شفه

Root entry · 25 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the lips, their physical attributes, and actions related to them. It extends metaphorically to concepts of speaking, asking, and being occupied or preoccupied.

Derived headwords

الشَّفَتَانnoun

1.
lipsboth
The two lips of the mouth, referring to the fleshy parts that cover the teeth.

شَفَةnoun

1.
lipboth
A single lip, one of the two parts of the mouth.

شِفَاهnoun

1.
lipsboth
The plural of 'shafah' (lip), referring to the lips.

شَفَهِيّadjective

1.
labialboth
Relating to the lips, especially in phonetics, referring to sounds produced with the lips.

شَفَوَانِيّadjective

1.
labialclassical
Another term for labial, referring to sounds produced by the lips.

شَفَهِيَّةadjective

1.
labialboth
Pertaining to the lips, used in phonetics for sounds made with the lips.

شَفَوَانِيَّةadjective

1.
labialclassical
A variant term for labial sounds, originating from the lips.

شَفَهِيَّاتnoun

1.
labial lettersboth
The letters of the alphabet that are articulated using the lips (e.g., ب, ف, م).

شَفَهَاتnoun

1.
lipsclassical
A plural form of 'shafah', used when referring to lips.

شَفَوَاتnoun

1.
lipsclassical
Another plural form of 'shafah', used for lips.

أَشْفَىadjective

1.
having unjoined lipsclassical
A person whose lips do not close properly.

شَفَّاهِيّadjective

1.
having thick lipsboth
A person characterized by having large or thick lips.

شَافَهَverb

1.
to speak to directlyboth
To speak to someone directly, face-to-face, bringing one's lip close to theirs.

مُشَافَهَةnoun

1.
direct addressboth
The act of speaking directly to someone, face-to-face.

ذَات شَفَةphrase

1.
a single wordclassical
Literally 'possessor of a lip', used idiomatically to mean a single word or utterance.

بِنْت شَفَةphrase

1.
a single wordclassical
Idiomatic expression meaning a single word or utterance.

خَفِيف الشَّفَةphrase

1.
asking littleclassical
Someone who does not ask much from others.

شَفَة حَسَنَةphrase

1.
good reputationclassical
A good reputation or favorable mention among people.

شَافِهadjective

1.
thirstyclassical
A person who is thirsty and cannot find enough water to moisten their lips.

مَشْفُوهadjective

1.
much asked ofclassical
Someone from whom people ask a lot, to the point of depletion.
2.
depletedclassical
Someone who has exhausted their resources due to constant demands.
3.
occupiedclassical
Someone who is busy or preoccupied, often due to many demands.

شُغْلnoun

1.
occupationclassical
Being busy or occupied with something.

شَفَهَنِيverb

1.
to occupy meclassical
To preoccupy or distract someone from something.

شَفْهnoun

1.
occupationclassical
The state of being occupied or busy.

مَشْفُوهadjective

1.
in demandclassical
A resource (like water) that is much sought after and consumed by many.
2.
scarceclassical
A resource that is limited due to high demand.

سَفِهَverb

1.
to forgetclassical
To forget something, as corrected by Tha'lab.

Parallel reading

الشَّفَتَانِ طَبَقَا الْفَمِ

The two lips are the two flaps of the mouth.

وَالْوَاحِدَةُ شَفَةٌ

And the singular is 'shafah' (lip).

وَتَصْغِيرُهَا شُفَيْهَةٌ

And its diminutive is 'shufayhah'.

وَالْجَمْعُ شِفَاهٌ، بِالْهَاءِ

And the plural is 'shifah', with a haa'.

وَإِذَا نُسِبَتْ إِلَيْهَا فَأَنْتَ بِالْخِيَارِ، إِنْ شِئْتَ تَرَكْتَهَا عَلَى حَالِهَا وَقُلْتَ شَفِيٌّ مِثَالَ دَمِي وَيَدِي وَعَدِي، وَإِنْ شِئْتَ شَفَهِيٌّ

And if you attribute to it, you have a choice: if you wish, leave it as it is and say 'shafiyy' like 'damiyy', 'yadıyy', and 'adıyy', or if you wish, say 'shafahiyy'.

وَقَالَ الْكَسَائِيُّ: إِنَّهُ لَغَلِيظُ الشِّفَاهِ

And Al-Kisa'i said: 'He is thick-lipped'.

وَإِذَا ثُلِّثُوا الشَّفَةَ قَالُوا شَفَهَاتٌ وَشَفَوَاتٌ

And when they triple the lip, they say 'shafahāt' and 'shafawāt'.

وَالْهَاءُ أَقْيَسُ وَالْوَاوُ أَعَمُّ

And the haa' is more analogous, and the waw is more general.

وَالْعَرَبُ تَقُولُ هَذِهِ شَفَةٌ فِي الْوَصْلِ، وَشَفَهٌ بِالْهَاءِ

And the Arabs say 'hadhihi shafah' in connection, and 'hadhihi shafah' with a haa'.

