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Post 1st published on : 16th April 2020
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Post's relevant content last edited on : 16th April 2020.
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[ Core Meaning shades ]
[ | Modified meaning shades due to context | ]
[ { Meaning shade combined with context } ]
[ (possible translation related to core meaning but not direct translation for the word) ]
/ = and or or.
: = previous statement continues to next statement.
0 (l,r,a,n). Introduction and Core Meaning shades
i. Apparently, the base letters in ثُمَّ are ث م م
ii. Let's explore some related words.
ثَمَّهُ translation attempt: he : developed / progressed / improved / took : it further or he collected / added : further progress / improvement / development with existing progress / improvement / development. Some English dictionaries confuse and add meanings of repair / rectification etc. which can be meanings of رَمَّهُ and when ثَمَّهُ وَرَمَّهُ is said, it may have caused this confusion of mixing up of the meaning shades. e.g. when we say ثَمَّهُ for a house: he developed / progressed / improved / took it further (by filling up its interstices, or by putting a roof of dry herbage over the built walls and frames, or by putting accessories and tools in it etc.). When we say ثَمَّهُ for a vessel of milk: he collected / added : further progress / improvement / development (i.e. spread over it a ثُمَام or skin of milk and put it above it, in order that the sun might not strike it, and its milk become consequently decomposed, or curdled) with existing progress / improvement / development (i.e. collecting and putting the milk in the vessel). And ثَمَّهُ he stuffed it (e.g. by progressing / furthering the process of collecting and stuffing the stuff to be stuffed).
ثُمّ translation attempt: as taken from Lane's Lexicon: household-goods, or furniture and utensils, and their water-skins, or milk-skins, and vessels. The means by which a house, or tent, is put into a good state. (My interpretation i.e. these things are collected to a house for developing / progressing / improving it further).
iii. The core meaning shade of the particle ثُمَّ appears to be:
a connector for:
progression
or
furtherness (i.e. being further with reference to some matter or thing etc.)
or
collecting / gathering : further progress with existing progress
or
further : development / progress / buildup / completion :
in a matter
or towards the logical conclusion of a matter depending on context / situation / history / future plan / requirement : etc.
or
further : development / progress / buildup / completion :
in a written or spoken speech, in which, what the speaker or writer is saying in a particular context or situation or on a set of related matters is developed / progressed / built / completed : further via usage of ثُمَّ and in this case the spoken or written speech is progressing further and may even mention matters out of actual sequence or order, as the speech is progressing further towards its conclusion and a matter that occurred later may be mentioned before a matter that occurred earlier to make progression in speech in the intended manner and for the intended effect on the addressee.
Here we may consider for better understanding the concept of developing story in news channels, in which there are further developments in a story. The story may not progress in a 1 sided direction and subsequent progress may even be against the preceding step, but still, in the matter being discussed in the story, progress and development is being made since this matter is progressing further towards its conclusion.
In English, the word further and its various combinations seem most appropriate. So let's explore further of English:
Further: relevant meaning shades in English :
Used to introduce a new point relating to or reinforcing a previous statement.
Additional to what already exists or has already taken place, been done, or been accounted for.
At or to a more advanced, successful, or desirable stage.
Help the progress or development of (something); promote.
At, to, or by a greater distance (used to indicate the extent to which one thing or person is or becomes distant from another)
Over a greater expanse of space or time; for a longer way.
More distant in space than something else of the same kind.
Beyond the point already reached or the distance already covered.
AI2 notes: Further can also be understood in the literal sense, that what is mentioned after it is further from what is mentioned before it , i.e. 1st the preceding statement comes and then further to it, this next statement comes.
Or 1st, what is mentioned in the preceding statement occurrs and then further to it, in space or time or physically or in state or condition or progression or application etc., what is mentioned in the following statement occurrs.
or 1st matter exists or occurrs and further to it in distance or time or compatibility or consistency, a 2nd matter exists or occurrs.
Another application of usage of the word further is that there is no limit to further, i.e. further can be the very next thing or step or progression or it may even be a very distant thing or step or progression since whether it is close or far, it is still further from what is mentioned before it. It may even be the same thing heaped further together, e.g. woe!, further woe!
