د ل ف

Root entry · 22 derived lemmas

This root primarily describes a slow, deliberate, or measured gait, often associated with age, heaviness, or a steady advance. It extends to concepts of moving forward steadily, whether in walking, military advance, or even the slow progression of time or a burden.

Derived headwords

دَلَفَverb

1.
to walk slowlyboth
To walk with a slow, measured, or deliberate pace, often described as a gait between crawling and normal walking, or a steady, unhurried movement.
2.
to advance steadilyboth
To move forward or advance steadily, particularly in a military context, signifying a slow but determined progression.
3.
to approachboth
To draw near to someone or something, implying a gradual and steady approach.
4.
to be heavyclassical
To be weighed down, either literally by a burden or figuratively by age or illness, causing slow movement.

دلف الشيخ، يدلف، دلفا — The old man walked slowly, he walks slowly, a slow walk.

دَلِيفٌnoun

1.
slow walkboth
The act of walking slowly and deliberately, a measured gait.
2.
steady advanceclassical
A slow, steady progression or movement forward.

ودليفا، كأمير — and a slow walk, like the pattern of 'amir'.

دَلَفَانٌnoun

1.
slow walkingboth
The act of walking with a slow, measured pace.

ودلفانا، محركة — and slow walking, with the middle letter vowelized.

دَالِفٌadjective

1.
walking slowlyboth
One who walks with a slow, deliberate, or measured gait.
2.
advancing steadilyclassical
A military unit that advances steadily.
3.
falling shortclassical
An arrow that strikes below the target and then falls away.
4.
heavy-ladenboth
Someone walking with a heavy load, moving with a slow, steady pace.
5.
oldclassical
An elderly person whose age causes them to move slowly.

شيخ دالف — An old man walking slowly.

السهم الذي يصيب مادون الغرض، ثم ينبو عن موضعه — The arrow that hits below the target, then falls away from its place.

دَلَفَتِ الْكَتِيبَةُverb

1.
the battalion advancedclassical
The military unit moved forward steadily and deliberately.

دلفت الكتيبة في الحرب: أي تقدمت — The battalion advanced in war: meaning it moved forward.

دُلُفٌnoun

1.
slow-moving onesclassical
A plural for 'dhalūf', referring to swift eagles that move slowly in their hunting circles.

جمع دلوف للعقاب السريعة — Plural of 'dhalūf' for swift eagles.

دَلَفَnoun

1.
slow walkboth
The act of walking slowly and deliberately.
2.
advancementclassical
The act of moving forward or progressing.
3.
braveclassical
A brave or courageous person.

الدلف، بالفتح — The 'dalf', with the initial letter pronounced fathah.

دُلُفٌnoun

1.
slow-moving onesclassical
Plural of 'dhalūf', referring to swift eagles that move slowly in their hunting circles.

جمع دلوف للعقاب السريعة — Plural of 'dhalūf' for swift eagles.

دَلَفَnoun

1.
slow walkboth
The act of walking slowly and deliberately.
2.
advancementclassical
The act of moving forward or progressing.
3.
braveclassical
A brave or courageous person.

الدلف، بالكسر — The 'dalf', with the initial letter pronounced kasrah.

دُلُوفٌnoun

1.
slow walkclassical
The act of walking slowly and deliberately.
2.
swift eagleclassical
A swift eagle, particularly when circling slowly.

الدلوف، بالضم: المشي الرويد — The 'daluuf', with the initial letter pronounced dammah: a slow walk.

أَبُو دَلَفٍname

1.
a famous person's kunyaclassical
A kunya (patronymic name) for a famous historical figure, Abu Dalf al-Qasim ibn Isa al-Ajli, and his descendants.

أبو دلف، بفتح اللام — Abu Dalf, with the 'lam' pronounced fathah.

الدُّلْفِينُnoun

1.
dolphinboth
A marine animal, often described as a dolphin, known for saving drowning people; also identified with the 'dukhs'.

والدلفين، بالضم وكسر الفاء: دابة بحرية تنجي الغريق — And the 'dulfayn', with the initial letter pronounced dammah and the faa' pronounced kasrah: a marine animal that saves the drowning.

الْمُنْدَلِفُadjective

1.
slow-moving lionclassical
A lion that walks with a calm, unhurried gait, moving deliberately and without haste.

والمندلف، والمتدلف: الأسد الماشي على هينته، من غير إسراع في مشيه — And the 'mundalif', and the 'mutadallif': the lion walking with ease, without hastening its pace.

الْمُتَدَلِّفُadjective

1.
slow-moving lionclassical
A lion that walks with a calm, unhurried gait, moving deliberately and without haste.

انْدَلَفَverb

1.
to descendclassical
To move downwards or to fall, often implying a steady descent.
2.
to walkclassical
To walk or move along.
3.
to approachclassical
To draw near to someone or something.

