muḍāriʿـُيَفْعُلُ·ـِيَفْعِلُmaṣdarحَفٌّ إِحْفَافٌ حُفُوفٌ حَفِيفٌ
Core sense — they went round about it, they surrounded it; it dried upgenerated
1.1figurative · مجازthey went round about it, they surrounded it—حفّفوا
Also constructed as حَفُّوا حَوْلَهُ or بِهِ, and so in the present day, since it is synonymous with احاطوا به, اطافوا به, استداروا به and the like; but the verb is properly transitive by itself.; maṣdar حَفٌّ and حِفَافٌ. احتفّوا means the same.
the company of men went round about the House—حَفَّ القَوْمُ بِالبَيْتِ
Or rather حَوْلَ البَيْتِ. The House is the Kaabeh, called the House of God.
and they circuit round about them with their wings—فَيَحُفُّونَهُمْ بِأَجْنِحَتِهِمْ
whoever goes round about us, and manages our affairs, and treats us with honour—مَنْ حَفَّنَا أَوْ رَفَّنَا فَلْيَقْتَصِدْ
he has not anyone who goes round about him and manages his affairs—مَا لَهُ حَافٌّ وَلَا رَافٌّ
he who used to go round about him, and give to him and bring him food, has gone away—ذَهَبَ مَنْ كَانَ يَحُفُّهُ وَيَرُفُّهُ
Occurring in a tradition.
A proverb. Or: serves us, and guards us, defends us, or takes care of us, and behaves towards us with kindness and concern; or praises us. A 'Obeyd: let him act moderately and not go beyond the due bounds, but speak truth.
حَفَّهُ also means he gave to him.
he stands and sits; and he acts as a sincere adviser, with kindness and concern—هُوَ يَحُفُّ وَيَرُفُّ
See also art. رف.
want beset them, want encompassed them—حَفَّتْهُمُ الحَاجَةُ
Said of persons in want..
persons beset, or encompassed, by want—هُمْ قَومٌ مَحْفُوفُونَ
Lane cites “Bd in xviii. 31” — a commentary, not the verse; no modern number is given
1.1.1figurative · مجاز — inferredhe surrounded it, or him, with the thing—حَفَّهُ بِالشَّىْءِ
For instance, a هَوْدَج with pieces of cloth.. Also حفّفهُ, maṣdar تَحْفِيفٌ.
we made them, namely the two gardens, to be surrounded by palm-trees—حَفَفْنَاهُمَا بِنَخْلٍ
Qur'ān 18:31. Or: we made palm-trees encompass their أَحِفَّة, that is, their sides.
I surrounded it, or him, with them—حَفَفْتُهُ بِهِمْ
Paradise is encompassed by things that one dislikes to do—حُفَّتِ الجَنَّةُ بِالمَكَارِهِ
In a tradition; these things are likened to a wall, through which alone one can enter Paradise.
Lane cites “Bd in xviii. 31” — a commentary, not the verse; no modern number is given
1.2he clipped his mustache, the hair of his head, and the beard short, or to the utmost degree—حَفَّ شَارِبَهُ
Also رَأْسَهُ and اللِّحْيَةَ., the former against rule and disapproved by IB.
1.2.1she plucked out the hair of her face—حَفَّتْ وَجْهَهَا
Said of a woman. Also مِنَ الشَّعَرِ; maṣdar حَفٌّ, حِفَافٌ and اِحْتَفَّتْ. Or: she made her face look better by removing the hair from it; or she scraped the hair off her face with a razor.
she ordered another to pluck out the hair of her face with two threads—اِحْتَفَّتْ
So some say.
أَحَفَّتْ, means the same as احتفّت.
1.3his head remained long without ointment, and its hair was shaggy, matted, or dusty—حَفَّ رَأْسُهُ
.
the beard was shaggy and matted from long want of ointment, or dusty—حَفَّتِ اللِّحْيَةُ
Muḍāriʿ and maṣdar as above.
El-Kumeyt says, describing a wooden peg or stake long neglected: [And a wooden peg or stake, in the dwelling, having a head of battered and hanging fibres, long neglected, but not lousy]
shāhidوَأَشْعَثَ فِى الدَّارِ ذَا لِمَّةٍيُطِيلُ الحُفُوفَ فَلَا يَقْمَلُ
The fibres are likened to hair. In the TA, under art. شعث, this verse is cited with ذِي in place of ذا; the term اشعث is used for a wooden peg or stake because its head is bruised, or battered, and split apart, so that the parts do not hold together.
1.3.1it became dry in its upper part and cracked open in several places—حَفَّتِ الثَّرِيدَةُ
Said of the ثريدة, a mess of crumbled bread moistened with broth; the drying being from scarcity of broth. See the ism fāʿil, حَافٌّ.
1.3.2being dry, without grease—حُفُوفٌ
The maṣdar.
1.3.3his belly became dry—حَفَّ بَطْنُهُ
Said of a man, from not having eaten greasy food or flesh-meat.