فَمَنْ قَالَ شَفَةٌ قَالَ كَانَتْ فِي الْأَصْلِ شَفَهَةٌ فَحُذِفَتِ الْهَاءُ الْأَصْلِيَّةُ وَأُبْقِيَتْ هَاءُ الْعَلَامَةِ لِلتَّأْنِيثِ

So whoever says 'shafah' says it was originally 'shafahah', so the original haa' was deleted and the sign haa' for feminine was kept.

وَمَنْ قَالَ شَفَهٌ بِالْهَاءِ أَبْقَى الْهَاءَ الْأَصْلِيَّةَ

And whoever says 'shafah' with a haa' kept the original haa'.

وَقَدْ تُسْتَعَارُ لِلْفَرَسِ

And it may be metaphorically used for a horse.

فَبِتْنَا جُلُوسًا عَلَى مَهْرِنَا، ... نَنْزَعُ مِنْ شَفَتَيْهِ الصِّفَارَا

So we spent the night sitting on our colt, ... pulling the yellowing from its lips.

وَاسْتَعَارَ أَبُو عُبَيْدٍ الشَّفَةَ لِلدَّلْوِ فَقَالَ: كَبَنُ الدَّلْوِ شَفَتُهَا

And Abu Ubaid metaphorically used 'shafah' for a bucket, saying: 'The bucket's lip'.

وَرَجُلٌ أَشْفَى إِذَا لَمْ تَنْضَمَّ شَفَتَاهُ كَالْأَرْوَقِ

And a man is 'ashfa' if his lips do not close, like a gazelle.

وَرَجُلٌ شَفَّاهِيٌّ، بِالضَّمِّ: عَظِيمُ الشَّفَةِ

And a man is 'shaffahiyy', with dammah: large-lipped.

وَشَافَهَهُ: أَدْنَى شَفَتَهُ مِنْ شَفَتِهِ فَكَلَّمَهُ

And 'shafahahu': he brought his lip near his lip and spoke to him.

وَكَلَّمَهُ مُشَافَهَةً

And he spoke to him directly (mushāfahatan).

وَالْحُرُوفُ الشَّفَهِيَّةُ: الْبَاءُ وَالْفَاءُ وَالْمِيمُ

And the labial letters are: the baa', the faa', and the meem.

وَلَا تَقُلْ شَفَوِيَّةً

And do not say 'shafawiyyah'.

وَيُقَالُ لِلْفَاءِ وَالْبَاءِ وَالْمِيمِ شَفَوِيَّةٌ، وَشَفَهِيَّةٌ لِأَنَّ مَخْرَجَهَا مِنَ الشَّفَةِ لَيْسَ لِلِّسَانِ فِيهَا عَمَلٌ

And the faa', baa', and meem are called 'shafawiyyah' and 'shafahiyyah' because their exit is from the lip, and the tongue has no action in them.

وَمَا سَمِعْتُ مِنْهُ ذَاتَ شَفَةٍ أَيْ مَا سَمِعْتُ مِنْهُ كَلِمَةً

And I did not hear from him 'dhat shafah', meaning I did not hear a word from him.

وَمَا كَلَّمْتُهُ بِبِنْتِ شَفَةٍ أَيْ بِكَلِمَةٍ

And I did not speak to him 'bint shafah', meaning with a word.

وَفُلَانٌ خَفِيفُ الشَّفَةِ أَيْ قَلِيلُ السُّؤَالِ لِلنَّاسِ

And so-and-so is 'khafif al-shafah', meaning he asks little from people.

وَلَهُ فِي النَّاسِ شَفَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ أَيْ ثَنَاءٌ حَسَنٌ

And he has in the people a 'shafah hasanah', meaning good praise.

وَإِنَّ شَفَةَ النَّاسِ عَلَيْكَ لَحَسَنَةٌ أَيْ ثَنَاءُهُمْ عَلَيْكَ حَسَنٌ وَذِكْرُهُمْ لَكَ

And indeed, the people's 'shafah' upon you is good, meaning their praise of you is good and their remembrance of you.

وَرَجُلٌ شَافِهٌ: عَطْشَانُ لَا يَجِدُ مِنَ الْمَاءِ مَا يُبِلُّ بِهِ شَفَتَهُ

And a man is 'shafih': thirsty, not finding enough water to moisten his lip.

فَكَمْ وَطِئْنَا بِهَا مِنْ شَافِهٍ بَطَلٍ، ... وَكَمْ أَخَذْنَا مِنْ أَنْفَالٍ نَفَادِيهَا

How many a thirsty hero have we trampled with it, ... and how many spoils have we taken from those who would ransom them.

وَرَجُلٌ مَشْفُوهٌ: يُسْأَلُهُ النَّاسُ كَثِيرًا

And a man is 'mashfuh': people ask him a lot.

وَمَاءٌ مَشْفُوهٌ: كَثِيرُ الشَّارِبَةِ

And water is 'mashfuh': much drunk.

