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كفف

Root entry · 29 derived lemmas

The root كفف (k-f-f) primarily relates to the concept of holding back, restraining, or collecting. It extends to the hand itself, as a tool for holding, and also encompasses notions of sufficiency, edges, and boundaries.

Derived headwords

كَفَّverb
  1. 1.
    to hold back, restrainboth

    To stop or prevent someone or something from doing or continuing something.

  2. 2.
    to collect, gatherclassical

    To bring together and hold something, as if collecting it.

  3. 3.
    to sew the hemclassical

    To sew the hem or edge of a garment.

كف الشيء يكفه كفا: جمعه — He collected the thing, holding it.
كف الرجل عن الأمر يكفه كفا — The man refrained from the matter.
كَفٌّnoun
  1. 1.
    handboth

    The part of the arm below the wrist, including the fingers and thumb; a hand.

  2. 2.
    palmboth

    The inner surface of the hand between the wrist and the fingers.

  3. 3.
    a starclassical

    A specific star, referred to as 'Kaff al-Khadib'.

والكف: اليد، أنثى — And the kaff is the hand, feminine.
وما حملت كفاي أنملي العشرا — And what my hands carried of my ten fingers.
أَكُفٌّnoun
  1. 1.
    hands (plural)both

    The plural form of 'kaff', referring to hands.

والجمع أكف — And the plural is akuff.
كَفُوفٌnoun
  1. 1.
    hands (plural)classical

    Another plural form of 'kaff', referring to hands.

وحكى غيره كفوف — And others narrated kufuf.
أَكْفَافٌnoun
  1. 1.
    hands (plural)classical

    A plural form of 'kaff', referring to hands.

وقد جاء في جمع كف أكفاف — And akfaf has come in the plural of kaff.
اِسْتَكَفَّverb
  1. 1.
    to shield eyesclassical

    To place one's hand over the eyes, as if to shield them from the sun to see better.

  2. 2.
    to surroundclassical

    To gather around something or someone.

  3. 3.
    to extend hand for almsclassical

    To extend one's hand, often in supplication or to receive something.

استكف عينه: وضع كفه عليها في الشمس ينظر هل يرى شيئا — He shielded his eye: he placed his palm on it in the sun, looking to see if he could see something.
استكف القوم حول الشيء أي أحاطوا به ينظرون إليه — The people surrounded the thing, meaning they encircled it looking at it.
استكف السائل: بسط كفه — The beggar extended his hand.
تَكَفَّفَverb
  1. 1.
    to beg, ask for almsboth

    To ask people for something, often by extending one's hand, implying begging.

  2. 2.
    to collect with handclassical

    To take something with one's palm or hand.

والناس يتكففونه — And the people were collecting it (honey/ghee) with their hands.
يتكففون الناس — They ask people with their hands, extending them to them.
كَفَّةٌnoun
  1. 1.
    hem of a garmentboth

    The folded and sewn edge of a garment, especially the bottom edge.

  2. 2.
    edge, borderboth

    The outer edge or boundary of something.

  3. 3.
    net, snareclassical

    A net or snare used by a hunter or fisherman.

  4. 4.
    a single instanceclassical

    A single occurrence or instance of an action.

وكفة القميص، بالضم، ما استدار حول الذيل — And the kaffah of a shirt, with damma, is what encircles the hem.
والكفة: حبالة الصائد — And the kaffah is the hunter's net.
كَفَافٌnoun
  1. 1.
    sufficiency, livelihoodboth

    Enough to live on; a sufficient amount for sustenance.

  2. 2.
    edges, bordersboth

    Plural of 'kaffah', referring to edges or borders.

والكفاف: الحوقة والوترة — And the kafaf: the hem and the border.
وفي الحديث: لا ألبس القميص المكفف بالحرير — And in the hadith: I do not wear a shirt whose edges are trimmed with silk.
كَفْكَفَverb
  1. 1.
    to restrain, hold backclassical

    To hold back or restrain something or someone, often with gentleness or by warding off.

  2. 2.
    to stop tearsclassical

    To stop or hold back tears from flowing.

وكفكفت عنكم أكلبي، وهي عقر؟ — And I restrained my dogs from you, and they were about to attack?
وكفكفه هو؛ قال أبو منصور: وأصله عندي من وكف يكف — And he stopped it (the tear); Abu Mansur said: Its origin, in my opinion, is from wakafa yakiffu.
مَكْفُوفٌadjective
  1. 1.
    blindboth

    Having lost the sense of sight; blind.

