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ق ف ر

Root entry · 22 derived lemmas

This root primarily denotes emptiness, desolation, and scarcity, particularly concerning land devoid of water and vegetation, or a place empty of people. It extends to concepts of being alone, lacking provisions, and things being sparse or meager.

Derived headwords

قَفْرnoun
  1. 1.
    desolate landboth

    An empty stretch of land, devoid of water and vegetation.

  2. 2.
    empty placeboth

    A place deserted by people, though it might have sparse herbage.

  3. 3.
    scarcityclassical

    A state of being few or meager, referring to things like hair or meat.

  4. 4.
    jackalclassical

    A jackal associated with desolate places.

قَفْرَةnoun
  1. 1.
    desolate placeboth

    An empty area of land.

  2. 2.
    meager womanclassical

    A woman with little flesh or meat.

أَقْفَرَverb
  1. 1.
    to become desolateboth

    A place becoming empty of herbage and people.

  2. 2.
    to be aloneboth

    A person becoming isolated from their family and remaining alone.

  3. 3.
    to run out of foodboth

    A person's food running out, leading to hunger.

  4. 4.
    to become leanclassical

    A body becoming devoid of flesh, or a head of hair.

  5. 5.
    to become empty of provisionsclassical

    A household running out of condiments or side dishes.

قَفَرَverb
  1. 1.
    to become scarceclassical

    Property or food becoming scarce or diminishing.

  2. 2.
    to become plainclassical

    Food becoming plain, without any relish or side dish.

مَقْفَازnoun
  1. 1.
    desolate placeclassical

    A place that is barren, without vegetation or water.

قُفَّارnoun
  1. 1.
    desolate landboth

    Empty land, devoid of water and vegetation.

  2. 2.
    dry foodboth

    Food, especially barley gruel, that is not mixed with any relish or oil.

قَفَّارadjective
  1. 1.
    dryboth

    Describing food that is plain and not mixed with oil or relish.

قَفَّرَverb
  1. 1.
    to make desolateclassical

    To make a place empty of herbage and people.

قَفِيرnoun
  1. 1.
    basketclassical

    A type of basket, a Yemeni dialect word.

  2. 2.
    foodclassical

    Food that is not mixed with any relish.

  3. 3.
    large dried fishclassical

    A large dried fish, specifically the Bahranian 'jalla' which is salted 'kannad'.

  4. 4.
    water sourceclassical

    A well or water source.

اِقْتَفَرَverb
  1. 1.
    to follow a traceboth

    To follow and track a trace or footprint.

  2. 2.
    to seek knowledgeclassical

    To diligently seek and pursue knowledge.

  3. 3.
    to strip cleanclassical

    To strip a bone completely, leaving nothing on it.

تَقَفَّرَverb
  1. 1.
    to follow a traceclassical

    To follow and track a trace or footprint.

قُفُورnoun
  1. 1.
    plantclassical

    A plant that wild animals like the 'qata' graze on.

  2. 2.
    perfume ingredientclassical

    A component of perfumes or aromatic substances.

قَفُورnoun
  1. 1.
    perfume ingredientclassical

    A type of aromatic substance or perfume ingredient.

قَفِيرَةnoun
  1. 1.
    meager womanclassical

    A diminutive form referring to a woman with little flesh.

اِقْتِفَارnoun
  1. 1.
    following a traceclassical

    The act of following and tracking a trace.

  2. 2.
    stripping cleanclassical

    The act of stripping a bone completely.

مُقْفِرadjective
  1. 1.
    empty of foodclassical

    Devoid of food.

قَفَّارname
  1. 1.
    nicknameclassical

    A nickname for Khalid ibn Amir, given because he served plain bread.

قَفْرnoun
  1. 1.
    bullclassical

    A bull separated from its mother for plowing.

قَافُورnoun
  1. 1.
    perfume ingredientclassical

    A type of aromatic substance or perfume ingredient.

قَفَرَverb
  1. 1.
    to find emptyclassical

    To find a place empty of people.

قَفَّرَverb
  1. 1.
    to eat without relishclassical

    A person eating their food without any side dish or condiment.

قَفِيرnoun
  1. 1.
    place nameclassical

    A place name mentioned in poetry.

