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سفع

Root entry · 15 derived lemmas

This root primarily deals with concepts of discoloration, particularly darkening or blackening, often associated with heat, dirt, or emotional states like anger. It also extends to meanings of striking, seizing, or marking, and metaphorically to madness or affliction.

Derived headwords

السَّفْعَةُnoun
  1. 1.
    darkening, blackeningboth

    A darkening or blackening of the skin or complexion, often due to heat, sun, or dirt.

  2. 2.
    mark, signboth

    A mark or sign on something, especially a discoloration.

  3. 3.
    madness, afflictionclassical

    An affliction or touch of madness, often attributed to demonic influence.

  4. 4.
    urine, dungclassical

    Refers to what is found in the dung heap of a dwelling, such as dung, sand, or ash.

  5. 5.
    eye infectionclassical

    An eye infection or affliction.

أرى في وجهك سفعة من غضب — I see a darkening on your face from anger.
إن بها نظرة فاسترقوا لها — She has an evil eye; seek healing for her.
سَفَعَverb
  1. 1.
    to scorch, blackenboth

    To scorch or blacken something, especially the skin, with heat, fire, or the sun.

  2. 2.
    to strike, slapboth

    To strike or slap someone, especially on the face or neck.

  3. 3.
    to seize, graspboth

    To seize, grasp, or pull something forcefully, like by the forelock.

  4. 4.
    to fight, combatclassical

    To fight or combat someone.

سفعته النار والشمس والسموم تسفعه سفعا فتسفع — The fire, sun, and hot wind scorched him, changing his skin color and blackening it.
سفع وجهه بيده — He slapped his face with his hand.
لنسفعا بالناصية — We will seize the forelock.
يسافع ورقاء غورية — He fights a grey dove.
أسْفَعُadjective
  1. 1.
    dark-faced, black-facedboth

    Describing someone or something with a dark or blackish complexion, especially on the cheeks.

  2. 2.
    wild bullclassical

    A wild bull with blackish cheeks tinged with red.

الذكر أسفع والأنثى سفعاء — The male is أسفع and the female is سفعاء.
والأسفع: الثور الوحشي الذي في خديه سواد يضرب إلى الحمرة قليلا — And the أسفع: the wild bull which has blackness on its cheeks tinged slightly with redness.
سَفْعَاءُadjective
  1. 1.
    dark-faced (female)both

    A female with a dark or blackish complexion, especially on the cheeks.

  2. 2.
    ring-necked doveclassical

    A ring-necked dove, named for the dark markings on its neck.

  3. 3.
    ewe with dark cheeksclassical

    A ewe whose cheeks are dark while the rest of her body is white.

أنا وسفعاء الخدين الحانية على ولدها يوم القيامة كهاتين — I and the dark-cheeked mother who is tender to her child on the Day of Resurrection will be like these two.
ولدت جديا أسفع أحوى — She gave birth to a dark-faced, dark-complexioned kid.
ونعجة سفعاء: اسود خداها وسائرها أبيض — And a سفعاء ewe: her cheeks are black and the rest of her is white.
مَسْفُوعٌadjective
  1. 1.
    scorched, blackenedboth

    Affected by scorching or blackening, especially of the skin.

  2. 2.
    mad, possessedclassical

    Afflicted with madness or demonic possession.

ورجل مسفوع ومشفوع أي مجنون — And a مسفوع and مشفوع man, meaning mad.
مِسْفَعٌnoun
  1. 1.
    black markboth

    A black mark or patch, especially on the face of an animal.

ثور أسفع ومسفع — A bull that is أسفع and مسفع.
سَوَافِعُnoun
  1. 1.
    scorching windsclassical

    Scorching winds, particularly the hot, dry desert winds (samum).

والسوافع: لوافح السموم — And السوافع: the scorching blasts of the samum winds.
اسْفَعَّverb
  1. 1.
    to take by the forelockboth

    To take someone or something by the forelock.

  2. 2.
    to wear clothesclassical

    To put on clothes, especially dyed garments.

اسفع بيده أي خذ بيده — Take by the hand, meaning grasp the hand.
استفع الرجل: لبس ثوبه — A man استفع: he wore his garment.
سَافَعَverb
  1. 1.
    to fight, combatboth

    To fight or combat someone, often in a pursuit or chase.

