زني

Root entry · 21 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the act of illicit sexual intercourse (adultery or fornication). It also extends to related concepts like accusation of such acts, illegitimate offspring, and even metaphorical uses for being the last child or a specific location.

Derived headwords

زَنَىverb

1.
to commit adultery/fornicationboth
To engage in illicit sexual intercourse, whether by a man or a woman.

زِنَاnoun

1.
adultery/fornicationboth
The act of illicit sexual intercourse, defined شرعا (religiously) as the insertion of the glans into a forbidden private part without any doubt.
2.
illicit actclassical
A general term for a forbidden or unlawful act.

ولا تقربوا الزنا — And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse.

زِنَاءnoun

1.
adultery/fornicationboth
An alternative pronunciation and form of the masdar (verbal noun) for the act of illicit sexual intercourse.

أما الزناء فإني لست قاربه — As for fornication, I will not approach it.

يَزْنِيverb

1.
he commits adultery/fornicationboth
The present tense conjugation for the masculine singular subject performing the act of illicit sexual intercourse.

زَانَىverb

1.
to commit adultery/fornicationboth
A verb form indicating the act of illicit sexual intercourse, often used interchangeably with the basic form.
2.
to accuse of adultery/fornicationclassical
To attribute or impute the act of illicit sexual intercourse to someone.

مُزَانَاةnoun

1.
adultery/fornicationboth
The masdar (verbal noun) of the verb زانى, referring to the act of illicit sexual intercourse.
2.
prostitutionclassical
Specifically referring to a woman engaging in illicit sexual acts, akin to prostitution.

المرأة تزاني مزاناة وزناء، أي تباغي — The woman commits fornication (tuzani) muzanah and zinā', meaning she engages in prostitution.

زَانٍadjective

1.
adulterer/fornicatorboth
An active participle describing a male who commits adultery or fornication.

زُنَاةnoun

1.
adulterers/fornicatorsboth
The broken plural of زانٍ, referring to multiple men who commit adultery or fornication.

أَزْنَاهُverb

1.
he attributed adultery to himclassical
To accuse someone of committing adultery or fornication.

أزناك؟ قالت: قرب الوساد وطول السواد — What are your accusations of adultery? She said: Proximity of the pillow and length of the darkness (implying intimacy).

زِنْيَةnoun

1.
illegitimate childboth
A child born out of wedlock, the offspring of adultery or fornication. The form with 'fatha' (زِنْيَة) is more common and considered more eloquent.
2.
last childclassical
Metaphorically, the last born child of a parent.

وهو ابن زنية — And he is the son of fornication (illegitimate).

زِنْيَة (بكسر)noun

1.
illegitimate childclassical
An alternative pronunciation of 'ziniyah' with a kasra, referring to an illegitimate child. This pronunciation is considered less eloquent.

بَنُو زِنْيَةname

1.
Banu Ziniyahclassical
A tribe of Arabs, specifically Banu Al-Harith ibn Malik, belonging to the Qays 'Aylan (Asad Khuzaymah) lineage. The name implies they were the last born of their father.

نحن بنو الزنية — We are the Banu Al-Ziniyah.

زِنْوِيّadjective

1.
related to Banu Ziniyahclassical
The nisbah (adjective of relation) referring to someone from the tribe of Banu Ziniyah.
2.
related to Zina (shortened)classical
A nisbah derived from the shortened form of Zina, used to avoid the repetition of 'ya'.

الزِّنْيَةnoun

1.
last childclassical
The youngest or last born child of a woman or man.

كالعجزة آخر ولد المرأة، قيل: وبه سميت القبيلة المذكورة لكونهم آخر ولد أبيهم — Like 'ajazah, the last child of a woman; it is said that the mentioned tribe was named thus because they were the last children of their father.

الزَّوَانِيname

1.
Al-Zawaniclassical
A place name in Al-Yamamah, referring to three elevated rocky areas (qararat).

تَزْنِيَةverb

1.
to accuse of adulteryclassical
To attribute the act of adultery or fornication to someone.
2.
to oppressclassical
To make things difficult or oppressive for someone.

