بسمل

Arabic

Etymology

Synthetic quadriliteral verb (Form Iq) derived from the consonants of the phrase بِسْمِ اللّٰه (bismi llāh, “in the name of God”).

Verb

بَسْمَلَ • (basmala) Iq (non-past يُبَسْمِلُ (yubasmilu), verbal noun بَسْمَلَة (basmala))

1. (Islam) To say: بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ (bismi llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīmi, “in the name of God the Compassionate, the Merciful”).
2. (Christianity) To recite the Trinitarian formula (بِاسْمِ الْأَبِ وَالِابْنِ وَالرُّوحِ الْقُدُسِ (bi-smi l-ʔabi wa-l-ibni wa-r-rūḥi l-qudusi, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”))

Conjugation

    Conjugation of بَسْمَلَ (Iq, sound, full passive, verbal noun بَسْمَلَة)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						بَسْمَلَة basmala
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						مُبَسْمِل mubasmil
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول						مُبَسْمَل mubasmal
active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	بَسْمَلْتُ basmaltu	بَسْمَلْتَ basmalta	بَسْمَلَ basmala		بَسْمَلْتُمَا basmaltumā	بَسْمَلَا basmalā		بَسْمَلْنَا basmalnā	بَسْمَلْتُمْ basmaltum	بَسْمَلُوا basmalū
	f		بَسْمَلْتِ basmalti	بَسْمَلَتْ basmalat			بَسْمَلَتَا basmalatā			بَسْمَلْتُنَّ basmaltunna	بَسْمَلْنَ basmalna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُبَسْمِلُ ʔubasmilu	تُبَسْمِلُ tubasmilu	يُبَسْمِلُ yubasmilu		تُبَسْمِلَانِ tubasmilāni	يُبَسْمِلَانِ yubasmilāni		نُبَسْمِلُ nubasmilu	تُبَسْمِلُونَ tubasmilūna	يُبَسْمِلُونَ yubasmilūna
	f		تُبَسْمِلِينَ tubasmilīna	تُبَسْمِلُ tubasmilu			تُبَسْمِلَانِ tubasmilāni			تُبَسْمِلْنَ tubasmilna	يُبَسْمِلْنَ yubasmilna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُبَسْمِلَ ʔubasmila	تُبَسْمِلَ tubasmila	يُبَسْمِلَ yubasmila		تُبَسْمِلَا tubasmilā	يُبَسْمِلَا yubasmilā		نُبَسْمِلَ nubasmila	تُبَسْمِلُوا tubasmilū	يُبَسْمِلُوا yubasmilū
	f		تُبَسْمِلِي tubasmilī	تُبَسْمِلَ tubasmila			تُبَسْمِلَا tubasmilā			تُبَسْمِلْنَ tubasmilna	يُبَسْمِلْنَ yubasmilna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُبَسْمِلْ ʔubasmil	تُبَسْمِلْ tubasmil	يُبَسْمِلْ yubasmil		تُبَسْمِلَا tubasmilā	يُبَسْمِلَا yubasmilā		نُبَسْمِلْ nubasmil	تُبَسْمِلُوا tubasmilū	يُبَسْمِلُوا yubasmilū
	f		تُبَسْمِلِي tubasmilī	تُبَسْمِلْ tubasmil			تُبَسْمِلَا tubasmilā			تُبَسْمِلْنَ tubasmilna	يُبَسْمِلْنَ yubasmilna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		بَسْمِلْ basmil			بَسْمِلَا basmilā				بَسْمِلُوا basmilū
	f		بَسْمِلِي basmilī							بَسْمِلْنَ basmilna
passive voice الْفِعْل الْمَجْهُول
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	بُسْمِلْتُ busmiltu	بُسْمِلْتَ busmilta	بُسْمِلَ busmila		بُسْمِلْتُمَا busmiltumā	بُسْمِلَا busmilā		بُسْمِلْنَا busmilnā	بُسْمِلْتُمْ busmiltum	بُسْمِلُوا busmilū
	f		بُسْمِلْتِ busmilti	بُسْمِلَتْ busmilat			بُسْمِلَتَا busmilatā			بُسْمِلْتُنَّ busmiltunna	بُسْمِلْنَ busmilna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُبَسْمَلُ ʔubasmalu	تُبَسْمَلُ tubasmalu	يُبَسْمَلُ yubasmalu		تُبَسْمَلَانِ tubasmalāni	يُبَسْمَلَانِ yubasmalāni		نُبَسْمَلُ nubasmalu	تُبَسْمَلُونَ tubasmalūna	يُبَسْمَلُونَ yubasmalūna
	f		تُبَسْمَلِينَ tubasmalīna	تُبَسْمَلُ tubasmalu			تُبَسْمَلَانِ tubasmalāni			تُبَسْمَلْنَ tubasmalna	يُبَسْمَلْنَ yubasmalna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُبَسْمَلَ ʔubasmala	تُبَسْمَلَ tubasmala	يُبَسْمَلَ yubasmala		تُبَسْمَلَا tubasmalā	يُبَسْمَلَا yubasmalā		نُبَسْمَلَ nubasmala	تُبَسْمَلُوا tubasmalū	يُبَسْمَلُوا yubasmalū
	f		تُبَسْمَلِي tubasmalī	تُبَسْمَلَ tubasmala			تُبَسْمَلَا tubasmalā			تُبَسْمَلْنَ tubasmalna	يُبَسْمَلْنَ yubasmalna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُبَسْمَلْ ʔubasmal	تُبَسْمَلْ tubasmal	يُبَسْمَلْ yubasmal		تُبَسْمَلَا tubasmalā	يُبَسْمَلَا yubasmalā		نُبَسْمَلْ nubasmal	تُبَسْمَلُوا tubasmalū	يُبَسْمَلُوا yubasmalū
	f		تُبَسْمَلِي tubasmalī	تُبَسْمَلْ tubasmal			تُبَسْمَلَا tubasmalā			تُبَسْمَلْنَ tubasmalna	يُبَسْمَلْنَ yubasmalna

