ظ ل ف

Root entry · 30 derived lemmas

The root ظ ل ف (ẓ-l-f) primarily relates to the hoof or cloven foot of certain animals, extending to concepts of firmness, solidity, and the ground itself. It also encompasses meanings of following, pursuing, and achieving one's needs or desires, as well as hardship and difficulty.

Derived headwords

الظَّلِفnoun

1.
Cloven hoofboth
The hoof of an animal that chews cud, such as a cow, sheep, or gazelle, serving the same function as a foot for humans.
2.
Falsehood, voidclassical
Meaning falsehood or something that is void and without consequence, as in 'voided blood'.
3.
Need, requirementclassical
A need or requirement, as in 'I found no need from him'.
4.
Following, continuityclassical
Continuity or following in movement or other matters, such as 'the camels came on one hoof', meaning consecutively.
5.
Firm groundclassical
A type of firm, solid ground that does not leave tracks and is not marshy or sandy.

ظَلِفَverb

1.
To be firm, solidclassical
Describing land as firm and solid, not leaving tracks.
2.
To followclassical
To follow someone's tracks.
3.
To hit the hoofclassical
To strike the hoof of an animal, as in hunting.

ظُلُوفnoun

1.
Cloven hoovesboth
Plural of ظلف (ẓilf), referring to the cloven hooves of animals.
2.
Firmness, solidityclassical
Firmness or solidity, used as an emphatic reinforcement.

أَظْلافnoun

1.
Cloven hoovesboth
Plural of ظلف (ẓilf), referring to the cloven hooves of animals.

ظَلِفَةnoun

1.
Firm groundclassical
Land that is firm, solid, and does not leave tracks, similar to a hard plateau.
2.
Part of a saddleclassical
The edge of a saddle or pack saddle that touches the ground.

ظَلِفٌadjective

1.
In a bad stateclassical
Someone in a poor or miserable condition.
2.
Difficult, hardclassical
Describing a difficult or arduous matter or situation.
3.
Rough placeclassical
A rough or difficult place, often with much sand.

ظَلِيفَةnoun

1.
The whole, entiretyclassical
The origin, entirety, or essence of something.
2.
Hardshipclassical
Hardship, difficulty, or a state of distress.

أَظْلُوفَةnoun

1.
Hard, stony groundclassical
A type of hard, stony ground resembling a mountain's formation.

أَظْلَفَverb

1.
To hide tracksclassical
To conceal one's tracks, either by walking on rough ground or by other means, to avoid being followed.
2.
To prevent, restrainclassical
To prevent oneself or another from doing or approaching something.
3.
To fall into hard groundclassical
To step into a place described as أظلوفة (aẓlūfah), meaning hard, stony ground.

ظَلِفَ النَّفْسadjective

1.
Noble, self-restrainedclassical
A person who is noble, self-restrained, or abstains from base desires.

ظَلِيفًاadverb

1.
For free, without costclassical
To take or give something without payment, freely or gratuitously.

ظَلِيفَتَهُnoun

1.
Its entiretyclassical
The entirety or origin of something, taken completely.

ظَلَفَverb

1.
To followclassical
To follow someone's tracks.

ظَلِفَverb

1.
To conceal tracksclassical
To conceal one's tracks by walking on rough ground.

ظَلِفَverb

1.
To be restrainedclassical
To restrain oneself from something.

ظَلِفَverb

1.
To hit the hoofclassical
To strike the hoof of an animal.

ظَلْفَاءnoun

1.
Flat rockclassical
A flat, extended rock surface that is level with the ground.

ظَلْفَةnoun

1.
Camel brandclassical
A specific brand or mark used on camels.

ظَلِيفnoun

1.
Hard placeclassical
A rough or difficult place, often with much sand.

ظَلِفٌnoun

1.
Hardshipclassical
Hardship, difficulty, or a state of distress.

ظَلِيفَةnoun

1.
The wholeclassical
The origin and entirety of something.

ظَلِفnoun

1.
Desire, appetiteclassical
Desire or appetite, as in 'he eats with his molars and treads with his hoof'.

ظَلَفَاتnoun

1.
Hardship, difficultyclassical
A state of hardship, distress, or narrow circumstances.
2.
Extremitiesclassical
The extremities or edges of something.

