حور

Arabic

Etymology

• From the root ح و ر (ḥ-w-r).
• The Arabic term for the poplar is probably borrowed from Classical Syriac ܚܘܪܐ (ḥawwərā), considering that

  1. the range of distribution of the white poplar is outside Arabia, but inside the Aramaic language area
  2. the Syriac root as well as this Syriac word are in broader use for terms related to whiteness in general and in botanical application
  3. the Arabic has multiple vocalizations, ḥawwar, ḥawar, hawr (dialectally also ḥōr and ḥūr), of which ḥawwar sounds foreign for a plant name

• But the insinuation by Alexander Borg 2007 that every Arabic word in this root denoting whiteness is a “substratal reflex” from Aramaic is to be dismissed. Such a separation is not conceivable: The Arabic root means in as much “contrasting white” as it means “returning”, “changing one’s position or state”. In the same section Borg fails to earmark يَرَقَان (yaraqān, “blight; jaundice”) as Aramaic-borrowed or to outline any causally plausible chronology of color expressions.

Verb

حَوِرَ • (ḥawira) I (non-past يَحْوَرُ (yaḥwaru), verbal noun حَوَر (ḥawar))

1. to be intensely white

Conjugation

    Conjugation of حَوِرَ (I, sound, i ~ a, no passive, verbal noun حَوَر)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						حَوَر ḥawar
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						أَحْوَر ʔaḥwar
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	حَوِرْتُ ḥawirtu	حَوِرْتَ ḥawirta	حَوِرَ ḥawira		حَوِرْتُمَا ḥawirtumā	حَوِرَا ḥawirā		حَوِرْنَا ḥawirnā	حَوِرْتُمْ ḥawirtum	حَوِرُوا ḥawirū
	f		حَوِرْتِ ḥawirti	حَوِرَتْ ḥawirat			حَوِرَتَا ḥawiratā			حَوِرْتُنَّ ḥawirtunna	حَوِرْنَ ḥawirna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أَحْوَرُ ʔaḥwaru	تَحْوَرُ taḥwaru	يَحْوَرُ yaḥwaru		تَحْوَرَانِ taḥwarāni	يَحْوَرَانِ yaḥwarāni		نَحْوَرُ naḥwaru	تَحْوَرُونَ taḥwarūna	يَحْوَرُونَ yaḥwarūna
	f		تَحْوَرِينَ taḥwarīna	تَحْوَرُ taḥwaru			تَحْوَرَانِ taḥwarāni			تَحْوَرْنَ taḥwarna	يَحْوَرْنَ yaḥwarna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَحْوَرَ ʔaḥwara	تَحْوَرَ taḥwara	يَحْوَرَ yaḥwara		تَحْوَرَا taḥwarā	يَحْوَرَا yaḥwarā		نَحْوَرَ naḥwara	تَحْوَرُوا taḥwarū	يَحْوَرُوا yaḥwarū
	f		تَحْوَرِي taḥwarī	تَحْوَرَ taḥwara			تَحْوَرَا taḥwarā			تَحْوَرْنَ taḥwarna	يَحْوَرْنَ yaḥwarna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أَحْوَرْ ʔaḥwar	تَحْوَرْ taḥwar	يَحْوَرْ yaḥwar		تَحْوَرَا taḥwarā	يَحْوَرَا yaḥwarā		نَحْوَرْ naḥwar	تَحْوَرُوا taḥwarū	يَحْوَرُوا yaḥwarū
	f		تَحْوَرِي taḥwarī	تَحْوَرْ taḥwar			تَحْوَرَا taḥwarā			تَحْوَرْنَ taḥwarna	يَحْوَرْنَ yaḥwarna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		اِحْوَرْ iḥwar			اِحْوَرَا iḥwarā				اِحْوَرُوا iḥwarū
	f		اِحْوَرِي iḥwarī							اِحْوَرْنَ iḥwarna

Verb

حَوَّرَ • (ḥawwara) II (non-past يُحَوِّرُ (yuḥawwiru), verbal noun تَحْوِير (taḥwīr))

1. to make return
2. to alter, to modify
3. to turn about, to twist, to roll
4. to whiten, to bleach