وَرَجُلٌ مَشْفُوهٌ إِذَا كَثُرَ سُؤَالُ النَّاسِ إِيَّاهُ حَتَّى نَفِدَ مَا عِنْدَهُ

And a man is 'mashfuh' if people's requests to him increase until what he has is depleted.

وَأَصْبَحْتَ يَا فُلَانُ مَشْفُوهًا مَكْثُورًا عَلَيْكَ: تُسْأَلُ وَتُكَلَّمُ

And you have become, O so-and-so, 'mashfuh' and 'makthur 'alayk': you are asked and spoken to.

وَقَدْ يَكُونُ الْمَشْفُوهُ الَّذِي أَفْنَى مَالَهُ عِيَالُهُ وَمَنْ يَقُوتُهُ

And the 'mashfuh' may be one whose family and dependents have consumed his wealth.

عَارِيَ الْأَشَاجِعِ مَشْفُوهٌ، أَخُو قَنَصٍ، ... مَا يُطْعِمُ الْعَيْنَ نَوْمًا غَيْرَ تَهْوِيمٍ

Bare-backed, 'mashfuh', brother of the hunt, ... not giving the eye sleep except for dozing.

وَالشَّفَهُ: الشُّغْلُ

And 'al-shafah': occupation.

يُقَالُ: شَفَهَنِي عَنْ كَذَا أَيْ شَغَلَنِي

It is said: 'Shafahani 'an kadha', meaning it occupied me.

وَنَحْنُ نَشْفَهُ عَلَيْكَ الْمَرْتَعَ وَالْمَاءَ أَيْ نَشْغَلُهُ عَنْكَ أَيْ هُوَ قَدْرُنَا لَا فَضْلَ فِيهِ

And we 'nashfah 'alayka' the pasture and the water, meaning we occupy it from you, meaning it is our share, there is no excess in it.

وَشَفِهَ مَا قَبْلَنَا شَفْهًا: شُغِلَ عَنْهُ

And 'shafiha ma qabalana shafhan': he was occupied from it.

وَقَدْ شَفِهَنِي فُلَانٌ إِذَا أَلَحَّ عَلَيْكَ فِي الْمَسْأَلَةِ حَتَّى أَنْفَدَ مَا عِنْدَكَ

And so-and-so has 'shafahani' if he insists on asking you until he depletes what you have.

وَمَاءٌ مَشْفُوهٌ: بِمَعْنَى مَطْلُوبٌ

And water is 'mashfuh': meaning sought after.

وَهُوَ الَّذِي قَدْ كَثُرَ عَلَيْهِ النَّاسُ كَأَنَّهُمْ نَزَحُوهُ بِشِفَاهِهِمْ وَشَغَلُوهُ بِهَا عَنْ غَيْرِهِمْ

And it is that upon which people have become numerous, as if they have drawn it with their lips and occupied it with them from others.

وَقِيلَ: مَاءٌ مَشْفُوهٌ مَمْنُوعٌ مِنْ وَرْدِهِ لِقِلَّتِهِ

And it was said: 'Mashfuh' water is forbidden to be drunk from due to its scarcity.

وَوَرَدْنَا مَاءً مَشْفُوهًا: كَثِيرَ الْأَهْلِ

And we arrived at 'mashfuh' water: with many people.

وَمَا شَفِهْتُ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ خَبَرِ فُلَانٍ شَيْئًا وَمَا أَظُنُّ إِبِلَكَ إِلَّا سَتَشْفَهُ عَلَيْنَا الْمَاءَ أَيْ تَشْغَلُهُ

And I did not 'shafih' concerning you any news of so-and-so, and I do not think your camels will 'tashfah 'alayna' the water, meaning they will occupy it.

وَفُلَانٌ مَشْفُوهٌ عَنَّا أَيْ مَشْغُولٌ عَنَّا مَكْثُورٌ عَلَيْهِ

And so-and-so is 'mashfuh 'anna', meaning occupied from us, overwhelmed.

فَإِنْ كَانَ مَشْفُوهًا فَلْيُقْعِدْهُ مَعَهُ، فَإِنْ كَانَ مَشْفُوهًا فَلْيَضَعْ فِي يَدِهِ مِنْهُ أُكْلَةً أَوْ أُكْلَتَيْنِ

If he is 'mashfuh', then let him seat him with him. If he is 'mashfuh', then let him place in his hand one or two bites from it.

الْمَشْفُوهُ: الْقَلِيلُ، وَأَصْلُهُ الْمَاءُ الَّذِي كَثُرَتْ عَلَيْهِ الشِّفَاهُ حَتَّى قَلَّ

The 'mashfuh': the little, and its origin is water upon which lips have become numerous until it became scarce.

وَقِيلَ: أَرَادَ فَإِنْ كَانَ مَكْثُورًا عَلَيْهِ أَيْ كَثُرَتْ أَكْلَتُهُ

And it was said: he meant 'if he is overwhelmed', meaning his portions have become numerous.

شَفِهْتُ نَصِيبِي، بِالْفَتْحِ

I 'shafih' my share, with fatha.