هنف

Root entry · 10 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns various forms of laughter, ranging from a weak, mocking chuckle to more overt amusement and even feigned laughter. It also extends to expressions of distress, specifically the prelude to crying or actual crying, particularly in children, and can metaphorically refer to eagerness or haste.

Derived headwords

الإهنافnoun

1.
Weak, mocking laughterclassical
A type of laughter characterized by weakness or feebleness, resembling the laughter of a mocker.

المَهانِفةnoun

1.
Weak, mocking laughterclassical
Similar to الإهناف, referring to a feeble or mocking kind of laughter.
2.
Playfulnessclassical
Also used to denote playfulness or lighthearted interaction.

التهانُفnoun

1.
Weak, mocking laughterclassical
A form of laughter described as weak, feebler than a smile, and akin to the laughter of a mocker.
2.
Laughter with mockeryclassical
Specifically identified as laughter accompanied by ridicule or scorn.
3.
Crying or preparing to cryclassical
Can refer to the act of crying or the state of preparing to cry, especially for men.

هنفverb

1.
To laugh weakly or mockinglyclassical
The basic verb form, indicating laughter that is feeble or scornful.

تَهَنَّفَverb

1.
To laugh feebly or mockinglyclassical
A verb form indicating weak, scornful laughter.
2.
To prepare to cryclassical
To show signs of impending tears or to begin to cry, similar to 'ajhasha'.
3.
To cryclassical
Can also refer to the act of crying itself.
4.
To resemble children in cryingclassical
To imitate children by crying, especially over remnants of dwellings.

تَهَاناَفَverb

1.
To laugh feebly or mockinglyclassical
To laugh in a weak, scornful, or mocking manner.
2.
To laugh and marvelclassical
To laugh with a sense of wonder or surprise.
3.
To laugh secretlyclassical
To engage in hidden or suppressed laughter.
4.
To prepare to cryclassical
To show signs of impending tears or to begin crying.
5.
To cryclassical
The act of crying.

أَهْنَـفَverb

1.
To prepare to cryclassical
To make ready to cry, similar to the verb 'ajhasha'.

الهَنوفnoun

1.
Laughter above a smileclassical
Laughter that is more pronounced than a mere smile, sometimes specifically attributed to women.

الهَنافnoun

1.
Laughter above a smileclassical
Laughter that exceeds a simple smile, sometimes specifically associated with women's laughter.
2.
Smilingclassical
Can also refer to the act of smiling.

مُهَنِّفadjective

1.
Eagerly approachingclassical
Describing someone who approaches quickly and eagerly to obtain something.

Parallel reading

الإهناف: ضحك فيه فتور كضحك المستهزئ

Al-ihnaf: laughter with weakness, like the laughter of a mocker.

وكذلك المهانفة والتهانف

And likewise al-mahanifah and al-tahanuf.

مهفهفة الكشحين بيضاء كاعب، ... تهانف للجهال منا، وتلعب

Slender-waisted, fair, budding... she laughs mockingly at our ignorant ones, and plays.

إذا هن فصلن الحديث لأهله، ... حديث الرنا، فصلنه بالتهانف

When they spoke, they separated the speech for its people... the speech of the gazelle-eyed, they separated it with mocking laughter.

الهنوف والهناف ضحك فوق التبسم

Al-hanuf and al-hanaf are laughter above a smile.

وخص بعضهم به ضحك النساء

And some have specified it for the laughter of women.

وتَهانَفَ به: تضاحك؛

And tahanufa bihi: to laugh together;

من اللف أفخاذا تهانف للصبا، ... إذا أقبلت كانت لطيفا هضيمها

From the 'al-laff', thighs that laugh playfully in youth... when she approaches, her form is delicate and slender.

وقيل: تهانف به تضاحك وتعجب؛ عن ثعلب، وقيل: هو الضحك الخفي.

And it was said: tahanufa bihi means to laugh together and marvel; from Tha'lab, and it was said: it is hidden laughter.

الليث: الهناف مهانفة الجواري بالضحك وهو التبسم؛

Al-Layth: Al-hanaf is the playful laughter of young girls, which is smiling;

تغض الجفون على رسلها ... بحسن الهناف، وخون النظر

They lower their eyelids over their messengers... with the beauty of al-hanaf, and the glance of betrayal.

والمهانفة: الملاعبة أيضا.

And al-mahanifah: also means playfulness.

أقبل فلان مهنفا أي مسرعا لينال ما عندي؛

So-and-so approached eagerly, meaning quickly, to obtain what I have;

وفي نسخة من كتاب الكامل للمبرد: التهانف الضحك بالسخرية.

And in a copy of Al-Mubarrad's Al-Kamil: Al-tahanuf is laughter with mockery.

وأهنف الصبي إهنافا: مثل الإجهاش، وهو التهيؤ للب كاء.

And ahnafa the boy ihnafan: like 'ajhasha', which is preparing to cry.

والتهنف: البكاء؛

And al-tahannuf: crying;

تكف وتستبقي حياء وهيبة ... لنا، ثم يعلو صوتها بالتهنف

She refrains and holds back out of modesty and awe... from us, then her voice rises in crying.

وأهنف الصبي وتهانف: تهيأ للب كاء كأجهش،

And ahnafa the boy and tahanufa: prepared to cry like 'ajhasha',

وقد يكون التهانف بكاء غير الطفل؛

And al-tahanuf may be crying other than that of a child;

تهانفت واستبكاك رسم المنازل ... بسوقة أهوى، أو بقارة حائل

You cried and were moved to tears by the traces of the dwellings... in the plains of Ahwa, or the plateau of Hail.

فهذا هاهنا إنما هو للرجال دون الأطفال لأن الأطفال لا تبكي على المنازل والأطلال؛

This here is for men and not for children, because children do not cry over dwellings and ruins;

وقد يكون قوله تهانفت: تشبهت بالأطفال في بكائك

And his saying 'tahanufta' may mean: you resembled children in your crying

أشيخا، كالوليد برسم دار، ... تسائل ما أصم عن السؤول؟

Are you an old man, like Al-Walid, at the remains of a house, ... asking what deafened you from inquiry?