اندلف على: انصب — 'Indalafa upon': to descend.

أَدْلَفَهُ الْكِبَرُverb

1.
age made him slowclassical
Old age caused him to walk slowly or move with difficulty.

وقد أدلفه الكبر — And old age has made him slow.

دَلَفَ الْمَالُverb

1.
the wealth dwindledclassical
Wealth diminished or decreased due to extreme emaciation or loss.

ودلف المال، يدلف، دليفا: رزم من الهزال — And 'dalf al-mal', 'yadlif', 'dalifan': to be reduced from emaciation.

دَلَفَ إِلَيْهِverb

1.
he approached himboth
He drew near to him or moved towards him.

ودلف إليه: قرب منه، وأقبل عليه — And 'dalafa ilayhi': he drew near to him, and turned towards him.

عَجَائِزُ دَوَالِفٌadjective

1.
slow-moving old womenclassical
Elderly women who walk slowly due to age.

وعجائز دوالف — And old women who walk slowly.

جَمَلٌ دَلُوفٌadjective

1.
fat camelclassical
A fat camel that walks with a heavy, swaying gait due to its size.

وجمل دلوف: سمين يدلف من سمنه — And a 'dalūf' camel: a fat one that walks heavily due to its fatness.

نَخْلَةٌ دَلُوفٌadjective

1.
fruitful palm treeclassical
A palm tree that bears a heavy load of fruit, metaphorically described as moving slowly under its weight.

ونخلة دلوف: كثيرة الحمل — And a 'dalūf' palm tree: heavy with fruit.

الدَّلَافُnoun

1.
slow walkersclassical
Plural of 'dālif', referring to those who walk slowly.

والدلاف: جمع دالف، ككاتب وكتاب — And 'al-dalāf': plural of 'dālif', like 'kātib' and 'kutāb'.

Parallel reading

دلف الشيخ، يدلف، دلفا، بالفتح، ويحرك، ودليفا، كأمير، ودلفانا، محركة: إذا مشى مشي المقيد، وهو فوق الدبيب

The old man walked slowly, he walks slowly, a slow walk (with fathah), and it is moved (with dammah), and a slow walk (like 'amir' pattern), and slow walking (with middle letter vowelized): when he walks the walk of one hobbled, which is above crawling.

وقيل: الدليف: المشي الرويد، يقال: دلف: إذا مضى، وقارب الخطو

And it is said: 'al-dalīf' is the slow walk; it is said: 'dalafa' if he proceeded and shortened his steps.

وقال الأصمعي: دلف الشيخ، فخصص، يقال: شيخ دالف

And Al-Asma'i said: 'dalafa al-shaykh', so he specified it; it is said: 'shaykh dālif' (an old man walking slowly).

سلام في الصحيفة من لقيط ... إلى من بالجزيرة من إياد ... بأن الليث آتيكم دليفا ... فلا يحبسكم سوق النقاد

A greeting in the letter from Laqīt... to those in the island of Iyad... that the lion is coming to you slowly... so let the market of the appraisers not detain you.

دلفت الكتيبة في الحرب: أي تقدمت كما في الصحاح، وفي المحكم: سعت رويدا

The battalion advanced in war: meaning it moved forward as in Al-Sihah, and in Al-Muhkam: it proceeded slowly.

والدالف: السهم الذي يصيب مادون الغرض، ثم ينبو عن موضعه، كما في الصحاح، وهو مجاز

And 'al-dālif': the arrow that hits below the target, then falls away from its place, as in Al-Sihah, and this is metaphorical.

وهو مجاز. الدالف أيضا: مثل الدالح، وهو الماشي بالحمل الثقيل مقاربا للخطو

And this is metaphorical. 'Al-dālif' is also: like 'al-dālih', which is one walking with a heavy load, shortening his steps.

وقد دلف الحامل بحمله دليفا: أثقله

And the carrier walked with his load a slow walk: it weighed him down.

وعلى القياسر في الخدور كواعب ... رجح الروادف فالقياسر دلف

And on the couches in the chambers, young women... their hips are heavy, so the couches are slow-moving (or the women are slow-moving).

يجمع أيضا على دلف، مثل كتب، وأنشد ابن السكيت لقيس ابن الخطيم: لنا مع آجامنا وحوزتنا ... بين ذراها مخارف دلف

It is also pluralized as 'dulaf', like 'kutub'. And Ibn Al-Sikkit narrated for Qays ibn Al-Khatim: We have, with our thickets and our territory... among their heights, slow-moving palm groves.

قال: أراد بالمخارف نخلات يخترف منها، والدلف: التي تدلف بحملها

He said: he meant by 'makhārif' palm trees from which fruit is picked, and 'al-dalf' (plural) are those that move slowly with their load.

