خفق

Root entry · 18 derived lemmas

The root خفق (khafaqa) primarily denotes a sense of rapid, fluttering, or striking motion. This motion can apply to physical objects like flags, hearts, and lightning, as well as abstract concepts like the setting of stars or the failure of an endeavor. It also extends to actions like striking with a wide object or moving quickly.

Derived headwords

خَفَقَverb

1.
he fluttered, he beat (with kasra in the present tense and two fathas in the verbal noun)both
he fluttered, he beat (with kasra in the present tense and two fathas in the verbal noun)
2.
the lightning flashedboth
the lightning flashed
3.
the man nodded his head while drowsyboth
the man nodded his head while drowsy

خفقت الراية تخفق وتخفق خفقا وخفقانا — The flag fluttered, fluttering, with a flutter and a fluttering motion.

خَفَقَانnoun

1.
fluttering, beatingboth
The act of fluttering or beating rapidly, used for flags, hearts, and lightning.
2.
rustling soundclassical
The sound of wind, described as its rustling or the sound of its movement.

خفقت الراية تخفق وتخفق خفقا وخفقانا — The flag fluttered, fluttering, with a flutter and a fluttering motion.

وخفقت الريح خفقانا، وهو حفيفها — And the wind rustled with a rustling sound, which is its rustling, i.e., the sound of its movement.

خَفَقَ البَرْقُverb

1.
lightning flashedboth
Lightning flashed or shimmered.

خفق البرق خفقا — The lightning flashed.

خَفَقَتِ الرِّيحُverb

1.
wind rustledclassical
The wind made a rustling sound as it moved.

وخفقت الريح خفقانا، وهو حفيفها، أي دوى جريها — And the wind rustled with a rustling sound, which is its rustling, i.e., the sound of its movement.

خَفَقَ الرَّجُلُverb

1.
nodded offboth
A man nodded his head while drowsy.

خفق الرجل، أي حرك رأسه وهو ناعس — The man nodded, meaning he moved his head while drowsy.

تَخْفِقُ رُؤُوسُهُمْverb

1.
their heads were noddingboth
Their heads were nodding, indicating drowsiness.

كانت رؤوسهم تخفق خفقة أو خفقتين — Their heads were nodding once or twice.

خَفَقَ الأَرْضَ بِنَعْلِهِverb

1.
stamped his footboth
To strike the ground with one's sandal or shoe.

وخفق الارض بنعله — And he stamped the ground with his sandal.

خَفَقَهُ بِالسَّيْفِverb

1.
struck him lightly with the swordboth
To strike someone with a sword with a light blow.

يقال: خفقه بالسيف يخفق ويخفق، إذا ضربه به ضربة خفيفة — It is said: he struck him with the sword, he strikes and strikes, if he struck him with it a light blow.

مِخْفَقَةnoun

1.
whip, riding cropboth
A whip or riding crop used for striking.

والمخفقة: الدرة التي يضرب بها — And the mikhfaqah: the whip with which one strikes.

مِخْفَقnoun

1.
wide swordclassical
A sword that is wide.

والمخفق: السيف العريض — And the mikhfaq: the wide sword.

خَفَقَ الطَّائِرُverb

1.
bird flewclassical
A bird flew.

ويقال: خفق الطائر، أي طار — And it is said: the bird flew, meaning it flew.

أَخْفَقَverb

1.
struck with wingsclassical
To strike with one's wings, in the context of a bird flying.
2.
flashed, shimmeredclassical
To flash or shimmer, used for a person waving a garment.
3.
set, disappearedclassical
To set or disappear below the horizon, used for stars.
4.
failed, was unsuccessfulboth
To fail in an endeavor, such as a military expedition or hunting.

وأخفق إذا ضرب بجناحيه — And he succeeded if he struck with his wings.

وأخفق الرجل، إذا غزا ولم يغنم وأخفق الصائد، إذا رجع ولم يصطد — And the man failed if he went on an expedition and did not gain spoils, and the hunter failed if he returned without catching anything.

خُفُوقُ النَّجْمِnoun

1.
setting of the starclassical
The time when a star sets or disappears below the horizon.

يقال: وردت خفوق النجم، أي وقت خفوق الثريا، يجعله ظرفا وهو مصدر — It is said: 'I arrived at the setting of the star,' meaning the time of the setting of the Pleiades, making it an adverbial of time, and it is a masdar.

خَفَّاقُ الْقَدَمِadjective

1.
broad-footedclassical
Describing a person whose forefoot is wide.

ورجل خفاق القدم، إذا كان صدر قدمه عريضا — And a man with a broad foot, if the front part of his foot is wide.

خَفَّاقَةُ الْحَشَاadjective

1.
lean-belliedclassical
Describing a woman who is lean-bellied or has a small stomach.

