تنبل

See also: بنتل

Arabic

FWOTD – 22 February 2024

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Classical Persian (tanbal).

Adjective

تَنْبَل • (tanbal) (masculine plural تَنَابِلَة (tanābila))

lazy

Declension

Declension of adjective تَنْبَل (tanbal)

Singular	Masculine		Feminine
	basic singular triptote		singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	تَنْبَل tanbal	التَّنْبَل at-tanbal	تَنْبَلَة tanbala	التَّنْبَلَة at-tanbala
Nominative	تَنْبَلٌ tanbalun	التَّنْبَلُ at-tanbalu	تَنْبَلَةٌ tanbalatun	التَّنْبَلَةُ at-tanbalatu
Accusative	تَنْبَلًا tanbalan	التَّنْبَلَ at-tanbala	تَنْبَلَةً tanbalatan	التَّنْبَلَةَ at-tanbalata
Genitive	تَنْبَلٍ tanbalin	التَّنْبَلِ at-tanbali	تَنْبَلَةٍ tanbalatin	التَّنْبَلَةِ at-tanbalati
Dual	Masculine		Feminine
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	تَنْبَلَيْن tanbalayn	التَّنْبَلَيْن at-tanbalayn	تَنْبَلَتَيْن tanbalatayn	التَّنْبَلَتَيْن at-tanbalatayn
Nominative	تَنْبَلَانِ tanbalāni	التَّنْبَلَانِ at-tanbalāni	تَنْبَلَتَانِ tanbalatāni	التَّنْبَلَتَانِ at-tanbalatāni
Accusative	تَنْبَلَيْنِ tanbalayni	التَّنْبَلَيْنِ at-tanbalayni	تَنْبَلَتَيْنِ tanbalatayni	التَّنْبَلَتَيْنِ at-tanbalatayni
Genitive	تَنْبَلَيْنِ tanbalayni	التَّنْبَلَيْنِ at-tanbalayni	تَنْبَلَتَيْنِ tanbalatayni	التَّنْبَلَتَيْنِ at-tanbalatayni
Plural	Masculine		Feminine
	broken plural triptote in ـَة (-a)		broken plural triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	تَنَابِلَة tanābila	التَّنَابِلَة at-tanābila	تَنَابِلَة tanābila	التَّنَابِلَة at-tanābila
Nominative	تَنَابِلَةٌ tanābilatun	التَّنَابِلَةُ at-tanābilatu	تَنَابِلَةٌ tanābilatun	التَّنَابِلَةُ at-tanābilatu
Accusative	تَنَابِلَةً tanābilatan	التَّنَابِلَةَ at-tanābilata	تَنَابِلَةً tanābilatan	التَّنَابِلَةَ at-tanābilata
Genitive	تَنَابِلَةٍ tanābilatin	التَّنَابِلَةِ at-tanābilati	تَنَابِلَةٍ tanābilatin	التَّنَابِلَةِ at-tanābilati

Verb

تَنْبَلَ • (tanbala) Iq (non-past يُتَنْبِلُ (yutanbilu), verbal noun تَنْبَلَة (tanbala))

to be or become lazy or sluggish

Conjugation

Conjugation of تَنْبَلَ (Iq, sound, full passive, verbal noun تَنْبَلَة)