Parallel reading

القفز، والقفزة: الخلاء من الأرض لا ماء به ولا نبات.
Al-qafz, and al-qafzah: the emptiness of the land, with no water or vegetation in it.
يقال: أرض قفر، ومفازة قفز، وقفزة: لا نبات بها ولا ماء، كالمقفاز، بالكسر.
It is said: a desolate land, and a barren expanse, and a desolate place: with no vegetation or water in it, like al-maqfaz, with kasra.
ويقال: دار قفر، ومنزل قفز، فإذا أفردت قلت: انتهينا إلى قفرة من الأرض.
And it is said: a desolate house, and an empty dwelling, and when you single it out, you say: we reached a desolate area of land.
قال الليث: القفر: المكان الخلاء من الناس، وربما كان به كلأ قليل، ج قفار وقفور
Al-Layth said: Al-qafru: the place empty of people, and it might have sparse herbage, plural qifār and qufūr.
ويقال: أرض قفر، ودار قفر، وأرض قفار، ودار قفار: تجمع على سعتها لتوهم المواضع، كل موضع على حياله قفر، فإذا سميت أرضا بهذا الاسم أنثت.
And it is said: desolate land, and a desolate house, and desolate lands, and desolate houses: they are gathered in their vastness to imply places, each place individually is desolate, and when you name a land with this name, you make it feminine.
وأقفر المكان: خلا من الكلإ والناس.
And the place became desolate: it became empty of herbage and people.
ومن المجاز: أقفر الرجل: خلا من أهله وانفرد عنهم، وبقي وحده
And metaphorically: a man became isolated: he became empty of his family and separated from them, remaining alone.
ومن المجاز: أقفر الرجل: ذهب طعامه وجاع.
And metaphorically: a man became desolate: his food ran out and he became hungry.
وقفر ماله، كفرح، قفرا، وكذلك زمر ماله زمرا، إذا قل، وهو قفر المال زمره عن أبي زيد.
And his wealth diminished, like 'faraha', qafaran, and likewise his wealth decreased greatly, if it became little, and he is one whose wealth is scarce, according to Abu Zayd.
وقفر الطعام قفرا: صار قفارا، أي بلا أدم.
And food became qafara, qafaran: it became plain, i.e., without relish.
ومن المجاز: القفر ككتف: القليل القفر محركة، أي الشعر، هكذا فسره ابن دريد، وأنشد:
And metaphorically: Al-qafru, like 'katif': the little, the sparse, with haraka, i.e., hair, thus Ibn Durayd interpreted it, and he recited:
قال الأزهري: الذي عرفناه بهذا المعنى الغفر بالغين، ولا أعرف القفر.
Al-Azhari said: What we know with this meaning is al-ghafru with ghayn, and I do not know al-qafru.
وفي المحكم: رجل قفر الشعر واللحم: قليلهما، والأنثى قفرة وقفرة، وكذلك الدابة.
And in Al-Muhkam: a man with sparse hair and flesh: little of them, and the female is qafrah and qafrah, and likewise the animal.
تقول منه: قفرت المرأة، بالكسر، تقفر قفرا فهي قفرة، أي قليلة اللحم.
You say from it: the woman became qafirat, with kasr, taqfuru qafaran, so she is qafrah, i.e., lean.
وقال أبو عبيد: القفرة من النساء: القليلة اللحم.
And Abu Ubayd said: Al-qafrah among women: the lean one.
والقفر، ككتف: الذئب المنسوب إلى القفر، كرجل نهر، أنشد ابن الأعرابي:
And Al-qafru, like 'katif': the jackal attributed to the desolation, like a man from Nahr, Ibn Al-A'rabi recited:
ومن المجاز: سويق قفار، كسحاب: غير ملتوت بإدام.
And metaphorically: qaffar barley gruel, like 'sahab': not mixed with relish.
ومن المجاز: خبز قفر وقفار: غير مأدوم، يقال: أكلت اليوم خبزا قفارا، وطعاما قفارا، إذا أكله غير مأدوم.
And metaphorically: plain bread and qaffar bread: not served with relish, it is said: I ate plain bread today, and plain food, if eaten without relish.
قال أبو زيد: مأخوذ من القفر: البلد الذي لا شئ به هكذا نقله أبو عبيد.
Abu Zayd said: Derived from al-qafru: the land that has nothing in it, thus Abu Ubayd transmitted it.
والتقفير: جمعك الشيء نحو التراب وغيره.
And al-taqfeer: your gathering of things like dust and other materials.
والقفير، كأمير: الزبيل، قال ابن دريد: لغة يمانية.
And al-qafīr, like 'amīr: the basket, Ibn Durayd said: a Yemeni dialect.
والقفير: الطعام إذا كان غير مأدوم.
And al-qafīr: food if it is not served with relish.
وقال أبو عمرو: القفير والقليف: الجلة العظيمة البحرانية التي يحمل فيها القباب، وهو الكنعد المالح.
And Abu Amr said: Al-qafīr and al-qalīf: the large Bahranian dried fish in which the 'qubab' is carried, which is the salted 'kannad'.
والقفير: ماء، ويقال: بئر بأرض عذرة من، وفي بعض النسخ: في طريق الشأم، كذا في مختصر البلدان.
And al-qafīr: water, and it is said: a well in the land of 'Adhrah, and in some versions: on the road to Sham, as in Mukhtasar al-Buldan.
ومن المجاز: قفر الأثر، واقتفره، وتقفره: اقتفاه وتبعه، هكذا في النسخ، والصواب: تتبعه.