وامرأة خفاقة الحشا، أي خميصة — And a woman with a lean belly, meaning having a small stomach.

الْخَافِقَانِnoun

1.
the two horizons of the East and Westboth
the two horizons of the East and West

والخافقان: أفقا المشرق والمغرب. قال ابن السكيت: لأن الليل والنهار يخفقان فيهما — And the two horizons: the eastern and western horizons. Ibn al-Sikkit said: because night and day flutter or meet in them.

خَيْفَقadjective

1.
vast, wideclassical
Describing a desert that is vast and wide, where mirages shimmer.
2.
very fastclassical
Describing a horse or an ostrich that is very fast.

وفلاة خيفق، أي واسعة يخفق فيها السراب — And a vast desert, meaning wide where the mirage shimmers.

وفرس خيفق، أي سريعة جدا، وكذلك ظليم خيفق — And a very fast horse, and likewise a very fast ostrich.

خِنْفِيقnoun

1.
calamity, disasterclassical
A great calamity or disaster.
2.
bold, impudent womanclassical
A light-footed and bold or impudent woman.

وهو أيضا الخفيفة من النساء الجريئة. قال سيبويه: والنون زائدة جعلها من خفق الريح — And it is also the light-footed and bold woman. Sibawayh said: the 'nun' is extra, deriving it from the sound of the wind.

Parallel reading

خفقت الراية تخفق وتخفق خفقا وخفقانا، وكذلك القلب والسراب، إذا اضطربا.

The flag fluttered, fluttering, with a flutter and a fluttering motion, and likewise the heart and the mirage, when they are agitated.

ويقال: خفق البرق خفقا، وخفقت الريح خفقانا، وهو حفيفها، أي دوى جريها.

And it is said: the lightning flashed with a flash, and the wind rustled with a rustling sound, which is its rustling, i.e., the sound of its movement.

وأما قول رؤبة: مشتبه الاعلام لماع الخفق

As for the saying of Ru'bah: 'Confusing the banners, the shimmering of the flutter'

فإنما حركه للضرورة.

He only moved it for necessity.

وخفق الرجل، أي حرك رأسه وهو ناعس.

And the man nodded, meaning he moved his head while drowsy.

وفى الحديث: " كانت رؤوسهم تخفق خفقة أو خفقتين ".

And in the Hadith: 'Their heads were nodding once or twice.'

وخفق الارض بنعله.

And he stamped the ground with his sandal.

وكل ضرب بشئ عريض: خفق.

And every strike with a wide object: khafq.

يقال: خفقه بالسيف يخفق ويخفق، إذا ضربه به ضربة خفيفة.

It is said: he struck him with the sword, he strikes and strikes, if he struck him with it a light blow.

والمخفقة: الدرة التي يضرب بها.

And the mikhfaqah: the whip with which one strikes.

والمخفق: السيف العريض.

And the mikhfaq: the wide sword.

ويقال: خفق الطائر، أي طار.

And it is said: the bird flew, meaning it flew.

وأخفق إذا ضرب بجناحيه.

And he succeeded if he struck with his wings.

وأخفق الرجل، إذا غزا ولم يغنم وأخفق الصائد، إذا رجع ولم يصطد.

And the man failed if he went on an expedition and did not gain spoils, and the hunter failed if he returned without catching anything.

وطلب حاجة فأخفق.

And he sought a need and failed.

ورجل خفاق القدم، إذا كان صدر قدمه عريضا.

And a man with a broad foot, if the front part of his foot is wide.

وامرأة خفاقة الحشا، أي خميصة.

And a woman with a lean belly, meaning having a small stomach.

والخافقان: أفقا المشرق والمغرب. قال ابن السكيت: لأن الليل والنهار يخفقان فيهما.

And the two horizons: the eastern and western horizons. Ibn al-Sikkit said: because night and day flutter or meet in them.

وفلاة خيفق، أي واسعة يخفق فيها السراب.

And a vast desert, meaning wide where the mirage shimmers.

وفرس خيفق، أي سريعة جدا، وكذلك ظليم خيفق.

And a very fast horse, and likewise a very fast ostrich.

والخنفقيق: الداهية. يقال: داهية خنفقيق.

And the khinfafiq: the calamity. It is said: a calamitous calamity.

وهو أيضا الخفيفة من النساء الجريئة. قال سيبويه: والنون زائدة جعلها من خفق الريح، قال الشاعر: وقد طلقت ليلة كلها فجاءت بها مؤدنا خنفقيقا ويروى: " مؤتنا ".

And it is also the light-footed and bold woman. Sibawayh said: the 'nun' is extra, deriving it from the sound of the wind, and the poet said: 'And I was divorced for a whole night, so she brought it with a bold woman.' It is narrated: 'my bold woman.'