فرنق

Root entry · 3 derived lemmas

This root appears to relate to a specific type of messenger or herald, possibly derived from Persian. It also refers to a wild animal, possibly a jackal or hyena, that is associated with lions and acts as a warning.

Derived headwords

الفَرَانِقnoun

1.
herald, messengerclassical
A messenger or courier, often one who precedes others. It is noted as a loanword.
2.
wild animal, hyena-likeclassical
A wild animal, possibly a hyena or jackal, that is said to cry out before a lion, acting as a warning. It is described as similar to a jackal.

فَرَانِقnoun

1.
herald, messengerclassical
A messenger or courier, specifically one who announces or warns. It is identified as a Persian loanword.
2.
wild animal, hyena-likeclassical
A wild animal, possibly a hyena or jackal, that is said to cry out before a lion, acting as a warning. It is described as similar to a jackal.

فَرَوَانَهnoun

1.
herald, messengerclassical
The Persian term for a messenger or courier, which is adopted into Arabic. It is specifically mentioned as the name for the animal that warns of the lion.

Parallel reading

والفرانق: البريد وهو الذي ينذر قدام الأسد، فارسي معرب

And al-faranq: the messenger, which is the one that warns before the lion, a Persian loanword.

وهو بروانه بالفارسية

And it is farwana in Persian.

وإني أذين، إن رجعت مملكا، ... بسير ترى منه الفرانق أزورا

And I shall be held responsible, if I return as a king, ... by a march you will see the messengers turning away from.

وربما سموا دليل الجيش فرانقا

And sometimes they name the guide of the army a faranq.

قال ابن دريد، رحمه الله، فرانق البريد فروانه، وهو فارسي معرب

Ibn Duraid, may God have mercy on him, said: the messenger faranq is farwana, and it is a Persian loanword.

وهو سبع يصيح بين يدي الأسد كأنه ينذر الناس به

It is a beast that cries out before the lion as if it is warning people of it.

ويقال: إنه شبيه بابن آوى يقال له فرانق الأسد

And it is said: it resembles a jackal, and it is called the lion's faranq.

قال أبو حاتم: يقال إنه الوعوع، ومنه فرانق البريد

Abu Hatim said: it is said to be the wa'wa' (a type of hyena or wild dog), and from it is the messenger faranq.