قسط

Arabic

Etymology 1

From the root ق س ط (q-s-ṭ). If the noun goes so far as to mean justice, it is perhaps a semantic loan from Classical Syriac ܩܘܼܫܬܿܵܐ (qūštā, “truth, rectitude, justice”), while others go even so far as to consider a borrowing from Latin iūstitia, whereas the use for a measure is Aramaic קִיסְטָא / ܩܸܣܛܵܐ (qesṭā) from Byzantine Greek ξέστης (xéstēs) from Latin sextārius (“a cubic measure”). The presence of a denominal verb from قِسْطَاس (qisṭās, “weigher”) is also possible.

Verb

قَسَّطَ • (qassaṭa) II (non-past يُقَسِّطُ (yuqassiṭu), verbal noun تَقْسِيط (taqsīṭ))

1. to dispense, to allot

Conjugation

    Conjugation of قَسَّطَ (II, sound, full passive, verbal noun تَقْسِيط)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						تَقْسِيط taqsīṭ
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						مُقَسِّط muqassiṭ
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول						مُقَسَّط muqassaṭ
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	قَسَّطْتُ qassaṭtu	قَسَّطْتَ qassaṭta	قَسَّطَ qassaṭa		قَسَّطْتُمَا qassaṭtumā	قَسَّطَا qassaṭā		قَسَّطْنَا qassaṭnā	قَسَّطْتُمْ qassaṭtum	قَسَّطُوا qassaṭū
	f		قَسَّطْتِ qassaṭti	قَسَّطَتْ qassaṭat			قَسَّطَتَا qassaṭatā			قَسَّطْتُنَّ qassaṭtunna	قَسَّطْنَ qassaṭna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُقَسِّطُ ʔuqassiṭu	تُقَسِّطُ tuqassiṭu	يُقَسِّطُ yuqassiṭu		تُقَسِّطَانِ tuqassiṭāni	يُقَسِّطَانِ yuqassiṭāni		نُقَسِّطُ nuqassiṭu	تُقَسِّطُونَ tuqassiṭūna	يُقَسِّطُونَ yuqassiṭūna
	f		تُقَسِّطِينَ tuqassiṭīna	تُقَسِّطُ tuqassiṭu			تُقَسِّطَانِ tuqassiṭāni			تُقَسِّطْنَ tuqassiṭna	يُقَسِّطْنَ yuqassiṭna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُقَسِّطَ ʔuqassiṭa	تُقَسِّطَ tuqassiṭa	يُقَسِّطَ yuqassiṭa		تُقَسِّطَا tuqassiṭā	يُقَسِّطَا yuqassiṭā		نُقَسِّطَ nuqassiṭa	تُقَسِّطُوا tuqassiṭū	يُقَسِّطُوا yuqassiṭū
	f		تُقَسِّطِي tuqassiṭī	تُقَسِّطَ tuqassiṭa			تُقَسِّطَا tuqassiṭā			تُقَسِّطْنَ tuqassiṭna	يُقَسِّطْنَ yuqassiṭna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُقَسِّطْ ʔuqassiṭ	تُقَسِّطْ tuqassiṭ	يُقَسِّطْ yuqassiṭ		تُقَسِّطَا tuqassiṭā	يُقَسِّطَا yuqassiṭā		نُقَسِّطْ nuqassiṭ	تُقَسِّطُوا tuqassiṭū	يُقَسِّطُوا yuqassiṭū
	f		تُقَسِّطِي tuqassiṭī	تُقَسِّطْ tuqassiṭ			تُقَسِّطَا tuqassiṭā			تُقَسِّطْنَ tuqassiṭna	يُقَسِّطْنَ yuqassiṭna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		قَسِّطْ qassiṭ			قَسِّطَا qassiṭā				قَسِّطُوا qassiṭū
	f		قَسِّطِي qassiṭī							قَسِّطْنَ qassiṭna
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	قُسِّطْتُ qussiṭtu	قُسِّطْتَ qussiṭta	قُسِّطَ qussiṭa		قُسِّطْتُمَا qussiṭtumā	قُسِّطَا qussiṭā		قُسِّطْنَا qussiṭnā	قُسِّطْتُمْ qussiṭtum	قُسِّطُوا qussiṭū
	f		قُسِّطْتِ qussiṭti	قُسِّطَتْ qussiṭat			قُسِّطَتَا qussiṭatā			قُسِّطْتُنَّ qussiṭtunna	قُسِّطْنَ qussiṭna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُقَسَّطُ ʔuqassaṭu	تُقَسَّطُ tuqassaṭu	يُقَسَّطُ yuqassaṭu		تُقَسَّطَانِ tuqassaṭāni	يُقَسَّطَانِ yuqassaṭāni		نُقَسَّطُ nuqassaṭu	تُقَسَّطُونَ tuqassaṭūna	يُقَسَّطُونَ yuqassaṭūna
	f		تُقَسَّطِينَ tuqassaṭīna	تُقَسَّطُ tuqassaṭu			تُقَسَّطَانِ tuqassaṭāni			تُقَسَّطْنَ tuqassaṭna	يُقَسَّطْنَ yuqassaṭna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُقَسَّطَ ʔuqassaṭa	تُقَسَّطَ tuqassaṭa	يُقَسَّطَ yuqassaṭa		تُقَسَّطَا tuqassaṭā	يُقَسَّطَا yuqassaṭā		نُقَسَّطَ nuqassaṭa	تُقَسَّطُوا tuqassaṭū	يُقَسَّطُوا yuqassaṭū
	f		تُقَسَّطِي tuqassaṭī	تُقَسَّطَ tuqassaṭa			تُقَسَّطَا tuqassaṭā			تُقَسَّطْنَ tuqassaṭna	يُقَسَّطْنَ yuqassaṭna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُقَسَّطْ ʔuqassaṭ	تُقَسَّطْ tuqassaṭ	يُقَسَّطْ yuqassaṭ		تُقَسَّطَا tuqassaṭā	يُقَسَّطَا yuqassaṭā		نُقَسَّطْ nuqassaṭ	تُقَسَّطُوا tuqassaṭū	يُقَسَّطُوا yuqassaṭū
	f		تُقَسَّطِي tuqassaṭī	تُقَسَّطْ tuqassaṭ			تُقَسَّطَا tuqassaṭā			تُقَسَّطْنَ tuqassaṭna	يُقَسَّطْنَ yuqassaṭna

