عفا

Root entry · 27 derived lemmas

The root عفا primarily relates to concepts of covering, erasing, abundance, and forgiveness. It encompasses physical phenomena like dust covering ruins, as well as abstract ideas such as forgiveness, abundance of life, and the passing of time.

Derived headwords

العَفَاءnoun

1.
with fatḥa and madd: dustboth
with fatḥa and madd: dust

إذا دخلت بيتي فأكلت رغيفا وشربت عليه ماء فعلى الدنيا العفاء — If I enter my house, eat a loaf of bread, and drink water with it, then upon the world is dust (meaning it will perish).

على آثار من ذهب العفاء — upon the traces of those whom dust has covered (i.e., they have perished).

العَفَاءnoun

1.
with fatḥa and madd: dustboth
with fatḥa and madd: dust

ناقة ذات عفاء — a she-camel with abundant fur.

العَفْوnoun

1.
pure goldboth
pure gold
2.
what is easy/accessible from men's mannersboth
what is easy/accessible from men's manners
3.
the one who forgives muchboth
the one who forgives much

إن يهبطوا العفو لم يوجد لهم أثر — If they descend upon the untrodden land, no trace of them will be found.

العَفْوnoun

1.
pure goldboth
pure gold
2.
what is easy/accessible from men's mannersboth
what is easy/accessible from men's manners
3.
the one who forgives muchboth
the one who forgives much

وطعن كتشهاق العفا هم بالنهق — and a stab like the braying of a young donkey.

العَفَاnoun

1.
foalboth
A young donkey (feminine is عفوة).

العفا بالكسر — The young donkey (with kasra).

عَفْو المالnoun

1.
what remains after expensesboth
what remains after expenses

خذي العفو مني تستديمي مودتي — Take what I freely give (surplus) from me to sustain my affection.

عَفْوَةnoun

1.
best part, essenceboth
The choicest, finest, or softest part of something.

ذهبت عفوة هذا النبت أي لينه وخيره — The best part of this plant is gone, meaning its softness and goodness.

عَفْوverb

1.
to forgiveboth
To pardon someone for a mistake or offense, to refrain from punishment.
2.
to let go, excuseboth
To release someone from an obligation or request.

عفوت عن ذنبه، إذا تركته ولم تعاقبه — I forgave his sin, meaning I left him and did not punish him.

اعفني من الخروج معك — Excuse me from going out with you.

عَفَاverb

1.
to become abundantboth
To increase in number or quantity.
2.
to grow long (hair)both
To become overgrown or long, especially referring to hair.

حتى عفوا — until they became numerous.

وتعفى اللحى — and let the beards grow long.

عَفَاverb

1.
to become worn out, erasedboth
To be effaced, worn down, or obliterated by time or elements.

عفا المنزل يعفو: درس — The house became worn out: it became ruined.

عفت الريح المنزل: درسته — The wind erased the house: it wore it down.

عَفَاverb

1.
to seek favorboth
To approach someone seeking a favor or kindness.

عفوته، أي أتيته أطلب معروفه — I approached him, meaning I came to him seeking his favor.

عَافَىverb

1.
to grant well-beingboth
To protect someone from harm or illness; to grant them health and safety.

عافاه الله — May God grant him well-being.

أَعْفَىverb

1.
to excuseboth
To relieve someone from a duty or obligation.
2.
to let growboth
To allow something, like hair, to grow long.

أعفاه من الخروج معه — He excused him from going out with him.

أمر أن تحفى الشوارب وتعفى اللحى — He commanded that the mustaches be trimmed and the beards be left to grow.

العَافِيَةnoun

1.
God's defense of the servantboth
God's defense of the servant

عافاه الله عافية — May God grant him well-being.

والعافية: كل طالب رزق من إنسان أو بهيمة أو طائر — And the 'afiyah: every seeker of sustenance from human, animal, or bird.

عَافِيَةnoun

1.
water sourceclassical
The place where one goes to fetch water.

عافية الماء: واردته — The 'afiyah of water: its source (where it is fetched from).

العَفَاوَةnoun

1.
first part of brothclassical
The first, choicest part skimmed from broth, often reserved for honored guests.

ذات العفاوة — possessing the best part of the broth.

العَفَاوَةnoun

1.
bottom of brothclassical
The last part of the broth, left at the bottom of the pot.

العفاوة بالضم: آخره، يردها مستعير القدر مع القدر — The 'afawah (with damma): its end, which the borrower of the pot returns with the pot.

العَافِيnoun

1.
ruined, worn-outboth
Something that has been erased or worn down, especially by wind or time.
2.
long-hairedboth
Someone with long or overgrown hair.

