بلى

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بَلَى • (balā)

1. used to contradict a negative statement

   أَلَمْ تَحْضُرِ ٱلْيَوْمَ؟ بَلَى، لَٰكِنَّكَ لَمْ تُشَاهِدْنِي.

   ʔalam taḥḍuri l-yawma? balā, lākinnaka lam tušāhidnī.

   Haven’t you attended today? I have, only you have not noticed me.

   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 2:260:

     وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ ۖ قَالَ أَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِن ۖ قَالَ بَلَى وَلَٰكِن لِّيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي.

     waʔiḏ qāla ʔibrāhīmu rabbi ʔarinī kayfa tuḥyī l-mawtā qāla ʔawalam tuʔmin qāla balā walākin lliyaṭmaʔinna qalbī.

     And mention when Abraham said, "My Lord, show me how You give life to the dead." Allāh said, "Have you not believed?" He said, "Yes, but I ask only that my heart may be satisfied."

   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 34:3:

     وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَا تَأْتِينَا السَّاعَةُ قُلْ بَلَى وَرَبِّي لَتَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ.

     waqāla allaḏīna kafarū lā taʔtīnā s-sāʕatu qul balā warabbī lataʔtiyannakum.

     But those who disbelieve say, "The Hour will not come to us." Say, "Yes, by my Lord, it will surely come to you."

• Gulf Arabic: امبله (ambala)
• South Levantine Arabic: مبلا (mbala)
• Maltese: mela
• → Classical Persian: بلی (balē)
  • Dari: بلی (balē)
  • Iranian Persian: بله (bale), بلی (bali) (literary)
  • Tajik: бале (bale)

بِلًى • (bilan) pl

1. plural of بِلْوَة (bilwa, “trial”)
   • 7th century CE, Jamīʿ at-Tirmiḏiyy, section 37:

     بِئْسَ الْعَبْدُ عَبْدٌ سَهَا وَلَهَا وَنَسِيَ الْمَقَابِرَ وَٱلْبِلَى

     biʔsa l-ʕabdu ʕabdun sahā walahā wanasiya l-maqābira wal-bilā

     What a bad servant is he who is heedless and diverted and forgets about the graves and trials!

بِلًى • (bilan) pl

1. plural of بِلْيَة (bilya, “marble”)

بِلًى • (bilan) m (construct state بِلَى (bilā))

1. verbal noun of بَلِيَ (baliya, “to wear out”) (form I)