فءل

Root entry · 19 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the concept of an omen or augury, specifically a good omen (فأل) as opposed to a bad omen or superstition (طيرة). It explores the act of seeking or interpreting omens, and related terms for physical characteristics and a children's game.

Derived headwords

الفألnoun

1.
good omenboth
A sign or indication of future events, particularly a positive one, derived from hearing a word or observing a situation. It is the opposite of a bad omen (طيرة).
2.
omen (general)classical
A sign or indication of future events, which can be either positive or negative, depending on the context and interpretation.

فؤولnoun

1.
omensclassical
The plural form of 'fa'l' (omen), referring to multiple signs or indications.

أفؤلnoun

1.
omensclassical
Another plural form of 'fa'l' (omen), used by some scholars like Al-Jawhari.

تفاءلverb

1.
to take as a good omenboth
To interpret something heard or seen as a positive sign or omen for a desired outcome.
2.
to seek an omenclassical
To look for or seek out signs that might indicate the future, often with a hopeful expectation.

تفألverb

1.
to take as a good omen (simplified)both
A simplified form of 'tafa'ala', often used colloquially, where the hamza is dropped.

الطيرةnoun

1.
bad omenboth
A superstition or belief in bad omens, often associated with negative outcomes or misfortune. It is the opposite of 'fa'l'.
2.
superstitionboth
A belief or practice based on supernatural causation, often involving fear of the unknown or bad luck.

تفاؤلاnoun

1.
omen-seekingclassical
The act or process of taking omens, derived from the verb 'tafa'ala'.

فألnoun

1.
omen (general)classical
A sign or indication, which can be good or bad, heard or observed.

لا فأل عليكphrase

1.
no harm to youclassical
An expression meaning 'no harm will come to you', 'no damage', or 'no evil will befall you'.

الفأل الصالحnoun

1.
good wordboth
A good or positive utterance that serves as a good omen.

الكوادسnoun

1.
things that cause superstitionclassical
Things from which one derives superstition or bad omens, similar to 'fa'l' and sneezing.

يتفاءلverb

1.
to take as a good omenboth
He takes or seeks a good omen.

يتطيرverb

1.
to take as a bad omenboth
He takes or seeks a bad omen; he is superstitious.

الكلمة الصالحةnoun

1.
good wordboth
A positive utterance that serves as a good omen.

الافتئالnoun

1.
taking an omenclassical
The act of taking or interpreting an omen, derived from the verb form VIII (ifta'ala).

تفيلverb

1.
to become fatclassical
To become fat or corpulent, like an elephant.

فيل اللحمadjective

1.
fleshyclassical
Describing someone who is very fleshy or has abundant flesh.

فيئلadjective

1.
fleshy (variant)classical
A variant pronunciation or spelling of 'fayl al-lahm', meaning fleshy, with the hamza pronounced.

الفئالnoun

1.
a gameclassical
A children's game played by Arabs, mentioned as being related to the root.

Parallel reading

الفأل: ضد الطيرة

The omen (fa'l): the opposite of superstition (tira).

والجمع فؤول، وقال الجوهري: الجمع أفؤل

And its plural is fu'ul, and Al-Jawhari said: the plural is af'ul.

ولا تتخالجني الأفؤل

And let not omens cross my mind.

وتفاءلت به وتفأل به

And I took it as an omen, and I took it as an omen (simplified).

يقال تفاءلت بكذا وتفألت، على التخفيف والقلب

It is said 'tafa'altu bi-kadha' and 'tafa'altu', with simplification and inversion.

والفأل: أن يكون الرجل مريضا فيسمع آخر يقول يا سالم، أو يكون طالب ضالة فيسمع آخر يقول يا واجد، فيقول: تفاءلت بكذا

And the omen (fa'l) is: a man is sick and hears another say 'O healthy one', or he is seeking a lost item and hears another say 'O finder', so he says: 'I took this as an omen'.

