كأنما

Arabic

Etymology

كَأَنَّ (kaʔanna) +‎ مَا (mā).

Conjunction

كَأَنَّمَا • (kaʔannamā)

1. as if, as though
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 5:32:

     […] مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي ٱلْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعًا وَمَنْ أَحْيَاهَا فَكَأَنَّمَا أَحْيَا ٱلنَّاسَ جَمِيعًا […]

     […] man qatala nafsan biḡayri nafsin ʔaw fasādin fī l-ʔarḍi fa-kaʔannamā qatala n-nāsa jamīʕan wa-man ʔaḥyāhā fa-kaʔannamā ʔaḥyā n-nāsa jamīʕan […]

     ...whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption done in the land – it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one – it is as if he had saved mankind entirely...