Descendants

• Maltese: qassat

Noun

قِسْط • (qisṭ) m (plural أَقْسَاط (ʔaqsāṭ))

1. a vague amount or time of

   خُذ قِسْطاً مِن الراحة! ― ḵuḏ qisṭan min ar-rāḥa! ― Get some rest!

2. equity, equitability
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 3:21:

     إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَكۡفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَقۡتُلُونَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ بِغَيۡرِ حَقّٖ وَيَقۡتُلُونَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡقِسۡطِ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ فَبَشِّرۡهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ.

     Lo! those who disbelieve the revelations of Allah, and slay the prophets wrongfully, and slay those of mankind who enjoin equity: promise them a painful doom.

3. lot, portion, share, tranche
   1. installment
   2. meed, premium
   3. payment, payout
4. (obsolete) a volume measure of 1.2158 liters in the small and 2.4336 liters in the large variant, 2.106 liters in Egypt

Declension

Declension of noun قِسْط (qisṭ)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	قِسْط qisṭ	الْقِسْط al-qisṭ	قِسْط qisṭ
Nominative	قِسْطٌ qisṭun	الْقِسْطُ al-qisṭu	قِسْطُ qisṭu
Accusative	قِسْطًا qisṭan	الْقِسْطَ al-qisṭa	قِسْطَ qisṭa
Genitive	قِسْطٍ qisṭin	الْقِسْطِ al-qisṭi	قِسْطِ qisṭi
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	قِسْطَيْن qisṭayn	الْقِسْطَيْن al-qisṭayn	قِسْطَيْ qisṭay
Nominative	قِسْطَانِ qisṭāni	الْقِسْطَانِ al-qisṭāni	قِسْطَا qisṭā
Accusative	قِسْطَيْنِ qisṭayni	الْقِسْطَيْنِ al-qisṭayni	قِسْطَيْ qisṭay
Genitive	قِسْطَيْنِ qisṭayni	الْقِسْطَيْنِ al-qisṭayni	قِسْطَيْ qisṭay
Plural	basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	أَقْسَاط ʔaqsāṭ	الْأَقْسَاط al-ʔaqsāṭ	أَقْسَاط ʔaqsāṭ
Nominative	أَقْسَاطٌ ʔaqsāṭun	الْأَقْسَاطُ al-ʔaqsāṭu	أَقْسَاطُ ʔaqsāṭu
Accusative	أَقْسَاطًا ʔaqsāṭan	الْأَقْسَاطَ al-ʔaqsāṭa	أَقْسَاطَ ʔaqsāṭa
Genitive	أَقْسَاطٍ ʔaqsāṭin	الْأَقْسَاطِ al-ʔaqsāṭi	أَقْسَاطِ ʔaqsāṭi

Descendants

• → Classical Persian: قِسْط (qist)
  • → Bengali: কিস্তি (kisti)
  • → Hindustani: qist

