n-m-l

Description

The Arabic root ن-م-l (n-m-l) fundamentally refers to ants and relates to small, delicate, or fine-pointed things, which explains its semantic extension to fingertips in classical usage. In the Quran, this root appears most notably in Surah An-Naml (The Ant), where an ant warns its colony about Solomon's army, demonstrating Allah's power in granting understanding across His creation and highlighting that even the smallest creatures possess intelligence and community organization. The root's association with both ants and fingertips reflects a semantic connection to smallness, precision, and delicate articulation, serving as a reminder of divine wisdom manifest in creation's minute details.