active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
verbal noun الْمَصْدَر					تَنْبَلَة tanbala
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل					مُتَنْبِل mutanbil
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول					مُتَنْبَل mutanbal
		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	تَنْبَلْتُ tanbaltu	تَنْبَلْتَ tanbalta	تَنْبَلَ tanbala	تَنْبَلْتُمَا tanbaltumā	تَنْبَلَا tanbalā	تَنْبَلْنَا tanbalnā	تَنْبَلْتُمْ tanbaltum	تَنْبَلُوا tanbalū
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	f	تَنْبَلْتُ tanbaltu	تَنْبَلْتِ tanbalti	تَنْبَلَتْ tanbalat	تَنْبَلْتُمَا tanbaltumā	تَنْبَلَتَا tanbalatā	تَنْبَلْنَا tanbalnā	تَنْبَلْتُنَّ tanbaltunna	تَنْبَلْنَ tanbalna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُتَنْبِلُ ʔutanbilu	تُتَنْبِلُ tutanbilu	يُتَنْبِلُ yutanbilu	تُتَنْبِلَانِ tutanbilāni	يُتَنْبِلَانِ yutanbilāni	نُتَنْبِلُ nutanbilu	تُتَنْبِلُونَ tutanbilūna	يُتَنْبِلُونَ yutanbilūna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	f	أُتَنْبِلُ ʔutanbilu	تُتَنْبِلِينَ tutanbilīna	تُتَنْبِلُ tutanbilu	تُتَنْبِلَانِ tutanbilāni	تُتَنْبِلَانِ tutanbilāni	نُتَنْبِلُ nutanbilu	تُتَنْبِلْنَ tutanbilna	يُتَنْبِلْنَ yutanbilna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُتَنْبِلَ ʔutanbila	تُتَنْبِلَ tutanbila	يُتَنْبِلَ yutanbila	تُتَنْبِلَا tutanbilā	يُتَنْبِلَا yutanbilā	نُتَنْبِلَ nutanbila	تُتَنْبِلُوا tutanbilū	يُتَنْبِلُوا yutanbilū
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	f	أُتَنْبِلَ ʔutanbila	تُتَنْبِلِي tutanbilī	تُتَنْبِلَ tutanbila	تُتَنْبِلَا tutanbilā	تُتَنْبِلَا tutanbilā	نُتَنْبِلَ nutanbila	تُتَنْبِلْنَ tutanbilna	يُتَنْبِلْنَ yutanbilna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُتَنْبِلْ ʔutanbil	تُتَنْبِلْ tutanbil	يُتَنْبِلْ yutanbil	تُتَنْبِلَا tutanbilā	يُتَنْبِلَا yutanbilā	نُتَنْبِلْ nutanbil	تُتَنْبِلُوا tutanbilū	يُتَنْبِلُوا yutanbilū
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	f	أُتَنْبِلْ ʔutanbil	تُتَنْبِلِي tutanbilī	تُتَنْبِلْ tutanbil	تُتَنْبِلَا tutanbilā	تُتَنْبِلَا tutanbilā	نُتَنْبِلْ nutanbil	تُتَنْبِلْنَ tutanbilna	يُتَنْبِلْنَ yutanbilna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		تَنْبِلْ tanbil		تَنْبِلَا tanbilā			تَنْبِلُوا tanbilū
imperative الْأَمْر	f		تَنْبِلِي tanbilī		تَنْبِلَا tanbilā			تَنْبِلْنَ tanbilna
passive voice الْفِعْل الْمَجْهُول
		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	تُنْبِلْتُ tunbiltu	تُنْبِلْتَ tunbilta	تُنْبِلَ tunbila	تُنْبِلْتُمَا tunbiltumā	تُنْبِلَا tunbilā	تُنْبِلْنَا tunbilnā	تُنْبِلْتُمْ tunbiltum	تُنْبِلُوا tunbilū
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	f	تُنْبِلْتُ tunbiltu	تُنْبِلْتِ tunbilti	تُنْبِلَتْ tunbilat	تُنْبِلْتُمَا tunbiltumā	تُنْبِلَتَا tunbilatā	تُنْبِلْنَا tunbilnā	تُنْبِلْتُنَّ tunbiltunna	تُنْبِلْنَ tunbilna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُتَنْبَلُ ʔutanbalu	تُتَنْبَلُ tutanbalu	يُتَنْبَلُ yutanbalu	تُتَنْبَلَانِ tutanbalāni	يُتَنْبَلَانِ yutanbalāni	نُتَنْبَلُ nutanbalu	تُتَنْبَلُونَ tutanbalūna	يُتَنْبَلُونَ yutanbalūna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	f	أُتَنْبَلُ ʔutanbalu	تُتَنْبَلِينَ tutanbalīna	تُتَنْبَلُ tutanbalu	تُتَنْبَلَانِ tutanbalāni	تُتَنْبَلَانِ tutanbalāni	نُتَنْبَلُ nutanbalu	تُتَنْبَلْنَ tutanbalna	يُتَنْبَلْنَ yutanbalna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُتَنْبَلَ ʔutanbala	تُتَنْبَلَ tutanbala	يُتَنْبَلَ yutanbala	تُتَنْبَلَا tutanbalā	يُتَنْبَلَا yutanbalā	نُتَنْبَلَ nutanbala	تُتَنْبَلُوا tutanbalū	يُتَنْبَلُوا yutanbalū
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	f	أُتَنْبَلَ ʔutanbala	تُتَنْبَلِي tutanbalī	تُتَنْبَلَ tutanbala	تُتَنْبَلَا tutanbalā	تُتَنْبَلَا tutanbalā	نُتَنْبَلَ nutanbala	تُتَنْبَلْنَ tutanbalna	يُتَنْبَلْنَ yutanbalna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُتَنْبَلْ ʔutanbal	تُتَنْبَلْ tutanbal	يُتَنْبَلْ yutanbal	تُتَنْبَلَا tutanbalā	يُتَنْبَلَا yutanbalā	نُتَنْبَلْ nutanbal	تُتَنْبَلُوا tutanbalū	يُتَنْبَلُوا yutanbalū
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	f	أُتَنْبَلْ ʔutanbal	تُتَنْبَلِي tutanbalī	تُتَنْبَلْ tutanbal	تُتَنْبَلَا tutanbalā	تُتَنْبَلَا tutanbalā	نُتَنْبَلْ nutanbal	تُتَنْبَلْنَ tutanbalna	يُتَنْبَلْنَ yutanbalna

