ناموس

Arabic

Etymology

From Classical Syriac ܢܳܡܘܿܣܳܐ‎ (nāmōsā), from Ancient Greek νόμος (nómos). Already in Pre-Islamic times the meaning of this foreign word got debauched and hence apart from the application for “godly law”, from which the word originates, it has meant human law, virtue, respect, doctrines, even natural laws. And the application to a certain person derives from the role of Gabriel entrusted in transmitting the revelations of the God of the Gesetzesreligion. This in turn has been misunderstood again as meaning “angel”, hence also the nisba meaning نَامُوسِيّ‎ (nāmūsiyy, “angelic”). But more vulgarly this relates to all meanings of the three consonants in relation to something being “hidden”; hence also the meaning “cunning”, that is somebody who hides his plans well. In particular the sense of a nematocerous insect – originally African Arabic – derives comes hence since these insects are active at night and alight in marsh bushes by day, as well as the name of the polecat, since these beasts are active at night and alight in burrows, alcoves, wall niches, boles by day.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /naː.muːs/

Noun

نَامُوس • (nāmūs) m (plural نَوَامِيس‎ (nawāmīs))

namus, mos sive fas
confidant, who is trusted in keeping a thing
- 7th century CE, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Buḵāriyy, 60:66:
  
  ‏هَذَا النَّامُوسُ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ اللّٰهُ عَلَى مُوسَى‎
  haḏā n-nāmūsu allaḏī ʾanzala llāhu ʿalā mūsā
  This is the confidant whom God has sent down to Moses.
latibulum, where a hunter or hunting animal retreats to prey later
Synonyms: قُتْرَة‎ (qutra), قُرْمُوص‎ (qurmūṣ), زَرِيبَة‎ (zarība), زَرْب‎ (zarb)

Declension

Declension of noun نَامُوس (nāmūs)

Singular	basic singular triptote
Singular	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	نَامُوس nāmūs	النَّامُوس‎ an-nāmūs	نَامُوس nāmūs
Nominative	نَامُوسٌ nāmūsun	النَّامُوسُ‎ an-nāmūsu	نَامُوسُ nāmūsu
Accusative	نَامُوسًا‎ nāmūsan	النَّامُوسَ‎ an-nāmūsa	نَامُوسَ nāmūsa
Genitive	نَامُوسٍ nāmūsin	النَّامُوسِ‎ an-nāmūsi	نَامُوسِ nāmūsi
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	نَامُوسَيْن‎ nāmūsayn	النَّامُوسَيْن‎ an-nāmūsayn	نَامُوسَيْ‎ nāmūsay
Nominative	نَامُوسَانِ‎ nāmūsāni	النَّامُوسَانِ‎ an-nāmūsāni	نَامُوسَا‎ nāmūsā
Accusative	نَامُوسَيْنِ‎ nāmūsayni	النَّامُوسَيْنِ‎ an-nāmūsayni	نَامُوسَيْ‎ nāmūsay
Genitive	نَامُوسَيْنِ‎ nāmūsayni	النَّامُوسَيْنِ‎ an-nāmūsayni	نَامُوسَيْ‎ nāmūsay
Plural	basic broken plural diptote
Plural	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	نَوَامِيس‎ nawāmīs	النَّوَامِيس‎ an-nawāmīs	نَوَامِيس‎ nawāmīs
Nominative	نَوَامِيسُ‎ nawāmīsu	النَّوَامِيسُ‎ an-nawāmīsu	نَوَامِيسُ‎ nawāmīsu
Accusative	نَوَامِيسَ‎ nawāmīsa	النَّوَامِيسَ‎ an-nawāmīsa	نَوَامِيسَ‎ nawāmīsa
Genitive	نَوَامِيسَ‎ nawāmīsa	النَّوَامِيسِ‎ an-nawāmīsi	نَوَامِيسِ‎ nawāmīsi

Derived terms

نِمْس‎ (nims, “polecat”)
نَمَسَ‎ (namasa, “to keep in secret”)
نَمَّسَ‎ (nammasa, “to deceive, to make a jiggery-pokery”)
نَامَسَ‎ (nāmasa, “to communicate a secret to”)
تَنَمَّسَ‎ (tanammasa, “to be hidden, to be concealed”)
أَنْمَس‎ (ʾanmas, “turbid, dim”)
تَنَمَّسَ‎ (tanammasa, “to make it law for oneself”)
نَامُوسِيّ‎ (nāmūsiyy, “related to nāmūs”)

