Grammar term · Sarf · morphology
مَزِيد
mazid
Augmented root (+letters)
Sarf · morphologyRoot size & augmentationcore term28,595+ in the Qur'an
In one line
The augmented verb: extra letters on the root add meaning — غَفَرَ 'forgive' grows into اسْتَغْفَرَ 'seek forgiveness'.
Classical definition
المَزِيدُ مَا زِيدَ عَلَى حُرُوفِهِ الأَصْلِيَّةِ حَرْفٌ أَوْ أَكْثَرُ مِنْ حُرُوفِ الزِّيَادَةِ.
“The mazid is that to which one or more of the letters of augmentation have been added beyond its root letters.”
(بتصرف من شذا العرف)
Key words in the Arabic
زِيدَ عَلَىadded on top of
حُرُوفُ الزِّيَادَةِthe augment letters — سألتمونيها
Understand it
Arabic grows meaning by growing the word: doubling the middle (عَلَّمَ, causative), an alif after the first radical (قَاتَلَ, mutual), a hamza in front (أَكْرَمَ, causative), تَـ (تَعَلَّمَ, reflexive), انْـ (انْكَسَرَ, passive-like), اسْتَـ (اسْتَغْفَرَ, seeking). The ten letters of زِيَادَة are gathered in the mnemonic سَأَلْتُمُونِيهَا. Each added shape is a 'form' with its own flavour — the famous form system of Arabic verbs.
How to spot it
Recognition test
More letters than the root: identify the extras against سألتمونيها, name the pattern (أَفْعَلَ، فَعَّلَ، تَفَاعَلَ، اسْتَفْعَلَ…), and let the pattern tell you the added meaning.
In the Qur'an
ٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ غَفَّارًا
Nuh 71:10 — “Ask your Lord for forgiveness — indeed, He is ever-forgiving”
ٱسْتَغْفِرُوا۟ is غفر behind the seeking-prefix اسْتَـ: a six-letter mazid meaning 'seek forgiveness'.
Related terms