ح ر ف

Root entry · 14 derived lemmas

The root ح ر ف (ḥ-r-f) primarily relates to edges, borders, and sharp points. It extends to concepts of sides, directions, and the marginal. This semantic field encompasses linguistic elements (letters), physical features (mountains, swords), animal descriptions (lean, swift), and abstract notions like deviation, change, and livelihood.

Derived headwords

الحَرْفnoun

1.
edge, sideboth
The edge, border, or side of something, such as a mountain or a tool.
2.
letter of the alphabetboth
One of the 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet, so named because it represents an edge or boundary of sound.
3.
lean, swift she-camelclassical
A lean, strong, and swift she-camel, likened to the edge of a mountain or sword due to its leanness and speed.
4.
difficult situationclassical
A difficult or perilous situation, metaphorically referred to as being on the edge.
5.
particle (grammar)both
A word that conveys meaning only in relation to other words, connecting nouns to nouns and verbs to verbs, like prepositions and conjunctions.
6.
region, areaclassical
A specific region or area, such as a district in Anbar.
7.
edge of one's affairboth
Being on the verge or edge of a matter, implying anticipation or uncertainty.
8.
type of grainboth
The seeds of garden cress (Lepidium sativum).
9.
livelihood, professionboth
A profession, trade, or means of earning a living.
10.
sufficiencyclassical
The state of being sufficient or enough, particularly for one's dependents.

الحرف من كل شيء: طرفه وشفيره وحده — The edge of everything is its tip and its sharp side.

الحرف: واحد حروف التهجي الثمانية والعشرين — The letter: one of the twenty-eight letters of the alphabet.

الحرف: الناقة الضامرة الصلبة — The letter (describing a camel): the lean, solid she-camel.

متى ما تشأ أحملك والرأس مائل ... على صعوبة حرف وشيك طمورها — Whenever you wish, I will carry you with your head tilted... on a difficult, sharp she-camel whose offspring are swift.

الحرف عند النحاة: ما جاء لمعنى ليس باسم ولا فعل — The particle according to grammarians: that which comes for a meaning that is neither a noun nor a verb.

فلان على حرف من أمره — So-and-so is on the edge of his affair.

ومن الناس من يعبد الله على حرف — And among the people is he who worships Allah on an edge (i.e., uncertainly).

الحرف: حب الرشاد — The harf: seeds of garden cress.

حرف لعياله، يحرف من حد ضرب: أي كسب من ههنا وههنا — He earned for his family, he earned from here and there.

الحرفة، بالضم: حب الرشاد — Al-ḥirfah (with dammah): seeds of garden cress.

الحرفة، بالكسر: الطعمة والصناعة التي يرتزق منها — Al-ḥirfah (with kasrah): the sustenance and craft from which one earns a living.

حَرْفnoun

1.
edge, sideboth
The edge or side of something.
2.
letter of the alphabetboth
A letter of the alphabet.

ج حرف الجبل: حرف، كعنب — The plural of harf al-jabal: harf, like 'inab.

حُرُوفnoun

1.
letters (plural)both
The plural of 'ḥarf', referring to letters of the alphabet.

حروف المعجم كلها مؤنثة — All the letters of the lexicon are feminine.

أَحْرُفnoun

1.
letters (plural)both
Another plural form for 'ḥarf', referring to letters of the alphabet.

نزل القرآن على سبعة أحرف — The Quran was revealed on seven letters (modes of recitation).

حَرَّفَverb

1.
to change, alterboth
To change, distort, or falsify something, especially words or meanings.
2.
to earn a livingclassical
To work or strive to earn a living, often by seeking resources from various places.
3.
to make leanclassical
To make a camel lean or emaciated.

ثم يحرفونه — Then they alter it.

حرف لعياله، يحرف من حد ضرب: أي كسب من ههنا وههنا — He earned for his family, he earned from here and there.

أحرفت ناقتي: إذا هزلتها — My she-camel became lean: if you made her lean.

تَحْرِيفnoun

1.
alteration, distortionboth
The act of changing, distorting, or falsifying something, particularly texts or meanings.

التحريف: التغيير والتبديل — Alteration: changing and substituting.

مُحَرَّفnoun

1.
place of workclassical
A place where one works, earns a living, or engages in activity.
2.
changer, transformerclassical
One who changes or alters something.

المحترف، بفتح الراء: موضع يحترف فيه الإنسان — Al-muḥraf (with fatha on ra): a place where a person works.

أمنت بمحرف القلوب — I believed in the Changer of hearts.

مُحَرِّفnoun

1.
changer, falsifierboth
One who changes or falsifies something, especially words or meanings.

