ك ن ف

Root entry · 18 derived lemmas

The root ك ن ف (k-n-f) primarily relates to protection, shelter, and sides. It encompasses concepts of being under someone's care, protection, or shadow, as well as the physical sides or wings of things. Derived terms also refer to enclosures, containers, and specific actions related to safeguarding or assisting.

Derived headwords

كَنَفَverb

1.
to protect, guardboth
To safeguard, preserve, or keep something safe. It implies providing protection and care.
2.
to shelter, coverboth
To provide shelter or cover, like a wing or a side, offering protection from elements or harm.
3.
to assist, supportboth
To help, aid, or support someone, often by bringing them under one's care or protection.
4.
to enclose, make a penboth
To build an enclosure or pen for animals, such as camels or sheep, to protect them.

وكنف الإبل والغنم يكنفها، ويكنفها من حدي نصر وضرب، نقله الجوهري، واقتصر على الإبل: عمل لها حظيرة يؤويها إليها لتقيها الريح والبرد — And he made a pen for the camels and sheep, protecting them from the wind and cold.

وكنفه يكنفه كنفا: صانه وحفظه — He protected and guarded him.

كُنْفnoun

1.
protection, shelterboth
Divine protection, care, or shelter, often used in the phrase 'in God's protection'.
2.
side, flankboth
The side or flank of something, such as a mountain, valley, or person.
3.
wing (of a bird)both
The wing of a bird, used for flight and protection.
4.
shadowboth
The shade or shadow cast by something, implying protection or closeness.
5.
container, bagclassical
A long container or bag used by a shepherd for his tools and belongings.

أنت في كنف الله تعالى، محركة: أي في حرزه وستره — You are in the protection of God Almighty, meaning in His safeguard and cover.

والكنف: الظل يقال: هو يعيش في كنف فلان: أي في ظله — And al-kunf is shade. It is said: He lives in so-and-so's kunf, meaning in his shadow.

ومن المجاز: الكنف من الطائر: جناحه وهما كنفان — And metaphorically: The kunf of a bird is its wing, and they are two kunfan.

أَكْنَافnoun

1.
sides, regionsboth
The sides, regions, or surrounding areas of something, like a mountain or valley.

وأكناف الجبل والوادي: نواحيهما حيث تنضم إليه — And the aknāf of the mountain and valley are their sides where one approaches them.

فقال: بأكناف بيشة أي نواحيها — So he said: In the aknāf of Bisha, meaning its regions.

كَنَفَةnoun

1.
side, regionclassical
A side or region, similar to 'kunf'.

والكنف: الناحية، كالكنفة محركة أيضا — And al-kunf is a region, like al-kanafah, also with vowels.

كُنُوفnoun

1.
female camel (shy/aloof)classical
A female camel that is shy, aloof, or stays apart from the herd, often seeking shelter.
2.
female sheep (aloof)classical
An aloof or solitary sheep that does not move with the flock.

وناقة كنوف: تسير هكذا في النسخ، وهو غلط، صوابه: تستتر في كنفة الإبل من البرد إذا أصابها — And a kunūf she-camel: it walks like this in the manuscripts, which is an error; the correct reading is: she shelters herself among the kunūf of the camels from the cold when it affects her.

والكنوف من الغنم: القاصية التي لا تمشي مع الغنم — And al-kunūf from the sheep is the one that stays away and does not walk with the sheep.

كَانِفَةnoun

1.
protector, shelterclassical
Something that protects or shelters; a barrier or refuge.

ولا يكن للمسلمين كانفة أي: ساترة — And let there be no kānifah for the Muslims, meaning a cover.

كَنِيفnoun

1.
latrine, toilet
A place where one relieves oneself; a privy or latrine, so named because it is a covered or secluded place.
2.
shelter, screenclassical
A screen, shelter, or covering that provides protection.
3.
pen, enclosureclassical
An enclosure or pen made of wood or plants for animals like camels or sheep.
4.
shieldclassical
A shield, used for protection.

ومننه سمي المرحاض كنيفا، وهو الذي تقضى فيه حاجة الإنسان، كأنه كنف في أستر النواحي — And from this, the latrine is named kanīf, which is where a person's need is met, as if it were a shelter in the most secluded areas.

والكنيف: الساتر — And al-kanīf is the screen.

كَنَفَانnoun

1.
sides (of a person)classical
The sides of a person, referring to their flanks, armpits, and chest area.

وكنفا الإنسان: جانباه وناحتاه عن يمينه وشماله، وهما حضناه، وهما العضدان والصدر — And the kanifān of a person are his sides and flanks, right and left, which are his armpits, and they are the upper arms and the chest.

مُكَنَّفadjective

1.
protected, guardedboth
Being protected, guarded, or kept safe.
2.
assisted, supportedboth
Being helped, supported, or brought under someone's care.