ظَلِفَverb

1.
To be restrainedclassical
To be restrained or desist from something.

ظَلِفَverb

1.
To keep awayclassical
To keep someone or something away from something else.

ظَلِفَverb

1.
To increaseclassical
To increase or add to something.

ظَلِيفَةnoun

1.
The wholeclassical
The origin and entirety of something.

ظَلِفَ النَّفْسadjective

1.
Proud, dignifiedclassical
A woman who is proud or has high self-esteem.

ظَلِفَverb

1.
To keep awayclassical
To keep someone away from something.

ظَلِفٌnoun

1.
Easy thingclassical
Something that is easy or insignificant.

Parallel reading

والظلف: الباطل عن أبي عمر و، ويروى بالطاء أيضا، كما تقدم، وسيأتي أيضا.

And al-ẓilf: falsehood, according to Abu Amr, and it is also narrated with Ṭāʾ, as previously mentioned and will be mentioned again.

والظلف: المباح الهدر.

And al-ẓilf: that which is permissible and void.

والظلف بالكسر: ظفر كل ما اجتر، وهو للبقرة والشاة والظبي وشبهها بمنزلة القدم لنا، ج: ظلوف وأظلاف

And al-ẓilf (with kasra): the hoof of every ruminant, which is for the cow, sheep, gazelle, and the like, in the position of a foot for us, pl. ẓulūf and aẓlāf.

يقال: رجل الإنسان، وقدمه، وحافر الفرس، وخف البعير والنعامة، وظلف البقرة والشاة، واستعاره الأخطل للإنسان فقال: إلى ملك أظلافه لم تشقق

It is said: the foot of a human, and their foot, the hoof of a horse, the foot of a camel and ostrich, and the hoof of a cow and sheep. Al-Akhṭal used it metaphorically for a human, saying: To a king whose hooves were not split.

استعارها للخيل، فقال: وخيلي تطأكم بأظلافها

He used it metaphorically for horses, saying: And my horses tread upon you with their hooves.

والظلف: الحاجة يقال: ما وجدت عنده ظلفي: أي حاجتي.

And al-ẓilf: the need. It is said: I found no need from him: meaning my need.

جاءت الإبل على ظلف واحد، أي متتابعة.

The camels came on one hoof, meaning consecutively.

وبالضم، وبضمتين: جمع ظليف.

And with damma, and with two dammas: plural of ẓalīf.

وظلوف ظلف، كركع: أي شداد وهو توكيد لها

And ẓulūf ẓilf, like rukkāʿ: meaning strong, and it is an emphasis for them.

ويقال: وجد ظلفه: أي مراده وما يهواه ويوافقه.

And it is said: he found his ẓilf: meaning his desire and what he likes and agrees with.

وجدت الشاة ظلفها: أي وجدت مرعى موافقا، فلا تبرح منه يضرب مثلا للذي يجد ما يوافقه

The sheep found its ẓilf: meaning it found a suitable pasture, so it did not leave it. This is an example for one who finds what suits him.

أرض ظلفة، كفرحة بينة الظلف، نقله الجوهري عن الأموي وزاد غيره: مثل سهلة، ويحرك، وقد ظلفت، كفرح ظلفا: غليظة لا تؤدي أثرا ولا يستبين عليها المشي من لينها فتتبع.

Land ẓalfah, like fariḥah, clearly ẓilf, narrated by Al-Jawhari from Al-Ummawi, and others added: like sahlah, and it is moved. And it became ẓalifat, like fariḥa, ẓalafan: meaning thick, it does not leave a trace, and walking on it is not evident due to its softness, so it is followed.

والظلفة: الأرض التي لا يتبين فيها أثر، وهي قف غليظ، وهي الظلف

And al-ẓalfah: the land in which no trace is evident, and it is a thick plateau, and it is al-ẓilf.

عليك الظلف من الأرض لا ترمضها.

Adhere to the firm ground, do not let it burn your feet.

والظلف أيضا: شدة العيش من ذلك، هكذا مضبوط عندنا بالكسر، والصواب بالتحريك، ومن ذلك حديث سعد بن أبي وقاص: كان يصيبنا ظلف العيش بمكة: أي بؤسه وشدته وخشونته.

And al-ẓilf also: hardship of living from that. It is recorded with kasra among us, and the correct pronunciation is with haraka. And from this is the hadith of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas: We used to experience the ẓilf of living in Mecca: meaning its misery, severity, and roughness.

والظلفة، كفرحة: طرف حنو القتب والإكاف وأشباه ذلك مما يلي الأرض من جوانبها، والجمع: ظلف وظلفات.

And al-ẓalfah, like fariḥah: the edge of the saddle-frame and pack-saddle and the like, that which touches the ground from its sides. The plural is ẓilf and ẓalfāt.

