Classical Arabic - English Dictionary

صَفَا, (Ṣ, M, Mṣb,) aor. يَصْفُو, (Ṣ, Mṣb,) inf. n. صَفَآءٌ (Ṣ, M, Mṣb, Ḳ *) and صُفُوٌّ (M, Mṣb, Ḳ *) and صَفْوٌ (Ḳ,* TḲ) and صَفْوَةٌٰ and صِفْوَةٌ, (MA,) said of wine, or beverage, (Ṣ,) or of water, (TḲ,) or of a thing, (M,) It was, or became, clear, limpid, or pure; contr. of كَدِرَ; (Ṣ, M, Ḳ;*) or free from الكَدَر [i. e. turbidness, thickness, or muddiness]; (Mṣb;) or free from admixture. (Er-Rághib, TA.) And, said of the air, or atmosphere, It was, or became, cloudless; free from any particle of cloud. (M, Ḳ.) [And it is also said, tropically, of life; and of the mind, or heart; and of love, or affection;, &c.]

صَفَتْ, (AA, Ṣ, M, Ḳ,) aor. تَصْفُو; (AA, Ṣ;) and صَفُوتْ; (M, Ḳ;) said of a she-camel, (AA, Ṣ, M, Ḳ,) and of a ewe, or she-goat, (AA, Ṣ,) She abounded with milk. (AA, Ṣ, M, Ḳ.)

صَفَا الشَّىْءَ He took the clear, or pure, part, or portion, of the thing; (M, TA;) as alsoاستصفى↓ صَفْوَهُ; (M;) andاستصفاهُ↓ [alone] signifies the same; (Ḳ, TA;) as alsoاصطفاهُ↓; (Er-Rághib, TA;) or he took the best, or choice, part, or portion, of it. (TA.) You say, صَفَوْتُ القِدْرَ I took the clear, or pure, part, or portion, [of the contents] of the cooking-pot. (Ṣ.)

صفّاهُ, inf. n. تَصْفِيَةٌ, He cleared, or clarified, it, namely, wine, or beverage, (Ṣ, TA,) by means of the رَاوُوق [or مِصْفَاة]. (TA.) And He removed from it the floating particles, or motes, or the like, that had fallen into it; (TA;) or so صفّاهُ مِنَ القَذَى. (Mṣb.)

And صفّى عَرَمَتَهُ, inf. n. as above, He winnowed his heap of trodden-out corn, or grain. (TA.)

صافاهُ, (Ṣ, M, Ḳ, TA,) inf. n. مُصَافَاةٌ, (TA,) ‡ He regarded him, or acted towards him, with reciprocal purity of mind, or sincerity; or with reciprocal purity, or sincerity, of love, or affection; syn. خَالَصَهُ; (Ṣ in art. خلص;) he rendered him true, or sincere, brotherly affection; (M, Ḳ, TA;) as alsoاصفاهُ↓; (Ḳ;) orاصفاهُ↓ الوُدَّ, (Ṣ, Mṣb,) or المَوَدَّةَ, (TA,) he rendered him pure, or sincere, love or affection; (Ṣ, Mṣb, TA;) and [in like manner] one says also صافاهُ الإِخَآءَ. (TA.)

اصفاهُ الشَّىْءَ He made the thing to be his, or he assigned, or appropriated, to him the thing, purely, absolutely, or exclusively. (TA.)

See also 3 in two places.

And اصفاهُ (Ṣ, Mṣb, Ḳ, TA) بِالشَّىْءِ (Ṣ) or بِكَذَا (Ḳ, TA) ‡ He chose him in preference to others (Ṣ, Mṣb, Ḳ, TA) for, or to give him, the thing or such a thing; (Ṣ, Ḳ, TA;) and he distinguished him particularly, peculiarly, or specially, i. e. above, or from, or exclusively of, others, by the thing or by such a thing. (TA.)

And اصفى عِيَالَهُ بِشَىْءٍ قَلِيلٍ † He contented, or satisfied, his family, or household, with something little, or scanty. (TA.)

اصفى الأَمِيرُ دَارَ فُلَانٍ means † The prince, or governor, took what was in the house of such a one: (Ṣ,* TA:) andاستصفى↓ مَالَهُ ‡ He took all his property. (Ṣ, Ḳ, TA.)

