كعع

Root entry · 19 derived lemmas

This root primarily describes weakness, cowardice, and hesitation. It extends to concepts of being slow, timid, or held back, often in the face of danger or resolve. It can also refer to physical thinness or a specific type of demonic being.

Derived headwords

الكَعّnoun

1.
weaklingclassical
A weakling, specifically referring to someone with a weak spine or constitution.

الكاعnoun

1.
weaklingclassical
A weakling, specifically referring to someone with a weak spine or constitution.
2.
cowardclassical
A coward, one who is timid and lacks resolve.

كَعّadjective

1.
weak-facedclassical
Having a thin or weak face.

كَعْكَعadjective

1.
cowardly and weakclassical
A person who is cowardly and weak.

كَعَّverb

1.
to be weakclassical
To be weak, timid, or cowardly.

كَعْكَعَverb

1.
to hesitateclassical
To hesitate, to hold back, or to retreat from something after intending to proceed.
2.
to be held backclassical
To be restrained or held back from proceeding.

كَعْكَعَةnoun

1.
hesitationclassical
The act of hesitating, holding back, or retreating.
2.
stammeringclassical
Hesitation in speech; stammering.

كاعَةnoun

1.
cowardiceclassical
A state of cowardice; the collective of cowards.

كَعْكَعَهُverb

1.
to restrain himclassical
To restrain someone, to hold them back from their intended course.

إكْفاعnoun

1.
restraintclassical
The act of restraining someone or holding them back.

الكَعْنَنْكَعnoun

1.
male ghoulclassical
A male ghoul or a type of demon.

كَعْكَعَ في كلامهverb

1.
to stammerclassical
To hesitate or stammer in one's speech.

أَكَعَّهُverb

1.
to restrain himclassical
Fear restrained him; he was held back by fear.

كاعَverb

1.
to be cowardlyclassical
To be cowardly or timid.

كُعْكُعadjective

1.
cowardly and weakclassical
A person who is cowardly and weak.

كُعْكُوعnoun

1.
cowardiceclassical
A state of cowardice or timidity.

كِيعُوعةnoun

1.
cowardiceclassical
A state of cowardice or timidity.

تَكَعْكَأَverb

1.
to hesitateclassical
To hesitate, to hold back, or to retreat from something after intending to proceed.
2.
to be held backclassical
To be restrained or held back from proceeding.

تَكَعْكَverb

1.
to hesitateclassical
To hesitate, to hold back, or to retreat from something after intending to proceed.
2.
to be held backclassical
To be restrained or held back from proceeding.

Parallel reading

الكع والكاع: الضعيف العاج، وزنه فعل؛ حكاه الفارسي.

Al-ka'u and al-ka'u: the weak of spine, its pattern is fa'al; al-Farisi narrated it.

ورجل كع الوجه: رقيقه.

And a man ka' al-wajh: thin-faced.

ورجل كعكع، بالضم، أي جبان ضعيف.

And a man ku'ku', with damma, meaning cowardly and weak.

وكع يكع ويكع، والكسر أجود، كعا وكعوعا وكعاعة وكيعوعة فهو كع وكاع؛

And ka'a, yak'u and yak'u, and the kasra is better, ka'an, ka'wu'an, ka'a'atan, ki'wu'atan, so he is ka'un and ka'un;

إذا كان كع القوم للرحل ألزما

If the weakling of the people is bound to the saddle.

كععت وكععت لغتان مثل زللت وزللت.

Ka'a'tu and ka'a'tu are two dialects, like zalaltu and zalaltu.

رجل كع كاع، وهو الذي لا يمضي في عزم ولا حزم، وهو الناكص على عقبيه.

A man ka' ka', and he is one who does not proceed with resolve or determination, and he is one who retreats on his heels.

ما زالت قريش كاعة حتى مات أبو طالب، فلما مات اجترؤوا عليه ؛

Quraysh remained in a state of cowardice until Abu Talib died, and when he died, they dared to act against him;

الكاعة جمع كاع، وهو الجبان، أراد أنهم كانوا يجبنون عن النبي، صلى الله عليه وسلم، في حياة أبي طالب، فلما مات اجترؤوا عليه، ويروى بتخفيف العين.

Al-ka'atu is the plural of al-ka'u, which is the coward. It means they used to be timid towards the Prophet, peace be upon him, during the life of Abu Talib, and when he died, they dared to act against him. And it is narrated with a lightened 'ayn.

تكعكع: هاب القوم وتركهم بعد ما أرادهم وجبن عنهم، لغة في تكأكأ وتكعكع الرجل وتكأكأ إذا ارتدع.

Takak'a'a: he feared the people and left them after he intended them and was cowardly towards them; it is a dialectal variant of taka'aka'a. A man takak'a'a and taka'aka'a if he held back.

قالوا له ثم رأيناك تكعكعت أي أحجمت وتأخرت إلى وراء.

They said to him, 'Then we saw you takak'a'ta, meaning you held back and retreated backward.'

أكعه الخوف وكعكعه: حبسه عن وجهه، وكعكعه فتكعكع: حبسه فاحتبس؛

Fear ak'a'ahu and ka'ka'ahu: it restrained him from his course. And he ka'ka'ahu so he takak'a'a: he restrained him so he was restrained;

ولكنني أمضي على ذاك مقدما، ... إذا بعض من يلقى الخطوب تكعكعا

But I proceed with that, advancing... when some of those who encounter calamities hesitate.

وأصل كعكعت كععت، فاستثقلت العرب الجمع بين ثلاثة أحرف من جنس واحد ففرقوا بينهما بحرف مكرر،

And the origin of ka'ka'tu is ka'a'tu. The Arabs found it heavy to combine three letters of the same kind, so they separated them with a repeated letter.

وأكعه الفرق إكعاعا إذا حبسه عن وجهه.

And fear ak'a'ahu ik'a'an if it restrained him from his course.

وكعكع في كلامه كعكعة وأكع: تحبس، والأول أكثر.

And ka'ka'a in his speech ka'ka'atan and ak'a': to be restrained, and the first is more common.

وكعكعه عن الورد: نحاه؛ عن ثعلب.

And ka'ka'ahu 'an al-ward: he pushed him away from drinking; according to Tha'lab.

الكعنكع: الذكر من الغيلان. الفراء: الشيطان هو الكعنكع والعكنكع والقان.

Al-ka'naka'u: the male of the ghouls. Al-Farra': the devil is al-ka'naka'u, and al-'ankana'u, and al-qan.