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وصع

Root entry · 4 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns small birds, specifically sparrows or birds smaller than sparrows. It also extends to the sounds these birds make and, metaphorically, to a state of humility or smallness. A less common usage relates to the act of pressing or sinking something into the ground.

Derived headwords

الوَصَعnoun
  1. 1.
    small birdboth

    A bird smaller than a sparrow, or a small sparrow.

  2. 2.
    humble stateclassical

    A state of extreme humility, likened to the smallness of a bird.

وَصَعَانnoun
  1. 1.
    small birdsboth

    Plural of الوصع, referring to small birds.

الوَصِيعnoun
  1. 1.
    sound of sparrowsclassical

    The chirping or sound made by sparrows.

  2. 2.
    small sparrowsclassical

    The young or small ones of sparrows.

يَصَعْنَverb
  1. 1.
    to press into groundclassical

    To press or sink something into the ground, specifically referring to the 'five buttocks' of a camel pressing into the ground.

  2. 2.
    to scatterclassical

    To scatter or disperse something, referring to the 'five buttocks' scattering pebbles.

Parallel reading

طائر أصغر من العصفور كما في الصحاح
A bird smaller than a sparrow, as in Al-Sihah.
يشبهه في صغر جسمه
It resembles it in the smallness of its body.
هو الصغير من العصافير
It is the small one of the sparrows.
من أولادها
From its young.
هو مقلوب الصعو
It is the reverse of 'sa'u'.
إن العرش على منكب إسرافيل، وإنه ليتواضع لله حتى يصير كأنه الوصع
Indeed, the Throne is on the shoulder of Israfil, and he humbles himself to God until he becomes like the 'was'a'.
روي الحديث بالوجهين
The hadith is narrated with both readings.
صوت العصافير
The sound of the sparrows.
صغارها أي العصافير
Their young, meaning the sparrows.
كالوصع محركة على الصواب
Like 'was'a' with vowels, correctly.
لم أسمع الوصع في كلامهم، إلا أني سمعت قول الشاعر
I have not heard 'was'a' in their speech, except that I heard the poet say.
وهو: (أناخ فنعم ما اقلولي وخوى ... على خمس يصعن حصى الجبوب)
And it is: (He dismounted, and what a good resting place he found... resting on five [parts] that press the pebbles of the ground).
أي: الثفنات الخمس ويصعن الحصى: يغيبنه في الأرض
Meaning: the five buttocks, and 'yas'ana' the pebbles means: they sink them into the ground.
أو الصواب! يصعن، بضم الصاد، أي يفرقنها، يعني الثفنات الخمس
Or the correct reading is 'yas'ana', with a damma on the sad, meaning they scatter them, referring to the five buttocks.