Etymology 2

Root
ن ب ل (n b l)
4 terms

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ta.nab.ba.la/

Verb

تَنَبَّلَ • (tanabbala) V (non-past يَتَنَبَّلُ (yatanabbalu), verbal noun تَنَبُّل (tanabbul))

to be noble, to be of high rank or talent, to excel
- a. 525, Aš-Šanfara, أقيموا بني أمي صدور مطيكم (first line)‎^[2]:
  وَلَيْلَةِ نَحْسٍ يَصْطَلِيَ القَوْسَ رَبُّهَا … وَأَقْطُعَهُ ٱللَّاتِي بِهَا يَتَنَبَّلُ
  دَعَسْتُ عَلَى غَطَشٍ وَبَغْشٍ وَصُحْبَتِي … سُعَارٌ وَإِرْزِيزٌ وَوَجْرٌ وَأَفْكُلُ
  wa-laylati naḥsin yaṣṭaliya l-qawsa rabbu-hā … wa-ʔaqṭuʕa-hū l-lātī bi-hā yatanabbalu
  daʕastu ʕalā ḡaṭašin wabaḡšin wa-ṣuḥbatī … suʕārun wa-ʔirzīzun wa-wajrun wa-ʔafkulu
  And the ill-fated night when the master warmed up his bow, … and his arrowtips, in the handling of which he had trow
  I trod upon darkness and rain-shower and my following … was the heat of night and snowy hail and timid gulps and shivering

Conjugation

Conjugation of تَنَبَّلَ (V, sound, no passive, verbal noun تَنَبُّل)

