لم

Arabic

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /lam/

Particle

لَمْ • (lam)

1. not (negating past tense)

   See also: مَا

   لَمْ يَكْتُبْ ― lam yaktub ― He has not written.

   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 98:1:

     لَمۡ يَكُنِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنۡ أَهۡلِ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ مُنفَكِّينَ حَتَّىٰ تَأۡتِيَهُمُ ٱلۡبَيِّنَةُ.

     Those who disbelieved among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists were not to be parted [from misbelief] until there came to them clear evidence.

Usage notes

• لم is used to deny the past. It governs the jussive of the verb.

See also

• Negative particles: لَا (lā), لَن (lan), مَا (mā)
• لَيْسَ (laysa)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /li.ma/

Adverb

لِمَ • (lima)

1. for what, why
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 61:2-3:

     يَا أَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ ۝ كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِنْدَ ٱللّٰهِ أَن تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ

     O you who have believed! Why do you say what you do not do? Great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.

Etymology 3

Verb

لُمْ • (lum) (form I) /lum/

1. second-person masculine singular imperative of لَامَ (lāma)

Egyptian Arabic

Root
ل م م
1 term

Verb

لم • (lamm) I (non-past يلم (yilimm))

1. to collect, to gather

Conjugation

Conjugation of لم (form-I geminate)
		singular				plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person		1st person	2nd person	3rd person
past	m	لميت (lammēt)	لميت (lammēt)	لم (lamm)		لمينا (lammēna)	لميتوا (lammētu)	لموا (lammu)
	f		لميتي (lammēti)	لمت (lammit)
present subjunctive	m	الم (alimm)	تلم (tilimm)	يلم (yilimm)		نلم (nilimm)	تلموا (tilimmu)	يلموا (yilimmu)
	f		تلمي (tilimmi)	تلم (tílimm)
present indicative	m	بلم (balimm)	بتلم (bitlimm)	بيلم (biylimm)		بنلم (binlimm)	بتلموا (bitlimmu)	بيلموا (biylimmu)
	f		بتلمي (bitlimmi)	بتلم (bitlimm)
future	m	حلم (ḥalimm)	حتلم (ḥatlimm)	حيلم (ḥaylimm)		حنلم (ḥanlimm)	حتلموا (ḥatlimmu)	حيلموا (ḥaylimmu)
	f		حتلمي (ḥatlimmi)	حتلم (ḥatlimm)
imperative	m		لم (limm)				لموا (limmu)
	f		لمي (limmi)

Mazanderani

Noun

لم (lam)

1. bramble

Pashto

Etymology

Akin to Persian دنب (donb, “tail”); see it for more.

Noun

لم • (lëm) m

1. tail

Persian

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [lem(ː)]

Readings
Iranian reading?	lemm

Noun

لم • (lemm)

1. trick, trickery

Etymology 2

Borrowed from French lemme.

Pronunciation

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [lem]

Readings
Iranian reading?	lem

Noun

لم • (lem)

1. (mathematics) lemma

Further reading

• Hayyim, Sulayman (1934) “لم”, in New Persian–English dictionary, Teheran: Librairie-imprimerie Béroukhim