Core sense — dirt, or filth; an exclamation of vexation or disgustgenerated
1dirt, or filth, to him—أُفَّا لَهُ
Dirt, or filth; also أُفَّةٌ.
Also أُفَّةً; the tanween in these two makes them indefinite.
Also أُفَّ لَهُ وَ تُفٌّ and أُفَّةً وَتُفَّةً and أُفَّا وَتُفَّا, the last of these being an imitative sequent.
Or أُفٌّ means the dirt of the ear, and تُفٌّ the dirt of the nails (As, T, M, K; but in the last, of the nail).
The phrases above are used when one thinks a thing dirty or filthy, and afterwards when one feels annoyance or disgust at anything; أَفَفٌ also has the first of these two meanings.
Or أُفٌّ means the dirt around the nail, or the dirt of the nail, and تُفٌّ the dirt in the nail; or the first means a paring of the nail, and also a piece of stick, or a reed, that one picks up from the ground.
In these various senses they are explained as used in the saying أُفَّا لَهُ وَتُفَّا.
Or the first means stink; or scarcity, as also أَفَفٌ; or it is from أَفَفٌ, meaning a thing small in quantity; and تُفٌّ is an imitative sequent of the same meaning.
1.1and do not say to them, that is, to your father and mother, Ugh—وَلَا تَقُلْ لَهُمَا أُفِّ
أُفّ is also a word expressing vexation, distress of mind, or disgust, or dislike, displeasure, or hatred. It has six forms, mentioned by Akh; or ten; or forty; or more, as follows:
أُفِّ and أُفَّ and أُفُّ and أُفٍّ and أُفَّا and أُفٌّ and أُفِّ and أُفَ and أُفُ and أُفٍ and أُفًا and أُفٌ and أُفْ and أُفّْ and أُفَّى, pronounced with imāleh, that is, with pure imāleh, and أُفَّى with intermediate imāleh, and أُفَّى without imāleh, the alif [written ى] in these three marking the feminine gender, and أُفِّى with kesr to the ف, that is, as a prefixed noun with its complement, [the latter being the pronoun of the first person,] and أُفُّوْهْ with damm to the أ, and ف, which is with teshdeed and with the و and ه sākin, and أُفَّةْ [in one copy of the M أُفَّةً] and أُفِهْ and أُفُّهْ and إِفْ and إِفّْ and إِفِ and إِفٍ and إِفًا and إِفٌ and إِفٍّ and إِفًّ and إِفٌّ and إِفُّ with damm to the ف, which is with teshdeed, [in one copy of the M إِفَّ] and إِفَّا like إِنَّا, and إِفَّى pronounced with imāleh, and إِفِّى with kesr, that is, prefixed to the pronoun of the first person, and أَفْ and أَفِّ and أَفٍّ or أَفٍ, and آفِ or آفِّ, and آفٍ or آفٍّ.
[All these forms, making up the number (forty) mentioned by the author of the K, I have drawn from a comparison of three copies of that work, and I believe them to be correct. Some other forms are mentioned by SM as perhaps indicated in the K, but I see no good reason for this. He then adds,] أَفَهْ and أَفُوهْ and أَفَّهْ, the last mentioned by IB on the authority of IKtt.
أُفِّ [with its variants,] in its primary sense denotes a person's blowing at something that falls on him, such as dust or ashes, or at the place, to remove what is annoying from it.
So people say, at anything they find troublesome, displeasing, or hateful, أُفِّ لَهُ [as though meaning A puff, or blast of breath, to it].
Or [rather] it is a word imitative of a sound, [like ugh in English, both in sound and meaning; and in meaning like our interjections foh and faugh;] denoting vexation, distress of mind, or disgust (Bd on the example in the Qur'ān given below, and TA); or denoting contempt.
Or it is a verbal noun meaning I am vexed, or distressed in mind, or disgusted; or it is an imperative verbal noun [expressing disgust or abhorrence, like out, and away].
One who says أُفَّا لَكَ uses it in the manner of an imprecation, as one says وَيْلًا لِلْكَافِرِينَ; one who says أُفٌّ لَكَ puts it in the nominative because of the ل, as one says وَيْلٌ لِلْكَافِرِينَ; and one who says أُفٍّ لَكَ puts it in the genitive, likening it to words imitative of sounds.
In the Qur'ān 17:24; another reading is أُفٍّ (TA, where other readings are also mentioned).
The meaning is: do not find anything in their affairs burdensome, do not be narrow of heart because of it, and do not be rough or harsh to them; or do not say to them anything expressing the least disgust when they have grown old, but take their service upon yourself. أُفِّ means stink.
Qur’ānic occurrences أُفّ 2 shown of 3
17:23
وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ وَبِٱلْوَٰلِدَيْنِ إِحْسَـٰنًا ۚ إِمَّا يَبْلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ ٱلْكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَآ أَوْ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفٍّ وَلَا تَنْهَرْهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوْلًا كَرِيمًاThy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour.
21:67
أُفٍّ لَّكُمْ وَلِمَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ"Fie upon you, and upon the things that ye worship besides Allah! Have ye no sense?"..
Occurrences of this form in the Qur’ān, not Lane’s choice of verse. They show the word in use; they do not say which sense above applies. Where more occur than are shown, the shortest āyāt are chosen.