active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
verbal noun الْمَصْدَر					تَنَبُّل tanabbul
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل					مُتَنَبِّل mutanabbil
		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	تَنَبَّلْتُ tanabbaltu	تَنَبَّلْتَ tanabbalta	تَنَبَّلَ tanabbala	تَنَبَّلْتُمَا tanabbaltumā	تَنَبَّلَا tanabbalā	تَنَبَّلْنَا tanabbalnā	تَنَبَّلْتُمْ tanabbaltum	تَنَبَّلُوا tanabbalū
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	f	تَنَبَّلْتُ tanabbaltu	تَنَبَّلْتِ tanabbalti	تَنَبَّلَتْ tanabbalat	تَنَبَّلْتُمَا tanabbaltumā	تَنَبَّلَتَا tanabbalatā	تَنَبَّلْنَا tanabbalnā	تَنَبَّلْتُنَّ tanabbaltunna	تَنَبَّلْنَ tanabbalna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أَتَنَبَّلُ ʔatanabbalu	تَتَنَبَّلُ tatanabbalu	يَتَنَبَّلُ yatanabbalu	تَتَنَبَّلَانِ tatanabbalāni	يَتَنَبَّلَانِ yatanabbalāni	نَتَنَبَّلُ natanabbalu	تَتَنَبَّلُونَ tatanabbalūna	يَتَنَبَّلُونَ yatanabbalūna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	f	أَتَنَبَّلُ ʔatanabbalu	تَتَنَبَّلِينَ tatanabbalīna	تَتَنَبَّلُ tatanabbalu	تَتَنَبَّلَانِ tatanabbalāni	تَتَنَبَّلَانِ tatanabbalāni	نَتَنَبَّلُ natanabbalu	تَتَنَبَّلْنَ tatanabbalna	يَتَنَبَّلْنَ yatanabbalna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَتَنَبَّلَ ʔatanabbala	تَتَنَبَّلَ tatanabbala	يَتَنَبَّلَ yatanabbala	تَتَنَبَّلَا tatanabbalā	يَتَنَبَّلَا yatanabbalā	نَتَنَبَّلَ natanabbala	تَتَنَبَّلُوا tatanabbalū	يَتَنَبَّلُوا yatanabbalū
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	f	أَتَنَبَّلَ ʔatanabbala	تَتَنَبَّلِي tatanabbalī	تَتَنَبَّلَ tatanabbala	تَتَنَبَّلَا tatanabbalā	تَتَنَبَّلَا tatanabbalā	نَتَنَبَّلَ natanabbala	تَتَنَبَّلْنَ tatanabbalna	يَتَنَبَّلْنَ yatanabbalna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أَتَنَبَّلْ ʔatanabbal	تَتَنَبَّلْ tatanabbal	يَتَنَبَّلْ yatanabbal	تَتَنَبَّلَا tatanabbalā	يَتَنَبَّلَا yatanabbalā	نَتَنَبَّلْ natanabbal	تَتَنَبَّلُوا tatanabbalū	يَتَنَبَّلُوا yatanabbalū
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	f	أَتَنَبَّلْ ʔatanabbal	تَتَنَبَّلِي tatanabbalī	تَتَنَبَّلْ tatanabbal	تَتَنَبَّلَا tatanabbalā	تَتَنَبَّلَا tatanabbalā	نَتَنَبَّلْ natanabbal	تَتَنَبَّلْنَ tatanabbalna	يَتَنَبَّلْنَ yatanabbalna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		تَنَبَّلْ tanabbal		تَنَبَّلَا tanabbalā			تَنَبَّلُوا tanabbalū
imperative الْأَمْر	f		تَنَبَّلِي tanabbalī		تَنَبَّلَا tanabbalā			تَنَبَّلْنَ tanabbalna

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from Persian (tanbal, “lazy, sluggish”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [tɛm.ˈbɛl]
(dialectal) IPA^(key): [dɛm.ˈbɛl]

Adjective

تنبل • (tembel)

idle, lazy, indolent, slothful, sluggish, averse to work, labor or employment
Synonyms: اوشنكن (üşengen), كاهل (kâhil), هایلاز (haylaz)

Derived terms

تنبل ات (tembel et, “sluggard”)
تنبلخانه (tembelhâne, “leper-house”)
تنبللشمك (tembelleşmek, “to become idle”)
تنبللك (tembellik, “laziness, idleness”)
تنبللنمك (tembellenmek, “to become idle”)

Descendants

Turkish: tembel
→ Albanian: dembel
→ Armenian: թէմպէլ (tʻēmpēl)
→ Bulgarian: дембе́л (dembél)
→ Greek: τεμπέλης (tempélis)
→ Hebrew: טֶמְבֶּל (témbel)
→ Laz: თემბელი (tembeli)
→ Macedonian: дембел (dembel)
→ Romanian: tembel
→ Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic script: дѐмбел