    Hindi: क़िस्त

    Urdu: قِسْط

• → Ottoman Turkish: قسط (kıst)
  • Turkish: kıst

Noun

قَسْط • (qasṭ) m

1. injustice

Declension

Declension of noun قَسْط (qasṭ)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	قَسْط qasṭ	الْقَسْط al-qasṭ	قَسْط qasṭ
Nominative	قَسْطٌ qasṭun	الْقَسْطُ al-qasṭu	قَسْطُ qasṭu
Accusative	قَسْطًا qasṭan	الْقَسْطَ al-qasṭa	قَسْطَ qasṭa
Genitive	قَسْطٍ qasṭin	الْقَسْطِ al-qasṭi	قَسْطِ qasṭi

References

• Fraenkel, Siegmund (1886) Die aramäischen Fremdwörter im Arabischen (in German), Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 205
• Garosi, Eugenio (2022 December 1) “Regional Diversity in the Use of Administrative Loanwords in Early Islamic Arabic Documentary Sources (632–800 CE): A Preliminary Survey”, in Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean World. From Constantinople to Baghdad, 500-1000 CE, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →DOI, →ISBN, page 416
• Hinz, Walther (1955, 1970) Islamische Maße und Gewichte: umgerechnet ins metrische System (Handbuch der Orientalistik. Erste Abteilung: der nahe und der mittlere Osten; Ergänzungsband 1, Heft 1) (in German), Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 50
• Jeffery, Arthur (1938) The Foreign Vocabulary of the Qurʾān (Gaekwad’s Oriental Series; 79), Baroda: Oriental Institute, pages 237–238
• Shahîd, Irfan (2008) “Latin Loanwords”, in Versteegh, Kees, editor, Encyclopedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics, volume 3, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 7
• “qsṭ”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• “qšwṭ”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–

Etymology 2

From Ancient Greek κόστος (kóstos), from Sanskrit कुष्ठ (kuṣṭha).

Noun

قُسْط • (qusṭ) m

1. costus (both Costus gen. and Saussurea costus (syns. Saussurea lappa, Aucklandia lappa))

Declension

Declension of noun قُسْط (qusṭ)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	قُسْط qusṭ	الْقُسْط al-qusṭ	قُسْط qusṭ
Nominative	قُسْطٌ qusṭun	الْقُسْطُ al-qusṭu	قُسْطُ qusṭu
Accusative	قُسْطًا qusṭan	الْقُسْطَ al-qusṭa	قُسْطَ qusṭa
Genitive	قُسْطٍ qusṭin	الْقُسْطِ al-qusṭi	قُسْطِ qusṭi

Descendants

• → Middle Armenian: ղուստ (ġust), խուստ (xust), կոստ (kost), կօստ (kōst)
• → Coptic: ⲕⲟⲩⲥ̅ⲧ (kous̅t)

Anagrams

• طَقْس (ṭaqs)

Hijazi Arabic

Root
ق س ط
2 terms

Etymology 1

From Arabic قَسَّطَ (qassaṭa).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡas.satˤ/

Verb

قَسَّط • (gassaṭ) II (non-past يِقَسِّط (yigassiṭ))

1. to process an installment plan

Conjugation

Conjugation of قسط (gassaṭ)
		singular				plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person		1st person	2nd person	3rd person
past	m	قسطت (gassaṭt)	قسطت (gassaṭt)	قسط (gassaṭ)		قسطنا (gassaṭna)	قسطتوا (gassaṭtu)	قسطوا (gassaṭu)
	f		قسطتي (gassaṭti)	قسطت (gassaṭat)
non-past	m	أقسط (ʔagassiṭ)	تقسط (tigassiṭ)	يقسط (yigassiṭ)		نقسط (nigassiṭ)	تقسطوا (tigassiṭu)	يقسطوا (yigassiṭu)
	f		تقسطي (tigassiṭi)	تقسط (tigassiṭ)
imperative	m		قسط (gassiṭ)				قسطوا (gassiṭu)
	f		قسطي (gassiṭi)

Etymology 2

From Arabic قِسْطْ (qisṭ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɡistˤ/, [ɡɪstˤ]

Noun

قِسْط • (gisṭ) m (plural أَقْساط (ʔagsāṭ))

1. (finance) installment, partial payment

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Arabic قِسْط (qisṭ, “equity; lot, portion, share”).

Noun

قسط • (kıst) (definite accusative قسطی (kıstı), plural اقساط (eksât))

1. justice, equity, fairness, impartiality, the state or characteristic of being just or fair

   Synonyms: انصاف (insaf), عدالت (ʼadalet), عدل (ʼadl)

2. share, lot, a portion of something, especially a portion given or allotted to someone

   Synonyms: پای (pay), حصه (hisse), نصیب (nâsib)

3. (finance) installment, one member of a series of portions of a debt or sum of money

   Synonym: تقسیط (tâksit)

4. (obsolete) kist, a measure of 1.2158 liters in the small and 2.4336 in the large variant

Derived terms

• قسط الحساب (kıst el-hisâb, “proportionally”)
• قسط الیوم (kıst el-yevm, “according to the proportion falling to each day”)
• قسط كسمك (kıst kesmek, “to determine the share”)
• قسطلو (kıstlı, “possessed of a share”)