Show Lane's original text
Dirt, or filth; as also أُفَّةٌ : (S:) you say, أُفَّا لَهُ , and أُفَّةً , Dirt, or filth, to him; in which the tenween is for the purpose of rendering them indeterminate; (S;) and أُفَّ لَهُ وَ تُفٌّ ; (T;) and أُفَّةً وَتُفَّةً ; and أُفَّا وَتُفَّا ; (T, S;) the latter of which is an imitative sequent: (S:) or أُفٌّ signifies the dirt of the ear; and تُفٌّ , the dirt of the nails; (As, T, M, K; but in the last, of the nail;) the phrases mentioned above being used on the occasion of deeming a thing dirty or filthy, and afterwards on the occasion of experiencing annoyance or disgust at anything; (As, T, M,* TA;) and أَفَفٌ , also, has the former of these two meanings: (TA:) or أُفٌّ signifies the dirt around the nail; (M;) or the dirt of the nail; (K;) and تُفٌّ , the dirt in the nail: (M:) or the former, a paring of the nail: and a piece of stick, or a reed, which one takes up from the ground: (K:) in these various senses they are explained as used in the saying, أُفَّا لَهُ وَتُفَّا : (TA:) or the former signifies stink: (Zj, TA:) or paucity; (T, M, K) as also أَفَفٌ ; (M;) or from أَفَفٌ signifying a thing little in quantity; (T; and the same meaning is assigned to this word in the K;) and تُفٌّ is an imitative sequent, (T, M, K,) of the same meaning. (M.) أُفّ , also, is a word expressive of vexation, distress of mind, or disgust; (M, Mgh;) or of dislike, displeasure, or hatred; (K;) and has six forms; (T, S;) mentioned by Akh; (S;) or ten; (M;) or forty; (K;) or more; (TA;) as follow: أُفِّ and أُفَّ and أُفُّ and أُفٍّ and أُفَّا and أُفٌّ (T, S, M, K) and أُفِّ and أُفَ and أُفُ and أُفٍ and أُفًا and أُفٌ (K) and أُفْ (M, K) and أُفّْ and أُفَّى , pronounced with imáleh, (M, K,) i. e. with pure imáleh, and أُفَّى with intermediate imáleh, and أُفَّى without imáleh, the alif [written ى ] in these three denoting the fem. gender, and أُفِّى , with kesr to the ف , (K,) i. e., as a prefixed noun with its complement, [the latter being the pronoun of the first pers.,] (TA,) and أُفُّوْهْ , (K,) with damm to the أ and ف , which latter is with teshdeed, and with the و and ه quiescent, (TA,) and أُفَّةْ [in a copy of the M أُفَّةً ] and أُفِهْ and أُفُّهْ (K) and إِفْ and إِفّْ and إِفِ and إِفٍ and إِفًا and إِفٌ and إِفٍّ and إِفًّ and إِفٌّ and إِفُّ , with damm to the ف , which is with teshdeed, [in a copy of the M إِفَّ ,] and إِفَّا , like إِنَّا , and إِفَّى , pronounced with imáleh, and إِفِّى , with kesr, (K,) i. e., prefixed to the pronoun of the first person, (IAmb,) and أَفْ and أَفِّ (K) and أَفٍّ or أَفٍ and آفِ , or آفِّ , and آفٍ , or آفٍّ , (accord. to different copies of the K,) [all these forms, making the number (forty) mentioned by the author of the K, I have drawn from a comparison of three copies of that work, and I believe them to be correct: some other forms are mentioned by SM as perhaps indicated in the K; but I see no good reason for this: he then adds,] and أَفَهْ and أَفُوهْ and أَفَّهْ , the last mentioned by IB on the authority of IKtt. (TA.) أُفِّ , [with its variants,] in its primary sense, denotes one's blowing at a thing that falls upon him, such as dust or ashes; or at the place, to remove therefrom what is annoying; therefore people say, at anything that they deem troublesome, or displeasing, or hateful, أُفِّ لَهُ [as though meaning A puff, or blast of breath, to it]: (Kt, T:) or [rather] it is a word imitative of a sound; [like ugh in English, both in sound and meaning; and in meaning like our interjections foh and faugh;] (Bd on the ex. in the Kur which will be found below, and TA;) denoting vexation, or distress of mind, or disgust; (Bd ubi suprà) or denoting contempt: (TA:) or it is a verbal noun, meaning I am vexed, or distressed in mind, or disgusted: (Bd ubi suprà:) or it is an imperative verbal noun [denoting disgust or abhorrence, like out, and away]: (IJ, M:) or he who says أُفَّا لَكَ uses it in the manner of an imprecation, like as one says وَيْلًا لِلْكَافِرِينَ ; and he who says أُفٌّ لَكَ puts it in the nom. case because of the ل , like as one says وَيْلٌ لِلْكَافِرِينَ ; and he who says أُفٍّ لَكَ puts it in the gen. case likening it to words imitative of sounds. (IAmb.) It is said in the Kur [xvii. 24], وَلَا تَقُلْ لَهُمَا أُفِّ , (T, S, TA,) or أُفٍّ , (TA, [in which other readings also are mentioned,]) [And say not thou to them (i. e. to thy father and mother) Ugh, &c.,] meaning, do not thou deem anything of their affairs burdensome, nor be contracted in bosom thereby, nor be rough, or harsh, or coarse, to them: (Kt, T:) or do not thou say to them anything expressive of the least disgust, when they have become old, but take upon thyself their service; أُفِّ signifying stink. (Zj, T.)