وفي الحديث: أنه، صلى الله عليه وسلم، كان يحب الفأل ويكره الطيرة

And in the hadith: that he, peace be upon him, used to love good omens and hate superstitions.

والطيرة: ضد الفأل، وهي فيما يكره كالفأل فيما يستحب

And superstition (tira): is the opposite of omen (fa'l), and it is in what is disliked like the omen is in what is liked.

والطيرة لا تكون إلا فيما يسوء، والفأل يكون فيما يحسن وفيما يسوء

And superstition (tira) only occurs in what is bad, while omen (fa'l) can occur in what is good and what is bad.

من العرب من يجعل الفأل فيما يكره أيضا

Some Arabs also consider the omen (fa'l) to be in what is disliked.

تفاءلت تفاؤلا، وذلك أن تسمع الإنسان وأنت تريد الحاجة يدعو يا سعيد يا أفلح أو يدعو باسم قبيح، والاسم الفأل، مهموز

I took an omen (tafa'altu tafa'ulan), which is when you hear a person, while you desire something, call out 'O happy one!' or 'O successful one!' or call out a bad name, and that name is the omen (fa'l), with a hamza.

يقال لا فأل عليك بمعنى لا ضير عليك ولا طير عليك ولا شر عليك

It is said 'la fa'la 'alayka' meaning 'no harm to you', 'no bad omen to you', and 'no evil to you'.

وفي الحديث عن أنس عن النبي، صلى الله عليه وسلم، قال: لا عدوى ولا طيرة ويعجبني الفأل الصالح

And in the hadith from Anas from the Prophet, peace be upon him, he said: 'There is no contagion and no superstition, and I like the good omen (fa'l as-salih)'.

والفأل الصالح: الكلمة الحسنة

And the good omen (fa'l as-salih): is the good word.

وإنما أحب النبي، صلى الله عليه وسلم، الفأل لأن الناس إذا أملوا فائدة الله ورجوا عائدته عند كل سبب ضعيف أو قوي فهم على خير

The Prophet, peace be upon him, only loved the omen (fa'l) because when people hope for God's bounty and expect His return through any cause, weak or strong, they are on goodness.

وإنما خبر النبي، صلى الله عليه وسلم، عن الفطرة كيف هي وإلى أي شيء تنقلب، فأما الطيرة فإن فيها سوء الظن بالله وتوقع البلاء

The Prophet, peace be upon him, only informed about the innate disposition (fitra) how it is and to what it turns. As for superstition (tira), it involves bad assumptions about God and expecting affliction.

ويحب للإنسان أن يكون لله تعالى راجيا، وأن يكون حسن الظن بربه

And it is beloved for a person to be hopeful towards God Almighty, and to have good assumptions about his Lord.

والكوادس ما يتطير منه مثل الفأل والعطاس ونحوه

And 'al-kawadis' are things from which one derives superstition, like an omen (fa'l) and sneezing, and the like.

وفي الحديث أيضا: أنه كان يتفاءل ولا يتطير

And in the hadith also: that he used to take good omens and not take bad omens.

وفي الحديث: قيل يا رسول الله ما الفأل؟ قال: الكلمة الصالحة

And in the hadith: it was said, 'O Messenger of God, what is the omen (fa'l)?' He said: 'The good word'.

ومنهم الحديث أصدق الطيرة الفأل

And among them is the hadith: 'The truest of superstitions is the omen (fa'l)'.

والافتئال: افتعال من الفأل

And 'al-ifti'al': is the masdar of the verb form VIII from 'fa'l'.

إذا ما بدت تحت الخوافق، صدقت بأيمن فأل الزاجرين افتئالها

When it appeared beneath the horizons, it proved true by the right-hand omen of the diviners' interpretation of its omen.

تفيل إذا سمن كأنه فيل

He becomes fat when he fattens, as if he were an elephant.

ورجل فيل اللحم: كثيره

And a man 'fayl al-lahm': is one with abundant flesh.

والفئال، بالهمزة: لعبة للأعراب

And 'al-fi'al', with the hamza: is a game for the Arabs.