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صفر

Root entry · 20 derived lemmas

The root 'ṣ-f-r' primarily relates to the color yellow, but extends to concepts of emptiness, hunger, and a specific month. It encompasses various shades of yellow, the state of being empty, and even names of places, plants, and animals associated with these meanings.

Derived headwords

الصُّفْرَةُnoun
  1. 1.
    yellownessboth

    The color yellow, a known hue that can appear in animals, plants, and other things capable of taking on color. It was also reported to occur in water.

  2. 2.
    blacknessclassical

    The opposite of yellowness, meaning blackness. It is said that black camels are tinged with yellow, hence Arabs called black camels 'ṣafrā'.

  3. 3.
    a placeclassical

    A place name, specifically a town in Al-Yamamah.

اصْفَرَّverb
  1. 1.
    to become yellowboth

    To turn yellow in color.

اصْفِرَارnoun
  1. 1.
    yellownessboth

    The color yellow.

اصْفِيرَارnoun
  1. 1.
    jaundiceclassical

    A condition that affects a person, causing yellowness.

الجَوْعَةُnoun
  1. 1.
    hungerboth

    Hunger, a state of being hungry.

مَصْفُورadjective
  1. 1.
    hungryboth

    A person who is hungry.

مُصْفَرّadjective
  1. 1.
    hungryboth

    A person who is hungry.

الأَصْفَرَانِnoun
  1. 1.
    saffron and goldclassical

    Two things, often referring to saffron and gold.

  2. 2.
    saffron and waraclassical

    Two things, possibly saffron and wara.

  3. 3.
    gold and waraclassical

    Two things, possibly gold and wara.

  4. 4.
    saffron and raisinsclassical

    Two things, possibly saffron and raisins.

الصَّفْرَاءُnoun
  1. 1.
    goldboth

    Gold, due to its color.

  2. 2.
    bileboth

    The known bile, named for its color.

  3. 3.
    locustclassical

    A locust when it is empty of eggs.

  4. 4.
    a plantclassical

    A desert plant, named for its association with the plains, with leaves like lettuce, which camels eat voraciously.

  5. 5.
    a mareclassical

    The name of a mare belonging to Al-Harith Al-Adjam.

  6. 6.
    a mareclassical

    The name of a mare belonging to Majashi' Al-Sulami.

  7. 7.
    a valleyclassical

    A valley between the two holy cities, beyond Badr, near Medina, known for its abundant palm trees.

  8. 8.
    bowclassical

    A bow made from the known yew tree.

صَفَّرَverb
  1. 1.
    to dye yellowboth

    To dye a garment with yellow.

المُصَفِّرَةُadjective
  1. 1.
    marked by yellownessclassical

    Those whose mark is yellowness, similar to 'al-muḥammarah' (marked by redness).

الصُّفْرِيَّةُnoun
  1. 1.
    Yemeni datesclassical

    A type of Yemeni date, which is dried and when rubbed, crumbles. It is used to sweeten 'sawīq' (a type of porridge) and is superior to sugar.

  2. 2.
    a groupclassical

    A group of the Haruriyyah (a sect of Kharijites), possibly named after Abdullah bin Şaffār or Ziyad bin Al-Aṣfar.

الصَّفَارُnoun
  1. 1.
    dried grassclassical

    Dried grass, likely due to its yellow color.

  2. 2.
    yellow waterclassical

    Yellow water that collects in the abdomen, a condition known as 'al-saqī'.

  3. 3.
    ticksclassical

    Ticks.

  4. 4.
    hay residueclassical

    What remains in the roots of an animal's teeth, such as hay or other fodder.

  5. 5.
    a small creatureclassical

    A small creature found in the hind parts of hooves and nostrils.

الصَّفَارَةُnoun
  1. 1.
    withered plantsclassical

    What has withered from plants and changed to a yellow color.

الصَّفَرُnoun
  1. 1.
    abdominal diseaseboth

    A disease in the stomach that causes the face to turn yellow. It is also described as a worm in the belly that sticks to the ribs and bites them, or a creature that bites the ribs and flanks, causing extreme paleness and possibly death. It can also refer to hunger.

  2. 2.
    intercalationclassical

    The practice in the pre-Islamic era of postponing the sacred month of Muharram to the month of Şafar, making Şafar the sacred month.

  3. 3.
    intellectclassical

    Intellect or understanding.

  4. 4.
    lossclassical

    Loss or absence.

  5. 5.
    fearclassical

    Fear, or the core of the heart. It is used metaphorically to describe something one dislikes or that does not sit well with them.

  6. 6.
    a wormclassical

    A worm in the belly that adheres to the ribs and bites them. It is considered highly contagious among Arabs.