كأكنفه فهو مكنف، وهذه عن ابن الأعرابي، يقال: أكنفه، أي: أتاه في حاجة، فقام له بها، وأعانه عليها — As if he sheltered him, so he is mukannaf. This is from Ibn al-A'rabi. It is said: He mukannafed him, meaning he came to him for a need, and he fulfilled it for him and helped him with it.

اِكْتَنَفَverb

1.
to surround, encompassboth
To surround, encircle, or encompass something or someone from all sides.
2.
to take shelterclassical
To take shelter or find refuge, especially from the cold.
3.
to make a pen/latrineclassical
To build an enclosure for animals or a latrine.

واكتنفوا فلانا: إذا أحاطوا به من الجوانب واحتوشوه — And they iktanefū someone: if they surrounded him from the sides and enclosed him.

واكتنفت الناقة: تسترت في أكناف الإبل من البرد — And the she-camel iktanefat: she sheltered herself among the aknāf of the camels from the cold.

تَكْنِيفnoun

1.
encompassing, surroundingclassical
The act of surrounding or encompassing something from all sides.

والتكنيف: الإحاطة بالشيء، يقال: كنفوه تكنيفا: إذا أحاطوا به — And al-tarknīf is the surrounding of a thing. It is said: They surrounded him tarknīfan, meaning they encircled him.

كَانَفَverb

1.
to assist, cooperateclassical
To help or assist someone, often in a cooperative manner.

وكانفه مكانفة: عاونه ومنه حديث الدعاء: مضوا على شاكلتهم مكانفين أي: يكنف بعضهم بعضا — And he kānafa-ed him kānafah: he helped him. And from this is the supplication's saying: They proceeded according to their ways, kānafin, meaning they helped each other.

مُكَانِفnoun

1.
helper, assistantclassical
One who helps or assists others.

مضوا على شاكلتهم مكانفين أي: يكنف بعضهم بعضا — They proceeded according to their ways, kānafin, meaning they helped each other.

كَنَفَانِيّnoun

1.
pastry makermodern
A maker of 'kunāfah' pastries.

كُنَافَةnoun

1.
kunafa pastrymodern
A popular Middle Eastern dessert made of shredded phyllo dough, cheese, and syrup.

أَبُو مَكْنَفname

1.
Abu Maknafclassical
A kunyah for Zayd al-Khayl, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad.

وأبو مكنف، كمحسن ومعناه المعين: زيد الخيل بن مهلهل بن زيد بن عبد رضا، الطائي: صحابي رضي الله عنه — And Abu Maknaf, like Muhsin, and its meaning is 'the helper': Zayd al-Khayl ibn Muhalhil ibn Zayd ibn Abd Rida, the Tayyi: a companion of the Prophet, may God be pleased with him.

مَكْنُوفadjective

1.
protected, guardedclassical
Something that is protected, guarded, or kept safe.

وكله كيلا غير مكنوف — And give it to him by measure, not protected (i.e., not piled up).

كَنِيفname

1.
Abdullah ibn Mas'udclassical
A title given to Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, meaning 'a container full of knowledge'.

ومن المجاز: كنيف: لقب عبد الله بن مسعود، لقبه عمر رضي الله عنهما، فقال: كنيف ملئ علما — And metaphorically: Kanīf: a title for Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, whom Umar, may God be pleased with them both, titled, saying: A kanīf full of knowledge.

Parallel reading

أنت في كنف الله تعالى، محركة: أي في حرزه وستره

You are in the protection of God Almighty, meaning in His safeguard and cover.

يدنى المؤمن من ربه يوم القيامة حتى يضع عليه كنفه قال ابن المبارك: يعني يستره

The believer will be brought near to his Lord on the Day of Resurrection until He places His kunf upon him. Ibn al-Mubarak said: meaning He covers him.

وهو أي: الكنف أيضا: الجانب

And al-kunf is also: the side.

والكنف: الظل يقال: هو يعيش في كنف فلان: أي في ظله

And al-kunf is the shade. It is said: He lives in so-and-so's kunf, meaning in his shadow.

والجمع: أكناف

And the plural is: aknāf.

وأكناف الجبل والوادي: نواحيهما حيث تنضم إليه

And the aknāf of the mountain and valley are their sides where one approaches them.

ومن المجاز: الكنف من الطائر: جناحه وهما كنفان

And metaphorically: The kunf of a bird is its wing, and they are two kunfan.

وكله ولا تكنفه، وكله كيلا غير مكنوف

And give it to him without piling it up, and give it to him by measure, not piled up.

عمل لها حظيرة يؤويها إليها لتقيها الريح والبرد

He made for them a pen to shelter them in, to protect them from the wind and cold.

وكنف عنه: عدل

And he turned away from it: he deviated.