لأسماء عفي آيه المور والقطر — for Asma', whose traces the wind and rain have worn away.

والعافي: الطويل الشعر — And the 'afi: the long-haired.

العُفَاةnoun

1.
those who seek favorboth
those who seek favor

وفلان تعفوه الأضياف وتعتفيه الأضياف — And so-and-so, guests seek favors from him and approach him for favors.

تَعَفَّىverb

1.
to seek to be excusedboth
To ask to be excused or exempted from something.

استعفاه من الخروج معه، أي سأله الإعفاء منه — He asked him to be excused from going out with him, meaning he asked him for exemption from it.

تَعَفَّىverb

1.
to be sought afterboth
To be approached by guests or others seeking favors or hospitality.

فلان تعفوه الأضياف — So-and-so, guests seek favors from him.

عَفَّىverb

1.
to wear down, eraseclassical
To cause something to become worn out or erased, often used with emphasis.

عفتها الريح، شدد للمبالغة — The wind wore it down, intensified for exaggeration.

عَفِيّadjective

1.
worn out, erasedclassical
Describing something that has been effaced or worn down by time or elements.

والعفي: جمع عاف، وهو الدارس — And al-'afi: plural of 'af, which is the worn-out.

العَفْوnoun

1.
pure goldboth
pure gold
2.
what is easy/accessible from men's mannersboth
what is easy/accessible from men's manners
3.
the one who forgives muchboth
the one who forgives much

والعفو، على فعول: الكثير العفو — And al-'afu, on the pattern 'ufool: the very forgiving.

عَفَاverb

1.
to be clear, uncloudedclassical
Used for water that is pure and undisturbed.

عفا الماء، إذا لم يطرقه شئ يكدره — The water became clear, meaning nothing disturbed its purity.

أَعْفَىverb

1.
to cause to be forgivenclassical
To cause someone to be forgiven or pardoned.

عفوته أنا وأعفيته أيضا، لغتان، إذا فعلت ذلك به — I pardoned him and also caused him to be pardoned, two linguistic forms, if you did that to him.

العَفَاةnoun

1.
those who seek favorboth
those who seek favor

وكثير العفاة وكثير العافية — and many seekers of favor and many who are well.

Parallel reading

إذا دخلت بيتي فأكلت رغيفا وشربت عليه ماء فعلى الدنيا العفاء.

If I enter my house, eat a loaf of bread, and drink water with it, then upon the world is dust (meaning it will perish).

وقال أبو عبيدة: العفاء: الدروس، والهلاك.

Abu Ubaidah said: Al-'afaa' means oblivion and destruction.

على آثار من ذهب العفاء

upon the traces of those whom dust has covered (i.e., they have perished).

وهذا كقولهم: عليه الدبار، إذا دعا عليه أن يدبر فلا يرجع.

This is like their saying: 'May ruin be upon him,' when one curses him to perish and not return.

والعفاء بالكسر والمد: ما كثر من ريش النعام ووبر البعير.

And al-'afaa' (with kasra and madd): what is abundant of ostrich feathers and camel hair.

يقال: ناقة ذات عفاء.

It is said: a she-camel with abundant fur.

والعفو: الأرض الغفل التي لم توطأ وليست بها آثار.

And al-'afw: the uncultivated land that has not been trodden and has no tracks.

قبيلة كشراك النعل دارجة * إن يهبطوا العفو لم يوجد لهم أثر

A tribe, like the sole of a sandal, moving along * If they descend upon the untrodden land, no trace of them will be found.

والعفو والعفو والعفو: الجحش.

And al-'afwu, al-'afwu, and al-'afwu: the young donkey.

وكذلك العفا بالفتح والقصر، والانثى عفوة.

And likewise al-'afa (with fatha and qasr), and the female is 'afwah.

بضرب يزيل الهام عن سكناته * وطعن كتشهاق العفا هم بالنهق

With a strike that removes heads from their places * And a stab like the braying of a young donkey.

وعفو المال: ما يفضل عن النفقة.

And 'afw al-mal: what remains after expenses.

يقال: أعطيته عفو المال، يعني بغير مسألة.

It is said: I gave him from the surplus money, meaning without him asking.

خذي العفو مني تستديمي مودتي * ولا تنطقي في سورتي حين أغضب

Take what I freely give (surplus) from me to sustain my affection * And do not speak of my anger when I am displeased.

وعفوة الشئ بالكسر: صفوته.

And 'afwah of a thing (with kasra): its choicest part.

يقال: ذهبت عفوة هذا النبت أي لينه وخيره.

