زعنف

Root entry · 3 derived lemmas

The root زعنف (z-ʿ-n-f) primarily relates to fringes, extremities, or scattered/inferior parts of something. It extends to describe ragged edges of fabric, the tips of tanned hides, fins of fish, and metaphorically, the lowliest or most scattered individuals within a group.

Derived headwords

الزَّعْنَفَةnoun

1.
A portion or groupclassical
A segment or collection of anything, often implying a scattered or detached part.
2.
Ragged edge of clothclassical
A torn or frayed part of a garment, especially the lower, ragged section.
3.
Edge of tanned hideclassical
The extremities of a piece of hide, particularly where pegs are inserted for stretching during tanning.
4.
Fish finsboth
The fins of a fish.
5.
Inferior partsclassical
The worst, basest, or most insignificant parts of anything.
6.
Scattered individualsclassical
People who are scattered, detached from the main group, or considered inferior.
7.
Short thingclassical
Anything that is short.

زَعانِفnoun

1.
Fringes, extremitiesclassical
Plural of زعنفة, referring to fringes, ragged edges, or scattered parts.
2.
Inferior peopleclassical
The lowliest or most scattered members of a group.
3.
Fish finsboth
The fins of a fish.
4.
Scattered groupsclassical
Small, isolated communities or groups within larger ones.

زَعانيفnoun

1.
Scattered peopleclassical
A plural form, often used poetically, referring to people who have separated from the community or group.

Parallel reading

الزَّعْنَفَة: طائفة من كل شيء، وجمعها زعانف.

The za'nfah: a group of anything, and its plural is za'anif.

ابن سيده: الزَّعْنَفَة القطعة من الثوب، وقيل: هو أسفل الثوب المتخرق.

Ibn Sidah: The za'nfah is a piece of cloth, and it is said: it is the ragged lower part of a garment.

والزَّعانِف: أطراف الأديم؛ عن ثعلب، وقيل: زعانف الأديم أطرافه التي تشد فيها الأوتاد إذا مد في الدباغ، الواحدة زعنفة وزعنفة.

And the za'anif: are the edges of the hide; according to Tha'lab, and it is said: the za'anif of the hide are its edges where pegs are driven when it is stretched in tanning, the singular is za'nfah and za'nfah.

والزَّعانِف: أجنحة السمك، والواحد كالواحد، وكل شيء قصير زعنفة وزعنفة.

And the za'anif: are the fins of a fish, and the singular is like the singular, and everything short is a za'nfah and a za'nfah.

وزعانف كل شيء رديئه ورذاله؛ وأنشد ابن الأعرابي: طيري بمخراق أشم، كأنه ... سليم رماح لم تنله الزعانف

And the za'anif of everything are its bad and base parts; Ibn al-A'rabi recited: Fly with a noble, high-nosed one, as if it were... a spear-wounded one that the za'anif have not reached.

أي لم تنله النساء الزعانف الخسائس، يقول: لم تنله زعانف النساء أي لم يتزوج لئيمة قط فتناله، وقيل: إنما سمي رذال الناس زعانف على التشبيه بزعانف الثوب والأديم، وليس بقوي.

Meaning, the base, inferior women have not reached him, he says: the inferior women have not reached him, meaning he has never married a base woman who could reach him. And it is said: the base people are only called za'anif by analogy with the fringes of cloth and hide, and this is not strong.

والزَّعانِف: ما تخرق من أسافل القميص، يشبه به رذال الناس.

And the za'anif: are what is torn from the lower parts of a shirt, by which the base people are likened.

إياكم وهذه الزعانيف الذين رغبوا عن الناس وفارقوا الجماعة ؛ هي الفرق المختلفة وأصلها أطراف الأديم والأكارع، وقيل: أجنحة السمك، والياء في زعانيف للإشباع وأكثر ما تجيء في الشعر، شبه من خرج عن الجماعة بها.

Beware of these za'anif, who have turned away from the people and separated from the community; they are the different factions, and their origin is the edges of the hide and the leg bones, and it is said: fish fins. And the 'ya' in za'anif is for elongation and mostly appears in poetry; those who have left the community are likened to them.

والزَّعانِف: الأحياء القليلة في الأحياء الكثيرة، وقيل: هي القطع من القبائل تشذ وتنفرد، والواحد من كل ذلك زعنفة.

And the za'anif: are the small tribes among the large tribes, and it is said: they are the parts of tribes that break away and become isolated, and the singular of all that is za'nfah.

فما زال يفري البيد حتى كأنما ... قوائمه، في جانبيه، الزعانف

He kept traversing the desert until his legs seemed like the za'anif on his sides.

أي كأنها معلقة لا تمس الأرض من سرعته.

Meaning, as if they were suspended, not touching the ground due to his speed.