  7. 7.
    a monthboth

    The month after Muharram. It was named Şafar because people would travel to gather provisions, or because Mecca would become empty of its inhabitants during this month, or because they would raid tribes and leave them 'ṣafrā' (empty) of possessions.

  8. 8.
    a mountainclassical

    A mountain named Şafar, located near Medina.

  9. 9.
    copperboth

    Good quality copper, or a type of copper, or what is made from it. It is also used for the craftsman who makes copper items.

  10. 10.
    a placeclassical

    A place name.

  11. 11.
    goldclassical

    Gold, possibly referring to dinars due to their color.

  12. 12.
    emptyboth

    Empty, devoid of anything. This applies to singular, plural, masculine, and feminine forms. An empty vessel is one with nothing in it.

صَفِرَverb
  1. 1.
    to become emptyboth

    To become empty of food, drink, or milk. It is also used metaphorically to mean death or ruin.

صُفُورًاnoun
  1. 1.
    emptinessboth

    Emptiness, the state of being empty.

صَفِرٌadjective
  1. 1.
    emptyboth

    Empty, devoid of contents.

أَصْفَرَverb
  1. 1.
    to become poorboth

    To become poor or impoverished.

  2. 2.
    to emptyboth

    To empty a house or place.

صَفَّرَverb
  1. 1.
    to emptyboth

    To empty something, like a vessel or a place.

Parallel reading

كأنه جمالات صفر
Like yellow camels.
وقيل: الصفرة: لون الأصفر، وفعله اللازم الاصفرار
And it is said: 'Al-ṣufrah' is the color yellow, and its intransitive verb is 'al-iṣfirār'.
صفرة في سبيل الله خير من حمر النعم
A yellow camel in the cause of God is better than red camels.
يا صفراء اصفري، ويا بيضاء ابيضي، وغري غيري
O yellow one, be yellow; O white one, be white; and deceive another.
فما صفراء تكنى أم عوف كأن رجيلتيها منجلان
What a yellow one, nicknamed Umm 'Awf, whose two legs are like sickles.
وصفره، أي الثوب تصفيرا: صبغه بصفرة
And 'ṣafara', meaning the garment, 'taṣfīran': to dye it with yellow.
والمصفرة، كمحدثة: الذين علامتهم الصفرة
And 'al-muṣaffirah', like 'muḥaddathah': those whose mark is yellowness.
يحفف بسرا وهي صفراء، فإذا جف ففرك انفرك
It is dried as fresh dates, and it is yellow; when it dries, it crumbles when rubbed.
يبيس البهمى
Dried grass.
ما ذوى من النبات فتغير إلى الصفرة
What has withered from the plants and changed to yellowness.
أن رجلا أصابه الصفر، فنعت له السكر
A man was afflicted with 'al-ṣafar', and was prescribed sugar.
لا عدوى ولا هامة وصفر
No contagion, no owl, and Şafar.
إن صفر: دواب البطن
Indeed, 'ṣafar' refers to the creatures of the belly.
حية تكون في البطن تصيب الماشية والناس
A snake that is in the belly, affecting livestock and people.
لا يلتاط هاذا بصفري
This does not stick to my 'ṣifr' (my being).
ولا يعض على شرسوفه الصفر
Nor does he bite his flank with the 'ṣifr'.
وشهر جمادى وشهري صفر
The months of Jumada and my months of Şafar.
لقد نهيت بني ذبيان عن أقر وعن تربعهم في كل أصفار
I have forbidden the sons of Dhubyan from (drinking) 'aqar and from settling in all the 'aṣfār'.
سمي أحدهما في الإسلام المحرم
One of them was named Al-Muharram in Islam.
وهو الماء الأصفر يجتمع في البطن
It is the yellow water that collects in the abdomen.
وبج كل عاند نعور قضب الطبيب نائط المصفور
And the doctor cut the vein of the 'maṣfūr' (afflicted one) with his horn, every stubborn, gushing vein.
وهو ما صفر منه
And it is what is made yellow from it.
والصفر: الذي تعمل منه الأواني
And 'al-ṣifr', [is] that from which vessels are made.
وآنية صفر
And empty vessels.
صفر الإناء
The vessel became empty.
إن أصفر البيوت من الخير البيت الصفر من كتاب الله
Indeed, the most empty of houses in terms of goodness is the empty house of the Book of God.
صفر ردائها، وملء كسائها، وغيظ جارتها
Her veil was empty, and her garment full, and her neighbor's anger.
صفر الوطاب
The waterskins became empty.
ما أصغيت لك إناء، ولا أصفرت لك فناء
I did not overturn a vessel for you, nor did I empty a courtyard for you.