Core sense — the shank; the stem, stock, or trunk of a tree; the soul, or selfgenerated
1figurative · مجاز — inferredhe uncovered his shank; meaning he prepared himself for difficulty—كَشَفَ عَنْ سَاقِهِ
The shank; that is, the part between the knee and the foot of a human being, or the part between the ankle and the knee; the ساق of the human foot.
And the part properly corresponding to it in a beast, that is, the thigh commonly so called, and also the arm: the part above the وَظِيف of the horse and mule and ass and camel, and the part above the كُرَاع of the ox-kind and sheep or goat and antelope.
[It is also sometimes applied to the shank commonly so called, of the hind leg, and, less properly, of the fore leg, of a beast; and to the bone of any of the parts mentioned above; and sometimes, as a part standing for the whole, to the hind leg, and, less properly, to the fore leg also, of a beast: it generally corresponds to ذِرَاعٌ of a bird, it is the thigh commonly so called: and sometimes the shank commonly so called: and, in the same way, the leg.]
It is of the feminine gender, and for this reason the diminutive is سُوَيْقَةٌ. The plural of many is سُوقٌ and سِيقَانٌ, and of few أَسْؤُقٌ, the و in this last being with ء so that it may bear the ḍammeh.
A poet says:
shāhid 1لِلْفَتَى عَقْلٌ يَعِيشُ بِهِحَيْثُ تَهْدِى سَاقَهُ قَدَمُهْ
meaning: the young man has intelligence by which he lives when his foot rightly directs his shank.
Said of a man when difficulty, or calamity, befalls him; so says IAmb.
Hence, he says, they mention the ساق when they mean to express the difficulty of a case or an event, and to tell of the terror it causes; a similar explanation is cited from ISd also.
on a day when a shank shall be uncovered—يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَنْ سَاقٍ
the war, or battle, became violent—قَامَتِ الحَرْبُ عَلَى سَاقٍ
Qur'ān 68:42: it means on a day when difficulty, or calamity, shall be disclosed. So say I'Ab and Mujáhid.
That is, so that safety from destruction was hard to attain; so in the Msb, in this article and in the article حرب, and in the article حرب.
the war, or battle, became violent—كَشَفَتِ الحَرْبُ عَنْ سَاقٍ
Also شَمَّرَتْ عَنْ سَاقِهَا.
and the affliction of the present state of existence shall be combined with that of the final state—وَٱلْتَفَّتِ ٱلسَّاقُ بِالسَّاقِ
the people, or party, became in a state of toil and distress—قَامَ القَوْمُ عَلَى سَاقٍ
he prepared himself for the thing, or affair—قَرَعَ لِلْأَمْرِ سَاقَهُ
Qur'ān 75:29. Or it means: when the one leg shall be wrapped with the other leg by means of the grave-clothes.
Literally: he struck his shank for the affair — originating from a man striking his camel's shin to make it lie down to be mounted.
Synonym تَشَمَّرَ; or he was, or became, light, or active, and rose, or hastened, to do the thing; or he applied himself vigorously, or with energy, to the affair; equivalent to شَمَّرَ لَهُ, or تَجَرَّدَ لَهُ.
So in the A and TA in the article قرع; see also ظُنْبُوبٌ in several places.
I nearly, or almost, did what I purposed—أَوْهَتْ بِسَاقٍ
It is said to mean كِدْتُ أَفْعَلُ, but this explanation seems to have been derived only from what follows.
Kurt says, describing the wolf:
shāhid 2وَلٰكِنِّى رَمَيْتُكَ مِنْ بَعِيدٍفَلَمْ أَفْعَلْ وَقَدْ أَوْهَتْ بِسَاقِ
apparently: but I shot at you from afar, and I did not do what I purposed, though it maimed a shank.
I suppose the shot, الرَّمْيَةُ, is meant to be understood; which in effect means: though I nearly did what I purposed.
I assume the poet says اوهت بساق for the sake of the measure and the rhyme, for أَوْهَتْ سَاقًا; see what is said, in the explanations of the preposition بِ, about the phrase وَٱمْسَحُوا بِرُؤُٓسِكُمْ.
Lane cites “Jel in lxviii. 42” — a commentary, not the verse; no modern number is given
1.1figurative · مجاز — inferreda greave—سَاقٌ
By a secondary application: a thing worn on the ساق [or shank] of the leg, made of iron or other material.