وزناه تزنية: نسبه إلى الزنا — And 'azanahu tazniyah: he attributed adultery to him.

وزنى عليه تزنية: ضيق عليه — And 'azana 'alayhi tazniyah: he made things difficult for him.

زَانِيًاadjective

1.
adulterouslyclassical
An adverbial form indicating the manner of committing adultery or fornication.

زِنْيَانnoun

1.
two acts of adultery/fornicationclassical
The dual form of the shortened masdar 'zina', referring to two instances of illicit sexual intercourse.

قذفه بزنيين — Accusing him of two acts of fornication.

زَنَّاءَةnoun

1.
prostituteclassical
A female who engages in illicit sexual intercourse, specifically a prostitute. This term is used with a shaddah on the 'nun'.

زِنَائِيّadjective

1.
related to fornication (extended)classical
The nisbah (adjective of relation) derived from the extended masdar 'zinā'', referring to something related to illicit sexual intercourse.

زِنْيَة (بالفتح)noun

1.
one instance of adulteryclassical
A single occurrence or instance of committing adultery or fornication.

Parallel reading

زنى الرجل يزني زنا وزناء

The man committed adultery, he commits adultery, zinā' and zinā'.

قال اللحياني القصر لغة أهل الحجاز، والمدلغة بني تميم؛ (فجر) ؛ وكذلك المرأة.

Al-Lihyani said: 'Al-Qasr' (shortening) is the language of the people of Hijaz, and 'Al-Madd' (lengthening) is for Banu Tamim; (fajr); and likewise for the woman.

قال المناوي: الزنا لغة الرقي على الشيء، وشرعا: إيلاج الحشفة بفرج محرم بعينه خال عن شبهة مشتهى.

Al-Manawi said: Zinā' linguistically means climbing over something, and religiously: it is the insertion of the glans into a specific forbidden private part devoid of any doubt or desire.

وقال الراغب: هو وطء المرأة من غير عقد شرعي، وقد يقصر.

And Al-Raghib said: It is the intercourse with a woman without a legal contract, and it may be shortened.

وفي الصحاح: القصر لأهل الحجاز؛ قال تعالى: {ولا تقربوا الزنا} ؛ والمد لأهل نجد؛ قال الفرزدق: أبا حاضر من يزن يعرف زناؤه ومن يشرب الخرطوم يصبح مسكرا

And in Al-Sihah: Shortening is for the people of Hijaz; Allah Almighty said: {And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse}; and lengthening is for the people of Najd; Al-Farazdaq said: O Aba Hadir, from Yazan, his fornication is known, and whoever drinks Al-Khartum will become intoxicated.

وأنشد ابن سيده: أما الزناء فإني لست قاربه والمال بيني وبين الخمر نصفان

And Ibn Sidah recited: As for fornication, I will not approach it, and wealth is divided between me and wine.

وهو زان والجمع زناة، كقاض وقضاة.

And he is a zānin (fornicator), and the plural is zunāh, like qāḍin and quḍāh.

وزانى مزاناة وزناء بمعناه

And he engaged in muzānāh and zinā' with its meaning.

وفي الصحاح: المرأة تزاني مزاناة وزناء، أي تباغي.

And in Al-Sihah: The woman engages in muzānāh and zinā', meaning she prostitutes herself.

زانى فلانا: نسبه إلى الزنا

He accused someone of zinā': he attributed fornication to him.

والذي في المحكم: أزناه نسبه إلى الزنا؛ قال: ولم يسمع هذا إلا في حديث ابنة الخس: قيل لها: ما أزناك؟ قالت: قرب الوساد وطول السواد.

And what is in Al-Muhkam: 'Aznāhu' means he attributed fornication to him; he said: This was only heard in the hadith of the daughter of Al-Khass: She was asked: What are your accusations of adultery? She said: Proximity of the pillow and length of the darkness.

وهو ابن زنية، بالفتح (وقد يكسر)، ولكن الفتح أفصح كما قاله الأزهري؛ أي (ابن زنا).

