فيء

فِئَةٌ ذ A [ party, portion, division, or distinct body, of men, such as is termed ] طَائِفَة: (S, O, K, TA:) or a company (Msb, TA) of soldiers who fight in the rear of an army, and to whom the latter has recourse in the case of fear or defeat: (TA:) or a company of men who [ in war ] have recourse, for aid, one to another: (Er-Rághib, TA:) a word having no proper sing.: (Msb, TA:) originally فِىْءٌ; (S, O, K;) the ة being substituted for the medial ى, which is dropped: (S, O:) or its original form is فِئْوٌ [or فِئْىٌ or فِئْوَةٌ or فِئْيِةٌ (see art. فأو and فأى)]; the final [radical] letter being that which is elided; for it is from فَأَوْتُ [or فَأَيْتُ] “ I divided; ” and فِئَةٌ is syn. with فِرْقَةٌ: (IB, L, TA:) pl. فِئَاتٌ and فِئُونَ, (S, O, Msb, K,) in which latter the و and ن are for the making good what is deficient [in the sing.]. (Msb.)