Similarly, further to that is also a very good choice in many cases, it can be used when something is further from something else, when something is mentioned further to what is already mentioned, when something comes further after something else, i.e. in English also, it conveys the different meanings depending on context. We may also use further from that and further on that for even better translation in some cases, depending on context.
[ [ further , and further , further to that , and further to that , further on , and further on , further on that , and further on that , further from that , and further from that , onward , and onward ] , ( furthermore , progressing further , advancing further , proceeding further , afterward , later on ) ]
Different translations from above may be used depending on context, whether this progression is physical, conceptual, in place, in time, state, condition, statement, or matter etc.
Below are some example cases of its usage:
1 (p,n). The Arabic particle ثُمَّ is used when the speaker or writer mentions a matter before ثُمَّ and then mentions a matter further on after ثُمَّ which is away from or different from the preceding matter physically or in distance or in time or in rank or in degree or in conformability or in compatibility, but by gathering these distant or different matters together, the speaker or writer conveys what he wants to convey. Either he may want to convey both matters together at the same time without any intention to link them up for a common effect on the addressee, or he may want the addressee to consider preceding matter also when he considers that matter coming after ثُمَّ or the matter coming after ثُمَّ also when he considers the preceding matter, or he may want the addressee to consider both the matters together etc. In various examples, the 1st matter is mentioned and shows that the 2nd matter has occurred despite that, i.e. based on the 1st matter, the 2nd matter shouldn't have been such and should have been more consistent with the 1st matter, but despite that after occurrence of the 1st matter, further on something happens which is not compatible with the 1st matter and distant or different from it. The relevant term used in books for this role of ثُمَّ is استبعاد or seeking remoteness / distance and some books also mention تفاوت or disparity / disharmony / lack of conformability or compatibility etc.
[ further , further to that , further from that , further on ]
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ ٱلظُّلُمَـٰتِ وَٱلنُّورَ ۖ ثُمَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ
The Thankful Praise is for ALLAH Who Created the heavens and the earth and Made the darkenesses and the light, further from that those who did kufr* with their Maintaining-Lord they equate. (Translation attempt for Words from The Qur'an 6:1)
kufr كُفْر translation attempt : Covering up (belief / thankfulness etc.). Covering up (the natural inclination to be receptive to the Qur'an and Islam). Covering up (the receptiveness to The Qur'an and Islam).
2 (n). The Arabic particle ثُمَّ is used to indicate progression or further development on a matter, in which the statement preceding ثُمَّ indicates a part of a matter, and the statement coming after ثُمَّ indicates a related further progress on or related to the same matter.
[ further , further on , and further on , further to that , and further to that , onward , and onward ]
ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ بِاللّٰهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَرْتَابُواْ
... those who believed in ALLAH and His messenger and further on they definitely did not doubt... (Translation attempt for Words from The Qur'an 49:15)
3 (p,n). The Arabic particle ثُمَّ is used when the speaker or writer mentions a matter before ثُمَّ and then mentions something else on or related to the same matter, or mentions a related or unrelated matter further on after ثُمَّ in sequence or ordered arrangement of mention i.e mentioning 1 matter and then mentioning more on it or mentioning another matter via ثُمَّ and so on, and it is not necessary that the matter mentioned further on is actually further on in reality also, as it is further on in mention by the speaker or writer, i.e. it may be further in reality, before in reality or parallel in reality (e.g. both may be established facts mentioned by the speaker etc.). The relevant term used in books for this role of ثُمَّ is ترتيب ذكري or sequence / ordered arrangement : of mention.
[ further , and further , further to that , further on that ]
فَإِلَيْنَا مَرجِعُهُمْ ثُمَّ اللّٰهُ شَهِيدٌ عَلَىٰ مَا يَفْعَلُونَ
... and then to Us is their returning, further ALLAH is Ever Witnessing over what they are doing ...
... and then to Us is their returning, further to that ALLAH is Ever Witnessing over what they are doing ...
(Translation attempts for Words from The Qur'an 10:46)
خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَّٰحِدَةٍ ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا
He Created you(pl) from a single self, further He Made from it its partner...
He Created you(pl) from a single self, further to that He Made from it its partner...
(Translation attempts for Words from The Qur'an 39:6)
4 (n). Sometimes ثُمَّ is used after interrogative أَ i.e أَثُمَّ for asking a further question following a previous question related to a common matter, or furthering the previous statement with a further question, or asking a question regarding something that is further in time or distance etc. from the current context etc.
[ further , further on , further to that ]
ۚ أَثُمَّ إِذَا مَا وَقَعَ ءَامَنْتُمْ بِهِۦ
Is it further when, that it has befallen, you believed in it? ...
Is it further on when, that it has befallen, you believed in it? ...
(Translation attempts for Words from The Qur'an 10:51)
5 (p,n). Sometimes ثُمَّ is used to further emphasize or strengthen or build a statement coming before ثُمَّ by repeating the same or a similar or related statement after ثُمَّ
[ [ further , further on that ] , (again) ]
فَقُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ ثُمَّ قُتِلَ كَيْفَ قَدَّرَ
So he be killed! how he determined!, further he be killed! how he determined!
So he be killed! how he determined!, further on that he be killed! how he determined!
(Translation attempts for Words from The Qur'an 74:19-20)
Now, let's briefly also discuss ثَمَّ used 4 times in The Qur'an.
0 (r,a,l,n). The core meaning shade of ثَمَّ appears to be:
A container / receptacle / place : where / in which / at which : the referred to matter or action or role etc. mentioned before ثَمَّ progresses / proceeds : further. In various cases, further details are mentioned related to the preceding matter after ثَمَّ that also take place at that same place.
Or
We may also say that it is an adverb for indicating the presence / existence / progression : of a : thing / matter / action at a specific place. The adding up or collecting together of the indicated thing / matter / action in the indicated place and progression of it there.
Or
Another usual feature of this place is that this place is usually further off or further away or out of the current range in : time / place : from the : addressee or speaker. A place other than that of the : speaker or addressee (i.e. out of range, so, close (here, in the visible range) or far (there, but within the visible range) are irrelevant).
[ there , thereat (at that place) , therein (in that place) ]
وَأَزْلَفْنَا ثَمَّ ٱلْآخَرِينَ
and we made accessible thereat the others. (Translation attempt for Words from the Qur'an 26:64)
Note: The word accessible has been chosen, seeing the other 3 occurrences of this form IV verb in The Qur'an where Paradise is made accessible. Near is not chosen since it is not from its core meaning shade as per the quick initial analysis by me, and at 1 place i.e. 50:31 it is mentioned along with غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ i.e. if its meaning was near, then apparently there would be no need to mention غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ with it. It may be the case that they were made accessible at the place to get destroyed by the water. And ALLAH Knows the exact truth!
To study these particles further in many other books read the related pages in
Arabic Particles Tool . Also to see other posts in Arabic Particles Meanings series.
References: When multiple references mentioned for a point, it means material selected from all quoted references more from some and less from others and all quoted references do not necessarily agree on everything. Material is not exactly copied but based on the reference quoted and I have made additions, editions & changes where required :
r = Qur'an Root Linker Tool books, specially TQ and then MI
w = Wright Arabic Grammar English
h = Howell Arabic Grammar English
l = Lane's Lexicon
n = New indication by me
a = Arabic Almanac and Mawrid Reader books
p = Arabic Particles Tool books, specially AQ and HR
p2 = Ma'ani un Nahw (AP Tool 2) .
m = Sharh of Miatu Amil .
f = Fischer Arabic Grammar (its PDF can be downloaded from the link).
q = Qawaid Zaban e Qur'an Urdu .
Arabic has been typed using the free and detailed Arabic keyboard, latest live version of which is available at:
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بَلۡ بَلَىٰ كَ إِنۡ أَنۡ سَ سَوۡفَ أَ هَلۡ إِذۡ إِذَا إِذًا أَنَّىٰ لَـٰكِنۡ لَـٰكِنَّ