  2. 2.
    to strikeclassical

    To strike or hit something, like a bird striking with its wing.

يسافع ورقاء غورية — He fights a grey dove.
وسفع الطائر ضريبته وسافعها: لطمها بجناحه — And the bird struck its mate and its companion: it hit it with its wing.
مُسَافِعٌnoun
  1. 1.
    fighterclassical

    One who fights or combats.

كأن مجربا من أسد ترج ... يسافع فارسي عبد سفاعا — As if a tested lion from Tarj ... fights the Persian slave.
سُفُوعٌnoun
  1. 1.
    garmentsclassical

    Clothes, particularly dyed garments.

يزينها كن لها وسفوع — Adorning her are her companions and her garments.
سَفْعَاءُ الخَدَّيْنِadjective phrase
  1. 1.
    dark-cheekedclassical

    Describing a woman with dark or discolored cheeks, often due to hardship or devotion.

أنا وسفعاء الخدين الحانية على ولدها يوم القيامة كهاتين — I and the dark-cheeked mother who is tender to her child on the Day of Resurrection will be like these two.
سَفْعَةٌ مِنَ النَّارِnoun phrase
  1. 1.
    mark of fireclassical

    A mark or sign left by fire.

ليصيبن أقواما سفع من النار — Some people will be struck by a mark from the fire.
سَفْعَةٌ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِnoun phrase
  1. 1.
    touch of Satanclassical

    An affliction or influence from Satan, like madness or an evil eye.

إن بهذا سفعة من الشيطان — Indeed, there is a touch of Satan upon him.
سَفْعٌnoun
  1. 1.
    blackness, discolorationclassical

    A blackish discoloration or darkening.

السفعة والسفع: السواد والشحوب — Al-saf'ah and al-suf': blackness and paleness.

