِ aṣ-ṣawratayni	صَوْرَتَيْ ṣawratay
Genitive	صَوْرَتَيْنِ ṣawratayni	الصَّوْرَتَيْنِ aṣ-ṣawratayni	صَوْرَتَيْ ṣawratay
Plural	basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	صِيرَان ṣīrān	الصِّيرَان aṣ-ṣīrān	صِيرَان ṣīrān
Nominative	صِيرَانٌ ṣīrānun	الصِّيرَانُ aṣ-ṣīrānu	صِيرَانُ ṣīrānu
Accusative	صِيرَانًا ṣīrānan	الصِّيرَانَ aṣ-ṣīrāna	صِيرَانَ ṣīrāna
Genitive	صِيرَانٍ ṣīrānin	الصِّيرَانِ aṣ-ṣīrāni	صِيرَانِ ṣīrāni

References

• Black, Jeremy, George, Andrew, Postgate, Nicholas (2000) “iṣurtu”, in A Concise Dictionary of Akkadian, 2nd corrected edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz Verlag

Egyptian Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic صُورة (ṣūra).

Noun

صورة • (ṣūra) f

1. photograph

South Levantine Arabic

Root
ص و ر
3 terms

Etymology

From Arabic صُورَة (ṣūra).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sˤuː.ra/, [ˈsˤuː.rˤɑ]

• Audio (Ramallah):

  (file)

Noun

صورة • (ṣūra) f (plural صور (ṣuwar))

1. picture, attribute
2. form, shape, manner