اصفى, intrans., ‡ He was, or became, destitute, or devoid, مِنَ المَالِ [of property], and مِنَ الأَدَبِ [of good education, good breeding, or polite accomplishments,, &c.]: (Ṣ, Ḳ, TA:) as though clear thereof. (TA.)

And ‡ He (a man, TA) became exhausted of his sperma by women: (Az, Ḳ, TA:) or he ceased from sexual intercourse. (IḲṭṭ, TA.)

And اصفت said of a hen, † She ceased to lay eggs: (Ṣ, M, Ḳ, TA:) as though she became clear. (TA.)

Hence, (TA,) اصفى said of a poet, ‡ He ceased to utter poetry, or to poetize. (Ṣ, M, A, Ḳ,* TA.)

اصفى القَوْمُ The people had abundance of milk in their camels, and in their sheep or goats. (TA.)

اصفى said of a digger, He reached stone (صَفًا, M, TA, i. e. حَجَرًا, TA), so that he was repelled [thereby], (M, TA,) or prevented from digging [further]. (TA.)

تصفّى [It became cleared, or clarified]. (Ḳ in art. نطب.)

تَصَافَيْنَا We regarded one another, or acted reciprocally, with purity, or sincerity, [of mind, or] of love, or affection; syn. تَخَالَصْنَا. (Ṣ. [See also 3.])

اصطفاهُ: see 1, last sentence but one.

Also He took it clear, limpid, or pure; (M, TA;) and so [accord. to SM, which, however, I think doubtful,] استصفاهُ↓, which is expl. in the Ḳ as signifying he reckoned it clear, limpid, or pure; though the former meaning is assigned in the M to اصطفاهُ only. (TA.)

And He chose, made choice of, selected, elected, or preferred, it, (Ṣ, M, Ḳ,) namely, a thing; (M;) as alsoاستصفاهُ↓. (M, Ḳ.) And اِصْطَفَيْتُ كَذَا عَلَى كَذَا I chose such a thing in preference to such a thing. (TA.) But اِصْطِفَآءُ ٱللّٰهِ عِبَادَهُ [sometimes means God's creating his servants pure; for it] is sometimes by his bringing them into existence clear from the admixture that is found in others: and sometimes it is by his choice and judgment. (TA.)

صَفًا Stones: or smooth stones: and one thereof is termed صَفَاةٌ: [i. e. the former word is a coll. gen. n., and the latter is its n. un.:] the two words being like حَصًى and حَصَاةٌ: (Mṣb:) or صَفَاةٌ signifies a smooth rock: (Ṣ:) or a hard and smooth stone, large, and such as does not give growth to anything: (M, Ḳ:) and the pl. of this is صَفًا [improperly thus termed a pl.] (Ṣ, M, Ḳ) and صَفَوَاتٌ, (M, Ḳ,) and (Ṣ, M, Ḳ) that of صَفًا, (M, Ḳ,*) not of صَفَاةٌ, (M,) أَصْفَآءٌ and صُفِىٌّ (Ṣ, M, Ḳ) and صِفِىٌّ: (M, Ḳ:) or صَفًا signifies stones that are broad and smooth: (ISk, TA:) and [accord. to F,] صَفْوَآءُ↓ signifies the same as صَفَاةٌ, as also صَفْوَانَةٌ [in the CK erroneously written صَفْوَاة], of which the pl. is صَفْوَانٌ↓ andصَفَوَانٌ↓, (Ḳ,) which last is said by El-Háfidh to be a mistaken pronunciation of صَفْوَانٌ; (TA;) [but correctly,] صَفْوَآءُ↓ [which is a quasi-pl. n.] andصَفْوَانٌ↓ [a coll. gen. n.] (Aṣ, T, Ṣ, M, TA) of which the sing. or n. un. is صَفْوَانَةٌ (Ṣ, M, TA) signify the same as صَفًا, (Aṣ, T, M, TA,) or stones, (Ṣ,) or soft, smooth stones; (TA;) orصَفْوَانٌ↓ is used as a pl. and as a sing.; as a pl. meaning smooth stones, one of which is termed صَفْوَانَةٌ; and as a sing., stone, or a stone: (Mṣb:) the dual of صَفًا is صَفَوَانِ. (ISk, TA.) مَا تَنْدَى صَفَاتُهُ is a prov., (Ṣ,) applied to the niggardly, like مَا يَبِضُّ حَجَرُهُ, (Ṣ, in art. بض,) meaning † No good is obtained from him. (TA in that art.) And one says also, قَرَعَ صَفَاتَهُ, meaning † He impugned his character; blamed, or censured, him; or spoke against him. (Mgh in art. غمز.)