Conjugation

    Conjugation of حَوَّرَ (II, sound, full passive, verbal noun تَحْوِير)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						تَحْوِير taḥwīr
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						مُحَوِّر muḥawwir
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول						مُحَوَّر muḥawwar
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	حَوَّرْتُ ḥawwartu	حَوَّرْتَ ḥawwarta	حَوَّرَ ḥawwara		حَوَّرْتُمَا ḥawwartumā	حَوَّرَا ḥawwarā		حَوَّرْنَا ḥawwarnā	حَوَّرْتُمْ ḥawwartum	حَوَّرُوا ḥawwarū
	f		حَوَّرْتِ ḥawwarti	حَوَّرَتْ ḥawwarat			حَوَّرَتَا ḥawwaratā			حَوَّرْتُنَّ ḥawwartunna	حَوَّرْنَ ḥawwarna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُحَوِّرُ ʔuḥawwiru	تُحَوِّرُ tuḥawwiru	يُحَوِّرُ yuḥawwiru		تُحَوِّرَانِ tuḥawwirāni	يُحَوِّرَانِ yuḥawwirāni		نُحَوِّرُ nuḥawwiru	تُحَوِّرُونَ tuḥawwirūna	يُحَوِّرُونَ yuḥawwirūna
	f		تُحَوِّرِينَ tuḥawwirīna	تُحَوِّرُ tuḥawwiru			تُحَوِّرَانِ tuḥawwirāni			تُحَوِّرْنَ tuḥawwirna	يُحَوِّرْنَ yuḥawwirna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُحَوِّرَ ʔuḥawwira	تُحَوِّرَ tuḥawwira	يُحَوِّرَ yuḥawwira		تُحَوِّرَا tuḥawwirā	يُحَوِّرَا yuḥawwirā		نُحَوِّرَ nuḥawwira	تُحَوِّرُوا tuḥawwirū	يُحَوِّرُوا yuḥawwirū
	f		تُحَوِّرِي tuḥawwirī	تُحَوِّرَ tuḥawwira			تُحَوِّرَا tuḥawwirā			تُحَوِّرْنَ tuḥawwirna	يُحَوِّرْنَ yuḥawwirna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُحَوِّرْ ʔuḥawwir	تُحَوِّرْ tuḥawwir	يُحَوِّرْ yuḥawwir		تُحَوِّرَا tuḥawwirā	يُحَوِّرَا yuḥawwirā		نُحَوِّرْ nuḥawwir	تُحَوِّرُوا tuḥawwirū	يُحَوِّرُوا yuḥawwirū
	f		تُحَوِّرِي tuḥawwirī	تُحَوِّرْ tuḥawwir			تُحَوِّرَا tuḥawwirā			تُحَوِّرْنَ tuḥawwirna	يُحَوِّرْنَ yuḥawwirna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		حَوِّرْ ḥawwir			حَوِّرَا ḥawwirā				حَوِّرُوا ḥawwirū
	f		حَوِّرِي ḥawwirī							حَوِّرْنَ ḥawwirna
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	حُوِّرْتُ ḥuwwirtu	حُوِّرْتَ ḥuwwirta	حُوِّرَ ḥuwwira		حُوِّرْتُمَا ḥuwwirtumā	حُوِّرَا ḥuwwirā		حُوِّرْنَا ḥuwwirnā	حُوِّرْتُمْ ḥuwwirtum	حُوِّرُوا ḥuwwirū
	f		حُوِّرْتِ ḥuwwirti	حُوِّرَتْ ḥuwwirat			حُوِّرَتَا ḥuwwiratā			حُوِّرْتُنَّ ḥuwwirtunna	حُوِّرْنَ ḥuwwirna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُحَوَّرُ ʔuḥawwaru	تُحَوَّرُ tuḥawwaru	يُحَوَّرُ yuḥawwaru		تُحَوَّرَانِ tuḥawwarāni	يُحَوَّرَانِ yuḥawwarāni		نُحَوَّرُ nuḥawwaru	تُحَوَّرُونَ tuḥawwarūna	يُحَوَّرُونَ yuḥawwarūna
	f		تُحَوَّرِينَ tuḥawwarīna	تُحَوَّرُ tuḥawwaru			تُحَوَّرَانِ tuḥawwarāni			تُحَوَّرْنَ tuḥawwarna	يُحَوَّرْنَ yuḥawwarna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُحَوَّرَ ʔuḥawwara	تُحَوَّرَ tuḥawwara	يُحَوَّرَ yuḥawwara		تُحَوَّرَا tuḥawwarā	يُحَوَّرَا yuḥawwarā		نُحَوَّرَ nuḥawwara	تُحَوَّرُوا tuḥawwarū	يُحَوَّرُوا yuḥawwarū
	f		تُحَوَّرِي tuḥawwarī	تُحَوَّرَ tuḥawwara			تُحَوَّرَا tuḥawwarā			تُحَوَّرْنَ tuḥawwarna	يُحَوَّرْنَ yuḥawwarna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُحَوَّرْ ʔuḥawwar	تُحَوَّرْ tuḥawwar	يُحَوَّرْ yuḥawwar		تُحَوَّرَا tuḥawwarā	يُحَوَّرَا yuḥawwarā		نُحَوَّرْ nuḥawwar	تُحَوَّرُوا tuḥawwarū	يُحَوَّرُوا yuḥawwarū
	f		تُحَوَّرِي tuḥawwarī	تُحَوَّرْ tuḥawwar			تُحَوَّرَا tuḥawwarā			تُحَوَّرْنَ tuḥawwarna	يُحَوَّرْنَ yuḥawwarna