1.3.4the earth, or land, dried up—حَفَّتِ الأَرْضُ
. Or: its plants, herbs, or leguminous plants dried up for want of water.
1.3.5figurative · مجاز — inferredhis hearing went away entirely—حَفَّ سَمْعُهُ
.
1.4he made a confused, continued sound with his fore and hind feet in running, or in going along—حَفَّ
Said of a horse.; the sound is that termed دَوِيّ.
it made a sound come from its mouth—فَحَّ
Said also of violent rain: it made a pattering sound. And of a viper: it made a rustling sound with its skin.
Maṣdar فَحِيحٌ. Aboo-Kheyreh.
she made a rustling sound with her skin, rubbing one part of it against another—حَفَّتْ
Said of the female of the kind of serpents called أَسَاوِد; maṣdar as above. Said in the same way of a tree: it made a rustling sound when the wind blew on its branches; and of a bird: it made a rustling sound with its wing or wings.
it made a rustling sound—حَفْحَفَ
Said of the wing of a bird, and likewise of a hyena, for which خَفْخَفَ is also used. Said of the beetle called جُعَل: it flew, because of the humming it makes in flying.
Qur’ānic occurrences Form 1
18:32
وَٱضْرِبْ لَهُم مَّثَلًا رَّجُلَيْنِ جَعَلْنَا لِأَحَدِهِمَا جَنَّتَيْنِ مِنْ أَعْنَـٰبٍ وَحَفَفْنَـٰهُمَا بِنَخْلٍ وَجَعَلْنَا بَيْنَهُمَا زَرْعًاSet forth to them the parable of two men: for one of them We provided two gardens of grape-vines and surrounded them with date palms; in between the two We placed corn-fields.
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
, (Ksh and Bd in xviii. 31,) or حَفُّوا حَوْلَهُ , (S, K,) or بِهِ , (Msb, and W p. 153, [and so in the present day, because syn. with احاطوا به and اطافوا به and استداروا به , &c.,]) but the verb is properly trans. by itself, (W ibid.,) aor. حَفُفَ , (S,) inf. n. حَفٌّ (S, TA) and حِفَافٌ ; (TA [accord. to a meaning there assigned to it];) and حفّفوا and احتفّوا ; all signify the same; (K, TA;) They went round about, circuited, compassed, or surrounded, it, or him. (S, Ksh, Bd, Msb, TA.) You say, حَفَّ القَوْمُ بِالبَيْتِ , [or rather حَوْلَ البَيْتِ ,] The company of men went round about the House [called the House of God, i. e. the Kaabeh]. (Msb.) And it is said in a trad., فَيَحُفُّونَهُمْ بِأَجْنِحَتِهِمْ And they circuit round about them with their wings. (TA.) And in a prov., مَنْ حَفَّنَا أَوْ رَفَّنَا فَلْيَقْتَصِدْ , i. e. Whoso goes round about us, and minds, or manages, our affairs, (K, TA,) and treats us with honour; (TA;) or [in the K “ and ”] serves us, (S, K,) and guards us, defends us, or takes care of us, and regards us, or behaves towards us, with benevolence and solicitude; (S, TA;) or [in the K “ and ”] praises us; (A 'Obeyd, K, TA;) let him [act moderately, and] not exceed the due bounds, (A 'Obeyd, K, TA,) but speak truth. (A 'Obeyd, TA.) Hence the saying, (K,) مَا لَهُ حَافٌّ وَلَا رَافٌّ (S, K) [He has not any who goes round about him, and minds, or manages, his affairs, &c.]. And ذَهَبَ مَنْ كَانَ يَحُفُّهُ وَيَرُفُّهُ (S, K) [He went away, or has gone away, who used to go round about him, &c.; or] who used to give to him, and bring him corn or food: (TA:) [for] حَفَّهُ signifies also he gave to him. (Msb.) And هُوَ يَحُفُّ وَيَرُفُّ He stands and sits: and he acts as a sincere, or faithful, adviser, and with benevolence and solicitude. (As,) (TA.) [See also art. رف .] One says, of persons in want, حَفَّتْهُمُ الحَاجَةُ , (S, K,) aor. حَفُفَ , (S,) inf. n. حَفٌّ , (TA,) [Want beset, or encompassed, them; or has beset, &c.;] and هُمْ قَومٌ مَحْفُوفُونَ [They are persons beset, or encompassed, by want]. (S, K, TA.) حَفَّهُ بِالشَّىْءِ , aor. حَفُفَ , (S, O, K,) He surrounded it, or him, with the thing; (K, TA;) as, for instance, a هَوْدَج with pieces of cloth; (S, O;) and so حفّفهُ , inf. n. تَحْفِيفٌ . (S.) It is said in the Kur [xviii. 31], حَفَفْنَاهُمَا بِنَخْلٍ We made them, namely, the two gardens, to be surrounded by palm-trees; (Ksh, Bd;) We made palm-trees to encompass their أَحِفَّة , (K,) i. e., their sides. (TA.) And you say, حَفَفْتُهُ بِهِمْ I surrounded it, or him, with them. (Ksh and Bd in xviii. 