Descendants

→ Hebrew: נאמוס‎
→ Persian: ناموس‎‎}
- Bashkir: намыҫ (namïθ)
- Kazakh: намыс (namıs)
- Tatar: намус (namus)
- Uzbek: nomus
- Uyghur: نامۇس‎ (namus, “honor; sense of dignity”),

Noun

نَامُوس • (nāmūs) m (collective, singulative نَامُوسَة‎ (nāmūsa), plural نَامُوسَات‎ (nāmūsāt))

any Nematocera insect: crane flies, gnats, mosquitoes
Synonyms: بَعُوض‎ (baʿūḍ), بَقّ‎ (baqq) (Iraq), قِرْقِس‎ (qirqis) (Syria), جِرْجِس‎ (jirjis) (Syria), بَرْغَش‎ (barḡaš), خَمُوش‎ (ḵamūš)

Declension

Declension of noun نَامُوس (nāmūs)

Collective	basic collective triptote
Collective	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	نَامُوس nāmūs	النَّامُوس‎ an-nāmūs	نَامُوس nāmūs
Nominative	نَامُوسٌ nāmūsun	النَّامُوسُ‎ an-nāmūsu	نَامُوسُ nāmūsu
Accusative	نَامُوسًا‎ nāmūsan	النَّامُوسَ‎ an-nāmūsa	نَامُوسَ nāmūsa
Genitive	نَامُوسٍ nāmūsin	النَّامُوسِ‎ an-nāmūsi	نَامُوسِ nāmūsi
Singulative	singulative triptote in ـَة (-a)
Singulative	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	نَامُوسَة‎ nāmūsa	النَّامُوسَة‎ an-nāmūsa	نَامُوسَة‎ nāmūsat
Nominative	نَامُوسَةٌ‎ nāmūsatun	النَّامُوسَةُ‎ an-nāmūsatu	نَامُوسَةُ‎ nāmūsatu
Accusative	نَامُوسَةً‎ nāmūsatan	النَّامُوسَةَ‎ an-nāmūsata	نَامُوسَةَ‎ nāmūsata
Genitive	نَامُوسَةٍ‎ nāmūsatin	النَّامُوسَةِ‎ an-nāmūsati	نَامُوسَةِ‎ nāmūsati
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	نَامُوسَتَيْن‎ nāmūsatayn	النَّامُوسَتَيْن‎ an-nāmūsatayn	نَامُوسَتَيْ‎ nāmūsatay
Nominative	نَامُوسَتَانِ‎ nāmūsatāni	النَّامُوسَتَانِ‎ an-nāmūsatāni	نَامُوسَتَا‎ nāmūsatā
Accusative	نَامُوسَتَيْنِ‎ nāmūsatayni	النَّامُوسَتَيْنِ‎ an-nāmūsatayni	نَامُوسَتَيْ‎ nāmūsatay
Genitive	نَامُوسَتَيْنِ‎ nāmūsatayni	النَّامُوسَتَيْنِ‎ an-nāmūsatayni	نَامُوسَتَيْ‎ nāmūsatay
Paucal (3-10)	sound feminine paucal
Paucal (3-10)	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	نَامُوسَات‎ nāmūsāt	النَّامُوسَات‎ an-nāmūsāt	نَامُوسَات‎ nāmūsāt
Nominative	نَامُوسَاتٌ‎ nāmūsātun	النَّامُوسَاتُ‎ an-nāmūsātu	نَامُوسَاتُ‎ nāmūsātu
Accusative	نَامُوسَاتٍ‎ nāmūsātin	النَّامُوسَاتِ‎ an-nāmūsāti	نَامُوسَاتِ‎ nāmūsāti
Genitive	نَامُوسَاتٍ‎ nāmūsātin	النَّامُوسَاتِ‎ an-nāmūsāti	نَامُوسَاتِ‎ nāmūsāti
Plural of variety	sound feminine plural
Plural of variety	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	نَامُوسَات‎ nāmūsāt	النَّامُوسَات‎ an-nāmūsāt	نَامُوسَات‎ nāmūsāt
Nominative	نَامُوسَاتٌ‎ nāmūsātun	النَّامُوسَاتُ‎ an-nāmūsātu	نَامُوسَاتُ‎ nāmūsātu
Accusative	نَامُوسَاتٍ‎ nāmūsātin	النَّامُوسَاتِ‎ an-nāmūsāti	نَامُوسَاتِ‎ nāmūsāti
Genitive	نَامُوسَاتٍ‎ nāmūsātin	النَّامُوسَاتِ‎ an-nāmūsāti	نَامُوسَاتِ‎ nāmūsāti

