نصف

Root entry · 21 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the concept of 'half' or 'middle'. It extends to actions like taking, reaching, or dividing something into halves, as well as the state of being halfway through something. It also encompasses notions of fairness, justice, and service, often metaphorically related to giving or receiving an equal share.

Derived headwords

النِّصْفnoun

1.
halfboth
One of two equal parts of something; the middle point or part.
2.
middle ageclassical
Referring to a person, particularly a man, who has reached the middle of his life, around the age of 45-50.
3.
fairnessboth
Justice, equity, or impartiality.

نِصْفnoun

1.
halfboth
One of two equal parts of something.
2.
middle-aged womanclassical
A woman who is between youth and old age, often specified as around 45 years old.

أَنْصَافnoun

1.
halvesboth
Plural of 'half'.
2.
middle-aged peopleclassical
Plural of the term referring to middle age.

نَصَفَverb

1.
to take halfboth
To take or receive half of something.
2.
to reach halfboth
To arrive at or attain the middle point or half of something.
3.
to cook down by halfclassical
To reduce a liquid by cooking until half of it has evaporated.

انْتَصَفَverb

1.
to reach the middleboth
To reach the middle point or half of something, especially time like noon or midnight.
2.
to take revengeboth
To get one's due or take satisfaction from someone, achieving an equal standing.
3.
to serveclassical
To serve or be subservient to someone.

تَنَصَّفَverb

1.
to serveboth
To serve, be subservient to, or obey someone.
2.
to ask for fairnessboth
To request justice or fair treatment from someone.
3.
to become middle-agedclassical
To reach the middle of one's life.

مُنْتَصَفnoun

1.
middleboth
The middle part or point of something, especially time (noon, midnight) or a journey.
2.
halfway pointboth
The point at which half of something has been completed.

مُنْصِفnoun

1.
fair personboth
Someone who is just, equitable, or impartial.
2.
serverclassical
A servant or attendant.
3.
middle partclassical
The middle section or part of something.

مُنْصِفadjective

1.
fairboth
Just, equitable, impartial.
2.
middleclassical
Situated in the middle.

إنْصَافnoun

1.
fairnessboth
Justice, equity, impartiality; giving someone their due.
2.
taking revengeboth
Achieving satisfaction or getting one's due.

نِصْفَةnoun

1.
fairnessboth
Justice, equity.
2.
middle ageclassical
The state of being middle-aged.

نَصِيفnoun

1.
halfclassical
A measure or portion equal to half.
2.
veilclassical
A veil or head covering worn by women.
3.
garmentclassical
A piece of clothing, possibly a veil or a wrap.
4.
servantclassical
A servant or attendant.

نِصْفَانnoun

1.
half-full containerclassical
A vessel that has reached half its capacity in terms of liquid or grain.

نِصْفِيّadjective

1.
halfwayclassical
Relating to the middle or halfway point.

تَنْصِيفnoun

1.
dividing in halfboth
The act of dividing something into two equal parts.
2.
serviceclassical
The act of serving or being subservient.

مُنَاصَفَةnoun

1.
sharing equallyboth
The act of dividing something equally, often wealth or property.

نَاصَفَverb

1.
to share equallyboth
To divide something equally with someone, especially in terms of wealth.

مُنَاصِفnoun

1.
small valleysclassical
Small valleys or depressions in the ground.

نَاصِفَةnoun

1.
rockclassical
A rock, especially one found in a dry riverbed or valley.
2.
watercourseclassical
A channel or path for water, especially in a valley.
3.
fertile groundclassical
A fertile area of land, often in a valley, that supports vegetation.

نَوَاصِفnoun

1.
rocksclassical
Plural of 'nāṣifah', referring to rocks in valleys.
2.
watercoursesclassical
Plural of 'nāṣifah', referring to water channels.
3.
fertile areasclassical
Plural of 'nāṣifah', referring to fertile patches of land.

تَنَاصَفَverb

1.
to be equalclassical
To be equal or balanced, especially in beauty or merit, where parts complement each other.

Parallel reading

النصف: أحد شقي الشيء.

The half: one of the two parts of a thing.

فلها النصف.

Then she shall have the half.

