Read the bilingual lesson for Tamyiz: Removing Ambiguity and test your understanding with a focused quiz.
Lesson
1. Another Job for a Mansub Noun
A mansub ending does not by itself tell us a noun's job. In the previous level, حال described someone's condition during an action. Now meet تمییز: a mansub noun that removes ambiguity and makes an intended meaning clear. لِزَيْدٍ مِتْرَانِ حَرِيْرًا Zayd has two metres of silk. حَرِيْرًا tells us what the two metres are of.
2. What Is Tamyiz?
Tamyiz (تَمْيِيز) is a mansub noun that removes ambiguity from a noun with an unclear meaning, or from the meaning of a sentence. The clarifying noun is called مُمَيِّز. The ambiguous noun or sentence whose meaning it clarifies is called مُمَيَّز. Ask: What remains unclear, and which mansub noun supplies the missing detail?
3. Ambiguity in a Noun
لِزَيْدٍ مِتْرَانِ Zayd has two metres. The measure is known, but the thing measured is not. Two metres of what? لِزَيْدٍ مِتْرَانِ حَرِيْرًا — Zayd has two metres of silk. لِزَيْدٍ مِتْرَانِ خَيْطًا — Zayd has two metres of thread. حَرِيْرًا or خَيْطًا removes the ambiguity in مِتْرَانِ and is tamyiz.
4. Number and Quantity Need Clarification
An unclear noun may involve number, weight, or measurement. Tamyiz identifies the counted or measured thing. يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًا My father, I saw eleven stars. كَوْكَبًا tells what was counted. فَمَنْ يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ Whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it. خَيْرًا tells what that amount consists of.
5. Ambiguity in a Sentence
زَيْدٌ حَسَنٌ Zayd is good. The sentence is complete, but good in what respect? زَيْدٌ حَسَنٌ وَجْهًا Zayd has a handsome face. وَجْهًا identifies the respect meant. زَيْدٌ حَسَنٌ ذَوْقًا Zayd has good taste. ذَوْقًا gives a different respect. Here tamyiz removes ambiguity from the meaning of the whole sentence.
6. Two Places Where Ambiguity Appears
Ambiguous noun A number or measure is stated, but its kind is missing: مِتْرَانِ حَرِيْرًا. Ambiguous sentence meaning The statement is grammatically complete, but an intended respect is missing: حَسَنٌ وَجْهًا. In both uses, tamyiz supplies the missing specification: the kind of a counted or measured noun, or the respect intended by a complete sentence.
7. Do Not Confuse Tamyiz with Haal
Both may be mansub, but their questions differ. جَاءَ الطَّالِبُ مُبْتَسِمًا مُبْتَسِمًا answers: in what condition did the student come? It is haal. عِنْدِي عِشْرُونَ كِتَابًا كِتَابًا answers: twenty of what? It is tamyiz. Haal describes a condition; tamyiz supplies a missing specification.
8. Tamyiz After Comparison
In these sentences, tamyiz clarifies the respect in which one thing is greater or stronger. أَنَا أَكْثَرُ مِنْكَ مَالًا I have more wealth than you. مَالًا clarifies: more in what? قُلْ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ أَشَدُّ حَرًّا Say: the Fire of Hell is more intense in heat. حَرًّا names the respect of intensity. هُوَ أَفْصَحُ مِنِّي لِسَانًا He is more eloquent in speech than I am. لِسَانًا specifies the respect of eloquence.
9. Read the Relationship
وَالْآخِرَةُ أَكْبَرُ دَرَجَاتٍ وَأَكْبَرُ تَفْضِيْلًا The Hereafter is greater in ranks and greater in distinction. - أَكْبَرُ gives a comparison. - دَرَجَاتٍ clarifies the respect of ranks. - تَفْضِيْلًا clarifies the respect of distinction. Do not identify tamyiz merely from a final vowel. First locate the ambiguity, then find the word that resolves it.
10. Three Simple New Examples
عِنْدِي لِتْرٌ مَاءً I have a litre of water. مَاءً tells what the litre contains. اِشْتَرَى خَالِدٌ عِشْرِينَ كِتَابًا Khalid bought twenty books. كِتَابًا tells what was counted. مُحَمَّدٌ أَكْثَرُ عِلْمًا Muhammad is more knowledgeable. عِلْمًا tells the respect in which he has more. These extra practice examples reinforce the same rule.
11. A Reliable Recognition Path
1. Read the whole expression; do not classify from the mansub ending alone. 2. Ask what is still unclear: a counted/measured noun, or the respect meant by a sentence? 3. Find the mansub noun that supplies that missing detail. 4. Confirm that it clarifies meaning rather than describing someone's temporary condition. Tamyiz removes ambiguity. Mumayyaz is what needed clarification.
Practice questions
Question 1
What is the main job of tamyiz?
- to remove ambiguity and clarify the intended meaning
- to name the doer of an action
- to negate a sentence
- to describe when an action happened
Question 2
Match each expression with the role it demonstrates.
Question 3
Which word is tamyiz in لِزَيْدٍ مِتْرَانِ حَرِيْرًا?
- لِزَيْدٍ
- مِتْرَانِ
- حَرِيْرًا
- the whole sentence
Question 4
What ambiguity does حَرِيْرًا remove?
- who owns the measure
- what the two metres are of
- when the measuring happened
- whether Zayd is present
Question 5
Sort the examples by where the ambiguity occurs.
Question 6
Tamyiz describes someone's temporary condition during an action.
Question 7
What does كَوْكَبًا clarify in أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًا?
- who did the counting
- where the stars appeared
- when the seeing occurred
- what was counted as eleven
Question 8
In مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا, which word specifies what the amount consists of?
- مِثْقَالَ
- ذَرَّةٍ
- خَيْرًا
- none of them
Question 9
Match each tamyiz with the respect it clarifies.
Question 10
In زَيْدٌ حَسَنٌ وَجْهًا, why is وَجْهًا used?
- to make Zayd the subject
- to clarify the respect in which Zayd is good
- to negate goodness
- to show the time
Question 11
Sort each mansub word as haal or tamyiz by its job.
Question 12
Arrange the sentence meaning: Zayd has two metres of silk.
Question 13
Arrange the sentence meaning: Zayd has a handsome face.
Question 14
Which completion correctly clarifies عِنْدِي لِتْرٌ ...?
Question 15
In وَالْآخِرَةُ أَكْبَرُ دَرَجَاتٍ وَأَكْبَرُ تَفْضِيْلًا, both دَرَجَاتٍ and تَفْضِيْلًا clarify respects of comparison.
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