Parallel reading

السفعة والسفع: السواد والشحوب، وقيل: نوع من السواد ليس بالكثير، وقيل: السواد مع لون آخر، وقيل: السواد المشرب حمرة، الذكر أسفع والأنثى سفعاء؛
Al-saf'ah and al-suf': blackness and paleness. It was said: a type of blackness not in excess; it was said: blackness with another color; it was said: blackness tinged with redness. The male is asfa' and the female is saf'a'.
ومن قيل للأثافي سفع، وهي التي أوقد بينها النار فسودت صفاحها التي تلي النار؛
And the hearthstones are called saf' because they are those between which fire was kindled, blackening their sides that are near the fire;
قال زهير: أثافي سفعا في معرس مرجل
Zuhayr said: Blackened hearthstones in the place where a pot was set.
أنا وسفعاء الخدين الحانية على ولدها يوم القيامة كهاتين، وضم إصبعيه ؛
I and the dark-cheeked mother who is tender to her child on the Day of Resurrection will be like these two, and he joined his fingers;
أراد بسفعاء الخدين امرأة سوداء عاطفة على ولدها، أراد أنها بذلت نفسها وتركت الزينة والترفه حتى شحب لونها واسود إقامة على ولدها بعد وفاة زوجها،
By saf'a' al-khaddayn, he meant a dark-complexioned woman who is devoted to her child. He meant that she gave herself and abandoned adornment and luxury until her complexion became pale and dark from staying with her child after her husband's death,
رأيت أتانا تركتها في الحي ولدت جديا أسفع أحوى،
I saw a female donkey I left in the settlement give birth to a dark-faced, dark-complexioned kid,
قال: فما له أسفع أحوى؟
He said: Why is he dark-faced and dark-complexioned?
أرى في وجهك سفعة من غضب
I see a darkening on your face from anger.
ويقال: للحمامة المطوقة سفعاء لسواد علاطيها في عنقها.
And the ring-necked dove is called saf'a' because of the blackness on its neck.
ونعجة سفعاء: اسود خداها وسائرها أبيض.
And a saf'a' ewe: her cheeks are black and the rest of her is white.
والسفعة في الوجه: سواد في خدي المرأة الشاحبة.
And al-saf'ah in the face: blackness on the cheeks of a pale woman.
وسفع الثور: نقط سود في وجهه، ثور أسفع ومسفع.
And the bull's saf': black spots on its face; a bull that is asfa' and musfa'.
والأسفع: الثور الوحشي الذي في خديه سواد يضرب إلى الحمرة قليلا؛
And al-asfa': the wild bull which has blackness on its cheeks tinged slightly with redness;
وكل صقر أسفع، والصقور كلها سفع.
And every falcon is asfa', and all falcons are saf'.
وظليم أسفع: أربد.
And an asfa' ostrich: greyish-black.
وسفعته النار والشمس والسموم تسفعه سفعا فتسفع: لفحته لفحا يسيرا فغيرت لون بشرته وسودته.
The fire, sun, and hot wind scorched him, changing his skin color and blackening it.
والسوافع: لوافح السموم؛
And al-sawafi': the scorching blasts of the samum winds;
ائتني في غداة قرة وأنا أتسفع بالنار.
Bring me in a cold morning while I am warming myself by the fire.
والسفعة: ما في دمنة الدار من زبل أو رمل أو رماد أو قمام ملتبد تراه مخالفا للون الأرض،
And al-saf'ah: what is in the dung heap of a dwelling, such as dung, sand, ash, or accumulated debris, which you see as different from the color of the ground,
وهو قوله: بجانب الزرق أغشته معارفها وسفع الطائر ضريبته وسافعها: لطمها بجناحه.
And his saying: Beside the blue, its features covered it, and the bird struck its mate and its companion: it hit it with its wing.
والمسافعة: المضاربة كالمطاردة؛
And al-musafa'ah: striking like pursuing;
يسافع ورقاء غورية، ليدركها في حمام ثكن
He fights a grey dove, to catch her in a flock of birds.
وسفع وجهه بيده سفعا: لطمه.
And he slapped his face with his hand, a slap: he struck him.
وسفع عنقه: ضربها بكفه مبسوطة، وهو مذكور في حرف الصاد.
And he struck his neck: he hit it with his open palm, and it is mentioned under the letter Sad.
وسفعه بالعصا: ضربه.
And he struck him with a stick: he hit him.
وسافع قرنه مسافعة وسفاعا: قاتله؛
And he fought his peer, fighting and combat: he killed him;
كأن مجربا من أسد ترج ... يسافع فارسي عبد سفاعا
As if a tested lion from Tarj ... fights the Persian slave.
وسفع بناصيته ورجله يسفع سفعا: جذب وأخذ وقبض.
And he seized by its forelock and leg, seizing and taking and grasping.
لنسفعا بالناصية ناصية كاذبة ؛ ناصيته: مقدم رأسه، أي لنصهرنها ولنأخذن بها أي لنقمئنه ولنذلنه؛
We will seize the forelock, a lying forelock; its forelock: the front of its head, meaning we will melt it and take it, meaning we will humiliate it and abase it;
ويقال: لنأخذن بالناصية إلى النار كما قال: فيؤخذ بالنواصي والأقدام.