يحرفون الكلم عن مواضعه — They distort the words from their places.

حِرْفَةnoun

1.
profession, tradeboth
A profession, craft, or occupation by which one earns a living.
2.
sustenance, livelihoodboth
The means of earning a livelihood or sustenance.
3.
seeds of garden cressboth
The seeds of garden cress (Lepidium sativum).

الحرفة، بالكسر: الطعمة والصناعة التي يرتزق منها — Al-ḥirfah (with kasrah): the sustenance and craft from which one earns a living.

الحرف، بالضم: حب الرشاد، واحدته حرفة — Al-ḥarf (with dammah): seeds of garden cress, its singular is ḥirfah.

حَرِيفnoun

1.
business associateboth
One with whom you conduct business or have dealings.
2.
drinking companionclassical
A companion for drinking or socializing.

حريفك: معاملك، كما في الصحاح، في حرفتك — Your ḥarīf: your business associate, as in Al-Ṣiḥāḥ, in your trade.

ومن استعمال أكثر الترك إياه في معرض الذم — And from the usage of most non-Arabs is its use in a context of blame.

مِحْرَافnoun

1.
surgical probeclassical
An instrument used for measuring or probing wounds in surgery.

إذا الطبيب بمحرافيه عالجها ... زادت على النقر أو تحريكها ضجما — If the physician treated it with his probes, it increased from probing or moving it.

أَحْرَفَverb

1.
to increase wealthclassical
To increase one's wealth or property.
2.
to strive for dependentsclassical
To work hard to provide for one's family.
3.
to retaliateclassical
To repay someone for good or evil.

أحرف الرجل فهو محرف نما ماله وصلح وكثر — The man became prosperous, so he is prosperous, his wealth grew and became good and abundant.

أحرف الرجل: إذا كد على عياله — Aḥrafa the man: if he worked hard for his family.

مُحَرِّفnoun

1.
changer, transformerclassical
One who changes or transforms something.

أمنت بمحرف القلوب — I believed in the Changer of hearts.

حَرْفِيّadjective

1.
artisanalboth
Relating to artisans or craftsmen.

الحرفيون المحدثون نسبة إلى بيعه أي: الحرف — The modern artisans, attributed to selling it, i.e., crafts.

Parallel reading

الحرف من كل شيء: طرفه وشفيره وحده

The edge of everything is its tip and its sharp side.

ومن ذلك حرف الجبل، وهو: أعلاه المحدد

And from that is the edge of the mountain, which is its sharp summit.

الحرف: واحد حروف التهجي الثمانية والعشرين

The letter: one of the twenty-eight letters of the alphabet.

وحروف المعجم كلها مؤنثة

And all the letters of the lexicon are feminine.

الحرف: الناقة الضامرة الصلبة

The letter (describing a camel): the lean, solid she-camel.

الحرف عند النحاة أي في اصطلاحهم: ما جاء لمعنى ليس باسم ولا فعل

The particle according to grammarians, i.e., in their terminology: that which comes for a meaning that is neither a noun nor a verb.

ومن الناس من يعبد الله على حرف

And among the people is he who worships Allah on an edge (i.e., uncertainly).

أي: على وجه واحد، أي: إذا لم ير ما يحب انقلب على وجهه

Meaning: on one side, i.e., if he does not see what he likes, he turns over on his face.

نزل القرآن على سبعة أحرف، كلها شاف كاف

The Quran was revealed on seven letters (modes of recitation), all of which are healing and sufficient.

فاقرؤوا كما علمتم

So recite as you have been taught.

حرف لعياله، يحرف من حد ضرب: أي كسب من ههنا وههنا

He earned for his family, he earned from here and there, meaning he gained from this place and that place.

حرف الشيء عن وجهه حرفا: صرفه

He turned the thing from its intended meaning: he diverted it.

الحرف، بالضم: حب الرشاد

Al-ḥarf (with dammah): seeds of garden cress.

الحرفة، بالكسر: الطعمة والصناعة التي يرتزق منها

Al-ḥirfah (with kasrah): the sustenance and craft from which one earns a living.

حريفك: معاملك، كما في الصحاح، في حرفتك

Your ḥarīf: your business associate, as in Al-Ṣiḥāḥ, in your trade.

إذا الطبيب بمحرافيه عالجها

If the physician treated it with his probes.

أحرف الرجل فهو محرف نما ماله وصلح وكثر

The man became prosperous, so he is prosperous, his wealth grew and became good and abundant.

التحريف: التغيير والتبديل

Alteration: changing and substituting.

يحرفون الكلم عن مواضعه

They distort the words from their places.