  2. 2.
    hemmedclassical

    Having a hem sewn onto it, referring to a garment.

والمكفوف: الضرير، والجمع المكافيف — And the makfuf: the blind person, and the plural is al-makafif.
لا ألبس القميص المكفف بالحرير — I do not wear a shirt hemmed with silk.
كَفَّهُverb
  1. 1.
    to hold him backboth

    To restrain or stop him.

كففته فلانا عن الشيء فكف — I restrained him from the thing, so he refrained.
كَفَّتْverb
  1. 1.
    its teeth wore downclassical

    Referring to the teeth of an animal becoming worn down and short due to old age.

وقد كفت الناقة تكف كفوفا — And the she-camel's teeth wore down, kaffat, kufufan.
كَفَّnoun
  1. 1.
    a single instanceclassical

    A single time or instance of an action.

والكفة: المرة من الكف — And the kaffah: the instance of the kaff.
كَفَّnoun
  1. 1.
    hem of a garmentclassical

    The hem or border of a garment.

وكفة كل شيء، بالضم: حاشيته وطرته — And the kaffah of everything, with damma: its edge and its border.
كَفَّnoun
  1. 1.
    net, snareclassical

    A net or snare, particularly for catching game.

والكفة: حبالة الصائد — And the kaffah: the hunter's net.
كَفَّnoun
  1. 1.
    edge, borderclassical

    The edge or border of something, like sand or a plant.

وكفة الرمل والقميص فطرتهما وما حولهما — And the kaffah of sand and a shirt is its edge and what is around it.
كَفَّnoun
  1. 1.
    gumsclassical

    The part of the jaw where the teeth are embedded; gums.

وكفة اللثة، وهو ما انحدر منها على الضرس — And the kaffah of the gum, which is what descends from it onto the tooth.
كَفَّnoun
  1. 1.
    balance panclassical

    The pan of a scale or balance.

وكفة الميزان الكسر فيها أشهر — And the kaffah of the scale, with kasra, is more common.
كَفَّnoun
  1. 1.
    patterns in tattooingclassical

    Circular patterns or designs, especially in tattooing.

والكفف في الوشم: دارات تكون فيه — And the kfuf in tattooing: circles that are in it.
كَفَّnoun
  1. 1.
    collar of a shirtclassical

    The part of a shirt that goes around the neck.

ومن كفاف الأذن والظفر والدبر — And from the kaffaf of the ear, nail, and anus.
كَفَّnoun
  1. 1.
    a type of trapclassical

    A trap made like a ring or collar, used for catching animals.

والكفة: ما يصاد به الظباء يجعل كالطوق — And the kaffah: what is used to hunt gazelles, made like a collar.
كَفَّnoun
  1. 1.
    sides of cloudsclassical

    The edges or sides of clouds.

والتمع برقه في كففه أي في حواشيه — And its lightning flashed in its kfufih, meaning its edges.
كَفَّnoun
  1. 1.
    sides of an armyclassical

    The flanks or edges of a military formation.

إذا غشيكم الليل فاجعلوا الرماح كفة — If night overtakes you, make the spears a kaffah (positioned at the edges).
كَفَّnoun
  1. 1.
    bottom of cloudsclassical

    The lower parts or undersides of clouds.

وكفاف السحاب: أسافله — And the kafaf of the clouds: their undersides.
اِكْفُفْهُverb
  1. 1.
    bind itclassical

    To bind it, wrap it, or tie it around something.

اكففه بخرقة أي اعصبه بها واجعلها حوله — Bind it with a cloth, meaning tie it with it and place it around it.
مُسْتَكِفٌّadjective
  1. 1.
    surroundingclassical

    That which surrounds or encircles.

والمستكف: المستدير كالكفة — And the mustakiff: that which is round like the kaffah.
كَفَّverb
  1. 1.
    to refrainboth

    To stop oneself from doing something.

فكف واكتف وتكفف — So he refrained, and he refrained, and he refrained.
اِكْتَفَّverb
  1. 1.
    to refrainclassical

    To stop oneself from doing something.

فكف واكتف وتكفف — So he refrained, and he refrained, and he refrained.

