بعوضة

Arabic

Etymology

From the root ب ع ض (b-ʕ-ḍ) meaning "a small part", "one of a group or swarm".

Noun

بَعُوضَة • (baʕūḍa) f (singulative, collective بَعُوض m (baʕūḍ))

1. a mosquito, gnat
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 2:26:

     إِنَّ اللَّٰهَ لَا يَسْتَحْيِي أَنْ يَضْرِبَ مَثَلًا مَا بَعُوضَةً فَمَا فَوْقَهَا

     ʔinna llāha lā yastaḥyī ʔan yaḍriba maṯalan mā baʕūḍatan famā fawqahā

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

2. (figuratively) a pest, someone who is bothersome
3. (figuratively) an annoying, frustrating, impossible task
4. (figuratively) an insignificant person, easily crushed

Declension

Declension of noun بَعُوضَة (baʕūḍa)

Singulative	singulative triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بَعُوضَة baʕūḍa	الْبَعُوضَة al-baʕūḍa	بَعُوضَة baʕūḍat
Nominative	بَعُوضَةٌ baʕūḍatun	الْبَعُوضَةُ al-baʕūḍatu	بَعُوضَةُ baʕūḍatu
Accusative	بَعُوضَةً baʕūḍatan	الْبَعُوضَةَ al-baʕūḍata	بَعُوضَةَ baʕūḍata
Genitive	بَعُوضَةٍ baʕūḍatin	الْبَعُوضَةِ al-baʕūḍati	بَعُوضَةِ baʕūḍati
Collective	basic collective triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بَعُوض baʕūḍ	الْبَعُوض al-baʕūḍ	بَعُوض baʕūḍ
Nominative	بَعُوضٌ baʕūḍun	الْبَعُوضُ al-baʕūḍu	بَعُوضُ baʕūḍu
Accusative	بَعُوضًا baʕūḍan	الْبَعُوضَ al-baʕūḍa	بَعُوضَ baʕūḍa
Genitive	بَعُوضٍ baʕūḍin	الْبَعُوضِ al-baʕūḍi	بَعُوضِ baʕūḍi
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بَعُوضَتَيْن baʕūḍatayn	الْبَعُوضَتَيْن al-baʕūḍatayn	بَعُوضَتَيْ baʕūḍatay
Nominative	بَعُوضَتَانِ baʕūḍatāni	الْبَعُوضَتَانِ al-baʕūḍatāni	بَعُوضَتَا baʕūḍatā
Accusative	بَعُوضَتَيْنِ baʕūḍatayni	الْبَعُوضَتَيْنِ al-baʕūḍatayni	بَعُوضَتَيْ baʕūḍatay
Genitive	بَعُوضَتَيْنِ baʕūḍatayni	الْبَعُوضَتَيْنِ al-baʕūḍatayni	بَعُوضَتَيْ baʕūḍatay
Paucal (3-10)	sound feminine paucal
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بَعُوضَات baʕūḍāt	الْبَعُوضَات al-baʕūḍāt	بَعُوضَات baʕūḍāt
Nominative	بَعُوضَاتٌ baʕūḍātun	الْبَعُوضَاتُ al-baʕūḍātu	بَعُوضَاتُ baʕūḍātu
Accusative	بَعُوضَاتٍ baʕūḍātin	الْبَعُوضَاتِ al-baʕūḍāti	بَعُوضَاتِ baʕūḍāti
Genitive	بَعُوضَاتٍ baʕūḍātin	الْبَعُوضَاتِ al-baʕūḍāti	بَعُوضَاتِ baʕūḍāti

References

• Lane, Edward William (1863) “بعوضة”, in Arabic-English Lexicon‎^[1], London: Williams & Norgate, page 227