ءلف

Root entry · 27 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the concept of 'thousand' as a number, but extends to related ideas of familiarity, companionship, bringing together, and completion. It encompasses both the numerical value and the abstract notions of bonding and habituation.

Derived headwords

أَلْفnoun

1.
thousandboth
The numerical unit representing one thousand.
2.
a large numberboth
Used metaphorically to denote a very large quantity, not necessarily exactly one thousand.

ثلاثة آلاف — three thousand

عشرة آلاف — ten thousand

آلِفnoun

1.
group of a thousandclassical
A collective noun referring to a group numbering a thousand, often used for soldiers or animals.

عربا ثلاثة آلف — three thousand Arabs

أَلُوفnoun

1.
thousandsboth
The plural of 'alf', referring to multiple thousands or a very large number.

وهم ألوف حذر الموت — and they are thousands, fearful of death

أَلِفَverb

1.
to be familiar withboth
To become accustomed to, to be intimate with, or to know something or someone well.
2.
to befriendclassical
To form a bond of friendship or companionship with someone.

يألفه ألفا — he is familiar with it

ألفه يألفه، بالكسر — he gave him a thousand (as a gift)

أَلِفnoun

1.
familiar oneboth
A companion or a familiar being, often used for animals.

حنت الإلف إلى الإلف — the familiar one longed for the familiar one

أَلِيفadjective

1.
familiarboth
Accustomed, intimate, or well-known.
2.
tameboth
Domesticated or accustomed to human presence.

الإلف: الذي تألفه — the familiar one: the one you are familiar with

أَلِفَةnoun

1.
female familiar oneclassical
A female companion or familiar being.

وحوراء المدامع إلف صخر — and a doe-eyed one, companion of Sakhr

آلَفَverb

1.
to make into a thousandboth
To cause something to reach the number of a thousand, or to complete a group to a thousand.
2.
to bring togetherboth
To unite or bring people or things together.
3.
to habituateboth
To make someone or something accustomed to a place or situation.

آلفه إياه: ألزمه إياه — he made it obligatory for him

آلفت القوم إيلافا أي كملتهم ألفا — I completed the people to a thousand

إِيلافnoun

1.
habituationboth
The act of becoming accustomed or familiar with something.
2.
familiarityboth
The state of being familiar or intimate.
3.
agreementclassical
A pact or treaty, particularly in the context of trade and protection.
4.
preparationclassical
The act of preparing or equipping, especially for a journey.

لإيلاف قريش إيلافهم رحلة الشتاء والصيف — for the accustomedness of Quraysh, their accustomedness to the winter and summer caravans

أَلَّفَverb

1.
to composeboth
To put together, to arrange, to write a book or text.
2.
to uniteboth
To bring together, to reconcile, to make harmonious.
3.
to reconcile heartsboth
To bring about affection and unity between people.

تأليف الكتب — composing books

ألفت بين الشيئين تأليفا — I united two things

تَأْلِيفnoun

1.
compositionboth
The act or process of composing, writing, or creating.
2.
unificationboth
The act of bringing together or uniting.
3.
reconciliationboth
The act of making peace or harmony between people.

تأليف الكتب — composing books

تألفا — they became united

مُؤَلِّفnoun

1.
composerboth
One who composes, writes, or creates.
2.
authorboth
The writer of a book or other literary work.
3.
harmonizerclassical
One who brings about unity or reconciliation.

مؤلفات الرمل أدماء حرة — tame gazelles of the sand, a pure one

مُؤَلَّفadjective

1.
composedboth
Put together, arranged, or written.
2.
unitedboth
Brought together or reconciled.
3.
tameboth
Accustomed to human presence, domesticated.

مؤلفة قلوبهم — those whose hearts are reconciled

مُؤَالِفnoun

1.
one who makes familiarclassical
One who causes others to become familiar or accustomed.
2.
one who preparesclassical
One who makes ready or equips.

مؤلفات الرمل أدماء حرة — tame gazelles of the sand, a pure one

مُؤْتَلِفadjective

1.
unitedboth
Joined together, in harmony.
2.
familiarclassical
Accustomed to each other.

تألفا — they became united

أَلِفَnoun

1.
familiarityclassical
The state of being familiar or intimate.

ولافا — and familiarity

أَلْفَانnoun

1.
familiarityclassical
The state of being familiar or intimate.

وألفانا — and familiarity

أَلِفَverb

1.
to be completeclassical
To be perfect or complete, often used to describe a number.

ألف أقرع أي تام — a thousand, perfect, meaning complete

أَتْلَفَverb

1.
to uniteclassical
To join parts together, to make something cohesive.

وأتلفا — and they became united

أَلْفَاءnoun

1.
familiar onesclassical
Plural of 'alif', referring to familiar beings or companions.

وجمعه ألفاء — and its plural is 'alfaa'

أَلَائِفnoun

1.
familiar onesclassical
Plural of 'alif', referring to familiar beings or companions.