والدلف، ككتب أيضا: هي النماقة التي تدلف بحملها: أي: تنهض به، عن ابن عباد

And 'al-dalf', like 'kutub' also: it is the she-camel that moves slowly with its load: meaning: it rises with it, from Ibn 'Abbad.

قال ابن بري: صوابه: أبو دلف، كزفر، من كناهم غير مصروف، لأنه معدول عن دالف، ذكر ذلك الهروي في كتاب الذخائر

Ibn Birri said: its correctness is: Abu Dalf, like 'Zufar', from their kunyas, not inflected, because it is derived from 'dālif', this was mentioned by Al-Harawi in the book of Treasures.

ومن أسماء العرب: دلف، فعل من دلف، كأنهت مصروف من دالف، مثل زفر، وعمر

And among the names of Arabs: Dalf, a verb from 'dalafa', as if it were inflected from 'dālif', like Zufar and 'Amr.

وإذا أطلق الأمير فهو المراد به عند أئمة النسب، وكان يقال له: الخطيب الثاني

And when 'Al-Amir' is mentioned, he is the one intended by the scholars of genealogy, and he was called: the Second Orator.

والدلفين، بالضم وكسر الفاء: دابة بحرية تنجي الغريق، كما في الصحاح، وهي الدخس الذي تقدم ذكرها، موجودة في بحر دمياط كثيرا

And 'al-dulfayn', with the initial letter pronounced dammah and the faa' pronounced kasrah: a marine animal that saves the drowning, as in Al-Sihah, and it is the 'dukhs' which was previously mentioned, found abundantly in the sea of Damietta.

والدلف، بالكسر: الشجاع، عن أبي عمر و

And 'al-dalf', with the kasrah: the brave, from Abu 'Amr.

والدلف، بالضم: جمع دلوف للعقاب السريعة، عن ابن الأعرابي، وأنشد: إذا السقاة اضطجعوا للأذقان عقت كما عقت دلوف العقبان

And 'al-dulf', with the dammah: plural of 'dhalūf' for swift eagles, from Ibn Al-A'rabi, and he recited: When the drinkers lie down on their chins, she circles as the swift eagles circle.

والمندلف، والمتدلف: الأسد الماشي على هينته، من غير إسراع في مشيه، ويقارب خطوه، لإدلاله، وقلة فزعه

And 'al-mundalif', and 'al-mutadallif': the lion walking with ease, without hastening its pace, and shortening its steps, due to its confidence and lack of fear.

قال: ذو لبد مندلف مزعفر

He said: possessing a mane, walking slowly, saffron-colored.

واندلف على: انصب، عن ابن عباد، يقال: تدلف إليه، أي: تمشى

And 'indalafa upon': to descend, from Ibn 'Abbad; it is said: 'tadallafa ilayhi', meaning: he walked.

وفي العباب: مشى، ودنا، قال ابن عباد أدلف له القول، أي: أضخم له

And in Al-'Abab: he walked, and he approached; Ibn 'Abbad said 'adlafa lahu al-qawl', meaning: he made the statement grand for him.

وقد أدلفه الكبر، عن ابن الأعرابي، وأنشد: هزئت زنيبة أن رأت ثرمى ... وأن انحنى لتقادم ظهري ... من بعد ما عهدت فأدلفني ... يوم يمر وليلة تسري

And old age has made him slow, from Ibn Al-A'rabi, and he recited: Zunaybah mocked when she saw my brokenness... and my back bent from age... after she knew me, so I became slow... on a day that passes and a night that travels.

والدالف: الكبير الذي قد اختضعته السن

And 'al-dālif': the old one who has been subdued by age.

ودلف المال، يدلف، دليفا: رزم من الهزال

And wealth dwindled, it dwindles, a dwindling: reduced from emaciation.

والدلف، محركة: التقدم

And 'al-dalf', with the middle letter vowelized: advancement.

ودلفنا لهم: تقدمنا

And we advanced towards them: we moved forward.

ودلف إليه: قرب منه، وأقبل عليه، من الدليف، وهو المشي الرويد، كما في اللسان

And he walked towards him: he drew near to him, and turned towards him, from 'al-dalīf', which is the slow walk, as in Al-Lisān.

وعجائز دوالف

And old women who walk slowly.

وجمل دلوف: سمين يدلف من سمنه، وهو مجاز

And a 'dalūf' camel: a fat one that walks heavily due to its fatness, and this is metaphorical.

ونخلة دلوف: كثيرة الحمل، وهو مجاز

And a 'dalūf' palm tree: heavy with fruit, and this is metaphorical.

والدلاف: جمع دالف، ككاتب وكتاب، ومنه قول رؤبة: وإضت أمشي مشية الدلاف

And 'al-dalāf': plural of 'dālif', like 'kātib' and 'kutāb', and from it is the saying of Ru'bah: And I walked the walk of the slow walkers.