It is said: the best part of this plant is gone, meaning its softness and goodness.

وأكلت عفوة الطعام والشراب، أي خياره.

And I ate the best of the food and drink, meaning its choicest part.

ويقال: اعفني من الخروج معك، أي دعني منه.

And it is said: Excuse me from going out with you, meaning let me be from it.

واستعفاه من الخروج معه، أي سأله الإعفاء منه.

And he asked him to be excused from going out with him, meaning he asked him for exemption from it.

وعافاه الله وأعفاه بمعنى، والاسم العافية، وهى دفاع الله عن العبد وتوضع موضع المصدر.

And 'aafahu Allah and 'a'fahu are synonymous, and the noun is al-'aafiyah, which is God's defense of the servant and takes the place of the masdar.

يقال: عافاه الله عافية.

It is said: May God grant him well-being.

والعافية: كل طالب رزق من إنسان أو بهيمة أو طائر.

And al-'aafiyah: every seeker of sustenance from human, animal, or bird.

والعافية: واردته.

And the 'aafiyah of water: its source (where it is fetched from).

والعفاوة بالكسر: ما يرفع من المرق أولا يخص به من يكرم.

And al-'afaawah (with kasra): what is skimmed from the broth first, reserved for the honored guest.

تقول منه: عفوت له من المرق، إذا غرفت له أولا وآثرته به.

You say from it: I scooped for him from the broth, meaning I scooped for him first and preferred it for him.

وقال بعضهم: العفاوة بالكسر: أول المرق وأجوده.

Some said: Al-'afaawah (with kasra): the first and best of the broth.

والعفاوة بالضم: آخره، يردها مستعير القدر مع القدر.

And al-'afaawah (with damma): its end, which the borrower of the pot returns with the pot.

يقال منه: عفوت القدر، إذا تركت ذلك في أسفلها.

It is said from it: I left the pot, meaning I left that at its bottom.

فلا تسأليني واسألي عن خليقتي * إذا رد عافي القدر من يستعيرها

So do not ask me, but ask about my nature * When the one borrowing the pot returns what is left in it.

والعافي: ما ترك في القدر.

And al-'afi: what is left in the pot.

وعفت الريح المنزل: درسته.

And the wind wore down the house: it erased it.

وعفا المنزل يعفو: درس، يتعدى ولا يتعدى.

And the house became worn out, it became ruined; it is transitive and intransitive.

وتعفت الدر: درست.

And the milk became worn out: it became ruined.

عفتها الريح، شدد للمبالغة.

The wind wore it down, intensified for exaggeration.

أهاجك ربع دارس الرسم باللوى * لأسماء عفي آيه المور والقطر

Does a ruined dwelling place in Al-Lawah stir you * For Asma', whose traces the wind and rain have worn away?

ويقال أيضا: عفى على ما كان منه، إذا أصلح بعد الفساد.

And it is also said: 'He rectified what was wrong with it,' meaning he fixed it after corruption.

والعفي: جمع عاف، وهو الدارس.

And al-'afi: plural of 'af, which is the worn-out.

وعفوت عن ذنبه، إذا تركته ولم تعاقبه.

And I forgave his sin, meaning I left him and did not punish him.

والعفو، على فعول: الكثير العفو.

And al-'afu, on the pattern 'ufool: the very forgiving.

وعفا الماء، إذا لم يطرقه شئ يكدره.

And the water became clear, meaning nothing disturbed its purity.

وعفا الشعر والبنت وغيرهما: كثر.

And hair, girls, and others became abundant: they increased.

حتى عفوا

until they became numerous.

عفوته أنا وأعفيته أيضا، لغتان، إذا فعلت ذلك به.

I pardoned him and also caused him to be pardoned, two linguistic forms, if you did that to him.

وفى الحديث: " أمر أن تحفى الشوارب وتعفى اللحى ".

And in the hadith: 'He commanded that the mustaches be trimmed and the beards be left to grow.'

والعافي: الطويل الشعر.

And the 'afi: the long-haired.

وعفوته، أي أتيته أطلب معروفه.

And I approached him, meaning I came to him seeking his favor.

وأعتفيته مثله.

And I sought favor from him, similarly.

والعفاة: طلاب المعروف، الواحد عاف.

And al-'ufaat: seekers of favor, singular is 'aaf.

وقد عفا يعفو.

And he sought favor, he seeks favor.

وفلان تعفوه الأضياف وتعتفيه الأضياف، وهو كثير العفاة وكثير العافية، وكثير العفى.

And so-and-so, guests seek favors from him and approach him for favors, and he is abundant in seekers of favor, abundant in well-being, and abundant in guests.