And metaphorically: qafara the trace, wa-qtafarahu, wa-taqaffarahu: to follow it and pursue it, thus in the manuscripts, and the correct is: to follow it.
وفي حديث يحيى بن يعمر: ظهر قبلنا أناس يتقفرون العلم ويروى يقتفرون، أي يتطلبونه.
And in the narration of Yahya ibn Ya'mur: people appeared before us seeking knowledge, and it is narrated 'yaqtafirūn', meaning they are pursuing it.
وفي حديث بني إسرائيل: وكانوا يقتفرون الأثر وأنشد لأعشى باهلة يرثى أخاه المنتشر ابن وهب:
And in the narration of the Children of Israel: they used to follow the trace, and he recited for Al-A'sha Bahila mourning his brother Al-Muntashir ibn Wahb:
قال الزمخشري: هو مأخوذ من قولهم: اقتفر العظم، إذا لم يبق عليه شيئا.
Al-Zamakhshari said: It is derived from their saying: iqtafar al-'adhma, if nothing remains on it.
والقفور، كتنور: وعاء طلع النخل، وقال الأصمعي: الكافور: وعاء النخل.
And al-qufūr, like 'tannūr': the spathe of the date palm, and Al-Asma'i said: Al-kāfūr: the spathe of the palm.
ويقال أيضا: قفور، كالقافور، لغة في الكافور، والقفور: نبت ترعاه القطا، قال ابن أحمر:
And it is also said: qufūr, like qāfūr, a dialect for kāfūr, and al-qufūr: a plant that the wild cats graze on, Ibn Ahmar said:
والقفيرة، كجهينة: اسم أم الفرزدق الشاعر قاله الليث.
And al-qufayrah, like 'juhaynah': the name of the mother of the poet Al-Farazdaq, Al-Layth said.
وقال الأزهري: كأنه تصغير القفرة من النساء، وهي القليلة اللحم.
Al-Azhari said: It seems to be a diminutive of al-qafrah among women, which is the lean one.
واقتفر العظم: تعرقه ولم يبق فيه شيئا، أنشد الكسائي:
And iqtafar al-'adhma: to scrape it and leave nothing on it, Al-Kisa'i recited:
وأقفرت البلد: وجدته، وفي التكملة: أصبته قفرا، أي خاليا عن الناس.
And the land became desolate: you found it, and in Al-Takmilah: you found it desolate, i.e., empty of people.
والقفار، كسحاب: لقب خالد ابن عامر أحد بني عميرة بن خفاف ابن امرئ القيس، سمي بذلك لأنه نزل به قوم، فأطعمهم خبزا قفارا، وقيل: بل أطعم في وليمة خبزا ولبنا ولم يذبح لهم، فلامه الناس، فقال:
And Al-Qaffār, like 'sahāb': the nickname of Khalid ibn Amir, one of the Banu Amira ibn Khifaf ibn Imru' al-Qays, he was named thus because a people descended upon him, and he fed them plain bread, and it was said: rather, he served bread and milk at a feast and did not slaughter for them, so people blamed him, and he said:
والقفر، بالفتح: الثور إذا عزل عن أمه ليحرث به وهو مجاز، كرجل انفرد عن عشيرته.
And Al-qafru, with fatha: the bull if it is separated from its mother to be used for plowing, and this is metaphorical, like a man separated from his kin.
أقفر الرجل: صار إلى القفر.
A man became desolate: he went to the desolation.
وأقفر جسده من اللحم، ورأسه من الشعر.
And his body became lean of flesh, and his head of hair.
وإنه لقفر الرأس: أي لا شعر عليه.
And indeed, his head is bare: meaning no hair on it.
وإنه لقفر الجسم من اللحم.
And indeed, his body is lean of flesh.
والقفرة: المرأة القليلة اللحم عن أبي عبيد.
And Al-qafrah: the lean woman, according to Abu Ubayd.
وأقفر الرجل: أكل طعامه بلا أدم.
And a man became desolate: he ate his food without relish.
وأقفر الرجل، إذا لم يبق عنده أدم.
And a man became desolate, if he had no relish left.
ما أقفر بيت فيه خل، أي ما خلا من الإدام ولا عدم أهله الأدم.
How desolate is a house with vinegar in it, meaning it is not empty of relish, nor do its people lack relish.
قال أبو عبيد: ولا أرى أصله إلا مأخوذا من القفر: البلد الذي لا شيء به.
Abu Ubayd said: And I do not see its origin except as derived from al-qafru: the land that has nothing in it.
والمقفر: الخالي من الطعام.
And Al-muqfir: the one empty of food.
والعرب تقول: نزلنا ببني فلان فبتنا القفر، إذا لم يقروا.
And the Arabs say: We descended upon the sons of so-and-so and spent the night in desolation, if they did not provide hospitality.
والقافور، والقفور: كافور الطيب نقله الصاغاني.
And Al-qāfūr, and Al-qufūr: the camphor of perfume, as transmitted by Al-Saghani.
وقال الليث: القفور: شئ من أفاويه الطيب. وأنشد:
Al-Layth said: Al-qufūr: something from the aromatics of perfume. And he recited:
مثواة عطارين بالعطور أهضامها والمسك والقفور
The resting place of perfumers with their fragrances, their essences, musk, and qufūr.
وهكذا ذكره الأزهري أيضا.
And thus Al-Azhari mentioned it as well.
والقفير، كزبير: موضع في شعر ابن مقبل.
And Al-qafīr, like 'zubayr': a place in the poetry of Ibn Muqbil.
ومن أمثالهم: نبت القفر يقال للحجر والصخر.
And among their proverbs: the plant of the desolate land is said of stone and rock.