الصَّفَا A certain place in Mekkeh (Ṣ, Mṣb) may be masc. or fem., as meaning either the مَكَان or the بُقْعَة. (Mṣb.)

[بِنْتُ صَفًا, accord. to Reiske, as stated by Freytag, signifies The echo.]

صَفْوٌ Clearness, limpidness, or purity; contr. of كَدَرٌ; (M, Ḳ;) like [the inf. ns.] صَفَآءٌ and صُفُوٌّ [&c. when used as simple substs.: see 1, first sentence]. (Ḳ.) See also صَفَآءٌ, below.

Also, andصَفْوَةٌ↓ andصِفْوَةٌ↓ andصُفْوَةٌ↓, (Ṣ, M, Mṣb, Ḳ,) but only with fet-ḥ when without ة, (AO, Ṣ,) The clear, or pure, part, or portion, of a thing; (Ṣ, M, Mṣb, Ḳ;) the best, or choice, part, or portion; (TA;) and soصَفِىٌّ↓, (Ḳ,* TA,) of a thing. (Ḳ, TA.) One saysصَفْوَةُ↓ المَآءِ, (T, TA,) and المَالِ, (AO, T, Ṣ, TA,) and الآخَآءِ, (T, TA,) andصِفْوَتُهُ↓, (AO, T, Ṣ, TA,) andصُفْوَتُهُ↓, (AO, Ṣ,) [i. e. The clear, or pure, part, or portion, or the best, or choice, of water, and of property, and of brothers,] but only صَفْوُ الإِهَالَةِ [the clear, or pure, part, or portion, or the best, or choice, of the grease, or melted fat,, &c.]. (T, TA.) And Moḥammad is said to beصَفْوَةُ↓ ٱللّٰهِ مِنْ خَلْقِهِ andمُصْطَفَاهُ↓ [i. e. God's choice one, or elect, or favourite, of his creatures]: (Ṣ:) and [in like manner] Adam is said to beصَفِىُّ↓ ٱللّٰهِ i. e. the chosen one, or elect, of God. (TA.)

صِفْوَةٌ: see صَفْوٌ, in two places.

One says also, فِى الإِنَآءِ صِفْوَةٌ مِنْ مَآءٍ, or خَمْرٍ, i. e. [In the vessel is] a small quantity [of water, or of wine]. (M.)

يَوْمٌ صَفْوَانُ, (Ṣ, M, Ḳ,) andصَافٍ↓, (M, Ḳ,) A day in which the sun is clear, and which is very cold: (Ṣ:) or a cold day, (Ḳ,) or a very cold day, (M,) without clouds and without thickness [of the air]. (M, Ḳ.)

صَفْوَانُ is also a name of The second of the days of cold: (Ḳ, TA:) so called because the sky therein is clear of clouds: [as a proper name,] it is determinate, and imperfectly decl. (TA. [See also صُفَيَّةُ.])

صَفْوَانٌ [as a coll. gen. n., of which the n. un. is with ة {صَفْوَانَةٌ}; and said to be used as a sing. and as a pl.]: see صَفًا, in three places.

صَفَآءٌ an inf. n. of صَفَا. (Ṣ, M, &c. [See 1, first sentence.])

[It is often used by moderns as meaning † Serenity of life, and of the mind; freedom from trouble; comfort; content; complacency; happiness, joy, or pleasure: and so, sometimes, صَفْوٌ↓.]

Also ‡ [Reciprocal purity or sincerity of mind, or of love or affection, or of brotherly affection; or pure, or sincere, reciprocal love, &c.;] a subst, from صَافَاهُ. (TA.)

صَفِىٌّ: see صَافٍ.

Also ‡ A friend who regards one, or behaves towards one, with reciprocal purity or sincerity of love or affection, or of brotherly affection: (Ṣ,* M,* Ḳ, TA:) pl. أَصْفِيَآءُ. (TA.) One says, فُلَانٌ صَفِىُّ فُلَانٍ † [Such a man is the friend, &c. of such a man]: and فُلَانَةُ صَفِىُّ فُلَانٍ and صَفِيَّتُهُ † [Such a woman is the friend,, &c. of such a man]. (Ḥam p. 430.)