Latin script: dèmbel

Persian

Etymology 1

According to Asatrian, sound-symbolic like Ossetian тымбыл (tymbyl, “round”) and Armenian թմբլիկ (tʻmblik, “plump”).^[1]^[2]

Pronunciation

(Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [tan.ˈbal]

(Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰäm.bǽl]
- (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰäm.bǽl]
- (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰäm.bǽl̥]

(Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰæm.bǽl̥]

(Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰäm.bǽl]

Readings
Classical reading^?	tanbal
Dari reading^?	tanbal
Iranian reading^?	tanbal
Tajik reading^?	tanbal

Adjective

تنبل • (tanbal) (comparative تنبل‌تَر (tanbal-tar), superlative تنبل‌تَرین (tanbal-tarin))

Inflection

Predicative forms of تنبل (tanbal)
	singular	plural
1^st person (“I am, we are”)	تنبلم (tanbalam)	تنبلیم (tanbalim)
2^nd person (“you are”)	تنبلی (tanbali)	تنبلید (tanbalid) تنبلین ^△ (tanbalin)
3^rd person (“he/she/it is, they are”)	تنبل است (tanbal ast) تنبله ^△ (tanbale)	تنبلند (tanbaland) تنبلن ^△ (tanbalan)
^△ Colloquial.

Descendants

→ Arabic: تَنْبَل (tanbal)
→ Armenian: թամբալ (tʻambal)
→ Azerbaijani: tənbəl
→ Gulf Arabic: تمبل (tambal)
→ Ottoman Turkish: تنبل (tembel)
- Turkish: tembel
- → Albanian: dembel
- → Armenian: թէմպէլ (tʻēmpēl)
- → Bulgarian: дембе́л (dembél)
- → Greek: τεμπέλης (tempélis)
- → Hebrew: טֶמְבֶּל (témbel)
- → Laz: თემბელი (tembeli)
- → Macedonian: дембел (dembel)
- → Romanian: tembel
- → Serbo-Croatian:
  Cyrillic script: дѐмбел
  Latin script: dèmbel
→ Uyghur: تەنبەل (tenbel)
→ Uzbek: tanbal

References

^ Asatrian, Garnik (2011) A Comparative Vocabulary of Central Iranian Dialects‎^[1] (in Persian), Tehran: Safir Ardehal Publications, pages 760–761
^ Asatrjan, Garnik (2019) “Образования с суффиксальным элементом -l- в новоиранском [Formations with the suffixal element -l- in New Iranian]”, in Caucaso-Caspica IV: Research Papers from the Institute of Oriental Studies, RAU (in Russian), Yerevan: Russian-Armenian University, page 180 of 175–189

Etymology 2

Perhaps a corruption of Arabic تَنَبُّل (tanabbul). (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

Pronunciation

(Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [tam.ˈbul]

(Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰäm.bʊ́l]
- (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰäm.bʊ́l]
- (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰäm.búl̥]

(Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰæm.ból̥]

(Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [t̪ʰäm.búl]

Readings
Classical reading^?	tambul
Dari reading^?	tambul
Iranian reading^?	tambol
Tajik reading^?	tambul

Noun

تنبل • (tambol)

(obsolete) trick, stratagem
- 1010, Ferdowsi, شاهنامه [Shahnameh]:
  پشوتن چنین گفت کز پیل و شیر
  به تنبل فزونست مرد دلیر
  Pišōtan čunīn guft k-az pīl u šēr⁠
  ba tambul fuzūn ast mard-i dalēr
  Pišōtan said: "The brave man has more tricks than the elephant and the lion."
  (romanization in Classical Persian)

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

From Persian (tanbal).

Adjective

تنبل • (tanbal) (common plural تنابل (tanābel))

lazy
Synonym: كسلان (kaslān)

تنبل

Arabic

Etymology 1

Adjective

Declension

Verb

Conjugation

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Verb

Conjugation

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology

Pronunciation

Adjective

Derived terms

Descendants

Further reading

Persian

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

Adjective

Inflection

Descendants

References

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

Noun

Further reading

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

Adjective

See also