ثفن

Root entry · 16 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the parts of an animal's body that touch the ground when it kneels or lies down, often becoming calloused. It extends to the concept of striking or hitting with these parts, and metaphorically to persistence, close companionship, and even driving or chasing.

Derived headwords

الثَّفْنَةnoun

1.
calloused knee/hockboth
The part of a camel's or other quadruped's leg that touches the ground when it kneels, such as the knee or hock, which often becomes calloused.
2.
part of the legclassical
Specifically, the joint connecting the thigh to the lower leg on the inside, or the pastern joint.
3.
buttockclassical
The part of the body that rests on the ground when sitting.
4.
group/gatheringclassical
A number or gathering of people.

الثفنة من البعير والناقة: الركبة وما مس الأرض من كركرته وسعداناته وأصول أفخاذه — The thafnah of a male or female camel: the knee and what touches the ground of its chest, its hocks, and the roots of its thighs.

ثَفِنَاتnoun

1.
calloused partsboth
The plural of thafnah, referring to the calloused parts of an animal that touch the ground when it kneels.

خوى على مستويات خمس: ... كركرة وثفنات ملس — He fell upon five level places: ... a chest and smooth thafnat.

ثَفِنَةnoun

1.
human kneeclassical
The knee of a human being.
2.
calloused markclassical
A mark on the forehead resulting from prolonged prostration in prayer, resembling the calloused part of a camel.

رأى رجلا بين عينيه مثل ثفنة البعير — He saw a man with a mark between his eyes like the thafnah of a camel.

ثَفِنَة الإبلnoun

1.
camel's resting spotclassical
The part of a camel that strikes the ground when it kneels, making it easier to handle during milking compared to a restless one.

والثفنة من الإبل: التي تضرب بثفناتها عند الحلب — And the thafnah of camels: the one that strikes with its thafnat when being milked.

ذو الثفناتname

1.
title of a leaderclassical
A title given to Abdullah ibn Wahb al-Rasibi, a leader of the Khawarij, due to his frequent prayers and the calloused marks on his knees from prolonged prostration.

وقيل لعبد الله بن وهب الراسبي رئيس الخوارج ذو الثفنات لكثرة صلاته — And it was said to Abdullah ibn Wahb al-Rasibi, the leader of the Khawarij, Dhu al-Thafanat, due to his frequent prayers.

ثَفَنَverb

1.
to strike/hitclassical
To strike or hit something with the thafnah (calloused part).
2.
to push/driveclassical
To push, drive away, or chase.
3.
to stick to/clingclassical
To adhere to or cling to something.

وثفنته الناقة تثفنه، بالكسر، ثفنا: ضربته بثفناتها — And the she-camel struck him with its thafnat, striking him with its thafnat.

ثَفِنَتْ يَدُهُverb

1.
to become callousedboth
A hand becoming calloused from work or labor.

وثفنت يده، بالكسر، تثفن ثفنا: غلظت من العمل — And his hand became calloused, becoming thick from work.

أَثْفَنَverb

1.
to cause to become callousedclassical
Work causing a hand to become calloused.

وأثفن العمل يده — And the work made his hand calloused.

مُثَفِّنadjective

1.
having callusesclassical
Describing something or someone with prominent or strong calluses, possibly referring to a donkey.

على مثفن من ولد صعدة قندل — On a thafn of the offspring of Sa'dah Qandal.

ثَفِنَاتُ الجُلَّةnoun

1.
edges of a date clusterclassical
The edges of the lower part of a cluster of dates.

وثفنتا الجلة: حافتا أسفلها من التمر — And the thafnata of the jullah: its lower edges of dates.

ثَفِنُ المِزَادَةnoun

1.
sides of a waterskinclassical
The sewn sides of a waterskin.

وثفن المزادة: جوانبها المخروزة — And the thafn of the waterskin: its sewn sides.

ثَفَنَهاverb

1.
to drive itclassical
To drive or chase something, possibly referring to a group of people.