من ألائفه — from its familiar ones

أَلَائِفnoun

1.
groups of thousandsclassical
Plural of 'aalif', referring to groups numbering a thousand.

والآلاف جمع إلف — and 'alaaf' is the plural of 'ilf'

أَلِيفِيّadjective

1.
my familiar oneclassical
My companion or familiar being.

فأليفي وإلفي — and my familiar one and my companion

إِلْفِيّadjective

1.
my familiar oneclassical
My companion or familiar being.

فأليفي وإلفي — and my familiar one and my companion

أُوالِفnoun

1.
tame birdsclassical
Birds that have become accustomed to a place, especially domestic birds.

وأوالف الطير: دواجنها التي تألف البيوت — and 'uwaalif' of birds: their domestic ones that frequent houses

آلِفnoun

1.
traderclassical
One who engages in trade or commerce.

وآلف الرجل: تجر — and 'aalafa' the man: he traded

أَلِفnoun

1.
letter 'alif'both
The first letter of the Arabic alphabet.

والألف والأليف: حرف هجاء — and 'alif' and 'aleef': a letter of the alphabet

Parallel reading

عربا ثلاثة آلف، وكتيبة ... ألفين أعجم من بني الفدام وآلاف وألوف

three thousand Arabs, and a battalion... two thousand foreigners from the Banu al-Fiddam, and thousands and thousands.

ويقال ثلاثة آلاف إلى العشرة، ثم ألوف جمع الجمع.

And it is said three thousand up to ten, then 'aluf' is the plural of the plural.

قال الله عز وجل: وهم ألوف حذر الموت

Allah the Almighty said: And they are thousands, fearful of death.

ويقال: ألف أقرع لأن العرب تذكر الألف، وإن أنث على أنه جمع فهو جائز، وكلام العرب فيه التذكير

And it is said: 'alfu qara'' because the Arabs masculine the word 'alf', and if it is feminine as a plural, it is permissible, but the speech of the Arabs is to masculine it.

ويقال: هذا ألف واحد ولا يقال واحدة، وهذا ألف أقرع أي تام ولا يقال قرعاء.

And it is said: 'This is one thousand' and not 'one thousand feminine', and 'This is a perfect thousand' and not 'a perfect thousand feminine'.

فإن يك حقي صادقا، وهو صادقي، ... نقد نحوكم ألفا من الخيل أقرعا

If my right is truthful, and it is my truth, ... you have paid us a thousand horses, perfect ones.

أول حي آلف مع رسول الله، صلى الله عليه وسلم، بنو فلان.

The first tribe to become familiar with the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, were the Banu Fulan.

يقال كان القوم تسعمائة وتسعة وتسعين فآلفتهم، ممدود، وآلفوا هم إذا صاروا ألفا

It is said the people were nine hundred and ninety-nine, and I made them a thousand, extended, and they became a thousand when they reached a thousand.

آلفت القوم إيلافا أي كملتهم ألفا، وكذلك آلفت الدراهم وآلفت هي.

I completed the people to a thousand, and likewise I completed the dirhams, and they were completed.

وألفه يألفه، بالكسر، أي أعطاه ألفا

And 'alafahu' he gives him a thousand, meaning he gave him a thousand.

وشارطه مؤالفة أي على ألف؛ عن ابن الأعرابي.

And he stipulated with him 'mu'aalafah', meaning for a thousand; from Ibn al-A'rabi.

وألف الشيء ألفا وإلافا وولافا؛ الأخيرة شاذة، وألفانا وألفه: لزمه، وآلفه إياه: ألزمه.

And 'alifa' the thing, 'alafan' and 'ilaafan' and 'wilaafan'; the last is irregular, and 'alfaana' and 'alafahu': it became incumbent upon him, and 'aalafahu iyyahu': he made it incumbent upon him.

وألفت بين الشيئين تأليفا فتألفا وأتلفا.

And I united two things, resulting in them becoming united.

لإيلاف قريش إيلافهم رحلة الشتاء والصيف

For the accustomedness of Quraysh, their accustomedness to the winter and summer caravans.

ألفت الشيء وآلفته بمعنى واحد لزمته، فهو مؤلف ومألوف.

I adhered to the thing and I adhered to it, meaning the same, it became incumbent upon me, so it is adhered to and adhered to.

وآلفت الظباء الرمل إذا ألفته

And the gazelles became familiar with the sand when they became accustomed to it.

ألفت الشيء وألفت فلانا إذا أنست به، وألفت بينهم تأليفا إذا جمعت بينهم بعد تفرق، وألفت الشيء تأليفا إذا وصلت بعضه ببعض

And 'alifta' the thing and 'alifta' the person if you became familiar with him, and 'allafta' between them if you gathered them after separation, and 'allafta' the thing if you connected parts of it.

والمعنى في قوله تعالى لإيلاف قريش لتؤلف قريش الرحلتين فتتصلا ولا تنقطعا

And the meaning in Allah's saying 'for the accustomedness of Quraysh' is for Quraysh to undertake the two journeys and for them to be connected and not interrupted.