Derived terms

نَمُوسِيّة‎ (namūsiyya, “protective net against nematocerous insects”)

Adjective

نَامُوس • (nāmūs)

(obsolete)

cunning, astute

Declension

Declension of adjective نَامُوس (nāmūs)

Singular	Masculine		Feminine
	basic singular triptote		singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	نَامُوس nāmūs	النَّامُوس‎ an-nāmūs	نَامُوسَة‎ nāmūsa	النَّامُوسَة‎ an-nāmūsa
Nominative	نَامُوسٌ nāmūsun	النَّامُوسُ‎ an-nāmūsu	نَامُوسَةٌ‎ nāmūsatun	النَّامُوسَةُ‎ an-nāmūsatu
Accusative	نَامُوسًا‎ nāmūsan	النَّامُوسَ‎ an-nāmūsa	نَامُوسَةً‎ nāmūsatan	النَّامُوسَةَ‎ an-nāmūsata
Genitive	نَامُوسٍ nāmūsin	النَّامُوسِ‎ an-nāmūsi	نَامُوسَةٍ‎ nāmūsatin	النَّامُوسَةِ‎ an-nāmūsati
Dual	Masculine		Feminine
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	نَامُوسَيْن‎ nāmūsayn	النَّامُوسَيْن‎ an-nāmūsayn	نَامُوسَتَيْن‎ nāmūsatayn	النَّامُوسَتَيْن‎ an-nāmūsatayn
Nominative	نَامُوسَانِ‎ nāmūsāni	النَّامُوسَانِ‎ an-nāmūsāni	نَامُوسَتَانِ‎ nāmūsatāni	النَّامُوسَتَانِ‎ an-nāmūsatāni
Accusative	نَامُوسَيْنِ‎ nāmūsayni	النَّامُوسَيْنِ‎ an-nāmūsayni	نَامُوسَتَيْنِ‎ nāmūsatayni	النَّامُوسَتَيْنِ‎ an-nāmūsatayni
Genitive	نَامُوسَيْنِ‎ nāmūsayni	النَّامُوسَيْنِ‎ an-nāmūsayni	نَامُوسَتَيْنِ‎ nāmūsatayni	النَّامُوسَتَيْنِ‎ an-nāmūsatayni
Plural	Masculine		Feminine
	basic broken plural diptote		basic broken plural diptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	نَوَامِيس‎ nawāmīs	النَّوَامِيس‎ an-nawāmīs	نَوَامِيس‎ nawāmīs	النَّوَامِيس‎ an-nawāmīs
Nominative	نَوَامِيسُ‎ nawāmīsu	النَّوَامِيسُ‎ an-nawāmīsu	نَوَامِيسُ‎ nawāmīsu	النَّوَامِيسُ‎ an-nawāmīsu
Accusative	نَوَامِيسَ‎ nawāmīsa	النَّوَامِيسَ‎ an-nawāmīsa	نَوَامِيسَ‎ nawāmīsa	النَّوَامِيسَ‎ an-nawāmīsa
Genitive	نَوَامِيسَ‎ nawāmīsa	النَّوَامِيسِ‎ an-nawāmīsi	نَوَامِيسَ‎ nawāmīsa	النَّوَامِيسِ‎ an-nawāmīsi

References

Dozy, Reinhart Pieter Anne (1881), “ناموس”, in Supplément aux dictionnaires arabes (in French), volume 2, Leiden: E. J. Brill, pages 725–726
Fraenkel, Siegmund (1886) Die aramäischen Fremdwörter im Arabischen (in German), Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 278
Freytag, Georg (1837), “ناموس”, in Lexicon arabico-latinum praesertim ex Djeuharii Firuzabadiique et aliorum Arabum operibus adhibitis Golii quoque et aliorum libris confectum (in Latin), volume 4, Halle: C. A. Schwetschke, page 227
Freytag, Georg (1837), “ناموس”, in Lexicon arabico-latinum praesertim ex Djeuharii Firuzabadiique et aliorum Arabum operibus adhibitis Golii quoque et aliorum libris confectum (in Latin), volume 4, Halle: C. A. Schwetschke, page 338
Viré, François (1993), “NĀMŪS”, in The Encyclopedia of Islam, volume 7, Leiden: E. J. Brill, →ISBN, pages 953–956
Wehr, Hans; Kropfitsch, Lorenz (1985), “ناموس”, in Arabisches Wörterbuch für die Schriftsprache der Gegenwart (in German), 5th edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, published 2011, →ISBN, page 1317

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