See also صَفْوٌ, in two places.

Also ‡ The portion, of the spoil, which the chief, or commander, chooses for himself before the division; (Ṣ, Mṣb, Ḳ, TA;) and soصَفِيَّةٌ↓, of which the pl. is صَفَايَا: (Ṣ, Mṣb:) or, accord. to Aṣ, صَفَايَا is pl. of صَفِىٌّ, which signifies the portion which the chief chooses for himself, exclusively of his companions, such as the horse, and that which cannot be divided among the army: or, as AO says, the portion which the chief chose for himself, after [taking] the fourth part, such as the she-camel, and the horse, and the sword, and the girl or young woman; and thus it continued to be in the case of El-Islám, but the fourth became reduced to the fifth. (Mṣb.)

Also, applied to a she-camel, (Ṣ, M, Ḳ,) and to a ewe, or she-goat, (Ṣ,) Abounding with milk; (Ṣ, M, Ḳ;) or so صَفِيَّةٌ↓: (Z, TA:) or the former, a she-camel whose milk lasts throughout the year: (IAạr, TA in art. شكر:) pl. of the former, (Sb, Ṣ, M, Ḳ,) or of the latter, (Z, TA,) as above: (Sb, Ṣ, M, Z, Ḳ:) Sb says that it is not pluralized with ا and ت because the sing. is without ة. (M.)

And A palm-tree (نَخْلَةٌ) abounding with fruit; (M, Ḳ;) or so صَفِيَّةٌ↓: (Z, TA:) pl. of the former, (TA,) or of the latter, as above. (Z, TA.)

صُفَيَّةُ a name of The first of the days of cold: (Ḳ, TA:) so called because the sky therein is clear of clouds. (TA. [See also صَفْوَانُ.])

صَافٍ Clear, limpid, or pure; free from كَدَر [or turbidness,, &c.]; (Mṣb;) and soصَفِىٌّ↓, applied to anything. (M.) Applied to pasturage, the former word may mean Clear of dried-up leaves or similar rubbish: or it may be formed by transposition from صَائِفٌ, meaning “of the [season called] صَيْف,” and so belonging to art. صيف. (M. [See also صَافٍ in another sense as formed by transposition from صَائِفٌ, voce صَافٌ, in art. صوف.]) In the phraseصَفَاةُ↓ اللَّوْنِ applied by the poet Kutheiyir-'Azzeh to honey (جَنَاةُ النَّحْلِ), and expl. as meaning Clear in respect of colour, [ISd says,] I think that صفاة is originally صَفِيَة, as a possessive epithet. (M.) [صَافٍ is also applied to a sword, and the like, as meaning Bright, or free from rust.] And in the Ḳur xxii. 37, [instead of the common reading صَوَافَّ, pl. of صَافٌّ and صَافَّةٌ,] some read صَوَافِىَ, [pl. of صَافِيَةٌ, as well as of صَافٍ applied to irrational animals,] as meaning that the animals there mentioned are [to be regarded as] things purely [or exclusively] belonging to God. (TA.)

See also صَفْوَانُ.

Also A certain fish, which [it is said] chews the cud; pl. صَوَافٍ. (TA.)

صَافِيَةٌ [fem. of صَافٍ, q. v.]

[And also, as a subst.,] ‡ One of what are termed صَوَافِى الإِمَامِ, which means the towns, or villages, of those who have rebelled against him, which the Imám [or Khaleefeh] chooses for himself [as his peculiar property]: (A, TA:) or, as in the T, الصَّوَافِى signifies what the Sultán appropriates exclusively to those persons whom he specially favours: or, as some say, it means the possessions and lands which their owners have abandoned, or of which the owners have died leaving no heirs thereof. (TA.)

مِصْفَاةٌ i. q. رَاوُوقٌ; (Ṣ, MA, Ḳ, TA;) i. e. A strainer; (MA; [thus accord. to modern usage;]) a clarifier; i. e. a thing from which clearing, or clarifying, is effected; called by the vulgar مصفيَّة [i. e. مِصْفَيَّة, and also مِصْفَايَة]: pl. مَصَافٍ. (TA.)

عَسَلٌ مُصَفًّى [Clarified honey; or] honey cleared of the floating particles, or motes, or the like, that had fallen into it. (TA.)