The system "testing": four roots, four words
Four roots express testing in the Qur'an: ابتلى ("test"), فتنة ("trial", "put to trial"), بلاء ("a testing") and امتحن ("examine"). In each of the six languages they receive four distinct words, and no word is shared. It is a detailed application of “One Arabic term, one word per language”.
The four roots do not say the same thing:
- with ابتلى, God tests in order to reveal: « وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ », "We will certainly test you with some fear" (2:155);
- with فتنة, the trial that sorts and can make one fall: « وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ », "without being put to the trial" (29:2);
- with امتحن, the examination carried out by humans: « فَٱمْتَحِنُوهُنَّ », "examine them" (60:10).
The fixed renderings: éprouver / test / probar / provare / menguji / испытывать for ابتلى; mettre à l'épreuve, épreuve / put to trial, trial / poner a prueba, prueba / mettere alla prova, prova / mencoba, cobaan / подвергать искусу, искус for فتنة; ce qui éprouve / a testing / lo que prueba / ciò che prova / ujian / испытание for بلاء; examiner / examine / examinar / esaminare / memeriksa / проверять for امتحن.
A consequence of the rule: a word reserved for one root is not used for another. In Spanish, ذاق ("taste") is rendered "gustar", because "probar" belongs to ابتلى. The same principle separates other pairs (خزي / ذلّ, دمّر / أهلك, جزاء / أجر, جحد / كفر, قسط / عدل, لعب / لهو, مآب / مأوى).
In the text
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِأَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوٓا۟ أَن يَقُولُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَفَٱمْتَحِنُوهُنَّ