Arabic The Specification

التَّمْيِيْز


وَالثَّامِنُ: نَحْوُ “ذَهَباً” مِنْ “يُبَاعُ الْكِتَابُ بِرِطْلٍ ذَهَباً“، وَيُسَمَّى “تَمْيِيْزاً”

The eighth (category of الْمَنْصُوْب ) is like “ذَهَباً” in “يُبَاعُ الْكِتَابُ بِرِطْلٍ ذَهَباً (The book is sold for a ratl of gold) and is called “تَمْيِيْز” (Specification).

Explanation:

The الأَسْمَاء denoting measure, weight, number and their likes are all vague words            (أَلْفَاظ مُبْهَمَة) because when you ay: “اِشْتَرَيْتُ قِنْطَاراً” (I bought a kantar) and then keep quiet, then the listener will not understand exactly what it is that is meant by الْقِنْطَار (kantar) such that he will not know whether you bought a kantar of beans or sugar or soap or any other thing. So when you say: “اِشْتَرَيْتُ قِنْطَاراً بُناًّ (I bought a kantar of beans), you have in fact specified what is meant by الْقِنْطَار . The word “بُناًّ” is called “تَمْيِيْز” (specification) and is مَنْصُوْب .

Among the constructions of التَّمْيِيْز are:

  • “بَاعَ التَّاجِرُ إِرْدَباًّ قَمْحاً، وَقِنْطَاراً سُكَّراً، وَمِائَةَ ذِرَاعٍ حَرِيْراً [The merchant sold an ardeb of wheat, a kantar of sugar and a hundred cubits (or arm-lengths) of silk]
  • “اِشْتَرَيْتُ صَاعاً شَعِيْراً، وَرِطْلاً عَسَلاً، وَذِرَاعاً صُوْفاً (I bought a saa of barley, a ratl of honey and a cubit of wool)

Such is the case with every construction containing an اسْم clarifying and specifying exactly what is meant by another اسْم mentioned before it (the latter being) capable of meaning many things.

Share