الصبر نصف الإيمان

Patience is half of faith.

ونصف الشيء ينصفه نصفا وانتصفه وتنصفه ونصفه: أخذ نصفه.

And 'naṣafa' a thing means to take half of it, and 'intaṣafahu', 'tanaṣṣafahu', and 'naṣafahu' mean to take its half.

والمنصف من الشراب: الذي يطبخ حتى يذهب نصفه.

And 'al-munṣaf' from a drink is that which is cooked until half of it is gone.

ونصف النهار ينصف وينصف وانتصف وأنصف: بلغ نصفه

And 'naṣafa' noon, and 'yunṣifu', and 'intaṣafa', and 'anṣafa' mean it reached its half.

ونصف عمره ونصف الشيب رأسه.

And half his life, and half the gray hair on his head.

ويقال: قد نصف الإزار ساقه ينصفها إذا بلغ نصفها

And it is said: the loincloth has 'naṣafa'd' his leg, meaning it reached its half.

ترى سيفه لا ينصف الساق نعله

You see his sword, its scabbard does not reach half the leg.

ونصف الماء البئر والحب والكوز وهو ينصفه نصفا ونصوفا

And 'naṣafa' the water in the well, the jar, and the cup, and it 'yunṣifuhu' 'naṣfan' and 'nuṣūfan'.

وإناء نصفان، بالفتح: بلغ الكيل أو الماء نصفه

And a vessel 'niṣfān', with a fatha: its measure or water reached its half.

ومنصف القوس والوتر: موضع النصف منهما.

And the 'munṣaf' of the bow and the string: the place of the half of them.

والمنصف من الطريق ومن النهار ومن كل شيء: وسطه.

And the 'munṣaf' of the road, of the day, and of everything: its middle.

وفي الحديث: حتى إذا كان بالمنصف أي الموضع الوسط بين الموضعين.

And in the hadith: until he was at the 'munṣaf', meaning the middle place between the two places.

ومنصف الليل والنهار: وسطه.

And the 'muntaṣaf' of the night and the day: its middle.

وكل شيء بلغ نصف غيره فقد نصفه

And everything that reached half of another thing, it has 'naṣafahu'.

وكل شيء بلغ نصف نفسه فقد أنصف.

And everything that reached half of itself, it has 'anṣafa'.

ونصفت الشيء؛ إذا أخذت نصفه.

And I 'naṣaftu' the thing; if I took its half.

وتنصيف الشيء: جعله نصفين.

And 'tanṣīf' of a thing: making it into two halves.

وناصفته المال: قاسمته على النصف.

And I 'nāṣaftuhu' the money: I shared it with him by half.

والنصف: الكهل كأنه بلغ نصف عمره.

And 'an-nisf': the middle-aged man, as if he has reached half his life.

إن فلانة لعلى نصفها أي نصف شبابها

Indeed, so-and-so is at her 'niṣfuhā', meaning half of her youth.

والنصيف: مكيال.

And 'an-naṣīf': a measure.

وفي حديث النبي، صلى الله عليه وسلم: فإن أحدكم لو أنفق ما في الأرض جميعا ما أدرك مد أحدهم ولا نصيفه

And in the Prophet's hadith, peace be upon him: for if one of you spent all that is in the earth, he would not reach even a 'mudd' or a 'naṣīf' of one of them.

والنصيف: الخمار، وقد نصفت المرأة رأسها بالخمار.

And 'an-naṣīf': the veil, and the woman has 'naṣṣafat' her head with the veil.

وانتصفت الجارية وتنصفت أي اختمرت

And the young woman 'intaṣafat' and 'tanaṣṣafat', meaning she veiled herself.

ولنصيف إحداهن على رأسها خير من الدنيا وما فيها

And the veil of one of them on her head is better than the world and what is in it.

سقط النصيف، ولم ترد إسقاطه

The veil fell, and she did not intend to drop it.

والنصف وال نصفة والإنصاف: إعطاء الحق

And 'an-nisf', and 'an-niṣfah', and 'al-inṣāf': giving the right.

وقد انتصف منه، وأنصف الرجل صاحبه إنصافا، وقد أعطاه النصفة.