وناقة كنوف: تسير هكذا في النسخ، وهو غلط، صوابه: تستتر في كنفة الإبل من البرد إذا أصابها

And a kunūf she-camel: it walks like this in the manuscripts, which is an error; the correct reading is: she shelters herself among the kunūf of the camels from the cold when it affects her.

والكنوف من الغنم: القاصية التي لا تمشي مع الغنم

And al-kunūf from the sheep is the one that stays away and does not walk with the sheep.

فما كان لهم كانفة دون العسكر: أي: حاجز يحجز العدو عنهم

So they had no kānifah without the army, meaning: a barrier to keep the enemy away from them.

ولا يكن للمسلمين كانفة أي: ساترة

And let there be no kānifah for the Muslims, meaning a cover.

ودفع إليه كنف الراعي قال اللحياني: هو مثل العيبة، يقال: جاء فلان بكنفف فيه متاع

And he gave him the shepherd's kunf. Al-Laythiyani said: It is like a bag. It is said: So-and-so came with a kunf containing belongings.

وأهل العراق يسمون ما أشرعوا من أعالي دورهم كنيفا

And the people of Iraq call what they extend from the upper parts of their houses a kanīf.

ولبيد: (حريما حن لم يمنع حريما ... سيوفهم ولا الحجف الكنيف)

And Labīd: (A sanctuary that did not prevent a sanctuary... their swords nor the protective armor).

ومننه سمي المرحاض كنيفا، وهو الذي تقضى فيه حاجة الإنسان، كأنه كنف في أستر النواحي

And from this, the latrine is named kanīf, which is where a person's need is met, as if it were a shelter in the most secluded areas.

وشاهد الجمع: لما تآزينا إلى دفء الكنف

And the evidence for the plural: When we sought refuge in the warmth of the shelters.

وكأنما لحيته الكنيف

And as if his beard were the kanīf (referring to a black beard resembling cut palm shoots).

فقال: كنيف ملئ علما

So he said: A kanīf full of knowledge.

وكنفه يكنفه كنفا: صانه وحفظه، وقيل: حاطه كما في الصحاح، وقيل: أعانه

And he protected him, guarded him, or surrounded him: he preserved and guarded him, or it was said: he encompassed him, or it was said: he helped him.

يقال: أكنفه، أي: أتاه في حاجة، فقام له بها، وأعانه عليها

It is said: He sheltered him, meaning he came to him for a need, and he fulfilled it for him and helped him with it.

إذا اتخذه يقال: كنف الكنيف يكنفه كنفا، وكنوفا: إذا عمله

If he made it. It is said: He made the kanīf, he made it kanfan and kunūfan: if he fashioned it.

واتخذ، وجعل لها كنيفا وهو المرحاض

And he made, and he made for it a kanīf, which is the latrine.

والتكنيف: الإحاطة بالشيء، يقال: كنفوه تكنيفا: إذا أحاطوا به

And al-tarknīf is the surrounding of a thing. It is said: They surrounded him tarknīfan, meaning they encircled him.

ومن صلاء مكنف، كمعظم: أي أحيط به من جوانبه

And from the prayer of Mukannaf, like Mu'azzam: meaning he was surrounded from his sides.

واكتنفوا: اتخذوا كنيفا: أي حظيرة لإبلهم وكذا للغنم

And they iktanefū: they made a kanīf, meaning a pen for their camels and likewise for their sheep.

واكتنفوا فلانا: إذا أحاطوا به من الجوانب واحتوشوه

And they iktanefū someone: if they surrounded him from the sides and enclosed him.

مضوا على شاكلتهم مكانفين أي: يكنف بعضهم بعضا

They proceeded according to their ways, kānafin, meaning they helped each other.

فما كانت لهم كانفة دون المنزل أو العسكر: أي موضع يلجئون إليه

So they had no kānifah without the house or the army: meaning a place to which they could flee.

فاكتنفته أنا وصاحبي أي: أحطنا به من جانبيه، كتكنفوه

So my companion and I iktanefathu: meaning we surrounded him from his sides, like takannafūhu.

إذا استثار كنوفا خلت ما بركت ... عليه تندف في حافاته العطب

When it stirred up the kunūf, you thought it had knelt... the destruction scattered at its edges.

فاكتنفت الناقة: تسترت في أكناف الإبل من البرد

And the she-camel iktanefat: she sheltered herself among the aknāf of the camels from the cold.

واكتنفوا: اتخذوا كنيفا: أي مرحاضا

And they iktanefū: they made a kanīf, meaning a latrine.

تكنف القوم بالغثاء، وذلك أن تموت غنمهم هزالا، فيحظروا بالتي ماتت حول الأحياء التي بقين، فتسترها من الرياح

The people gathered dung, which is when their sheep die of emaciation, so they surround the living ones with the dead ones, to shelter them from the winds.