عصا

See also: عصى

Arabic

Etymology 1

From Proto-Semitic *ʕiṣ́-. Cognate with Hebrew עֵץ (ʿēṣ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʕa.sˤan/
• IPA^(key): /ʕa.sˤaː/
  • Homophone: عَصَى (ʕaṣā)

Noun

عَصًا • (ʕaṣan) f (construct state عَصَا (ʕaṣā), dual عَصَوَانِ (ʕaṣawāni), plural عُصِيّ (ʕuṣiyy) or عِصِيّ (ʕiṣiyy) or أَعْصٍ (ʔaʕṣin) or أَعْصَاء (ʔaʕṣāʔ))

1. staff, stick
2. walking cane
3. punishment, chastisement
4. wooden handle
5. scepter
6. crosier
7. dominion
8. penis
9. lingual bone, tongue
10. Muslim fraternity or a community in general

Declension

Declension of noun عَصًا (ʕaṣan)

Singular	singular in ـًا (-an)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عَصَا ʕaṣā	الْعَصَا al-ʕaṣā	عَصَا ʕaṣā
Nominative	عَصًا ʕaṣan	الْعَصَا al-ʕaṣā	عَصَا ʕaṣā
Accusative	عَصًا ʕaṣan	الْعَصَا al-ʕaṣā	عَصَا ʕaṣā
Genitive	عَصًا ʕaṣan	الْعَصَا al-ʕaṣā	عَصَا ʕaṣā
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عَصَوَيْن ʕaṣawayn	الْعَصَوَيْن al-ʕaṣawayn	عَصَوَيْ ʕaṣaway
Nominative	عَصَوَانِ ʕaṣawāni	الْعَصَوَانِ al-ʕaṣawāni	عَصَوَا ʕaṣawā
Accusative	عَصَوَيْنِ ʕaṣawayni	الْعَصَوَيْنِ al-ʕaṣawayni	عَصَوَيْ ʕaṣaway
Genitive	عَصَوَيْنِ ʕaṣawayni	الْعَصَوَيْنِ al-ʕaṣawayni	عَصَوَيْ ʕaṣaway
Plural	basic broken plural triptote‎; broken plural triptote in ـٍ (-in)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	عُصِي‎; عِصِي‎; أَعْصِي‎; أَعْصَاء ʕuṣī‎; ʕiṣī‎; ʔaʕṣī‎; ʔaʕṣāʔ	الْعُصِي‎; الْعِصِي‎; الْأَعْصِي‎; الْأَعْصَاء al-ʕuṣī‎; al-ʕiṣī‎; al-ʔaʕṣī‎; al-ʔaʕṣāʔ	عُصِي‎; عِصِي‎; أَعْصِي‎; أَعْصَاء ʕuṣī‎; ʕiṣī‎; ʔaʕṣī‎; ʔaʕṣāʔ
Nominative	عُصِيٌّ‎; عِصِيٌّ‎; أَعْصٍ‎; أَعْصَاءٌ ʕuṣiyyun‎; ʕiṣiyyun‎; ʔaʕṣin‎; ʔaʕṣāʔun	الْعُصِيُّ‎; الْعِصِيُّ‎; الْأَعْصِي‎; الْأَعْصَاءُ al-ʕuṣiyyu‎; al-ʕiṣiyyu‎; al-ʔaʕṣī‎; al-ʔaʕṣāʔu	عُصِيُّ‎; عِصِيُّ‎; أَعْصِي‎; أَعْصَاءُ ʕuṣiyyu‎; ʕiṣiyyu‎; ʔaʕṣī‎; ʔaʕṣāʔu
Accusative	عُصِيًّا‎; عِصِيًّا‎; أَعْصِيًا‎; أَعْصَاءً ʕuṣiyyan‎; ʕiṣiyyan‎; ʔaʕṣiyan‎; ʔaʕṣāʔan	الْعُصِيَّ‎; الْعِصِيَّ‎; الْأَعْصِيَ‎; الْأَعْصَاءَ al-ʕuṣiyya‎; al-ʕiṣiyya‎; al-ʔaʕṣiya‎; al-ʔaʕṣāʔa	عُصِيَّ‎; عِصِيَّ‎; أَعْصِيَ‎; أَعْصَاءَ ʕuṣiyya‎; ʕiṣiyya‎; ʔaʕṣiya‎; ʔaʕṣāʔa
Genitive	عُصِيٍّ‎; عِصِيٍّ‎; أَعْصٍ‎; أَعْصَاءٍ ʕuṣiyyin‎; ʕiṣiyyin‎; ʔaʕṣin‎; ʔaʕṣāʔin	الْعُصِيِّ‎; الْعِصِيِّ‎; الْأَعْصِي‎; الْأَعْصَاءِ al-ʕuṣiyyi‎; al-ʕiṣiyyi‎; al-ʔaʕṣī‎; al-ʔaʕṣāʔi	عُصِيِّ‎; عِصِيِّ‎; أَعْصِي‎; أَعْصَاءِ ʕuṣiyyi‎; ʕiṣiyyi‎; ʔaʕṣī‎; ʔaʕṣāʔi

Descendants

• Maltese: għasa
• Moroccan Arabic: عصا (ʕṣā)
• ⇒ Gulf Arabic: عصاية (ʕaṣāya)
• ⇒ Hijazi Arabic: عصاية (ʕaṣāya)
• → Armenian: ասա (asa)

Etymology 2

Root
ع ص و (ʕ-ṣ-w)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʕa.sˤaː/
  • Homophone: عَصَى (ʕaṣā)

Verb

عَصَا • (ʕaṣā) I, non-past يَعْصُو‎ (yaʕṣū)

1. to beat or strike with a stick, sword, or staff; to use, handle, wield, equip any of the above.
2. to dress wound, to use a splint on a wound
3. to unite people for a purpose, to shepherd people together

Conjugation

Conjugation of

عَصَا

(form-I final-weak, verbal noun عَصْو)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						عَصْو ʕaṣw
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						عَاصٍ ʕāṣin
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول						مَعْصُوّ maʕṣuww
active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	عَصَوْتُ ʕaṣawtu	عَصَوْتَ ʕaṣawta	عَصَا ʕaṣā		عَصَوْتُمَا ʕaṣawtumā	عَصَوَا ʕaṣawā		عَصَوْنَا ʕaṣawnā	عَصَوْتُمْ ʕaṣawtum	عَصَوْا ʕaṣaw
	f		عَصَوْتِ ʕaṣawti	عَصَتْ ʕaṣat			عَصَتَا ʕaṣatā			عَصَوْتُنَّ ʕaṣawtunna	عَصَوْنَ ʕaṣawna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أَعْصُو ʔaʕṣū	تَعْصُو taʕṣū	يَعْصُو yaʕṣū		تَعْصُوَانِ taʕṣuwāni	يَعْصُوَانِ yaʕṣuwāni		نَعْصُو naʕṣū	تَعْصُونَ taʕṣūna	يَعْصُونَ yaʕṣūna
	f		تَعْصِينَ taʕṣīna	تَعْصُو taʕṣū			تَعْصُوَانِ taʕṣuwāni			تَعْصُونَ taʕṣūna	يَعْصُونَ yaʕṣūna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَعْصُوَ ʔaʕṣuwa	تَعْصُوَ taʕṣuwa	يَعْصُوَ yaʕṣuwa		تَعْصُوَا taʕṣuwā	يَعْصُوَا yaʕṣuwā		نَعْصُوَ naʕṣuwa	تَعْصُوا taʕṣū	يَعْصُوا yaʕṣū
	f		تَعْصِي taʕṣī	تَعْصُوَ taʕṣuwa			تَعْصُوَا taʕṣuwā			تَعْصُونَ taʕṣūna	يَعْصُونَ yaʕṣūna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أَعْصُ ʔaʕṣu	تَعْصُ taʕṣu	يَعْصُ yaʕṣu		تَعْصُوَا taʕṣuwā	يَعْصُوَا yaʕṣuwā		نَعْصُ naʕṣu	تَعْصُوا taʕṣū	يَعْصُوا yaʕṣū
	f		تَعْصِي taʕṣī	تَعْصُ taʕṣu			تَعْصُوَا taʕṣuwā			تَعْصُونَ taʕṣūna	يَعْصُونَ yaʕṣūna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		اُعْصُ uʕṣu			اُعْصُوَا uʕṣuwā				اُعْصُوا uʕṣū
	f		اُعْصِي uʕṣī							اُعْصُونَ uʕṣūna
passive voice الْفِعْل الْمَجْهُول
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	عُصِيتُ ʕuṣītu	عُصِيتَ ʕuṣīta	عُصِيَ ʕuṣiya		عُصِيتُمَا ʕuṣītumā	عُصِيَا ʕuṣiyā		عُصِينَا ʕuṣīnā	عُصِيتُمْ ʕuṣītum	عُصُوا ʕuṣū
	f		عُصِيتِ ʕuṣīti	عُصِيَتْ ʕuṣiyat			عُصِيَتَا ʕuṣiyatā			عُصِيتُنَّ ʕuṣītunna	عُصِينَ ʕuṣīna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُعْصَى ʔuʕṣā	تُعْصَى tuʕṣā	يُعْصَى yuʕṣā		تُعْصَيَانِ tuʕṣayāni	يُعْصَيَانِ yuʕṣayāni		نُعْصَى nuʕṣā	تُعْصَوْنَ tuʕṣawna	يُعْصَوْنَ yuʕṣawna
	f		تُعْصَيْنَ tuʕṣayna	تُعْصَى tuʕṣā			تُعْصَيَانِ tuʕṣayāni			تُعْصَيْنَ tuʕṣayna	يُعْصَيْنَ yuʕṣayna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُعْصَى ʔuʕṣā	تُعْصَى tuʕṣā	يُعْصَى yuʕṣā		تُعْصَيَا tuʕṣayā	يُعْصَيَا yuʕṣayā		نُعْصَى nuʕṣā	تُعْصَوْا tuʕṣaw	يُعْصَوْا yuʕṣaw
	f		تُعْصَيْ tuʕṣay	تُعْصَى tuʕṣā			تُعْصَيَا tuʕṣayā			تُعْصَيْنَ tuʕṣayna	يُعْصَيْنَ yuʕṣayna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُعْصَ ʔuʕṣa	تُعْصَ tuʕṣa	يُعْصَ yuʕṣa		تُعْصَيَا tuʕṣayā	يُعْصَيَا yuʕṣayā		نُعْصَ nuʕṣa	تُعْصَوْا tuʕṣaw	يُعْصَوْا yuʕṣaw
	f		تُعْصَيْ tuʕṣay	تُعْصَ tuʕṣa			تُعْصَيَا tuʕṣayā			تُعْصَيْنَ tuʕṣayna	يُعْصَيْنَ yuʕṣayna

References

• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884) “عصا”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary‎^[1], London: W.H. Allen

Kohistani Shina

Noun

عصا (esā)

1. cane

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic عَصًا (ʕaṣan, “staff, stick”), itself from Proto-Semitic *ʕiṣ́-.

Noun

عصا • (ʼasa)

1. stick, wand, cane, staff, an elongated piece of wood, typically put to some use

   Synonyms: آغاج (ağac), دگنك (değenek)

2. sceptre, an ornamental staff held by a ruling monarch as a symbol of power

Derived terms

• عصای موسی (ʼasa-yı musa, “the rod of Moses”)
• پسقپوس عصاسی (piskopos ʼasası, “crosier”)

 

Descendants

• Turkish: asa
• → Armenian: ասա (asa)

Further reading

• Çağbayır, Yaşar (2007) “asa2”, in Ötüken Türkçe Sözlük (in Turkish), volume 1, Istanbul: Ötüken Neşriyat, page 307
• Devellioğlu, Ferit (1962) “asâ”, in Osmanlıca-Türkçe Ansiklopedik Lûgat‎‎^[2] (in Turkish), Istanbul: Türk Dil Kurumu, page 51
• Kélékian, Diran (1911) “عصا”, in Dictionnaire turc-français‎^[3], Constantinople: Mihran, page 848
• Meninski, Franciszek à Mesgnien (1687) “Baculus”, in Complementum thesauri linguarum orientalium, seu onomasticum latino-turcico-arabico-persicum, simul idem index verborum lexici turcico-arabico-persici, quod latinâ, germanicâ, aliarumque linguarum adjectâ nomenclatione nuper in lucem editum‎^[4], Vienna, column 112
• Meninski, Franciszek à Mesgnien (1680) “عصا”, in Thesaurus linguarum orientalium, Turcicae, Arabicae, Persicae, praecipuas earum opes à Turcis peculiariter usurpatas continens, nimirum Lexicon Turkico-Arabico-Persicum‎^[5], Vienna, column 3272
• Redhouse, James W. (1890) “عصا”, in A Turkish and English Lexicon‎^[6], Constantinople: A. H. Boyajian, page 1302

Persian

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic عَصًا (ʕaṣan, “stick”)

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [ʔa.sɑː]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔä.sɑː]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔä.sɑː]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ʔä.sɑː]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ʔä.sɔː]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔæ.sɒː]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔä.sɔ]

Readings
Classical reading?	asā
Dari reading?	asā
Iranian reading?	asâ
Tajik reading?	aso

Dari	عصا
Iranian Persian
Tajik	ъасо

Noun

عصا • ('asâ) (plural عصا‌ها ('asâ-hâ))

1. stick, rod, staff
2. scepter
   1. (by extension) guide
      • c. 1260s, Jalāl ad-Dīn Mohammad Rūmī, translated by Reynold A. Nicholson, مثنوی معنوی [Masnavi-ye-Ma'navi], volume I, verse 3920:

        تو عصا کش هر که را که زندگی است
        بی‌‌عصا و بی‌‌عصا کش کور چیست

        tū 'asā kaš har ki rā ki zandigī-st
        bē-'asa u bē-'asa kaš kūr čīst

        Thou art the Guide of every one that hath life:
        what is the blind man without staff and guide?

References

• Hayyim, Sulayman (1934) “عصا”, in New Persian–English dictionary, Teheran: Librairie-imprimerie Béroukhim