وكانوا يؤلفون الجوار يتبعون بعضه بعضا يجيرون قريشا بميرهم وكانوا يسمون المجيرين

And they used to guarantee protection, following one another, granting protection to Quraysh with their provisions, and they were called the protectors.

ومن قرأ لإلافهم فهو من آلف يؤلف، قال: ومعنى يؤلفون يهيئون ويجهزون.

And whoever reads 'li-ilaafihim' it is from 'aalafa yu'allifu', meaning 'yu'allifuun' means they prepare and equip.

وتألفون أي يستجيرون

And 'ta'allafuun' means they seek protection.

وقد علمت قريش أن أول من أخذ لها الإيلاف لهاشم

And Quraysh knew that the first to obtain the 'ilaaf' for them was Hashim.

وهو كما تقول ضربته لكذا لكذا، بحذف الواو، وهي الألفة.

And it is like your saying 'I struck him for such and such', omitting the 'waw', which is 'al-ulfah'.

وأتلف الشيء: ألف بعضه بعضا، وألفه: جمع بعضه إلى بعض، وتألف: تنظم.

And 'atlafa' the thing: its parts became familiar with each other, and 'allafahu': he gathered its parts, and 'ta'allafa': it became organized.

يقال: حنت الإلف إلى الإلف

It is said: The familiar one longed for the familiar one.

وجمع الأليف ألائف مثل تبيع وتبائع وأفيل وأفائل

And the plural of 'alif' is 'alaa'if' like 'tabi'' and 'tabaabi'' and 'ufayl' and 'afaail'.

وتألفه على الإسلام، ومنه المؤلفة قلوبهم.

And you reconcile him to Islam, and from it are 'al-mu'allafati quluubuhum'.

والمؤلفة قلوبهم في آية الصدقات قوم من سادات العرب أمر الله تعالى نبيه، صلى الله عليه وسلم، بتألفهم أي بمقاربتهم وإعطائهم ليرغبوا من وراءهم في الإسلام

And 'al-mu'allafati quluubuhum' in the verse of Zakat are people from the chiefs of the Arabs, whom Allah commanded His Prophet, peace be upon him, to reconcile them, meaning to approach them and give them so that those behind them would desire Islam.

وقد نفلهم النبي، صلى الله عليه وسلم، يوم حنين بمائتين من الإبل تألفا لهم

And the Prophet, peace be upon him, granted them on the day of Hunayn two hundred camels as a means of reconciliation for them.

وإن أعطي رجالا حديثي عهد بكفر أتألفهم

And I give to men who have recently embraced disbelief, seeking to reconcile them.

سهم للمؤلفة قلوبهم

A share for those whose hearts are reconciled.

والإلف: الذي تألفه، والجمع آلاف، وحكى بعضهم في جمع إلف الوف.

And 'al-ilf': the one you are familiar with, and its plural is 'aalaf', and some have narrated 'aluf' as the plural of 'ilf'.

وعندي أنه جمع آلف كشاهد وشهود، وهو الأليف، وجمعه ألفاء

And in my opinion, it is the plural of 'aalif' like 'shaahid' and 'shuhud', and it is 'al-aleef', and its plural is 'alfaa'.

وحوراء المدامع إلف صخر

And a doe-eyed one, companion of Sakhr.

وقد ائتلف القوم ائتلافا وألف الله بينهم تأليفا.

And the people became united, and Allah united them.

وأوالف الطير: التي قد ألفت مكة والحرم، شرفهما الله تعالى.

And 'uwaalif' of birds: those that have become familiar with Mecca and the Haram, may Allah ennoble them.

وأوالف الحمام: دواجنها التي تألف البيوت؛ قال العجاج: أوالفا مكة من ورق الحمى

And 'uwaalif' of pigeons: their domestic ones that frequent houses; Al-A'raj said: familiar ones of Mecca from the doves of the sanctuary.

قال ابن الأعرابي: أراد بالألاف الذين يألفون الأمصار، واحدهم آلف.

Ibn al-A'rabi said: He meant by 'al-aalaf' those who frequent cities, their singular is 'aalif'.

والألف والأليف: حرف هجاء؛ قال اللحياني: قال الكسائي الألف من حروف المعجم مؤنثة، وكذلك سائر الحروف، هذا كلام العرب وإن ذكرت جاز

And 'alif' and 'aleef': a letter of the alphabet; Al-Laythiyani said: Al-Kisa'i said 'alif' is feminine among the letters of the alphabet, and so are the rest of the letters, this is the speech of the Arabs, and if you masculine it, it is permissible.

قال سيبوبه: حروف المعجم كلها تذكر وتؤنث كما أن الإنسان يذكر ويؤنث.

Sibawayh said: All letters of the alphabet are masculine and feminine, just as a human is masculine and feminine.

ألم ذلك الكتاب، والمص، والمر

Alif, Lam, Mim. That is the Book...