And he is the son of ziniyah, with fatha (and it may be kasra), but fatha is more eloquent as Al-Azhari said; meaning (son of zinā').

وقال الفراء في كتاب المصادر: هو لغية ولزنية ولغير رشدة، كله بالفتح.

And Al-Farra' said in the Book of Masdars: It is lughiyah, and zinniyah, and ghayr rushdah, all with fatha.

وقال الكسائي يجوز كسر زنية ورشدة، وأما غية فبالفتح لا غير.

And Al-Kisa'i said that kasra is permissible for zinniyah and rushdah, but ghayyah is only with fatha.

وبنو زنية، بالكسر: حي من العرب، وهم بنو الحارث بن مالك في أسد خزيمة؛ والنسبة زنوي.

And Banu Ziniyah, with kasra: a tribe of Arabs, they are Banu Al-Harith ibn Malik among Asad Khuzaymah; and the nisbah is Zannawi.

والزنية أيضا: آخر ولدك كالعجزة آخر ولد المرأة، قيل: وبه سميت القبيلة المذكورة لكونهم آخر ولد أبيهم.

And Al-Ziniyah also: your last child, like 'ajazah, the last child of a woman; it is said that the mentioned tribe was named thus because they were the last children of their father.

وفي الحديث: (إنهم وفدوا على النبي صلى الله عليه وسلمفقال (من أنتم) ؟ قالوا: نحن بنو الزنية، فقال: (بل أنتم بنو الرشدة)، فنفى عنهم ما يوهم من لفظ الزنا.

And in the hadith: (They came as a delegation to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and he said: (Who are you?) They said: We are Banu Al-Ziniyah, so he said: (Rather, you are Banu Al-Rushdah), thus negating from them what was implied by the word zinā'.

والزواني: ثلاث قارات باليمامة ؛ قاله نصر.

And Al-Zawani: three elevated rocky areas in Al-Yamamah; Nasr said this.

وزنى تزنية: زنى؛ ومنه قول الأعشى: إما نكاحا وإما أزن فسره بعضهم بأزني.

And 'azanā' tazniyah: he committed zinā'; and from it is the saying of Al-A'sha: Either for marriage or I will commit zinā', which some interpreted as 'azni.

وزناه تزنية: نسبه إلى الزنا.

And 'azanāhu tazniyah: he attributed adultery to him.

وفي الصحاح: قال له يا زاني.

And in Al-Sihah: He said to him, 'O fornicator'.

وزنى عليه تزنية: ضيق عليه؛ وقد ذكره المصنف في زنو، وهنا محل ذكره.

And 'azana 'alayhi tazniyah: he made things difficult for him; the author mentioned it in (the root) zanw, and here is its place.

وفي المثل: لاحصنها حصن ولا الزنا! زنا، يضرب لمن يكف عن الخير ثم يفرط، أو عن الشر ثم يفرط فيه ولا يدوم على طريقة.

And in the proverb: Neither its fortress protects it, nor zinā'! Zinā', it is said about one who refrains from good then neglects it, or from evil then neglects it and does not persist in a way.

ويثنى الزنا المقصور بقلب الألف ياء فيقال زنيان، والنسبة إليه على لفظه لكن بقلب الياء واوا فيقال زنوي استثقالا لتوالي ثلاث ياآت.

And the shortened zinā' is dualized by changing the alif to a ya, so it is said 'zinayān', and the nisbah to it is on its form but by changing the ya to a waw, so it is said 'zanawi' due to the difficulty of three consecutive ya's.

A فقول الفقهاء: قذفه بزنيين هو مثنى الزنا المقصور.

So the jurists' saying: accusing him of zinayayn is the dual of the shortened zinā'.

والزنية، بالفتح: المرة الواحدة؛ كذا في المصباح.

And al-zinah, with fatha: one time; thus in Al-Misbah.

وتسمى القردة زناءة، بالتشديد، نقله الجوهري.

And a female monkey is called zannā'ah, with shaddah, as narrated by Al-Jawhari.

والنسبة إلى الممدود: زنائي.

And the nisbah to the lengthened form is: zinā'i.