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ن ف ق

Root entry · 21 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the concepts of things becoming scarce, depleted, or running out. It extends to the idea of goods selling well due to demand, and metaphorically to death. It also covers the concept of hypocrisy, derived from the idea of hidden passages or deception.

Derived headwords

نَفَقَverb
  1. 1.
    to sell wellboth

    Said of a sale, goods, or money when they are in high demand and sell quickly.

  2. 2.
    to dieboth

    Said of an animal, meaning to die or perish.

  3. 3.
    to wear outclassical

    Said of a wound when it peels or wears away.

  4. 4.
    to be depletedboth

    Said of wealth, money, or food when it runs out, becomes scarce, or diminishes.

نفق البيع ينفق نفاقا — The sale sold well, selling with a rapid turnover.
ونفق الدرهم نفاقا كذلك — And the dirham sold well, with a rapid turnover.
نفقت السوق — The market was active and prosperous.
نفق الرجل، وكذا الدابة كالفرس والبغل، وسائر البهائم، ينفق نفوقا بالضم: ماتا — A man, or an animal like a horse, mule, or other livestock, died (yanafiqu nafūqan with damma).
نَفَقَاقٌnoun
  1. 1.
    hypocrisyclassical

    The act of a hypocrite; outwardly professing Islam while inwardly disbelieving. It's an Islamic term with a specific meaning not originally known to the Arabs.

  2. 2.
    running outboth

    The act of something becoming depleted or running out.

  3. 3.
    abundance of expenditureboth

    A large amount of spending or expenditure.

والنفاق ككتاب: فعل المنافق وهو الدخول في الإسلام من وجه، والخروج عنه) من آخر — And hypocrisy (kitāb) is the act of the hypocrite, which is entering Islam from one side and exiting from another.
نَافَقَverb
  1. 1.
    to act hypocriticallyclassical

    To practice hypocrisy, to show outward faith while concealing disbelief.

  2. 2.
    to take a hidden pathclassical

    To enter or use a hidden passage, like a burrow.

وقد نافق منافقة ونفاقا — And he practiced hypocrisy (munāfaqatan and nifāqan).
مُنَافِقٌnoun
  1. 1.
    hypocriteboth

    One who outwardly professes faith but inwardly harbors disbelief.

أكثر منافقي هذه الأمة قراؤها — The most numerous hypocrites of this nation are its reciters.
نَفَقَverb
  1. 1.
    to run outboth

    Said of wealth, money, or food when it is depleted, finished, or gone.

  2. 2.
    to be scarceboth

    Said of wealth, money, or food when it becomes scarce or diminished.

ونفق ماله ودرهمه وطعامه كفرح ونصر نفقا ونفاقا: نفد وفني وذهب — His money, dirham, and food ran out, became depleted, finished, and gone (nafūqan and nifāqan).
نَفَقَةٌnoun
  1. 1.
    expenditureboth

    What is spent from money or other resources on oneself and one's family.

  2. 2.
    burrowclassical

    One of the burrows of a jerboa, specifically one that is kept hidden.

والنفقة بهاء: ما تنفقه من الدراهم ونحوها على نفسك وعلى العيال — And the nafaqah (with ha') is what you spend of dirhams and the like on yourself and your family.
والنافقاء، والنفقة، كهمزة: إحدى جحرة اليربوع، يكتمها ويظهر غيرها — And the nāfiqā', and the nafaqah (hamzah), is one of the jerboa's burrows, which it conceals while revealing another.
مِنْفَاقٌadjective
  1. 1.
    spendthriftboth

    A man who spends a lot of money or resources.

ورجل منفاق بالكسر: كثير النفقة لما يصرفه من الدراهم وغيرها — And a man (minfāq with kasr) is one who spends a lot of dirhams and other things.
نَفَقٌnoun
  1. 1.
    tunnelboth

    A passage or tunnel in the earth that leads to another place.

  2. 2.
    burrowclassical

    A jerboa's burrow, especially a hidden one.

والنفق، محركة: سرب في الأرض مشتق الى موضع آخر — And the nafaq (muttaharrik) is a passage in the earth leading to another place.
فإن استطعت أن تبتغي نفقا في الأرض أو سلما في السماء — Then if you can seek a tunnel in the earth or a ladder to the heavens.
انْتَفَقَverb
  1. 1.
    to enterclassical

    To enter a tunnel or passage.

  2. 2.
    to be extractedclassical

    Said of a jerboa being extracted from its burrow.

وانتفق الرجل: دخله — And the man entered (intafaqahu): he entered it.
تنفقناه بالحبل التؤام — We extracted it with the twin rope.
أَنْفَقَverb
  1. 1.
    to spendboth

    To spend money or resources, often to the point of depletion.

  2. 2.
    to become poorboth

    To become impoverished or have one's wealth run out.

  3. 3.
    to make something sell wellboth

    To promote or make goods desirable so they sell quickly.

أنفق ماله: أنفده وأفناه — He spent his money: he depleted and exhausted it.
إذا لأمسكتم خشية الإنفاق — You would have withheld out of fear of spending.
وأنفق القوم: نفقت سوقهم — And the people's market was active (anfaq al-qawm: nafaqat sūquhum).
اسْتَنْفَقَverb
  1. 1.
    to spend completelyboth

    To spend all of one's money or resources.

وإلا فاستنفقها — Otherwise, spend it completely.
تَنْفِيقٌnoun
  1. 1.
    making goods sellboth

    The act of making goods desirable and promoting their sale.

لا ينفق بعضكم بعضا — Let not one of you promote the sale of goods to another.
نَافِقَاءnoun
  1. 1.
    jerboa burrowclassical

    One of the burrows of a jerboa, often a hidden one used for escape.

والنافقاء، والنفقة، كهمزة: إحدى جحرة اليربوع، يكتمها ويظهر غيرها — And the nāfiqā', and the nafaqah (hamzah), is one of the jerboa's burrows, which it conceals while revealing another.
نَفِيقٌadjective
  1. 1.
    fast-endingclassical

    Said of a horse that is fast but quickly tires or ends its run.

فرس نفق الجري، ككتف: إذا كان سريع انقطاعه — A horse with a fast-ending run (nafiq al-jarī, like katif): if it is quick to finish.
نَيْفَقٌnoun
  1. 1.
    wide part of trousersclassical

    The wide or expandable part of trousers.

نيفق السراويل، بالفتح: الموضع المتسع منه — The nīfaq of trousers (with fatḥah): the wide part of it.
مُنْتَفِقٌnoun
  1. 1.
    name of an ancestorclassical

    The name of an ancestor of a tribe, specifically المنتفق بن عامر بن عقيل.

والمنتفق: أبو قبيلة، وهو المنتفق بن عامر بن عقيل بن كعب بن ربيعة بن عامر بن صعصعة — And Al-Muntifiq: the father of a tribe, and he is Al-Muntifiq ibn 'Amir ibn 'Uqayl ibn Ka'b ibn Rabi'ah ibn 'Amir ibn Sa'sa'ah.
نَفَقَverb
  1. 1.
    to become abundantclassical

    Said of prices when they increase due to many buyers.

ونفق السعر نفوقا: كثر مشتروه — And the price became abundant (nafūqan): its buyers increased.
نَفَقَverb
  1. 1.
    to be in demandclassical

    Said of oaths when they are numerous and frequently taken.

ونفقت الأيم تنفق نفاقا: إذا كثر خطابها — And oaths became abundant (tanfaqu nifāqan): when their suitors increased.
مَنْفَقٌnoun
  1. 1.
    place of spendingboth

    A place or opportunity where one can spend or expend resources.

من باع عرضه أنفق — He who insults people will be insulted (literally: he who sells his honor finds an outlet).
نَفَقَnoun
  1. 1.
    pureclassical

    Said of food that is pure and of good quality, the opposite of 'nazil' (inferior).

وطعام نفق، ككتف: نقيض نزل، وهو الذي لا ريع له — And food (nafaq, like katif) is the opposite of nazil, meaning it is of good quality.
نَفَقَnoun
  1. 1.
    popular with husbandsclassical

    Said of a woman who is desired and favored by her husbands.

وامرأة نفق، بضمتين: إذا كانت تفق عند الأزواج، وتحظى عندهم — And a woman (nafaq, with two dammah) if she is desired by husbands and favored by them.

Parallel reading

نفق البيع ينفق نفاقا، كسحاب: راج، وكذلك السلعة تنفق: إذا غلت ورغب فيها
The sale sold well, selling with a rapid turnover, like 'sahāb': it was in demand, and likewise the commodity sells well: when it is expensive and desired.
ونفق الدرهم نفاقا كذلك، وهذه عن اللحياني، كأنه قل فرغب فيه.
And the dirham sold well, with a rapid turnover, and this is from Al-Lihyani, as if it were scarce and thus desired.
ومن المجاز: نفقت السوق أي: قامت وراجت.
And from metaphors: the market was active, meaning it was prosperous and in demand.
ومن المجاز: نفق الرجل، وكذا الدابة كالفرس والبغل، وسائر البهائم، ينفق نفوقا بالضم: ماتا
And from metaphors: a man, or an animal like a horse, mule, or other livestock, died (yanafiqu nafūqan with damma).
والجزور نافقة أي: ميتة
And the camel is nāfiqah, meaning dead.
نفق البغل وأودى سرجه في سبيل الله سرجي وبغل
The mule died, and its saddle perished in the way of God, my saddle and my mule.
ونفق الجرح نفوقا: تقشر وهو مجاز.
And the wound wore away (nafūqan): it peeled, and this is metaphorical.
ونفق ماله ودرهمه وطعامه كفرح ونصر نفقا ونفاقا: نفد وفني وذهب، أو نقص أو قل فرغب فيه وراج، وهذا عن اللحياني.
And his money, dirham, and food ran out (nafūqan and nifāqan) like 'fariḥa' and 'naṣara': it was depleted, finished, and gone, or it diminished or became scarce and thus desired and in demand, and this is from Al-Lihyani.
والنفاق ككتاب: فعل المنافق وهو الدخول في الإسلام من وجه، والخروج عنه) من آخر
And hypocrisy (kitāb) is the act of the hypocrite, which is entering Islam from one side and exiting from another.
وقد نافق منافقة ونفاقا
And he practiced hypocrisy (munāfaqatan and nifāqan).
وهو الذي يستر كفره، ويظهر إسمانه
It is he who conceals his disbelief and shows his Islam.
فشبه بالذي يدخل النفق، وهو السرب، يستتر فيه.
So he is likened to one who enters a tunnel, which is a burrow, to conceal himself within it.
فشبه به لأنه يخرج من الإيمان من غير الوجه الذي دخل فيه.
So he is likened to it because he exits faith from a different way than he entered.
والنفاق أيضا: جمع نفقة محركة، كثمرة وثمار.
And hypocrisy is also: the plural of nafaqah (muttaharrikah), like thamrah and thimār.
نفقت نفاقهم كفرح، أي: فنيت نفقاتهم ونفدت.
Their expenditures ran out (nafaqat nifāqahum like 'fariḥa'), meaning: their expenditures were depleted and finished.
ورجل منفاق بالكسر: كثير النفقة لما يصرفه من الدراهم وغيرها.
And a man (minfāq with kasr) is one who spends a lot of dirhams and other things.
فرس نفق الجري، ككتف: إذا كان سريع انقطاعه
A horse with a fast-ending run (nafiq al-jarī, like katif): if it is quick to finish.
والنفق، محركة: سرب في الأرض مشتق الى موضع آخر.
And the nafaq (muttaharrik) is a passage in the earth leading to another place.
فإن استطعت أن تبتغي نفقا في الأرض أو سلما في السماء
Then if you can seek a tunnel in the earth or a ladder to the heavens.
وانتفق الرجل: دخله.
And the man entered (intafaqahu): he entered it.
ضل دريص نفقه أي: جحره، كما في الصحاح.
Drayṣ lost his burrow (nafaqahu), as in Al-Ṣiḥāḥ.
والنفقة بهاء: ما تنفقه من الدراهم ونحوها على نفسك وعلى العيال.
And the nafaqah (with ha') is what you spend of dirhams and the like on yourself and your family.
والنافقة: نافجة المسك. وجبل.
And the nāfiqah: the musk pod. And a mountain.
والنافقاء، والنفقة، كهمزة: إحدى جحرة اليربوع، يكتمها ويظهر غيرها وهو موضع يرققه، فإذا أتي من قبل القاصعاء ضرب النافقاء برأسه، فانتف أي: خرج، والجمع النوافق، كما في الصحاح.
And the nāfiqā', and the nafaqah (hamzah), is one of the jerboa's burrows, which it conceals while revealing another, and it is a place it thins out, so if approached from the side of the qāṣi'ā', it strikes the nāfiqā' with its head and emerges (yantaffu), meaning: it exits, and the plural is nawāfiq, as in Al-Ṣiḥāḥ.
وتراب النفقة يقال له: الراهطاء.
And the soil of the nafaqah is called: Al-Rāhṭā'.
ونفق اليربوع كنصر، وسمع، ونفق تنفيقا، وانتفق: خرج من نافقائه.
And the jerboa exited (nafqa, sami'a, nafqa tanfīqan, and intanfaqa): it exited from its nāfiqā'.
نيفق السراويل، بالفتح: الموضع المتسع منه.
The nīfaq of trousers (with fatḥah): the wide part of it.
أنفق: إذا افتقر وذهب ماله.
Anfaqa: if he became poor and his wealth ran out.
أنفق ماله: أنفده وأفناه
He spent his money: he depleted and exhausted it.
إذا لأمسكتم خشية الإنفاق
You would have withheld out of fear of spending.
واستنفقه أي أنفقه وأذهبه.
And he consumed it (istanfaqahu): he spent it and made it go away.
وأنفق القوم: نفقت سوقهم أي: راجت.
And the people's market was active (anfaq al-qawm): their market was prosperous.
لا ينفق بعضكم بعضا أي: لا يقصد أن يروج سلعة على جهة النجش
Let not one of you promote the sale of goods to another, meaning: he does not intend to make a commodity desirable through fraudulent bidding.
والمنفق سلعته بالحلف الكاذب كأنفقها ينفقها إنفاقا.
And he who promotes his commodity with a false oath is like one who spends it, making it sell (yunfiquhā infāqan).
نافـق في الدين: إذا ستر كفره، وأظهر إيمانه
He acted hypocritically in religion (nāfaqa): if he concealed his disbelief and showed his faith.
إذا الشيطان قصع في قفاها تنفقناه بالحبل التؤام
When the devil enters its rear, we extract it with the twin rope.
واليمين الكاذبة منفقة للسلعة، ممحقة للبركة
And the false oath makes the commodity sell well, but erases the blessing.
وأنفقوا: نفقت أموالهم.
And they spent (anfaqū): their wealth ran out.
خفاهن من أنفاقهن كأنما خفاهن ودق من عشي مجلب
Their hiding places from their burrows are as if their hiding places were raindrops from a gathering evening.
ونفق السعر نفوقا: كثر مشتروه
And the price became abundant (nafūqan): its buyers increased.
من باع عرضه أنفق
He who insults people will be insulted (literally: he who sells his honor finds an outlet).
ومن يبع بعرض أبيه في المعاشر ينفق
And he who sells his father's honor among companions finds an outlet.
ونفقت الأيم تنفق نفاقا: إذا كثر خطابها
And oaths became abundant (tanfaqu nifāqan): when their suitors increased.
من حظ المرء نفاق أيمه
From a man's fortune is the abundance of his oaths (i.e., his womenfolk being sought after).
وانتفق الحارش اليربوع: استخرجه من نافقائه.
And the hunter extracted the jerboa (intafaq al-ḥārish al-yarbū'): he extracted it from its nāfiqā'.
وأنفق الضب، والسربوع: إذا لم يرفق به حتى ينتفق ويذهب.
And the lizard and the serpent were handled roughly (anfaq): if not handled gently, until it is extracted and goes.
يهدي قلائص خضعا يكنفنه صعر الخدود نوافق الأوبار
Guiding young she-camels, submissive, with arched necks and shedding hair.
إذا سمعن صوت فحل شقشاق قطعن مصفرا كزيت الأنفاق
When they hear the sound of a rutting male, they cut through a yellow one like the oil of the 'anfāq'.
دون ذا وينفق الحمار، وأصله أن إنسانا أراد بيع حمار له، فقال لمشور: أطر حماري ولك علي جعل، فلما دخل به السوق قال له المشور: هذا حمارك الذي كنت تصيد عليه الوحش، فقال الرجل: دون ذا وينفق الحمار أي: الزم قولا دون الذي تقول، أي: أقل منه والحمار ينفق الآن دون هذا، والواو للحال.
Less than this, and the donkey sells, and its origin is that a man wanted to sell his donkey, and said to his advisor: Praise my donkey, and you will have a reward from me. When he brought it to the market, the advisor said to him: This is your donkey that you used to hunt with. The man said: Less than this, and the donkey sells, meaning: stick to a statement less than what you say, meaning: less than it, and the donkey is selling now for less than this, and the 'waw' is for حال (circumstance).
ومنفق السراويل، كمعظم: نيفقها.
And the munfaq of trousers, like mu'ẓam: its nīfaq.
وسع منفقها، وخدل مسوقها، وأحكم منطقها
Widen its munfaq, lengthen its inseam, and perfect its stitching.
وطعام نفق، ككتف: نقيض نزل، وهو الذي لا ريع له.
And food (nafaq, like katif) is the opposite of nazil, meaning it is of good quality.
ونفق روحه: خرج، وهو مجاز.
And his spirit exited (nafaqa rūḥuhu): it left, and this is metaphorical.
وامرأة نفق، بضمتين: إذا كانت تفق عند الأزواج، وتحظى عندهم.
And a woman (nafaq, with two dammah) if she is desired by husbands and favored by them.