فحمل على الكتيبة فجعل يثفنها أي يطردها — So he attacked the battalion and began to thafn it, meaning to drive it away.

ثَافَنَverb

1.
to be close companionsclassical
To be close companions with someone, to the point of knowing all about them.
2.
to associate closelyclassical
To associate closely with someone, to the point of knowing their inner workings or secrets.
3.
to sit with/accompanyclassical
To sit with someone, to accompany them, to converse with them.
4.
to help/supportclassical
To help or support someone in a matter.

ثَافَنْتُ الرجل مثَافَنَة أي صاحبته لا يخفى علي شيء من أمره — I thafantu the man muthafana, meaning I accompanied him so that nothing about him was hidden from me.

مُثَافِنadjective

1.
persistentclassical
Persistent, diligent, or constant in an action or association.

والمثافن: المواظب — And al-muthafin: the persistent.

يَثْفِنُverb

1.
to chase behindclassical
To chase or drive something from behind, especially when it is close to catching up.
2.
to followclassical
To follow behind someone.

جاء يثفن يثفن أي يطرد شيئا من خلفه قد كاد يلحقه — He came yafn yafn, meaning he was chasing something behind him that was almost catching up.

ثَفَنnoun

1.
heaviness/burdenclassical
Heaviness or a burden.
2.
push/thrustclassical
A push or a thrust.

ابن الأعرابي: الثفن الثقل، وقال غيره: الثفن الدفع — Ibn al-A'rabi: Al-thafn is heaviness, and others said: Al-thafn is pushing.

Parallel reading

الثفنة من البعير والناقة: الركبة وما مس الأرض من كركرته وسعداناته وأصول أفخاذه

The thafnah of a male or female camel: the knee and what touches the ground of its chest, its hocks, and the roots of its thighs.

هو ما يقع على الأرض من أعضائه إذا استناخ وغلظ كالركبتين وغيرهما

It is what touches the ground of its limbs when it kneels and becomes thick, like the knees and other parts.

والجمع ثفن وثفنات

And the plural is thafn and thafnat.

خوى على مستويات خمس: ... كركرة وثفنات ملس

He fell upon five level places: ... a chest and smooth thafnat.

كأن مخواها، على ثفناتها، ... معرس خمس من قطا متجاور

As if its dung, on its thafnat, ... was a resting place for five adjacent sandgrouse.

خوت على ثفنات محزئلات

It knelt upon worn-out thafnat.

والثفنات الخفاف، إذ وقعوا موقع عشرين من قطا زمر

And the light thafnat, when they landed like twenty sandgrouse in a flock.

قال ابن السكيت: الثفينة موصل الفخذ في الساق من باطن وموصل الوظيف في الذراع

Ibn al-Sikkit said: Al-thafinah is the connection of the thigh to the lower leg from the inside, and the connection of the pastern to the forearm.

وثفنته الناقة تثفنه، بالكسر، ثفنا: ضربته بثفناتها

And the she-camel struck him with its thafnat, striking him with its thafnat.

وإنما سميت ثفنات لأنها تغلظ في الأغلب من مباشرة الأرض وقت البروك

They are called thafnat because they generally thicken from contact with the ground when kneeling.

ومنه ثفنت يده إذا غلظت من العمل

And from this is 'thafinat yado' if it became thick from work.

أنه كان عند ثفنة ناقة رسول الله، صلى الله عليه وسلم، عام حجة الوداع

He was at the thafnah of the Messenger of Allah's camel, peace be upon him, during the Farewell Pilgrimage.

كأنها ثفن الإبل

Like the thafn of camels.

والثفنة من الإبل: التي تضرب بثفناتها عند الحلب، وهي أيسر أمرا من الضجور

And the thafnah of camels: the one that strikes with its thafnat when being milked, and it is easier to handle than a restless one.

والثفنة: ركبة الإنسان

And al-thafnah: the knee of a human.

وقيل لعبد الله بن وهب الراسبي رئيس الخوارج ذو الثفنات لكثرة صلاته، ولأن طول السجود كان أثر في ثفناته

And Abdullah ibn Wahb al-Rasibi, the leader of the Khawarij, was called Dhu al-Thafanat due to his frequent prayers, and because the length of his prostration had left a mark on his thafnat.

