فلن

Root entry · 16 derived lemmas

This root primarily deals with demonstrative pronouns and indefinite references, acting as placeholders for names of people, animals, or unspecified entities. It also encompasses vocative forms used in direct address, sometimes with variations in pronunciation and grammatical treatment.

Derived headwords

فُلَانname

1.
so-and-so (male)both
A demonstrative pronoun used as a placeholder for a male person's name, often when the name is unknown or intentionally withheld.
2.
so-and-so (animal)classical
Used to refer to an animal, particularly when the specific animal is not named.

فُلَانَةname

1.
so-and-so (female)both
A demonstrative pronoun used as a placeholder for a female person's name.
2.
so-and-so (animal)classical
Used to refer to a female animal, particularly when the specific animal is not named.

الفُلَانname

1.
the so-and-so (animal)classical
A demonstrative pronoun used with the definite article to refer to an animal, particularly when the specific animal is not named.

الفُلَانَةname

1.
the so-and-so (animal)classical
A demonstrative pronoun used with the definite article to refer to a female animal, particularly when the specific animal is not named.

فُلname

1.
hey you (vocative)classical
A vocative form used in direct address, often to a single male, pronounced with a sukoon on the lam.

فَلَاهname

1.
hey you (vocative)classical
A vocative form used in direct address, pronounced with a haa at the end, indicating a pause.

فَلَاname

1.
hey you (vocative)classical
A vocative form used in direct address, pronounced with a fathah on the lam, often when continuing the address.

فُلَانname

1.
hey you (vocative, dual)classical
A vocative form used in direct address to two males.

فُلُونname

1.
hey you (vocative, plural)classical
A vocative form used in direct address to a group of males.

فُلَّةname

1.
hey you (vocative, female)classical
A vocative form used in direct address to a single female.

فُلْتَانname

1.
hey you (vocative, dual)classical
A vocative form used in direct address to two females.

فَلَاتname

1.
hey you (vocative, plural)classical
A vocative form used in direct address to a group of females.

فَلِيْنname

1.
so-and-so (diminutive)classical
The diminutive form of 'fulan', used to refer to a person or thing in a diminutive sense.

فَلْيَانname

1.
so-and-so (diminutive)classical
An alternative diminutive form of 'fulan', derived from a different hypothetical original form.

الفُلَانِيّname

1.
the so-and-so (relative)classical
A nisba (adjectival suffix) indicating relation to 'fulan', used in genealogical or descriptive contexts.

أَفْلُونِيَاother

1.
aphrodisiacclassical
A Persian medicinal substance used to stimulate sexual desire.

Parallel reading

فلان وفلانة، مضمومتين كناية عن أسمائنا للذكر والأنثى.

Fulan and fulanah, both with damma, are pronouns for our names, for male and female.

والفلان والفلانة، (بأل: كناية (عن غيرنا من البهائم.

And al-fulan and al-fulanah are pronouns (with al-) for others among the animals.

تقول العرب: ركبت الفلان وحلبت الفلانة.

The Arabs say: I rode al-fulan and milked al-fulanah.

يقال: هذا فلان آخر لأنه لا نكرة له.

It is said: this is another fulan because it has no indefinite form.

هذا الفلان وهذه الفلانة، فإذا نسبت قلت: فلان الفلاني.

This is al-fulan and this is al-fulanah; and when you attribute it, you say: al-fulani al-fulani.

يا ويلتا ليتني لم أتخذ فلانا خليلا.

Oh, woe is me, I wish I had not taken so-and-so as a friend.

يقال: إن المراد هنا أمية بن خلف، وأنه منع عقبة بن أبي معيط في الدخول في الإسلام.

It is said that the intended meaning here is Umayyah ibn Khalaf, and that he prevented Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt from entering Islam.

وقد يقال للواحد يا فل أقبل، بالرفع من غير تنوين.

And one may say to a single person: 'Ya ful, aqbil' (O so-and-so, come forth), with a nominative case without tanween.

وللاثنين يا فلان أقبلا.

And to two people: 'Ya fulan, aqbila' (O so-and-so, come forth).

وللجمع يا فلون أقبلوا.

And to a group: 'Ya fulun, aqbilu' (O so-and-so, come forth).

يقال: قم يا فل ويا فلاه.

It is said: 'Qum ya ful wa ya fulah' (Stand up, O so-and-so, and O so-and-so).

وفي المؤنث: يا فلة أقبلي.

And for the feminine: 'Ya fulah, aqbili' (O so-and-so, come forth).

وبعض بني تميم يقول: يا فلانة أقبلي.

And some of the Banu Tamim say: 'Ya fulanah, aqbili' (O so-and-so, come forth).

ويا فلتان أقبلا، بضم ففتح.

And 'Ya fultan, aqbila', with a damma then a fatha.

ويا فلات أقبلن.

And 'Ya falat, aqbilna' (O so-and-so, come forth).

يقول الله، عز وجل: أي فل ألم أكرمك ألم أسودك.

Allah, the Exalted, says: 'Ay ful, alam akramtuk, alam asawwaduk?' (O so-and-so, did I not honor you? Did I not make you prominent?).

معناه يا فلان؛ وليس ترخيما لأنه لا يقال إلا بسكون اللام.

Its meaning is 'Ya fulan'; and it is not elided because it is only said with a sukoon on the lam.

وهو إذا قيل له: ويها فلفإنه أحج به أن ينكلو.

And when it is said to him: 'Wayha ful', it is more convincing to him that they will not be deterred.

وهو إذا قيل له: ويها كلفإنه مواشك مستعجل.

And when it is said to him: 'Wayha kalfa', it is as if he is hasty and impatient.

الصواب: يا فلاة أقبلي، وهي لغة لبعض بني تميم.

The correct form is: 'Ya flatah, aqbili', and it is a dialect of some of the Banu Tamim.

وبعضهم يقول: يا فل بنصب اللام (يراد يا فلة فحذفت الهاء.

And some of them say: 'Ya fal' with a fatha on the lam (meaning 'Ya flah', with the haa omitted).

بنو فلان: بطن من العرب.

Banu Fulan: a tribe of Arabs.

وقالوا في النسب الفلاني.

And they said in attribution: 'al-Fulani'.

فلان تقديره فعال وتصغيره فلين.

Fulan, its pattern is fa'alan, and its diminutive is fulayn.

وهو في الأصل فعلان فحذفت منه واو، وتصغيره على هذا القول فليان.

And it was originally fulan, from which a waw was omitted, and its diminutive according to this view is fulyan.

ويقال: هو فل بن فل كما يقال هي بن بي.

And it is said: 'Huwa ful ibn ful' as it is said 'Hiya bint bay'.

أفلونيا: دواء فارسي يهيج الباه.

Aflunia: a Persian medicine that stimulates sexual potency.