سوف

مَسَافَةٌ ذ [properly A place of smelling: ― -b2- and hence,] (tropical:) Distance; (S, K, TA;) and ↓ مَسَافٌ and ↓ سِيفَةٌ signify the same in this sense [or in others here following]: (K:) [ a space, or tract, or an extent, over which one journeys: ] a far-extending tract that one traverses: originally a place of smelling of the guides, in order that they may know whether it be far or near, out of the way or in the right way: (A, TA:) or a [ desert, or such as is termed ] مَفَازَة: (M:) said to be from سَافَ الشَّىْءَ meaning “ he smelled the thing; ” for the guide smells the dust of the place wherein he is; and if he smell the odour of urine and dung of camels, he knows that he [or some other] has traversed it; but otherwise, not: (Msb:) or because the guide, when he is in a desert, (S, M, K,) and has lost his way therein, (M,) smells its dust, (S, M, K,) in order that he may know, (S, K,) or and thus knows, (M,) whether he be in the right way, (S, M, K,) or not: (S, K:) then, by reason of frequency of usage of this word [as meaning “ a place of smelling of the guides ”] it became a term for “ distance: ” (S, K:) pl. مَسَاوِفُ (A, TA) and مَسَافَاتٌ. (Msb.) One says, كَمْ مَسَافَةُ هٰذِهِ الأَرْضِ and ↓ مَسَافُهَا and ↓ سِيفَتُهَا (tropical:) [ How long is the distance, or how much is the extent, of this land? ]. (TA.) And بَيْنَهُمْ مَسَافَةٌ بَعِيدَةٌ (assumed tropical:) [ Between them is a far-extending distance or space ]. (Msb.) And بَيْنَنَا مَسَافَةُ عِشْرِينَ يَوْمًا (tropical:) [ Between us is the distance, or space, of twenty days ]. (TA.) ― -b3- In the following saying of Dhu-rRummeh, it is doubly tropical: وَأَبْعَدُهُمْ مَسَافَةَ غَوْرِ عَقْلٍ اـِذَا مَا الأَمْرُ ذُو الشُّبُهَاتِ عَالَا (tropical:) (tropical:) [ And the furthest of them in the extent of the depth of intelligence when the affair, or case, in which are dubiousnesses overcomes and is onerous ]. (A, TA.)