 

Descendants

• Turkish: kıst

Further reading

click to expand

• Barbier de Meynard, Charles (1886) “قسط”, in Dictionnaire turc-français, volume II, Paris: E. Leroux, page 516
• Çağbayır, Yaşar (2007) “kıst1”, in Ötüken Türkçe Sözlük (in Turkish), volume 1, Istanbul: Ötüken Neşriyat, page 2638
• Devellioğlu, Ferit (1962) “kıst”, in Osmanlıca-Türkçe Ansiklopedik Lûgat‎‎^[1] (in Turkish), Istanbul: Türk Dil Kurumu, page 619
• Kélékian, Diran (1911) “قسط”, in Dictionnaire turc-français‎^[2], Constantinople: Mihran, page 960
• Meninski, Franciszek à Mesgnien (1687) “Justitia”, 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^[3], Vienna, column 890
• Meninski, Franciszek à Mesgnien (1680) “قسط”, in Thesaurus linguarum orientalium, Turcicae, Arabicae, Persicae, praecipuas earum opes à Turcis peculiariter usurpatas continens, nimirum Lexicon Turkico-Arabico-Persicum‎^[4], Vienna, column 3694
• Redhouse, James W. (1890) “قسط”, in A Turkish and English Lexicon‎^[5], Constantinople: A. H. Boyajian, page 1453

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Arabic قُسْط (qusṭ, “costus”), ultimately from Sanskrit कुष्ठ (kuṣṭha, “crepe ginger”).

Noun

قسط • (kust) (definite accusative قسطی (kustu), plural قسطلر (kustlar))

1. costus, a composite growing on the Himalayas whose root has been used in traditional medicine (Saussurea costus)

Derived terms

• قسط تلخ (kust telh, “lesser galangal”)
• قسط حلو (kust hulv, “sweet costus”)

 

Further reading

click to expand

• Meninski, Franciszek à Mesgnien (1687) “Costus”, 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^[6], Vienna, column 295
• Meninski, Franciszek à Mesgnien (1680) “قسط”, in Thesaurus linguarum orientalium, Turcicae, Arabicae, Persicae, praecipuas earum opes à Turcis peculiariter usurpatas continens, nimirum Lexicon Turkico-Arabico-Persicum‎^[7], Vienna, column 3694
• Redhouse, James W. (1890) “قسط”, in A Turkish and English Lexicon‎^[8], Constantinople: A. H. Boyajian, page 1453

Persian

Etymology

Etymology tree

Arabic قِسْط (qisṭ)bor.

Persian قسط

Borrowed from Arabic قِسْط (qisṭ).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [qist]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [qɪst̪]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [qɪst̪]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [qɪst̪]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [qist̪]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [qest̪]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [qist̪]

Readings
Classical reading?	qist
Dari reading?	qist
Iranian reading?	ğest
Tajik reading?	qist

Noun

Dari	قسط
Iranian Persian
Tajik	қист

قسط • (qest)

1. (finance) installment, partial payment
2. (formal) equity, equitability, justice

   هدف خدا از ارسال پیامبران قیام مردم به قسط و عدل بوده است.

   hadaf-e xodâ az ersâl-e payâmbarân qiyâm-e mardom be qest o adl bude ast.

   God's aim in sending the prophets was for people to set themselves to equity and justice.

Descendants

• → Bengali: কিস্তি (kisti)
• → Hindustani: qist

  Hindi: क़िस्त

  Urdu: قِسْط

Urdu

Etymology

Etymology tree

Arabic قِسْط (qisṭ)bor.

Classical Persian قِسْط (qist)bor.

Urdu قِسْط (qist)

Borrowed from Classical Persian قِسْط (qist), borrowed from Arabic قِسْط (qisṭ).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /qɪst̪/
  • (colloquial) IPA^(key): [kɪst̪]

• Audio (Pakistan):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪst̪

Noun

قِسْط • (qist) f (Hindi spelling क़िस्त)

1. share, portion
2. (finance) installment (ie. partial payment of a loan or debt)
3. (taxation) tax (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?)

   Synonym: مَحْصُول (mahsūl)

4. (broadcasting) episode (of a television show)

   گُزِشْتَہ قِسْط ― guziśtā qist ― previous episode

5. (rare) equality; justice

Declension

Declension of قسط
	singular	plural
direct	قِسْط (qist)	قِسْطیں (qistẽ)
oblique	قِسْط (qist)	قِسْطوں (qistõ)
vocative	قِسْط (qist)	قِسْطو (qisto)

Further reading

• “قسط”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “قسط”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2025.
• Fallon, Platts, Qureshi, Shakespear (2024) “قسط”, in Digital Dictionaries of South Asia [Combined Urdu Dictionaries]