Classical Arabic - English Dictionary

by Edward William Lane (1801-1876)

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فطح فطحل فطر


الفِطَحْلُ

الفِطَحْلُ, (Ṣ, O, Ḳ,) and accord. to the expositors of the Fṣ, الفَطَحْلُ also, (TA,) [or زَمَنُ الفَطَحْلِ,] A [or the] time in which mankind had not as yet been created (لَمْ يُخْلَقْ فِيهِ بَعْدُ): (Ṣ, O, Ḳ:) or the time of Noah: (Ḳ:) or a [or the] time in which the stones were moist, or soft: (Ṣ, O, Ḳ:) thus said Ru-beh, when asked respecting it; (TA;) and thus the Arabs of the desert accord. to AO: (Ṣ, O, TA:) a poet said,

* زَمَنَ الفِطَحْلِ إِذَاالسِّلَامُ رِطَابُ *

[In the time of the فطحل, when the stones were moist, or soft]: (TA:) and El-ʼAjjáj is related to have said, (Ṣ,) or, correctly, Ru-beh, as in the O, or Ru-beh Ibn-El-ʼAjjáj, in replying to a woman whom he desired to take to wife, and who had asked him what was his age, and what was his property, &c., (TA,)

* فَقُلْتُ لَوْ عُمِّرْتُ عُمْرَ الحِسْلِ *
* أَوْ عُمْرَ نُوحٍ زَمَنَ الفِطَحْلِ *
* وَالصَّخْرُ مُبْتَلٌّ كَطِينِ الوَحْلِ *
* صِرْتُ رَهِينَ جَدَثٍ أَوْ قَتْلِ *

[And I said, If I were made to live the life of the new-born young one of the dabb (which is said to be seven hundred years), or the life of Noah in the time of the fitahl, when the rocks were moist like the clay of the mire, I should become the pledge of a grave or of slaughter]: (Ṣ,* O, TA: but the last has هَرَمٍ in the place of جَدَثٍ:) and one says, كَانَ ذٰلِكَ زَمَنَ الفِطَحْلِ [That was in the time of the fitahl]; a prov., in which the last word is said to have the first, or the third, of the meanings expl. in this art.; and which is said of a thing that happened long ago; (Meyd: [see also Freytag's Arab. Prov. ii. 340:]) and أَتَيْتُكَ عَامَ الفِطَحْلِ, and الهِدَمْلَةِ, expl. by AḤn as meaning [I came to thee] in the time [or year] of abundance of herbage, and of food and drink. (TA.)

Root: فطحل - Entry: الفِطَحْلُ Signification: A2

And فِطَحْلٌ also signifies A torrent. (Sh, O, Ḳ.)

Root: فطحل - Entry: الفِطَحْلُ Signification: A3

And A camel large, big, or bulky. (Fr, Sh, Ḳ.)

Root: فطحل - Entry: الفِطَحْلُ Signification: A4

And Plump and big. (Ibn-ʼAbbád, O, Ḳ.)


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