And he has 'intaṣafa' from him, and the man 'anṣafa' his companion 'inṣāfan', and he gave him the 'niṣfah'.

انتصفت من فلان أخذت حقي كملا حتى صرت أنا وهو على النصف سواء.

I 'intaṣaftu' from so-and-so, I took my full right until I and he were equal at the 'nisf'.

وتنصفت السلطان أي سألته أن ينصفني.

And I 'tanaṣṣaftu' the Sultan, meaning I asked him to be fair to me.

ولكن نصفا، لو سببت وسبني

But 'niṣfan', if I insulted and he insulted me.

وأنصف الرجل أي عدل.

And 'anṣafa' the man means he was just.

متى ألق زنباع بن روح ببلدة، لي النصف منها، يقرع السن من ندم

When I meet Zunba' bin Ruh in a town, half of it is mine, he will regret it with his teeth from remorse.

والنصف، بالكسر: الانتصاف، وقد أنصفه من خصمه ينصفه إنصافا

And 'an-nisf', with a kasra: 'al-intiṣāf', and he has 'anṣafahu' from his opponent, 'yunṣifuhu' 'inṣāfan'.

كله: خدمه.

All of it: he served him.

فبينا نسوس الناس، والأمر أمرنا، إذا نحن فيهم سوقة نتنصف

And while we were ruling the people, and the command was ours, suddenly we were among them as commoners, serving.

لها غلل من زازقي وكرسف بأيمان عجم ينصفون المقاولا

It has wines from Zazaqi and Karsuf, in the hands of non-Arabs who serve the wine-pourers.

فقال: دخل المحراب وأقعد منصفا على الباب ، يعني خادما

He said: he entered the sanctuary and seated a 'munṣaf' at the door, meaning a servant.

فجاءني منصف فرفع ثيابي من خلفي.

Then a 'munṣaf' came to me and lifted my clothes from behind me.

ونصفت الرجل فأنا أنصفه وأنصفه نصافة ونصافة أي خدمته.

And I 'naṣaftu' the man, so I am 'unṣifuhu' and 'yunṣifuhu' 'naṣāfatan' and 'naṣṣāfatan', meaning I served him.

وإن الإله تنصفته، بأن لا أخون وأن لا أخانا

And indeed, I served God, by not betraying and not deceiving.

أي اشتقت، وقيل: معناه خدمة وجهها بالنظر إليه

Meaning I longed for her. It was said: its meaning is serving her face by looking at it.

تناصف وجهها محاسنها أنها كلها حسنة ينصف بعضها بعضا

'Tanāṣafa' her face meant her beauties, in that they were all beautiful, and some of them complemented others.

ورجل متناصف: متساوي المحاسن

And a 'mutanāṣif' man: one whose beauties are equal.

وأنصف إذا خدم سيده.

And 'anṣafa' if he served his master.

وأنصف إذا سار بنصف النهار.

And 'anṣafa' if he traveled at noon.

والمناصف: أودية صغار

And 'al-manāṣif': small valleys.

والنواصف: صخور في مناصف أسناد الوادي ونحو ذلك من المسايل

And 'an-nawāṣif': rocks in the middle of the valley slopes and similar dry riverbeds.

والنواصف: مجاري الماء في الوادي، واحدتها ناصفة

And 'an-nawāṣif': watercourses in the valley, the singular of which is 'nāṣifah'.

والناصفة من الأرض: رحبة بها شجر لا تكون ناصفة إلا ولها شجر.

And 'an-nāṣifah' of land: a spacious area with trees, it is not called 'nāṣifah' unless it has trees.

والناصفة: الأرض التي تنبت الثمام وغيره.

And 'an-nāṣifah': the land that grows thamam and other plants.

والناصفة: مجرى الماء، والجمع النواصف

And 'an-nāṣifah': the watercourse, and the plural is 'an-nawāṣif'.

كأن حدوج المالكية، غدوة، خلايا سفين بالنواصف من دد

As if the litters of the Banu Malik, in the morning, were like the hulls of ships in the 'nawāṣif' of Dad.

بناصفة الجوين أو بمحجر

At 'Nāṣifat' al-Juwayn or at Maḥjar.