بلى

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بَلَى • (balā)

1. used to contradict a negative statement

   ‏أَلَمْ تَحْضُرِ ٱلْيَوْمَ؟ بَلَى، لَٰكِنَّكَ لَمْ تُشَاهِدْنِي.‎‎

   ʾalam 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.‎‎

     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 taʾtīnā s-sāʿatu qul balā warabbī lataʾtiyannakum.

     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
• → Persian: بله‎ (bale), بلی‎ (bali)

بِلًى • (bilan) pl

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

     ‏بِئْسَ الْعَبْدُ عَبْدٌ سَهَا وَلَهَا وَنَسِيَ الْمَقَابِرَ وَٱلْبِلَى‎

     biʾsa l-ʿabdu ʿabdun 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)