Parallel reading

كف الشيء يكفه كفا: جمعه.
To collect a thing, one collects it, kaffan: to gather it.
أن رجلا كانت به جراحة فسأله: كيف يتوضأ؟ فقال: كفه بخرقة أي اجمعها حوله.
A man had a wound and asked: How do I perform ablution? He said: Bind it with a cloth, meaning gather it around it.
والكف: اليد، أنثى.
And the kaff is the hand, feminine.
له كفان: كف كف ضر، وكف فواضل خضل نداها
He has two hands: a hand that holds back harm, and a hand whose abundant generosity drips.
حتى إذا ما هوت كف الوليد لها، طارت، وفي يده من ريشها بتك
Until when the infant's hand reached for it, it flew away, and in his hand was some of its feathers.
فأما قول الأعشى: أرى رجلا منهم أسيفا، كأنما يضم إلى كشحيه كفا مخضبا
As for the saying of Al-A'sha: I see a man among them, sorrowful, as if he were pressing a dyed hand to his sides.
والجمع أكف.
And the plural is akuff.
وحكى غيره كفوف؛
And others narrated kufuf;
وقد جاء في جمع كف أكفاف؛
And akfaf has come in the plural of kaff;
وهو كناية عن محل القبول والإثابة وإلا فلا كف للرحمن ولا جارحة، تعالى الله عما يقول المشبهون علوا كبيرا.
It is a metaphor for the place of acceptance and reward, otherwise, the Merciful has no hand or limb, may God be exalted far above what the anthropomorphizers say.
إن الله إن شاء أدخل خلقه الجنة بكف واحدة، فقال النبي، صلى الله عليه وسلم: صدق عمر.
If God wills, He will admit His creation to Paradise with a single hand, and the Prophet, peace be upon him, said: Omar spoke the truth.
وللصقر وغيره من جوارح الطير كفان في رجليه، وللسبع كفان في يديه لأنه يكف بهما على ما أخذ.
And the falcon and other birds of prey have two kaffs on their legs, and the beast of prey has two kaffs on its hands because it holds with them what it has taken.
استكف عينه: وضع كفه عليها في الشمس ينظر هل يرى شيئا؛
He shielded his eye: he placed his palm on it in the sun, looking to see if he could see something;
استكف القوم حول الشيء أي أحاطوا به ينظرون إليه؛
The people surrounded the thing, meaning they encircled it looking at it;
إذا رمقته من معد عمارة بدا، والعيون المستكفة تلمح
When you glimpse it from Ma'add Umara, it appears, and the eyes shielding themselves catch sight.
استكف السائل: بسط كفه.
The beggar extended his hand.
أن رجلا رأى في المنام كأن ظلة تنطف عسلا وسمنا وكأن الناس يتكففونه ؛
A man saw in a dream that a cloud was dripping honey and ghee, and that people were collecting it with their hands;
لأن تدع ورثتك أغنياء خير من أن تدعهم عالة يتكففون الناس ؛
That you leave your heirs rich is better than leaving them destitute, begging from people;
ولا تطمعوا فيها يدا مستكفة لغيركم، لو تستطيع انتشالها
And do not covet in it a hand extended for others, if you could snatch it.
وهو أن يمد كفه يسأل الناس.
It is to extend one's palm asking people.
ثم يقعد يستكف الناس.
Then he sits asking people.
لقيته كفة كفة أي مواجهة
I met him kaffatan kaffatan, meaning face to face.
فتلقاه رسول الله، صلى الله عليه وسلم، كفة كفة أي مواجهة كأن كل واحد منهما قد كف صاحبه عن مجاوزته إلى غيره أي منعه.
So the Messenger of God, peace be upon him, met him kaffatan kaffatan, meaning face to face, as if each of them had restrained the other from passing him by, meaning prevented him.
مقاطعة أكفاف أيديهم اليمن
Severed are the kfuf of their right hands.
كأنما يضعها في كف الرحمن ؛
As if he were placing it in the palm of the Merciful;
فصل جناحي بأبي لطيف، حتى يكف الزحف بالزحوف
My father and mother be sacrificed for Abu Latif, until he stops the advance with advances.
وذابل يلذ بالكفوف
And a slender one that delights in the palms.
وأنشد لليلى الأخيلية: بقول كتحبير اليماني ونائل، إذا قلبت دون العطاء كفوف
And Laila Al-Akhiliyyah recited: With words like the embellishment of Yemen and generosity, when palms are turned away from giving.
وكادت عياب الود بيني وبينكم، وإن قيل أبناء العمومة، تصفر
And the chests of affection between me and you almost turned yellow, even if it was said you are cousins.
