ليس

See also: لبس, لیس, and ليش

Arabic

Etymology 1

Uncertain. Traditionally taken to be a contracted pronunciation of either an earlier form لَيِسَ (layisa), whose ultimate origin is in turn unknown or unexplored, or of لَا (lā, “not”) + an existential أَيْس (ʔays)^[1] that has a proposed etymology in Proto-Semitic *ys < *yt. This existential would be a native cognate to Hebrew יֵשׁ (yēš)^[2] and Akkadian 𒌇 (/⁠išu⁠/, “to have or own; to be”, also used copulatively), although Al-Jallad (2018) expresses doubt that it is anything more than a back-formation from the negative, in other words implying that لَا (lā, “not”) + *أَيْس (*ʔays, existential) is just a folk etymology from which أَيْس (ʔays) was created artificially. Al-Jallad proceeds to attest a form of لَيْسَ (laysa) in a Safaitic inscription dated between the first century BC and the fourth century AD, whose form, he says, invalidates the possibility of an origin in a verb لَيِسَ (layisa); he thereby argues that لَيْسَ (laysa) may either be a loan from Neo-Assyrian 𒆷𒀸𒋗 (la-aš-šu /⁠laššu⁠/, “there is not”) or from Taymanitic 𐪁𐪚𐪏 (lys³ /⁠lāʾis, lāyis⁠/, “not existing or being”).^[3]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /laj.sa/

Verb

لَيْسَ • (laysa)

(copulative, defective) not to be
- 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 7:61:
  قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لَيْسَ بِي ضَلَالَةٌ وَلَٰكِنِّي رَسُولٌ مِن رَبِّ ٱلْعَالَمِينَ
  qāla yā qawmi laysa bī ḍalālatun wa-lākinnī rasūlun min rabbi l-ʕālamīna
  He said, “O my people, there is not error in me, but I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds.”
(invariably masculine singular) except
Synonym: لَا يَكُونُ (lā yakūnu)

جَاءَ النَّاسُ لَيْسَ زُهَيْرًا
jāʔa n-nāsu laysa zuhayran
People came, except for Zuhayr

Usage notes

This is a defective verb. It has only perfect indicative forms with a present-tense meaning. If there is a subject complement, it comes up in the accusative or (with بِـ (bi-)) the genitive. When a subject complement coming with بِـ (bi-) is definite, it means the actor doesn't belong to its type

لَسْتُ عَالِمًا ― lastu ʕāliman ― I am not learned

لَسْتُ بِعَالِمٍ ― lastu bi-ʕālimin ― I am not learned

لَسْتُ بِٱلْعَالِمِ ― lastu bi-l-ʕālimi ― I am not much of a learned person

لَيْسَ ٱلرَّجُلُ جَمِيلًا ― laysa r-rajulu jamīlan ― That man is not handsome.

Conjugation

Conjugation of **لَيْسَ** (I, sound, i ~ a, no passive, no imperative, no non-past)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر					—
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل					—
active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
		singular الْمُفْرَد			dual الْمُثَنَّى		plural الْجَمْع
		1^st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2^nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3^rd person الْغَائِب	2^nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3^rd person الْغَائِب	1^st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2^nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3^rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	لَسْتُ lastu	لَسْتَ lasta	لَيْسَ laysa	لَسْتُمَا lastumā	لَيْسَا laysā	لَسْنَا lasnā	لَسْتُمْ lastum	لَيْسُوا laysū
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	f	لَسْتُ lastu	لَسْتِ lasti	لَيْسَتْ laysat	لَسْتُمَا lastumā	لَيْسَتَا laysatā	لَسْنَا lasnā	لَسْتُنَّ lastunna	لَسْنَ lasna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	f	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	f	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	f	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
imperative الْأَمْر	m		—		—			—
imperative الْأَمْر	f		—		—			—

Particle

لَيْسَ • (laysa)

Used to negate verbs
- 10th century, Al-Mutanabbi:
  وَلَيْسَ يَصِحُّ فِي الْأَفْهَامِ شَيْءٌ
  إِذَا ٱحْتَاجَ النَّهَارُ إِلَى دَلِيلِ
  wa-laysa yaṣiḥḥu fī l-ʔafhāmi šayʔun
  ʔiḏā ḥtāja n-nahāru ʔilā dalīli
  (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Conjunction

لَيْسَ • (laysa)

(rare, disputed) not (refers to a preceding context)
- أَيْنَ الْمَفَرُّ وَالْإِلَهُ الطَّالِبُ
  وَالْأَشْرَمُ الْمَغْلُوبُ لَيْسَ ٱلْغَالِبُ
  ʔayna l-mafarru wa-l-ʔilahu ṭ-ṭālibu
  wa-l-ʔašramu l-maḡlūbu laysa l-ḡālibu
  (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /la.ji.sa/

Verb

لَيِسَ • (layisa) I (non-past يَلْيَسُ (yalyasu), verbal noun لَيَس (layas))

to be valiant, to be brave, to be courageous

Conjugation

Conjugation of **لَيِسَ** (I, sound, i ~ a, no passive, verbal noun **لَيَس**)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر					لَيَس layas
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل					أَلْيَس ʔalyas
active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
		singular الْمُفْرَد			dual الْمُثَنَّى		plural الْجَمْع
		1^st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2^nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3^rd person الْغَائِب	2^nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3^rd person الْغَائِب	1^st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2^nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3^rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	لَيِسْتُ layistu	لَيِسْتَ layista	لَيِسَ layisa	لَيِسْتُمَا layistumā	لَيِسَا layisā	لَيِسْنَا layisnā	لَيِسْتُمْ layistum	لَيِسُوا layisū
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	f	لَيِسْتُ layistu	لَيِسْتِ layisti	لَيِسَتْ layisat	لَيِسْتُمَا layistumā	لَيِسَتَا layisatā	لَيِسْنَا layisnā	لَيِسْتُنَّ layistunna	لَيِسْنَ layisna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أَلْيَسُ ʔalyasu	تَلْيَسُ talyasu	يَلْيَسُ yalyasu	تَلْيَسَانِ talyasāni	يَلْيَسَانِ yalyasāni	نَلْيَسُ nalyasu	تَلْيَسُونَ talyasūna	يَلْيَسُونَ yalyasūna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	f	أَلْيَسُ ʔalyasu	تَلْيَسِينَ talyasīna	تَلْيَسُ talyasu	تَلْيَسَانِ talyasāni	تَلْيَسَانِ talyasāni	نَلْيَسُ nalyasu	تَلْيَسْنَ talyasna	يَلْيَسْنَ yalyasna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَلْيَسَ ʔalyasa	تَلْيَسَ talyasa	يَلْيَسَ yalyasa	تَلْيَسَا talyasā	يَلْيَسَا yalyasā	نَلْيَسَ nalyasa	تَلْيَسُوا talyasū	يَلْيَسُوا yalyasū
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	f	أَلْيَسَ ʔalyasa	تَلْيَسِي talyasī	تَلْيَسَ talyasa	تَلْيَسَا talyasā	تَلْيَسَا talyasā	نَلْيَسَ nalyasa	تَلْيَسْنَ talyasna	يَلْيَسْنَ yalyasna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أَلْيَسْ ʔalyas	تَلْيَسْ talyas	يَلْيَسْ yalyas	تَلْيَسَا talyasā	يَلْيَسَا yalyasā	نَلْيَسْ nalyas	تَلْيَسُوا talyasū	يَلْيَسُوا yalyasū
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	f	أَلْيَسْ ʔalyas	تَلْيَسِي talyasī	تَلْيَسْ talyas	تَلْيَسَا talyasā	تَلْيَسَا talyasā	نَلْيَسْ nalyas	تَلْيَسْنَ talyasna	يَلْيَسْنَ yalyasna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		اِلْيَسْ ilyas		اِلْيَسَا ilyasā			اِلْيَسُوا ilyasū
imperative الْأَمْر	f		اِلْيَسِي ilyasī		اِلْيَسَا ilyasā			اِلْيَسْنَ ilyasna

Etymology 3

Noun

لَيَس • (layas) m

verbal noun of لَيِسَ (layisa) (form I)

Declension

Declension of noun **لَيَس** (layas)
singular	basic singular triptote
singular	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	لَيَس layas	اللَّيَس al-layas	لَيَس layas
nominative	لَيَسٌ layasun	اللَّيَسُ al-layasu	لَيَسُ layasu
accusative	لَيَسًا layasan	اللَّيَسَ al-layasa	لَيَسَ layasa
genitive	لَيَسٍ layasin	اللَّيَسِ al-layasi	لَيَسِ layasi

Etymology 4

Adjective

لِيس • (līs) m pl

masculine plural of أَلْيَس (ʔalyas)

References

^ Lane, Edward William (1863-1893) “ليس”, in Arabic-English Lexicon, London: Williams & Norgate, pages 1625-1627.
^ David Wilmsen (2016), page 330, Another Croft cycle in Arabic: The laysa negative existential cycle. Advance online publication.
^ Ahmad Al-Jallad (2018), The earliest attestation of laysa and the implications for its etymology. Advance online publication.

[1] Lane, Edward William (1863-1893) “ليس”, in Arabic-English Lexicon, London: Williams & Norgate, pages 1625-1627.

[2] David Wilmsen (2016), page 330, Another Croft cycle in Arabic: The laysa negative existential cycle. Advance online publication.

[3] Ahmad Al-Jallad (2018), The earliest attestation of laysa and the implications for its etymology. Advance online publication.

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