Lesson 71
Tamyīz Deeper Analysis
التمييز تعمق
Advanced tamyīz: the distinction between tamyīz of number and tamyīz of ratio (نِسْبَة). Ratio tamyīz clarifies a vague quality "he is more generous than you in soul."
Four Types of Tamyīz
TypeArabic termStructureExample
Number (11–99)تَمْيِيز الْعَدَدIndefinite singular accusativeعِشْرُونَ طَالِباً
Measurementتَمْيِيز الْكَيْلSpecifies unit of measureكِيلُوغْرَامٌ قَمْحاً
Ratio from verbتَمْيِيز النِّسْبَة فِعْلِيّClarifies vague verbal meaningاِشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْباً
Ratio from comparativeتَمْيِيز النِّسْبَة وَصْفِيّSpecifies domain of comparisonأَكْثَرُ مِنْكَ عِلْماً
Number Ranges and Their Noun Rules
Number rangeNoun formCaseExample
3–10PluralGenitiveثَلَاثَةُ كُتُبٍ
11–99Singular (tamyīz)Accusativeعِشْرُونَ كِتَاباً
100, 1000SingularGenitiveمِئَةُ طَالِبٍ
اِشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْباً
Ishtaʿala r-raʾsu shayban
"My head has blazed with grey hair." (19:4 Zakariyyā ﷺ) شَيْباً is a ratio tamyīz: the head blazed IN grey hair, not itself.
وَلَبِثُوا فِي كَهْفِهِمْ ثَلَاثَ مِئَةٍ سِنِينَ وَازْدَادُوا تِسْعاً
Wa-labithū fī kahfihim thalātha miʾatin sinīna wa-zdādū tisʿā
"They remained in their cave three hundred years and added nine." (18:25) سِنِينَ is tamyīz (or badal) specifying the unit of the three hundred.
- Ratio tamyīz (from a verb): اِشْتَعَلَ الرَّأْسُ شَيْباً the head itself did not blaze, but blazed IN grey hair a transfer of agency.
- Ratio tamyīz (from comparative): أَنَا أَكْثَرُ مِنْكَ مَالاً مَالاً specifies the domain in which the comparison holds.
- Both forms are indefinite singular accusative the tamyīz is always in this form regardless of the number of the head noun.
- Number tamyīz rule: 11–99 always take an indefinite singular accusative (عِشْرُونَ كِتَاباً twenty books).
- 18:25 (ثَلَاثَ مِئَةٍ سِنِينَ) is a famous grammatical puzzle سِنِينَ is either tamyīz of the whole expression or a badal clarifying مِئَة as a unit of years.