دون

دُونً دون دونن Low, base, vile, mean, paltry, inconsiderable, or contemptible; (Fr, T, S, M, * Msb, K;) applied to a man &c.: (T, Msb:) and inferior, i. e. lower, baser, viler, &c., in grounds of pretension to respect or honour [or in any approvable quality ]: (Lth, T:) and such as falls short [of a thing]; used in this sense as a prefixed noun: (Ham p. 686:) [see below what is said of its usage as a prefixed noun by Lth and by Sb: and used as an epithet, scanty, or deficient; applied to anything:] and of a middling sort; between good and bad; applied to a man and to a commodity: (M:) and also high, or eminent, in rank or condition; noble, or honourable: (T, K:) thus it bears two contr. significations (K) [and significations intermediate between those two]. A poet says, اـِذَا مَا عَلَا المَرْءُ رَامَ العَلَاآء وَيَقْتَعُ بِالدُّونِ مَنْ كَانَا دُونَا [ When the man is high in rank, or nobility, he seeks highness: and he who is low is content with that which is low ]. (S.) Accord. to the most common usage, (Msb,) or accord. to what is asserted to be the most common usage, (Lh, M,) one says رَجُلٌ مِنْ دُونٍ (T, M, Msb, K) and شَىْءٌ مِنْ دُونٍ (M, Msb) A man who is [ of a kind that is ] low, base, &c., and a thing that is [ of a kind that is ] low, base, &c.: (Msb:) but sometimes they said رَجُلٌ دُونٌ and شَىْءٌ دُونٌ, without مِنْ; (M, Msb;) and ثَوْبٌ دُونٌ a bad [or an inferior ] garment, or piece of cloth: (M:) or one should not say رَجُلٌ دُونٌ; (T, K;) for the Arabs did not use this phrase. (T.) Accord. to Lth, one says, هٰذَا دُونُ ذَاكَ [ This is the inferior of that ], when meaning to denote by it low estimation, using the nom. case: (T:) [but this is uncommon, if allowable:] Sb says that دُون is not used in the nom. case as a prefixed noun: as to the saying in the Kur [lxxii. 11, an instance similar to which occurs also in vii. 167], مِنَّا الصَّالِحُونَ وَ مِنَّا دُونَ ذٰلِكَ, the meaning is, وَ مِنَّا قَوْمٌ دُونَ ذٰلِكَ [i. e. Of us are the righteous, and of us are a party below that party in rank or estimation ]; (M, TA;) or, as another says, دون is here in the accus. case but in the place of a noun in the nom. case because it is generally used as an adv. n. (TA.) ― -b2- As an adv. n., دُون signifies Below, contr. of فَوْق; (S, K;) as denoting a falling short of the [ right or approved ] limit; (S;) or denoting low, or mean, estimation or condition; (Lth, T, M;) or a condition lower, baser, viler, &c., than that of another, in grounds of pretension to respect or honour [or in any approvable quality ]; (Lth, T;) [and hence, inferior to, beneath, under, or short of, another in rank, height, size, &c.;] and less than another, and more deficient than another: (Fr, T:) and also above; i. q. فَوْق; (T, K;) in highness, or eminence, of rank or condition, or in nobility; (T;) [and hence, exceeding another, and more than another:] thus bearing two contr. significations. (K.) You say, زَيْدٌ دُونَكَ meaning Zeyd is [ below thee, or] in a condition lower, baser, viler, &c., than thine, in grounds of pretension to respect or honour [&c.]: and when one says, “ Verily such a one is high, or eminent, in rank or condition, ” or “ is noble, ” another replies, وَ دُونَ ذٰلِكَ meaning And above that. (T.) ― -b3- Also Beneath, below in situation, or under; syn. تَحْت. (T, TA.) Using it in this sense, you say, دُوَن قَدَمِكَ خَدُّ عَدُوِّكَ [ May the cheek of thine enemy be beneath thy foot ]: (T, TA:) and جَلَسَ دُونَهُ [ He sat below him ]. (TA.) ― -b4- Also Before in respect of place, or in front: and [the contr., namely,] behind, or beyond. (T, M, K.) [You may say, using it in the former sense, جَلَسَ دُونَهُ He sat before him, or in front of him: (see Ham p. 86:) and, using it in the latter sense,] you say, هٰذَا أَمِيرٌ عَلَى مَا دُونَ جَيْحُونَ This [man] is governor, or prince, over what is beyond [the river] Jeyhoon. (TA.) ― -b5- And i. q. قَبْل [generally signifying Before in respect of time; but as some say, in respect of place also, which may perhaps be here meant]: (T:) and [the contr., namely,] i. q. بَعْد [generally meaning after in respect of time; but as some say, in respect of place also, which may perhaps be here meant]. (Fr, T, TA.) ― -b6- It signifies also Nearer than another thing: (S, Msb, K:) so in the phrase هٰذَا دُونَ ذٰلِكَ [ This is nearer than that ]; (S Msb;) or هٰذَا دُونَهُ [ this is nearer than he, or it ]. (K.) [Hence,] one says also, اُدْنُ دُونَكَ meaning Draw thou near in the space that is between me and thee: (A Heyth, T:) [or approach thou nearer to me: ] or draw thou near [or nearer ] to me. (IAar, T, M, K.) And يَزِيدُ بَغُضُّ الطَّرْفَ دُونِى, a saying of a poet, means Yezeed lowers the eye towards a spot between me and him. (A Heyth, T.) [خَشَعَتْ دُونَهُ الأَبْصَارُ, also, has a similar meaning: see 1 in art. خشع. So, too, has the phrase, خَاوَتَ طَرْفَهُ دُونِى: see 3 in art. خوت. And hence,] one says, دُونَ النَّهْرِ جَمَاعَةٌ [ In the way of, or to, the river, or on this side of the river, or nearer than the river, is a company of men; or] before thy reaching the river [there is to be found, or encountered, a company of men ]. (K.) And دُونَ قَتْلِ الأَسَدِ أَهْوَالٌ [ In the way of, or to, the slaying of the lion, or] before thine attaining to the slaying of the lion, terrors [are to be encountered]. (T, TA.) [And دُونَهُ خَرْطُ القَتَادِ: see 1 in art. خرط.] And حَالَ دُونَ الشَّىْءِ [ It intervened as an obstacle in the way to the thing; or] it prevented from attaining the thing. (W p. 71.) [And لَيْسَ دُونَهُ شَىْءٌ There is nothing intervening as an obstacle in the way of, or to, him, or it. ] And [hence,] قُتِلَ دُونَ مَالِهِ, and نَفْسِهِ, and أَخِيهِ, and جَارِهِ, He was slain in defence of his property, and of himself, and of his brother, and of his neighbour. (Occurring in a trad. commencing with the words الغَرِيقُ شَهِيدٌ, in the “ Jámi' es-Sagheer, ” and thus explained in the margin of a copy of that work.) [And نَبَحَ دُونَهُ is a [...]