وصى

Cognate with Hebrew ציווה / צִוָּה (ṣiwwɔ̂, tsivá, “to command”) by metathesis.

• IPA^(key): /wasˤ.sˤaː/

وَصَّى • (waṣṣā) II (non-past يُوَصِّي (yuwaṣṣī), verbal noun تَوْصِيَة (tawṣiya))

1. to ordain, to decree, to command
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 4:131:

     وَلَقَدْ وَصَّيْنَا ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا ٱلْكِتَابَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ أَنِ ٱتَّقُوا اللَّهَ

     walaqad waṣṣaynā llaḏīna ʔūtū l-kitāba min qablikum waʔiyyākum ʔani ttaqū l-laha

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 6:151:

     ذَٰلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُم بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

     ḏālikum waṣṣākum bihi laʕallakum taʕqilūna

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. to bequeath
3. to advise
4. to entrust, to commend
5. to determine or institute as guardian

• Maltese: wissa
• Moroccan Arabic: وصى (waṣṣa)
• South Levantine Arabic: وصى (waṣṣa)

• “وصى” in Almaany

From Arabic وَصَّى (waṣṣā).

• IPA^(key): /wasˤ.sˤa/

وصى • (waṣṣa) II (non-past يوصي (ywaṣṣi), verbal noun توصية (tawsya), active participle موصي (mwaṣṣi))

1. to recommend, to advise

   Synonym: نصح (nṣaḥ)

   كنوصيك تمشي للطبيب فأقرب وقت.

   kanwaṣṣīk temši le-ṭbīb f-ʔaqrab waqt.

   I advise you to go to the doctor as soon as possible.

2. to order, to put an order [with على]

   Synonym: طلب (ṭlab)

   وصيت على طابلة فالمطعم الجديد لغدا.

   waṣṣīt ʕla ṭābla f-el-maṭʕam le-jdīd l-ḡadda.

   I ordered a table in the new restaurant for tomorrow.

   وصى الوالد على تلاجة جديدة من مرجان.

   waṣṣa l-wālid ʕla tallāja jdīda men marjān.

   My father ordered a new fridge from Marjane.

3. to entrust, to commend [with على]

   Synonym: أمن (ʔamman)

   وصيت عليك هاد الأمانة. ― waṣṣīt ʕlīk hād el-ʔamāna ― I entrust with you this trust.

From Arabic وَصَّى (waṣṣā).

• IPA^(key): /wasˤ.sˤa/, [ˈwɑsˤːɑ]

• Audio (al-Lidd):

  (file)

وصّى • (waṣṣa) II (present بوصّي (biwaṣṣi))

1. to recommend (that someone to do something)

   Synonym: اقترح (iqtaraḥ)

   بوصّيك انّك تتوجّه للدكتور.

   bawaṣṣīk ʔinnak titwajjah lad-doktōr.

   I recommend that you go to the doctor.

   (literally, “I ask you that you direct yourself to the doctor.”)

2. to recommend (someone to another) [with على]

   وّصاهم علي للوضيفة.

   waṣṣāhom ʕalay lil-waẓīfe.

   He recommended me to them for the position.

   (literally, “He asked them for me for the position.”)

3. to request, to order, to ask (someone to do something) [with على]

   Synonym: طلب (ṭalab)

   وصّيت على طاولة؟ ― waṣṣēt ʕala ṭāwle? ― Did you order a table?

   آه، وصّيته على طاولة. ― ʔā, waṣṣēto ʕala ṭāwle ― Yes, I asked him for a table.

• Grammatically, وصّى (waṣṣa) is akin to English “to ask” (in the sense of “to request”): the direct object of وصّى is that from which something is requested (وصّيته ― waṣṣēto ― I asked him), whereas the indirect object is that which is requested (على طاولة ― ʕala ṭāwle ― for a table). Neither object is required, but whether they are used influences the interpretation of the sentence. Without a direct object, وصّى simply means “to put in a request”. Without an indirect object, it connotes a recommendation or a suggestion given to another.