And it is said: We will take by the forelock to the fire, as He said: Then they will be seized by the forelocks and the feet.
ويقال: معنى لنسفعا لنسودن وجهه فكفت الناصية لأنها في مقدم الوجه؛
And it is said: The meaning of 'lasfa'an' is 'we will blacken his face', and the forelock sufficed because it is at the front of the face;
فأما من قال لنسفعا بالناصية أي لنأخذن بها إلى النار فحجته قول الشاعر: قوم، إذا سمعوا الصريخ رأيتهم ... من بين ملجم مهره، أو سافع
As for him who says 'lasfa'an bil-nasiyah' meaning 'we will take by it to the fire', his proof is the poet's saying: A people, when they hear the cry, you see them ... between holding their horses, or seizing.
أراد وآخذ بناصيته.
He meant 'and taking by his forelock'.
اسفع بيده أي خذ بيده.
Take by the hand, meaning grasp the hand.
إذا بعث المؤمن من قبره كان عند رأسه ملك فإذا خرج سفع بيده وقال: أنا قرينك في الدنيا ، أي أخذ بيده،
When the believer is resurrected from his grave, an angel will be at his head. When he emerges, the angel will take his hand and say: I was your companion in the world, meaning he took his hand,
ويقال: سفع بناصية الفرس ليركبه؛
And it is said: He seized the horse's forelock to ride it;
ومن قال: لنسفعن لنسودن وجهه فمعناه لنسمن موضع الناصية بالسواد، اكتفى بها من سائر الوجه لأنه مقدم الوجه؛
And he who says: 'lasfa'anna' means 'we will blacken his face', meaning we will make the place of the forelock black, and it sufficed for the rest of the face because it is the front of the face;
والحجة له قوله: وكنت، إذا نفس الغوي نزت به، ... سفعت على العرنين منه بميسم
And his proof is his saying: And I, when the desire of the misguided stirred him, ... I branded him on his nose with a mark.
أراد وسمته على عرنينه، وهو مثل قوله تعالى: سنسمه على الخرطوم.
He meant 'I marked him on his nose', which is like His saying: We will brand him on the snout.
ليصيبن أقواما سفع من النار أي علامة تغير ألوانهم.
Some people will be struck by a mark from the fire, meaning a sign of their colors changing.
يقال: سفعت الشيء إذا جعلت عليه علامة، يريد أثرا من النار.
It is said: You saf't a thing if you put a mark on it, meaning a trace from the fire.
والسفعة: العين.
And al-saf'ah: the eye (evil eye).
ومرأة مسفوعة: بها سفعة أي إصابة عين، ورواها أبو عبيد: شفعة، ومرأة مشفوعة، والصحيح ما قلناه.
And a musfu'ah woman: she has saf'ah, meaning an evil eye affliction. Abu Ubaid narrated it as shaf'ah, and a mashfu'ah woman. The correct is what we said.
ويقال: به سفعة من الشيطان أي مس كأنه أخذ بناصيته.
And it is said: He has saf'ah from Satan, meaning a touch as if he were seized by his forelock.
وعندها جارية بها سفعة، فقال: إن بها نظرة فاسترقوا لها
And beside her was a slave girl with saf'ah, so he said: Indeed, she has an evil eye; seek healing for her.
يعني أن الشيطان أصابها، وهي المرة من السفع الأخذ، المعنى أن السفعة أدركتها من قبل النظرة فاطلبوا لها الرقية،
Meaning that Satan afflicted her, and it is the single instance of saf' (seizing). The meaning is that the saf'ah reached her from the evil eye, so seek healing for her,
وقيل: السفعة العين، والنظرة الإصابة بالعين؛
And it was said: Al-saf'ah is the evil eye, and al-nazrah is the affliction by the eye;
قال لرجل رآه: إن بهذا سفعة من الشيطان، فقال له الرجل: لم أسمع ما قلت، فقال: نشدتك بالله هل ترى أحدا خيرا منك؟ قال: لا، قال: فلهذا قلت ما قلت ، جعل ما به من العجب بنفسه مسا من الجنون.
He said to a man he saw: Indeed, there is a touch of Satan upon him. The man said to him: I did not hear what you said. He said: I adjure you by God, do you see anyone better than yourself? He said: No. He said: That is why I said what I said, considering his self-admiration as a touch of madness.
والسفعة والشفعة، بالسين والشين: الجنون.
And al-saf'ah and al-shaf'ah, with Sin and Shin: madness.
ورجل مسفوع ومشفوع أي مجنون.
And a masfu' and mashfu' man, meaning mad.
والسفع: الثوب، وجمعه سفوع؛
And al-suf': the garment, and its plural is sufou';
كما بل متني طفية نضح عائط، يزينها كن لها وسفوع
As if the body of a young woman, moist from exertion, was covered, adorning her are her companions and her garments.
أراد بالعائط جارية لم تحمل. وسفوعها: ثيابها.
By al-'a'it, he meant a young woman who had not conceived. And her sufou': her clothes.
واستفع الرجل: لبس ثوبه.
And a man istanfa': he wore his garment.
واستفعت المرأة ثيابها إذا لبستها، وأكثر ما يقال ذلك في الثياب المصبوغة.
And a woman istanfa't her clothes if she wore them, and this is mostly said about dyed clothes.