1.2figurative · مجاز
Also the stem, stock, or trunk: the part between the أَصْل [here meaning root, or foot, though it is also synonymous with ساق in the sense in which that word is here explained] and the place where the branches shoot out; or the support; or the جِذْع of a tree, or shrub.
Plural of many سُوقٌ, سُوقٌ, سُوُوقٌ and سُؤُوقٌ; of few أَسْوُقٌ and أَسْؤُقٌ.
It is related in a tradition of Moʿáwiyeh that a man said: I applied to him to decide a lawsuit with my brother's son, and began to overcome him in it; whereupon he said: You are like as Aboo-Duwád says:
shāhidأَنَّى أُتِيحَ لَهُ حِرْبَآءُ تَنْضُبَةٍلَا يُرْسِلُ السَّاقَ إِلَّا مُمْسِكًا سَاقَا
however a preparation is made for him, to catch him, he is like a chameleon of a tree of the kind called تَنْضُب: he will not loose the stem of it unless he is grasping a stem.
He meant that no plea of his came to nothing without his clinging to another; likening him to the chameleon, which places itself facing the sun, and climbs half-way up the tree or shrub, then climbs to the branches when the sun becomes hot, then climbs to a higher branch, and will not loose the first until it grasps the other.
1.3figurative · مجاز — inferredsuch a woman brought forth three sons, one after another, with no girl between them—وَلَدَتْ فُلَانَةُ ثَلَاثَةَ بَنِينَ عَلَى سَاقٍ
Hence, perhaps, as it seems to be indicated in the O.
In the copies of the K, however, I find ثَلَاثَ put for ثَلَاثَةَ.
Or عَلَى سَاقٍ وَاحِدٍ, or وَاحِدَةٍ; so says ISk.
three children were born to such a one, one after another—وُلِدَ لِفُلَانٍ ثَلَاثَةُ أَوْلَادٍ سَاقًا عَلَى سَاقٍ
the people, or party, built their houses, or pitched their tents, in one row—بَنَى القَوْمُ بُيُوتَهُمْ عَلَى سَاقٍ وَاحِدٍ
1.4figurative · مجازthe soul, or self—سَاقٌ
Synonym نَفْسٌ.
there is no way for me to avoid fighting them, though my soul, or self, should perish by doing so—لَابُدَّ لِى مِنْ قِتَالِهِمْ وَلَوْ تَلِفَتْ سَاقِى
A saying of ʿAlee, in the war of the schismatics called شُرَاة. Abu-l-ʿAbbás.
he cankered his very soul—قَدَحَ فِى سَاقِهِ
IAar, in the article قدح.
Or: he deceived him and did what was displeasing to him; or he impugned his honour, or reputation; from the action of canker-worms cankering the stem, or trunk, of a shrub or tree.
2the male of the collared turtle-dove—سَاقُ حُرٍّ
That is, the male of the قَمَارِىّ, the species of collared turtle-doves whose female is called قُمْرِيَّةٌ; the وَرَشَان.
The name is given to it in imitation of its cry; it has neither feminine nor plural. AHát.
Or السَّاقُ is the pigeon, and الحُرُّ its young one; the poet Ibn-Harmeh uses the phrase كَسَاقِ ٱبْنِ حُرٍّ.
See more in the article حر.
Qur’ānic occurrences سَاق
27:44
قِيلَ لَهَا ٱدْخُلِى ٱلصَّرْحَ ۖ فَلَمَّا رَأَتْهُ حَسِبَتْهُ لُجَّةً وَكَشَفَتْ عَن سَاقَيْهَا ۚ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ صَرْحٌ مُّمَرَّدٌ مِّن قَوَارِيرَ ۗ قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّى ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِى وَأَسْلَمْتُ مَعَ سُلَيْمَـٰنَ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَShe was asked to enter the lofty Palace: but when she saw it, she thought it was a lake of water, and she (tucked up her skirts), uncovering her legs. He said: "This is but a palace paved smooth with slabs of glass." She said: "O my Lord! I have indeed wronged my soul: I do (now) submit (in Islam), with Solomon, to the Lord of the Worlds."
