حلف

حَلْفَاآء حلفاآء [app. حَلْفَاآءٌ accord. to some, and حَلْفَاآءٌ accord. to others, (in the CK, erroneously, حُلَفاء,)], (S, Msb, K, &c.,) in measure like حَمْرَاآء, [and if so, حَلْفَاآءُ, but see what follows,] (Msb,) and ↓ حَلَفٌ, (Akh, K,) [ A kind of high, coarse grass; called by the botanists poa multiflora, and poa cynosuroïdes; ] a certain plant, (S, Msb, K,) [ growing ] in water, (S,) well known, (Msb,) of those termed أَغْلَاث: (TA:) Aboo-Ziyád says of the حلفاء that it seldom grows anywhere but near to water or to the bottom of a valley; and is long, or tall, (سلبة,) rough to the touch; seldom, or never, does any one lay hold upon it, for fear of his hand being cut; sometimes camels and sheep or goats eat a little of it; and it is much liked by oxen: (AHn, TA:) [a coll. gen. n.:] n. un. ↓ حَلَفَةٌ, (S, K,) accord. to AZ, (S,) or Aboo-Ziyád, and AHn, (TA,) and ↓ حَلِفَةٌ, (S, K,) accord. to As, (S,) and حَلْفَاآءَةٌ, (Msb, K,) like صَحْرَاآءَةٌ: (K: [in the CK like صَحْرَةٌ, and omitted in my copy of the TA:]) [this last n. un. requires that the coll. gen. n. should be حَلْفَاآءٌ: (see 4, last sentence:) but] Sb says that حلفاء is sing. and pl.: [see شَجَرٌ:] (TA:) [as pl., it is fem.; and it is made fem. in the description by Aboo-Ziyád, cited above:] sometimes it has حَلَافِىُّ for pl.: and its dim. is ↓ حُلَيْفَيَّةٌ. (O, TA.) أَنَا الَّذِي فِى الحَلْفَاآءِ, occurring in a trad., means (assumed tropical:) I am the lion; because that beast repairs to the places where the حلفاء grows: and [hence,] كَأَنَّهُ أَخُو الحَلْفَاآءِ means (assumed tropical:) As though he were the lion. (TA.) -A2- حَلْفَاآءُ also signifies A clamorous female slave: (IAar, K:) pl. حُلُفٌ. (K.)