Grammar term · Sarf · morphology
اِسْم مَصْدَر
ism masdar
Quasi-verbal-noun
Sarf · morphologyDerived noun (mushtaqq)advanced term56+ in the Qur'an
In one line
The masdar's lighter twin: same event-meaning, fewer letters than the verb demands — عَطَاء for أَعْطَى where the true masdar is إِعْطَاء.
Classical definition
اسْمُ المَصْدَرِ مَا سَاوَى المَصْدَرَ فِي الدَّلَالَةِ عَلَى الحَدَثِ وَنَقَصَ عَنْ حُرُوفِ فِعْلِهِ، كَعَطَاءٍ مِنْ أَعْطَى.
“The ism masdar equals the masdar in indicating the event but falls short of the letters of its verb, like 'ata' from a'ta.”
(بتصرف من شذا العرف)
Key words in the Arabic
سَاوَى الْمَصْدَرَequals the masdar in sense
نَقَصَ عَنْ حُرُوفِ فِعْلِهِshorter than its verb requires
Understand it
Every mazid verb has a regulation masdar (أَعْطَى → إِعْطَاء, تَوَضَّأَ → تَوَضُّؤ), but usage sometimes keeps a shorter noun for the same event: عَطَاء, وُضُوء, سَلَام beside تَسْلِيم. The shape is 'missing' letters the verb's pattern would demand — that shortfall is the definition. In parsing it behaves exactly like a masdar, even standing as maf'ul mutlaq.
How to spot it
Recognition test
An event-noun whose letters fall short of its verb's masdar pattern: compare عَطَاء with إِعْطَاء — same meaning, lighter build — ism masdar.
In the Qur'an
جَزَآءً مِّن رَّبِّكَ عَطَآءً حِسَابًا
An-Naba 78:36 — “a reward from your Lord — a generous, sufficient gift”
عَطَآءً carries the giving-meaning of أَعْطَى yet lacks the hamza its masdar إِعْطَاء demands — an ism masdar.
Related terms