68:42
يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَن سَاقٍ وَيُدْعَوْنَ إِلَى ٱلسُّجُودِ فَلَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَThe Day that the shin shall be laid bare, and they shall be summoned to bow in adoration, but they shall not be able,-
75:29
وَٱلْتَفَّتِ ٱلسَّاقُ بِٱلسَّاقِAnd one leg will be joined with another:
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
The shank; i. e. the part between the knee and the foot of a human being; (Msb;) or the part between the ankle and the knee (K, TA) of a human being; (TA;) the ساق of the human foot: (S, TA:) and [the part properly corresponding thereto, i. e. the thigh commonly so called, and also the arm, of a beast;] the part above the وَظِيف of the horse and mule and ass and camel, and the part above the كُرَاع of the ox-kind and sheep or goat and antelope: (TA:) [it is also sometimes applied to the shank commonly so called, of the hind leg, and, less properly, of the fore leg, of a beast: and to the bone of any of the parts above mentioned: and sometimes, by synecdoche, to the hind leg, and, less properly, to the fore leg also, of a beast: it generally corresponds to ذِرَاعٌ : of a bird, it is the thigh commonly so called: and sometimes the shank commonly so called: and, by synecdoche, the leg:] it is of the fem. gender: (Msb, TA:) and for this reason, (TA,) the dim. is سُوَيْقَةٌ : (Msb, TA:) the pl. [of mult.] is سُوقٌ (S, Mgh, O, Msb, K) and سِيقَانٌ and [of pauc.] أَسْؤُقٌ , (S, O, K,) the و in this last being with ء in order that it may bear the dammeh. (O, K.) A poet says, 1 meaning The young man has intelligence whereby he lives when his foot directs aright his shank. (IAar, TA.) And one says of a man when difficulty, or calamity, befalls him, كَشَفَ عَنْ سَاقِهِ [lit. He uncovered his shank; meaning he prepared himself for difficulty]: so says IAmb: and hence, he says, (TA, [in which a similar explanation is cited from ISd also,]) they mention the ساق when they mean to express the difficulty of a case or an event, and to tell of the terror occasioned thereby. (K, TA.) Thus, the saying يَوْمَ يُكْشَفُ عَنْ سَاقٍ , (S, K, TA,) in the Kur [lxviii. 42], (S, TA,) [lit. On a day when a shank shall be uncovered,] means on a day when difficulty, or calamity, shall be disclosed. (I'Ab, Mujáhid, S, K, TA.) It is like the saying, قَامَتِ الحَرْبُ عَلَى سَاقٍ , (S, TA,) which means The war, or battle, became vehement, (Msb in this art. and in art. حرب ,) so that safety from destruction was difficult of attainment: (Id. in art. حرب :) and كَشَفَتِ الحَرْبُ عَنْ سَاقٍ , [as also شَمَّرَتْ عَنْ سَاقِهَا ,] i. e. The war, or battle, became vehement. (Jel in lxviii. 42.) And in like manner, وَٱلْتَفَّتِ ٱلسَّاقُ بِالسَّاقِ , (K, TA,) in the Kur [lxxv. 29], (TA,) means And the affliction of the present state of existence shall be combined with that of the final state: (K, TA:) or it means when the [one] leg shall be inwrapped with the other leg by means of the grave-clothes. (TA.) One says also, قَامَ القَوْمُ عَلَى سَاقٍ The people or party, became in a state of toil, and trouble, or distress. (TA.) And قَرَعَ لِلْأَمْرِ سَاقَهُ , [originating from one's striking the shin of his camel in order to make him lie down to be mounted; lit. He struck his shank for the affair;] meaning he prepared himself for the thing, or affair; syn. تَشَمَّرَ : (JK:) or he was, or became, light, or active, and he rose, or hastened, to do the thing; or he applied himself vigorously, or diligently, or with energy, to the thing, or affair; i. q. شَمَّرَ لَهُ [q. v.]; (TA;) or تَجَرَّدَ لَهُ . (A and TA in art. قرع [q. v.: see also ظُنْبُوبٌ , in several places].) [It is also said that] أَوْهَتْ بِسَاقٍ means كِدْتُ أَفْعَلُ [i. e. I nearly, or almost, did what I purposed: but this explanation seems to have been derived only from what