Related terms

• بِسْمِ اللّٰه (bismi llāh, “in the name of God”)
• بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ (bismi llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīmi, “in the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful”)
• حَمْدَلَ (ḥamdala, “To say الْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ (al-ḥamdu lillāhi)”)
• حَوْقَلَ (ḥawqala, “To say لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ (lā ḥawla walā quwwata ʔillā bi-l-lāhi)”)
• كَبَّرَ (kabbara, “To say the takbir”)

Persian

Etymology

Contraction of بسم الله (besmellâh, “in the name of God”), which Muslim butchers say before slaughtering animals.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [bis.ˈmil]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [bɪs.mɪ́l]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [bɪs.mɪ́l]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [bɪs.mɪ́l]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [bis.míl̥]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [bes.mél̥]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [bis.míl]

Readings
Classical reading?	bismil
Dari reading?	bismil
Iranian reading?	besmel
Tajik reading?	bismil

Adjective

بسمل • (besmel)

1. (of an animal) slaughtered, butchered
   • c. 1520, Selim I of the Ottoman Empire, edited by Benedek Péri, The Persian Dīvān of Yavuz Sulṭān Selīm, Budapest, Hungary: Research Centre for the Humanities, Eötvös Loránd Research Network, →ISBN, page 259:

     ای غم جانان چو جانم را زبون کردی بدرد
     نیم بسمل مرغ را باری بدان صیاد ده

     ay ğam-i jānān čū jānam rā zabūn kardī ba-dard
     nē-am bismil murğ rā bārē bad-ān sayyād dih

     O [my] grief for the beloved! When you made my soul wretched with pain,
     I was [still] not slaughtered. So give the bird [of my soul] to that hunter!

     (Classical Persian transliteration)

   • c. 1860, Mīrzā Ghālib, دیوان غالب دهلوی‎^[1]:

     هوای ساقیی دارم که تاب ذوق رفتارش
     صراحی را چو طاووسان بسمل پرفشان دارد

     hawā-yi sāqīyē dāram ki tāb-i zawq-i raftāraš
     surāhī rā čū tāwūsān-i bismil pur-fišān dārad

     I fancy that wine-pourer, the heat of whose delightful gait
     Keeps the carafe of wine flowing on like [blood from] slaughtered peacocks.

     (Classical Persian transliteration)

2. meek
   • c. 1860, Mīrzā Ghālib, دیوان غالب دهلوی‎^[2]:

     غالب از آب و هوای هند بسمل گشت نطق
     خیز تا خود را به اصفاهان و شیراز افگنم

     ğālib az āb u hawā-yi hind bismil gašt nuqt
     xēz tā xwad rā ba isfāhān u šīrāz afganam

     Ghālib! Your speech has grown meek from the climate of India.
     Rise so that I can throw myself to Isfahan and Shiraz!

     (Classical Persian transliteration)

Further reading

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