LessonsThe Definition of Simile, Related Metaphorical Forms, and Its Four ElementsQuiz

وهي أربعة: طرفاه المشبه به والمشبه ووجهه وأداته
And there are four: its two terms (mushabbah bih and mushabbah), shared aspect, and marker.

1. Al-mushabbah — the entity whose likeness is presented.
2. Al-mushabbah bih — the entity to which it is compared.
3. Wajh al-shabah — the shared quality underlying the comparison.
4. Adāt al-tashbīh — the comparison marker or linguistic device conveying likeness.

In “al-ʿālim ka-l-baḥr fī siʿat al-ʿilm,” the scholar is the mushabbah, the sea is the mushabbah bih, breadth of knowledge is the shared aspect, and “ka-” is the particle. Identifying these elements prepares for the subsequent divisions of simile.

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Overview of the four elements of simile

The Definition of Simile, Related Metaphorical Forms, and Its Four Elements

وهي أربعة: طرفاه المشبه به والمشبه ووجهه وأداته
And there are four: its two terms (mushabbah bih and mushabbah), shared aspect, and marker.

1. Al-mushabbah — the entity whose likeness is presented.
2. Al-mushabbah bih — the entity to which it is compared.
3. Wajh al-shabah — the shared quality underlying the comparison.
4. Adāt al-tashbīh — the comparison marker or linguistic device conveying likeness.

In “al-ʿālim ka-l-baḥr fī siʿat al-ʿilm,” the scholar is the mushabbah, the sea is the mushabbah bih, breadth of knowledge is the shared aspect, and “ka-” is the particle. Identifying these elements prepares for the subsequent divisions of simile.