here, as in the TA, immediately follows]: Kurt says, describing the wolf, 2 [i. e., app., But I shot at thee from afar, and I did not what I purposed, though it (the shot, الرَّمْيَةُ , I suppose, being meant to be understood,) maimed a shank: which virtually means, though I nearly did what I purposed: the poet, I assume, says اوهت بساق for the sake of the measure and rhyme, for أَوْهَتْ سَاقًا : see what is said, in the explanations of the preposition بِ , respecting the phrase وَٱمْسَحُوا بِرُؤُٓسِكُمْ ]. (TA.) لِلْفَتَى عَقْلٌ يَعِيشُ بِهِ | حَيْثُ تَهْدِى سَاقَهُ قَدَمُهْ وَلٰكِنِّى رَمَيْتُكَ مِنْ بَعِيدٍ | فَلَمْ أَفْعَلْ وَقَدْ أَوْهَتْ بِسَاقِ By a secondary application, سَاقٌ signifies [A greave; i. e.] a thing that is worn on the ساق [or shank] of the leg, made of iron or other material. (Mgh.) Also [The stem, stock, or trunk, i. e.] the part between the أَصْل [here meaning root, or foot, (though it is also syn. with ساق in the sense in which the latter is here explained,)] and the place where the branches shoot out; (TA;) or the support; (Msb;) or the جِذْع ; (S, K;) of a tree, or shrub: (S, Msb, K, TA:) pl. [of mult.] سُوقٌ (Msb, TA) and سُوقٌ and سُوُوقٌ and سُؤُوقٌ and [of pauc.] أَسْوُقٌ and أَسْؤُقٌ . (TA.) It is related in a trad. of Mo'áwiyeh, that a man said, I applied to him to decide in a litigation with the son of my brother, and began to overcome him therein; whereupon he said, Thou art like as Aboo-Duwád says, 1 [Whencesoever, or however, a preparation is made for him, to catch him, he is like a chameleon of a tree of the kind called تَنْضُب , he will not loose the stem thereof unless grasping a stem]: he meant that no plea of his came to nought but he clung to another; likening him to the chameleon, which places itself facing the sun, and ascends half-way up the tree, or shrub, then climbs to the branches when the sun becomes hot, then climbs to a higher branch, and will not loose the former until it grasps the other. (O, TA. *) أَنَّى أُتِيحَ لَهُ حِرْبَآءُ تَنْضُبَةٍ | لَا يُرْسِلُ السَّاقَ إِلَّا مُمْسِكًا سَاقَا [Hence, perhaps, as it seems to be indicated in the O,] one says, وَلَدَتْ فُلَانَةُ ثَلَاثَةَ بَنِينَ عَلَى سَاقٍ , (K, [in the copies of which, however, I find ثَلَاثَ put for ثَلَاثَةَ ,]) or عَلَى سَاقٍ وَاحِدٍ , (S,) or وَاحِدَةٍ , (O,) i. e. Such a woman brought forth three sons, one after another, without any girl between them: (S, O, K, TA:) so says ISk: and وُلِدَ لِفُلَانٍ ثَلَاثَةُ أَوْلَادٍ سَاقًا عَلَى سَاقٍ , i. e. Three children were born to such a one, one after another. (TA.) And بَنَى القَوْمُ بُيُوتَهُمْ عَلَى سَاقٍ وَاحِدٍ [The people, or party, built their houses, or constructed their tents, in one row or series]. (TA.) سَاقٌ also signifies The soul, or self; syn. نَفْسٌ : hence the saying of 'Alee (in the war of the [schismatics called] شُرَاة ), لَابُدَّ لِى مِنْ قِتَالِهِمْ وَلَوْ تَلِفَتْ سَاقِى [There is not for me any way of avoiding combating them, though my soul, or self, should perish by my doing so]. (Abu-l-' Abbás, O, TA.) So too in the saying, قَدَحَ فِى سَاقِهِ [as though meaning He cankered his very soul]: (IAar, TA in art. قدح :) [or] he deceived him, and did that which was displeasing to him: (L in that art.:) or he impugned his honour, or reputation; from the action of canker-worms ( قَوَادِح ) cankering the stem, or trunk, of a shrub, or tree. (A in that art.) سَاقُ حُرٍّ [is said to signify] The male of the قَمَارِىّ [or species of collared turtle-doves of which the female is called قُمْرِيَّةٌ (see قُمْرِىٌّ )]; (S, Msb, K;) i. e. the وَرَشَان : (S, Msb:) the former appellation being given to it as imitative of its cry: (As, K:) it has neither fem. nor pl.: (AHát, TA:) or السَّاقُ is the pigeon; and الحُرُّ , its young one: (Sh, K:) the poet Ibn-Harmeh uses the phrase كَسَاقِ ٱبْنِ حُرٍّ . (O, TA.) [See more in art. حر .]