وهن أي الظلفت: الخشبات الأربع اللواتي يكن على جنبي البعير، تصيب أطرافها السفلى الأرض إذا وضعت عليها

And they, meaning al-ẓilfat: the four wooden pieces that are on the sides of the camel, their lower ends touching the ground when it is set down.

كأن مواقع الظلفات منه ... مواقع مضرحيات بقار

As if the marks of the ẓilfat on it... were the marks of vultures' droppings on a rock.

كان يؤذن على ظلفات أقتاب مغرزة في الجدار

He used to call the adhan from the parts of saddle frames fixed in the wall.

والظليف، كأمير: السيئ الحال نقله الجوهري. والذليل في معيشته.

And al-ẓalīf, like amīr: in a bad state, narrated by Al-Jawhari. And humiliated in his living.

والظليف من الأماكن: الخشن نقله الجوهري، زاد غيره: فيه رمل كثير.

And al-ẓalīf of places: rough, narrated by Al-Jawhari. Others added: it contains much sand.

والظليف من الأمور: الشديد الصعب يقال: شر ظليف: أي شديد، نقله الجوهري.

And al-ẓalīf of matters: severe and difficult. It is said: an evil ẓalīf: meaning severe, narrated by Al-Jawhari.

والظليف: الشدة وكل ما عسر عليك مطلبه: ظليف.

And al-ẓalīf: severity, and everything whose pursuit is difficult for you is ẓalīf.

والظليف من الرقبة: أصلها ومنه قولهم: أخذ بظليف رقبته: أي بأصلها.

And al-ẓalīf of the neck: its origin. From this is their saying: he took him by the ẓalīf of his neck: meaning by its origin.

ورجل ظليف النفس، وظلفها ككتف: أي نزهها وهو من قولهم: ظلفه عن كذا ظلفا: إذا منعه.

And a man ẓalīf al-nafs, and ẓalafahā (like katif): meaning he kept it pure, and it is from their saying: he ẓalafahu from something, ẓalafan: if he prevented him.

ذهب فلان بغلامي ظليفا: أي بغير ثمن مجانا

So-and-so took my slave ẓalīfan: meaning without price, for free.

فقلت كلوها في ظليف فعمكم ... هو اليوم أولى منكم بالتكسب

So I said, 'Eat it for free, your uncle... is more deserving of earning today than you.'

ويقال: أخذه بظليفه، وظلفه، محركة: أي أخذه كله ولم يترك منه شيئا كما في العباب، وهو قول أبي زيد، والذي في اللسان: أخذ الشيء بظليفته وظلفته: أي بأصله وجميعه، ولم يدع منه شيئا.

And it is said: he took it by its ẓalīfah, and ẓilfah (moved): meaning he took all of it and left nothing of it, as in Al-ʿAbbāb, and this is the saying of Abu Zayd. And what is in Al-Lisān: he took the thing by its ẓalīfah and ẓilfah: meaning by its origin and all of it, and left nothing of it.

وقال أبو عمر و: ذهب دمه ظلفا بالفتح ويحرك: أي باطلا هدرا لم يثأر به، قال: وسمعته بالطاء والظاء.

And Abu Amr said: His blood went ẓalafan (with fatha and moved): meaning in vain, void, unavenged. He said: And I heard it with Ṭāʾ and Ẓāʾ.

والأظلوفة، بالضم: أرض صلبة فيها حجارة حداد، كأن خلقتها خلقة الجبل

And al-aẓlūfah, with damma: hard ground with iron-like stones, as if its formation was like that of a mountain.

لمح الصقور علت فوق الأظاليف

The sighting of falcons rose above the hard grounds.

وأظلف الرجل: وقع فيها، أي: الأظلوفة، أو في الظلف.

And a man aẓlaf: he fell into it, meaning: al-aẓlūfah, or into al-ẓilf.

وظلف نفسه عنه يظلفها ظلفا: منعها من أن تفعله، أو تأتيه

And he ẓalafa himself from it, yẓlifuhā ẓalafan: he prevented it from doing it, or coming to it.

لقد أظلف النفس عن مطعم ... إذا ما تهافت ذبانه

Indeed, I have restrained the soul from food... when its flies swarm.

أو ظلفها عنه: إذا كفها عنه.

Or he ẓalafahā from it: if he restrained it from it.

وظلف أثره يظله بالضم ويظلفه بالكسر، ظلفا فيهما: أخفاه لئلا يتبع، أو مشى في الحزونة كيلا يرى أثره فيها

And he ẓalafa its track, yaẓalluhu (with damma) and yaẓlifuhu (with kasra), ẓalafan in both: he hid it so as not to be followed, or he walked on rough ground so that his track would not be seen on it.