31, and TA.) And حُفَّتِ الجَنَّةُ بِالمَكَارِهِ (TA) a trad., meaning Paradise is encompassed by things that one dislikes to do: these being likened to a wall, through which alone one can enter Paradise. (Gloss in a copy of the “ Jámi' es-Sagheer ” of Es-Suyootee.) حَفَّ شَارِبَهُ , (S, Msb, K,) and رَأْسَهُ , (S, K,) and اللِّحْيَةَ , (M,) aor. حَفِفَ , (S,) or حَفُفَ , (M, IB, TA,) [the former contr. to rule, and disapproved by IB,] inf. n. حَفٌّ , (S, M, TA,) He cut, or clipped, (S, M, Msb, K,) his mustache, (S, Msb, K,) and the hair of his head, (S, K,) and the beard, (M,) much, or short, or to the utmost degree. (S, Msb, K.) حَفَّتْ وَجْهَهَا (S, Mgh, Msb, K) مِنَ الشَّعَرِ , (S, K,) aor. حَفُفَ , (S, Msb,) inf. n. حَفٌّ (S, Msb, K) and حِفَافٌ ; (S, K;) and اِحْتَفَّتْ ; (S, K;) said of a woman; (S, Mgh, Msb, K;) She plucked out the hair of her face: (Mgh:) or she embellished her face by removing the hair thereof: (Msb:) or she scraped off the hair of her face (K, TA) with a razor: (TA:) and اِحْتَفَّتْ she ordered another to pluck out the hair of her face with two threads: (K, * TA:) so some say: and أَحَفَّتْ , inf. n. إِحْفَافٌ , signifies the same as احتفّت . (TA.) حَفَّ رَأْسُهُ , aor. حَفِفَ , inf. n. حُفُوفٌ , His head remained long without ointment, (As, S, K,) and its hair was shaggy, matted, frouzy, or dusty: (TA:) and حَفَّتِ اللِّحْيَةُ , aor. and inf. n. as above, The beard was shaggy, matted, frouzy from long want of ointment, or dusty. (M, TA.) El-Kumeyt says, describing a wooden peg or stake, (S, L,) long neglected, (L,) 1 [And a wooden peg or stake, in the dwelling, having a head of battered and pendent fibres, long neglected, but not lousy: the fibres being likened to hair; and (as is said in the TA in art. شعث , where this verse is cited, but with ذِي in the place of ذا ,) the term اشعث being used to signify a wooden peg or stake because its head is bruised, or battered, and separated, so that the parts do not cohere]. (S, L.) وَأَشْعَثَ فِى الدَّارِ ذَا لِمَّةٍ | يُطِيلُ الحُفُوفَ فَلَا يَقْمَلُ حَفَّتِ الثَّرِيدَةُ The ثريدة [or mess of crumbled bread moistened with broth] became dry in its upper part [by reason of paucity of broth], and cracked open in several places. (TA.) [See the part. n., حَافٌّ .] [The inf. n.] حُفُوفٌ signifies The being dry, without grease. (TA.) And حَفَّ بَطْنُهُ His (a man's) belly became dry in consequence of his not having eaten greasy food nor flesh-meat. (TA.) حَفَّتِ الأَرْضُ , (Msb, K,) aor. حَفِفَ , (Msb, TA,) inf. n. حُفُوفٌ , (TA,) The earth, or land, dried up: (TA:) or its plants, (Msb,) or its herbs, or leguminous plants, (K,) dried up, (Msb, K,) for want of water. (TA.) حَفَّ سَمْعُهُ , (IAar, K,) inf. n. حُفُوفٌ , (IAar, TA,) His hearing went away entirely. (IAar, K.) حَفَّ , (S, K,) aor. حَفِفَ , (S,) inf. n. حَفِيفٌ , (S, K, KL,) He (a horse) made a sound, (S, K, KL,) such as is termed دَوِيّ [i. e. a confused and continued sound], (S,) with his fore and hind feet, (KL,) in his running, (S, K,) or in going along. (KL.) Said also of violent rain, It made a [pattering] sound. (As, TA.) And of a viper, It made a [rustling] sound with its skin: فَحَّ , inf. n. فَحِيحٌ , signifies “ it made a sound to proceed from its mouth: ” (Aboo-Kheyreh, K:) or حَفَّتْ , inf. n. as above, said of the female of the [kind of serpents called] أَسَاوِد , she made a [rustling] sound with her skin by rubbing one part thereof with another. (L.) And in like manner it is said of a tree, meaning It made a [rustling] sound (K, TA) by the blowing of the wind upon its branches. (TA.) And of a bird, meaning It made a [rustling] sound (K, TA) with its wing [or wings]: (TA:) and حَفْحَفَ signifies the same, said of the wing of a bird; and likewise, of a hyena, (IDrd, K,) as also خَفْخَفَ . (TA.) [Hence,] said of the [beetle called] جُعَل , [because of the humming that it makes in flying,] It flew. (TA.)