Noun

حَوْر • (ḥawr) m

1. verbal noun of حَارَ (ḥāra) (form I)

Declension

Declension of noun حَوْر (ḥawr)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	حَوْر ḥawr	الْحَوْر al-ḥawr	حَوْر ḥawr
Nominative	حَوْرٌ ḥawrun	الْحَوْرُ al-ḥawru	حَوْرُ ḥawru
Accusative	حَوْرًا ḥawran	الْحَوْرَ al-ḥawra	حَوْرَ ḥawra
Genitive	حَوْرٍ ḥawrin	الْحَوْرِ al-ḥawri	حَوْرِ ḥawri

Noun

حَوَر • (ḥawar) m

1. verbal noun of حَوِرَ (ḥawira) (form I)
   1. intense whiteness

Declension

Declension of noun حَوَر (ḥawar)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	حَوَر ḥawar	الْحَوَر al-ḥawar	حَوَر ḥawar
Nominative	حَوَرٌ ḥawarun	الْحَوَرُ al-ḥawaru	حَوَرُ ḥawaru
Accusative	حَوَرًا ḥawaran	الْحَوَرَ al-ḥawara	حَوَرَ ḥawara
Genitive	حَوَرٍ ḥawarin	الْحَوَرِ al-ḥawari	حَوَرِ ḥawari

Noun

حَوَّر or حَوَر or حَوْر • (ḥawwar or ḥawar or ḥawr) m

حَوَر

1. poplar (Populus)

Declension

Declension of noun حَوَّر (ḥawwar)‎; حَوَر (ḥawar)‎; حَوْر (ḥawr)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	حَوَّر‎; حَوَر‎; حَوْر ḥawwar‎; ḥawar‎; ḥawr	الْحَوَّر‎; الْحَوَر‎; الْحَوْر al-ḥawwar‎; al-ḥawar‎; al-ḥawr	حَوَّر‎; حَوَر‎; حَوْر ḥawwar‎; ḥawar‎; ḥawr
Nominative	حَوَّرٌ‎; حَوَرٌ‎; حَوْرٌ ḥawwarun‎; ḥawarun‎; ḥawrun	الْحَوَّرُ‎; الْحَوَرُ‎; الْحَوْرُ al-ḥawwaru‎; al-ḥawaru‎; al-ḥawru	حَوَّرُ‎; حَوَرُ‎; حَوْرُ ḥawwaru‎; ḥawaru‎; ḥawru
Accusative	حَوَّرًا‎; حَوَرًا‎; حَوْرًا ḥawwaran‎; ḥawaran‎; ḥawran	الْحَوَّرَ‎; الْحَوَرَ‎; الْحَوْرَ al-ḥawwara‎; al-ḥawara‎; al-ḥawra	حَوَّرَ‎; حَوَرَ‎; حَوْرَ ḥawwara‎; ḥawara‎; ḥawra
Genitive	حَوَّرٍ‎; حَوَرٍ‎; حَوْرٍ ḥawwarin‎; ḥawarin‎; ḥawrin	الْحَوَّرِ‎; الْحَوَرِ‎; الْحَوْرِ al-ḥawwari‎; al-ḥawari‎; al-ḥawri	حَوَّرِ‎; حَوَرِ‎; حَوْرِ ḥawwari‎; ḥawari‎; ḥawri

