Arabic Observations: Reflections on حصحص and the Truth

اِستِطْراد

root: ط-ر-د / form X verbal noun / definition: digression

I was browsing my notes on Notion, seeking inspiration for today’s post, when one little word pulled at my eyelashes and demanded attention.

So the title thus began to take form, and I headed to the dictionary where my semantics addiction took hold and dragged me into an unstoppable, thunderous orchestra of cerebration and digression.

But before we digress, let’s… gress. (Words both inspire and fail me.) Let’s start from where my thoughts sprung: حَصحَصَ.

The verb حَصحَصَ / يُحَصحِصُ is a reduplicated quadriliteral (form I) meaning “(for the truth) to come to light” and “to become clear”.

Now, as we explored in Arabic Observations: Duplicated Roots with Reduplicated Forms, many reduplicated quadriliterals are derived from duplicated roots and carry the same core meaning.

In this case, the duplicated form of ح-ص-ح-ص would be ح-ص-ص which carries the general meaning of having a share of something. I start to imagine the truth as something divided amongst people, every person has (or deserves) their own share of the truth. But who, if anyone, has the full share?

Then my eyes drift down the dictionary page and my mind follows…

We’ve explored in many previous posts the semantic connections of similar-looking roots—as we did in From an Airport, into the Blur, for example.

So, could we possibly learn about حصحص and the truth through the roots surrounding it in the dictionary?

Could we uncover a deeper meaning through looking at ح-ص-ب, related to pebbles and crushed rock? I imagine the truth as pebbles filling a vast shoreline. From a distance: a mass. Up close: faceted individuals. I wonder whether truth is the mother rock or the resulting pebbles, and—then—whether forces of attrition erode or form the truth(s).

What about ح-ص-د, carrying meanings related to reaping and harvesting? I see the truth as something planted, buried beneath, but innately bound to burst through the darkness towards the light and bloom, showing itself in full colour.

And we can’t forget ح-ص-ر, related to surrounding and encircling. I’m picturing the truth as an entity that encompasses us, extending beyond in every direction, inescapable and protecting.

Then we have ح-ص-ف, the root denoting sound judgement. I think of the truth as a judge between reality and falsehood, and then as an evidence clear only to those of sound judgement.

Could we draw parallels between ح-ص-ح-ص and ح-ص-ل? A root carrying the core meaning of occurring and causation? Does truth occur or is it caused? And how do cause and effect shift or solidify our understanding of it?

My eyes crawl to ح-ص-ن, the root of proof and fortification. I see the truth as a fortress, elevated, integral, and untouchable to the untruths that try to attack its defences.

And finally we come to ح-ص-ي, a root related to enumeration and, again, pebbles. I think of how no one person can fully understand the truth. Our hands and eyes can only contain and count so many pebbles before numbers and order fall from the realm of comprehension and we lose our place.

Over-analysis or food for thought? They’re the same thing, I think.

Now, my tired eyes stop me from grasping at more connections and my eyelashes pull themselves back from desperate-to-be-seen words.

.تصبحون على خير