ألم أظلف عن الشعراء عرضي ... كما ظلف الوسيقة بالكراع

Did I not protect my honor from the poets... just as the pursued animal's tracks are hidden in the rocky ground?

يقول: ألم أمنعهم أن يؤثروا فيها، والوسيقة: الطريدة كظالفه هكذا في سائر النسخ، وهو غلط، صوابه: كأظلفه، كما هو نص الصحاح واللسان.

He says: Did I not prevent them from leaving their mark on it? And al-wasīqah: the hunted animal, like ẓālifahu, as in all copies. This is an error; the correct reading is ka-aẓlafahu, as stated in Al-Ṣiḥāḥ and Al-Lisān.

وظلف القوم يظلفهم ظلفا: اتبع أثرهم كما في اللسان.

And he ẓalafa a people, yẓlifuhum ẓalafan: he followed their tracks, as in Al-Lisān.

وظلف الشاة ظلفا: أصاب ظلفها يقال: رميت الصيد فظلفته، أي: أصبت ظلفه، فهو مظلوف، نقله الجوهري عن يعقوب.

And he ẓalafa the sheep, ẓalafan: he hit its hoof. It is said: I shot at the game and ẓalafthū, meaning: I hit its hoof, so it is maẓlūf, narrated by Al-Jawhari from Ya'qub.

والظلفاء: صفاة قد استوت في الأرض، ممددة، نقله الصاغاني.

And al-ẓalfāʾ: a flat rock that is level with the ground, extended, narrated by Al-Ṣāghānī.

والظلفة بالفتح وتكسر لامها: سمة للإبل نقله الصاغاني.

And al-ẓalfah (with fatha) and its lām is kasred: a brand for camels, narrated by Al-Ṣāghānī.

وقارات الظليف الفوارد

And the plateaus of al-ẓalīf, the abundant ones.

ومكان ظلف، محركة، وككتف وعلى الأخير اقتصر ابن عباد: مرتفع عن الماء والطين.

And a place ẓilf, moved, and like katif, and Ibn ʿAbbād limited it to the latter: elevated from water and mud.

ظلف على كذا تظليفا: زاد عليه، وكذلك ذرف، وطلف، وطلث، ورمث.

He ẓalafa upon something, taẓlīfan: he added to it, and likewise ẓarafa, ṭalafa, ṭalatha, and ramatha.

ومن ذلك حديث رقيقة تتابعت على قريش سنو جدب أقحلت الظلف.

And from this is the hadith of Ruqayqah: Years of drought followed Quraysh, causing the hooves to crack.

ويقال: بلد من ظلف الغنم: أي مما يوافقها.

And it is said: a land of ẓilf for sheep: meaning that which suits them.

وغنم فلان على ظلف واحد، بالكسر، وظلف واحد، محركة: أي قد ولدت كلها.

And so-and-so's sheep are on one ẓilf (with kasra), and one ẓilf (moved): meaning they have all given birth.

وظلفت نفسه عن كذا، كفرح: كفت.

And his soul ẓalifat from something, like fariḥa: it desisted.

وامرأة ظلفة النفس: أي عزيزة عند نفسها.

And a woman ẓalifat al-nafs: meaning proud or esteemed in her own eyes.

أظلفت فلانا عن كذا، وظلفته: إذا أبعدته عنه.

He aẓlafahu from something, and ẓalafathu: if he kept him away from it.

أقامه الله على الظلفات، محركة: أي على الشدة والضيق

May God keep him steadfast in hardship, moved: meaning in severity and distress.

هنالك يرويها ضعيفي ولم أقم ... على الظلفات مقفعل الأنامل

There my weak one quenches his thirst, and I did not stand... on the hardships, with numb fingers.

والظلف، محركة: كل هين.

And al-ẓilf, moved: everything easy.

وظليفة الشيء، كسفينة: أصله وجميعه.

And ẓalīfah of a thing, like safīnah: its origin and entirety.

والظلف بالكسر: الشهوة ويقال: هو يأكله بضرس، ويطؤه بظلف.

And al-ẓilf (with kasra): desire. And it is said: he eats it with his molars, and treads with his hoof.

وقاموا على ظلفاتهم: على أطرافهم.

And they stood on their ẓalafāt: on their extremities.

ونحن على ظلفات أمر، وشفا أمر، وهو مجاز.

And we are on the brink of a matter, and the edge of a matter, and this is metaphorical.