اشكل
1.
[primarily] signifies صَارَ ذَا شَكْلٍ [meaning It, or he, was, or became, such as had a likeness or resemblance, or a like, or match, &c.]. (TA.)
2.
[And hence, apparently,] said of a thing, or case, or an affair; (S, Mgh, O, Msb, K;) as also
شَكَلَ, (O, K, TA, [in the CK, erroneously, شَكِلَ, evidently not meant by the author of the K, as it is his rule, after mentioning a verb of this form, to add كَفَرِحَ or the like,]) verbal noun شَكْلٌ; (TA;) and
شكّل, (K,) verbal noun تَشْكِيلٌ; (TA;) (assumed tropical:) It was, or became, dubious, or confused; synonym اِلْتَبَسَ, (S, O, Msb, K,) and اِخْتَلَطَ, (O, TA,) or اِشْتَبَهَ: (Mgh:) [and
اشتكل is mentioned in this sense by Golius as on the authority of J (whom I do not find to have mentioned it either in this article or elsewhere), and by Freytag as on the authority of Abu-l-'Alà: according to Sh, اشكل in this sense is from شُكْلَةٌ signifying “ redness mixed with whiteness: ” (see مُشْكِلٌ:) but] according to Er-Rághib, إِشْكَالٌ in a thing, or case, or an affair, is metaphorical, [and] like اِشْتِبَاهٌ from الشِبْهُ. (TA.) One says, اشكل الأَمْرُ عَلَى الرَّجُلِ (assumed tropical:) [The thing, or case, or affair, was, or became, dubious, or confused, to the man]; and
شَكَلَ means the same. (Zj, O.) And أَشْكَلَتْ عَلَىَّ الأَخْبَارُ (assumed tropical:) [The tidings were dubious, or confused, to me], and أَحْكَلَتْ; both meaning the same. (TA.) And one says also, عَلَيْهِ إِشْكَالٌ and عليه إِشْكَالَاتٌ [meaning There is doubt, or uncertainty, and there are doubts, or uncertainties, respecting it: thus using the verbal noun as a simple subst., and therefore pluralizing it]. (Mz, 3rd نوع; &c.)
3.
4.
5.
6.
اشكل الكِتَابَ: see 1.