Descendants

• → Middle Armenian: հավր (havr, “white poplar”)

Further reading

• حور (نبات) on the Arabic Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^ar

Noun

حَوَر • (ḥawar) m (collective, singulative حَوَرَة f (ḥawara), plural حَوَرَان (ḥawarān) or حُورَان (ḥūrān) or أَحْوَار (ʔaḥwār))

1. intensely white, yellow or red hides of which receptacles are made or covered

Declension

Declension of noun حَوَر (ḥawar)

Collective	basic collective triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	حَوَر ḥawar	الْحَوَر al-ḥawar	حَوَر ḥawar
Nominative	حَوَرٌ ḥawarun	الْحَوَرُ al-ḥawaru	حَوَرُ ḥawaru
Accusative	حَوَرًا ḥawaran	الْحَوَرَ al-ḥawara	حَوَرَ ḥawara
Genitive	حَوَرٍ ḥawarin	الْحَوَرِ al-ḥawari	حَوَرِ ḥawari
Singulative	singulative triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	حَوَرَة ḥawara	الْحَوَرَة al-ḥawara	حَوَرَة ḥawarat
Nominative	حَوَرَةٌ ḥawaratun	الْحَوَرَةُ al-ḥawaratu	حَوَرَةُ ḥawaratu
Accusative	حَوَرَةً ḥawaratan	الْحَوَرَةَ al-ḥawarata	حَوَرَةَ ḥawarata
Genitive	حَوَرَةٍ ḥawaratin	الْحَوَرَةِ al-ḥawarati	حَوَرَةِ ḥawarati
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	حَوَرَتَيْن ḥawaratayn	الْحَوَرَتَيْن al-ḥawaratayn	حَوَرَتَيْ ḥawaratay
Nominative	حَوَرَتَانِ ḥawaratāni	الْحَوَرَتَانِ al-ḥawaratāni	حَوَرَتَا ḥawaratā
Accusative	حَوَرَتَيْنِ ḥawaratayni	الْحَوَرَتَيْنِ al-ḥawaratayni	حَوَرَتَيْ ḥawaratay
Genitive	حَوَرَتَيْنِ ḥawaratayni	الْحَوَرَتَيْنِ al-ḥawaratayni	حَوَرَتَيْ ḥawaratay
Paucal (3-10)	sound feminine paucal
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	حَوَرَات ḥawarāt	الْحَوَرَات al-ḥawarāt	حَوَرَات ḥawarāt
Nominative	حَوَرَاتٌ ḥawarātun	الْحَوَرَاتُ al-ḥawarātu	حَوَرَاتُ ḥawarātu
Accusative	حَوَرَاتٍ ḥawarātin	الْحَوَرَاتِ al-ḥawarāti	حَوَرَاتِ ḥawarāti
Genitive	حَوَرَاتٍ ḥawarātin	الْحَوَرَاتِ al-ḥawarāti	حَوَرَاتِ ḥawarāti
Plural of variety	basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	حَوَرَان‎; حُورَان‎; أَحْوَار ḥawarān‎; ḥūrān‎; ʔaḥwār	الْحَوَرَان‎; الْحُورَان‎; الْأَحْوَار al-ḥawarān‎; al-ḥūrān‎; al-ʔaḥwār	حَوَرَان‎; حُورَان‎; أَحْوَار ḥawarān‎; ḥūrān‎; ʔaḥwār
Nominative	حَوَرَانٌ‎; حُورَانٌ‎; أَحْوَارٌ ḥawarānun‎; ḥūrānun‎; ʔaḥwārun	الْحَوَرَانُ‎; الْحُورَانُ‎; الْأَحْوَارُ al-ḥawarānu‎; al-ḥūrānu‎; al-ʔaḥwāru	حَوَرَانُ‎; حُورَانُ‎; أَحْوَارُ ḥawarānu‎; ḥūrānu‎; ʔaḥwāru
Accusative	حَوَرَانًا‎; حُورَانًا‎; أَحْوَارًا ḥawarānan‎; ḥūrānan‎; ʔaḥwāran	الْحَوَرَانَ‎; الْحُورَانَ‎; الْأَحْوَارَ al-ḥawarāna‎; al-ḥūrāna‎; al-ʔaḥwāra	حَوَرَانَ‎; حُورَانَ‎; أَحْوَارَ ḥawarāna‎; ḥūrāna‎; ʔaḥwāra
Genitive	حَوَرَانٍ‎; حُورَانٍ‎; أَحْوَارٍ ḥawarānin‎; ḥūrānin‎; ʔaḥwārin	الْحَوَرَانِ‎; الْحُورَانِ‎; الْأَحْوَارِ al-ḥawarāni‎; al-ḥūrāni‎; al-ʔaḥwāri	حَوَرَانِ‎; حُورَانِ‎; أَحْوَارِ ḥawarāni‎; ḥūrāni‎; ʔaḥwāri

Adjective

حُور • (ḥūr) m pl

1. plural of أَحْوَر (ʔaḥwar)

Descendants

• → Classical Persian: حور (hur)
  • → Bengali: হুর (hur)
  • → Hindustani

    Urdu: حور (hūr)

    Hindi: हूर (hūr)

  • → Punjabi

    Gurmukhi script: ਹੂਰ (hūr)

    Shahmukhi script: حور (hūr)

Urdu

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian حُور (hūr, “houri”), from Arabic حُور (ḥūr).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /ɦuːɾ/
• Rhymes: -uːɾ

Noun

حور • (hūr) f (Hindi spelling हूर)

1. (Islam) houri, a beautiful virgin-nymph that resides in Paradise, a reward exclusively for Muslim believers
2. (by extension) an incredibly beautiful woman

Derived terms

• حُور وَش (hūr-vaś, “beautiful”, literally “houri-like”)
• حُورانِ بَہِشْت (hūrān-e-bahiśt, “virgins of Paradise”)
• حُورانِ بَہِشْتی (hūrān-e-bahiśtī, “celestial virgins”)

See also

• پری (parī)

References

• “حور”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• Qureshi, Bashir Ahmad (1971) “حور”, in Kitabistan's 20th Century Standard Dictionary‎, Lahore: Kitabistan Pub. Co.
• Platts, John T. (1884) “حور”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.
• “حور”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2024.
• “ḥwr”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• “ḥwr²”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• Borg, Alexander (2007) Robert E. MacLaury, Galina V. Paramei, Don Dedrick, editors, Towards a history and typology of color categorization in colloquial Arabic, Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing, →ISBN, pages 269–271
• Fraenkel, Siegmund (1886) Die aramäischen Fremdwörter im Arabischen (in German), Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 32
• Freytag, Georg (1830) “حور”, in Lexicon arabico-latinum praesertim ex Djeuharii Firuzabadiique et aliorum Arabum operibus adhibitis Golii quoque et aliorum libris confectum‎^[1] (in Latin), volume 1, Halle: C. A. Schwetschke, pages 439–440
• Lane, Edward William (1863) “حور”, in Arabic-English Lexicon‎^[2], London: Williams & Norgate, page 665
• Löw, Immanuel (1924) Die Flora der Juden‎^[3] (in German), volume 3, Wien und Leipzig: R. Löwit, pages 322–340
• Wehr, Hans with Kropfitsch, Lorenz (1985) “حور”, in Arabisches Wörterbuch für die Schriftsprache der Gegenwart‎^[4] (in German), 5th edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, published 2011, →ISBN, page 302