رأى رجلا بين عينيه مثل ثفنة البعير، فقال: لو لم تكن هذه كان خيرا

He saw a man with a mark between his eyes like the thafnah of a camel, and said: If this were not there, it would have been better.

وقيل: الثفنة مجتمع الساق والفخذ

And it was said: Al-thafnah is the junction of the lower leg and the thigh.

فذلك يوم لن ترى أم نافع ... على مثفن من ولد صعدة قندل

That is a day when you will not see Umm Nafi' ... on a thafn of the offspring of Sa'dah Qandal.

يجوز أن يكون أراد بمثفن عظيم الثفنات أو الشديدها، يعني حمارا، فاستعار له الثفنات، وإنما هي للبعير

It is permissible that he meant by muthaffin one with great or strong thafnat, meaning a donkey, and he borrowed the term thafnat for it, although it belongs to the camel.

وثفنتا الجلة: حافتا أسفلها من التمر؛ عن أبي حنيفة

And the thafnata of the jullah: its lower edges of dates; according to Abu Hanifa.

وثفن المزادة: جوانبها المخروزة

And the thafn of the waterskin: its sewn sides.

وثفنه ثفنا: دفعه وضربه

And he thafnahu thafnan: he pushed him and struck him.

وثفنت يده، بالكسر، تثفن ثفنا: غلظت من العمل

And his hand became calloused, becoming thick from work.

وأثفن العمل يده

And the work made his hand calloused.

والثفنة: العدد والجماعة من الناس

And al-thafnah: the number and group of people.

إن في الحرماز اليوم الثفنة أثفية من أثافي الناس صلبة

Indeed, in al-Harmaz today there is a thafnah, a solid hearthstone of people.

ابن الأعرابي: الثفن الثقل، وقال غيره: الثفن الدفع

Ibn al-A'rabi: Al-thafn is heaviness, and others said: Al-thafn is pushing.

وقد ثفنه ثفنا إذا دفعه

And he thafnahu thafnan if he pushed him.

فحمل على الكتيبة فجعل يثفنها أي يطردها

So he attacked the battalion and began to thafn it, meaning to drive it away.

ويجوز أن يكون يفنها، والفن الطرد

And it is permissible that it means yafinnuha, and al-fann is driving away.

ثَافَنْتُ الرجل مثَافَنَة أي صاحبته لا يخفى علي شيء من أمره

I thafantu the man muthafana, meaning I accompanied him so that nothing about him was hidden from me.

وذلك أن تصحبه حتى تعلم أمره

That is by accompanying him until you know his affair.

ورجل مثفن لخصمه: ملازم له

And a man muthaffin to his opponent: one who clings to him.

أليس ملوي الملاوى مثفن

Is not the twisting of twists a clinging?

وثافن الرجل إذا باطنه ولزمه حتى يعرف دخلته

And you thafantu a man if you entered into his inner affairs and clung to him until you knew his ways.

والمثافن: المواظب

And al-muthafin: the persistent.

ويقال: ثافنت فلانا إذا حاببته تحادثه وتلازمه وتكلمه

And it is said: I thafantu so-and-so if I befriended him, conversing with him, accompanying him, and speaking with him.

والمثافن والمثابر والمواظب واحد

And al-muthafin, al-muthaabir, and al-muwaazib are one.

وثافنت فلانا: جالسته

And I thafantu so-and-so: I sat with him.

ويقال أيضا ثافنت الرجل على الشيء إذا أعنته عليه

And it is also said: I thafantu a man in a matter if I helped him with it.

وجاء يثفن يثفن أي يطرد شيئا من خلفه قد كاد يلحقه

He came yafn yafn, meaning he was chasing something behind him that was almost catching up.

ومر يثفنهم ويثفنهم ثفنا أي يتبعهم

And he passed yafnahum yafnahum thafnan, meaning he was following them.