وإن بيننا وبينكم عيبة مكفوفة ؛ أراد بالمكفوفة التي أشرجت على ما فيها وقفلت وضربها مثلا للصدور أنها نقية من الغل والغش فيما كتبوا واتفقوا عليه من الصلح والهدنة
And between us and you is a sealed chest; he meant by sealed, one that is closed over what is inside and locked, and he likened it to chests being pure of malice and deceit in what they wrote and agreed upon of peace and truce.
وكفة القميص، بالضم، ما استدار حول الذيل، وكان الأصمعي يقول: كل ما استطال فهو كفة، بالضم، نحو كفة الثوب وهي حاشيته، وكفة الرمل، وجمعه كفاف، وكل ما استدار فهو كفة، بالكسر، نحو كفة الميزان وكفة الصائد، وهي حبالته، وكفة اللثة، وهو ما انحدر منها.
And the kaffah of a shirt, with damma, is what encircles the hem, and Al-Asma'i used to say: Everything that is elongated is a kaffah, with damma, like the kaffah of a garment which is its edge, and the kaffah of sand, and its plural is kafaf. And everything that is round is a kaffah, with kasra, like the kaffah of the scale and the kaffah of the hunter, which is his net, and the kaffah of the gum, which is what descends from it.
والكفة، بالكسر: حبالة الصائد.
And the kaffah, with kasra: the hunter's net.
والكفة، بالكسر، كل شيء مستدير كدارة الوشم وعود الدف وحبالة الصيد، والجمع كفف وكفاف.
And the kaffah, with kasra, is everything round like the circle of a tattoo, the stick of a drum, and the hunter's net, and the plural is kfuf and kafaf.
وكفة كل شيء، بالضم: حاشيته وطرته.
And the kaffah of everything, with damma: its edge and its border.
والتمع برقه في كففه أي في حواشيه؛
And its lightning flashed in its kfufih, meaning its edges;
إذا غشيكم الليل فاجعلوا الرماح كفة أي في حواشي العسكر وأطرافه.
If night overtakes you, make the spears a kaffah, meaning at the edges of the army and its flanks.
فقال: اكففه بخرقة أي اعصبه بها واجعلها حوله.
So he said: Bind it with a cloth, meaning tie it with it and place it around it.
والقميص المكفف بالحرير أي الذي عمل على ذيله وأكمامه وجيبه كفاف من حرير، وكل مضم شيء كفافه، ومنه كفاف الأذن والظفر والدبر، وكفة الصائد، مكسور أيضا.
And the shirt hemmed with silk, meaning that which has a kafaf of silk made on its hem, sleeves, and collar. And the edge of anything is its kafaf, including the kafaf of the ear, nail, and anus, and the hunter's kaffah, also with kasra.
والكفة: حبالة الصائد، بالكسر.
And the kaffah: the hunter's net, with kasra.
والكفة: ما يصاد به الظباء يجعل كالطوق.
And the kaffah: what is used to hunt gazelles, made like a collar.
وكفف السحاب وكفافه: نواحيه.
And the kfuf of the clouds and their kafaf: their sides.
وكفاف السحاب: أسافله، والجمع أكفة.
And the kafaf of the clouds: their undersides, and the plural is akiffah.
واستكف به الناس إذا عصبوا به.
And people surrounded him, meaning they bound him.
المنفق على الخيل كالمستكف بالصدقة أي الباسط يده يعطيها، من قولهم استكف به الناس إذا أحدقوا به، واستكفوا حوله ينظرون إليه، وهو من كفاف الثوب، وهي طرته وحواشيه وأطرافه، أو من الكفة، بالكسر، وهو ما استدار ككفة الميزان.
The one who spends on horses is like one who extends his hand for charity, meaning extending his hand to give it, from their saying 'people surrounded him' when they encircled him, and 'they surrounded him looking at him', and it is from the kafaf of a garment, which is its edge, borders, and ends, or from the kaffah, with kasra, which is what is round like the pan of a scale.
فاستكفوا جنابي عبد المطلب أي أحاطوا به واجتمعوا حوله.
So they surrounded the sides of Abd al-Muttalib, meaning they encircled him and gathered around him.
أمرت أن لا أكف شعرا ولا ثوبا ، يعني في الصلاة يحتمل أن يكون بمعنى المنع، قال ابن الأثير: أي لا أمنعهما من الاسترسال حال السجود ليقعا على الأرض، قال: ويحتمل أن يكون بمعنى الجمع أي لا يجمعهما ولا يضمهما.
I was commanded not to kaff hair nor a garment, meaning in prayer. It may mean to prevent, Ibn Al-Athir said: meaning not to prevent them from falling during prostration onto the ground. He said: It may also mean to gather, meaning not to gather them or bundle them.