Core sense — an old, or elderly, man; an elder, a chief; an ancestorgenerated
1an old, or elderly, man; an elder, a man whose age gives him a claim to respect; a senior—شَيْخُونٌ
This is a strange word, mentioned by some of the expositors of the Fs as expressing more than the former word.
One advanced in age, beyond him who is termed كَهْلٌ, which means one whose شَبَاب [that is, youthfulness, or prime of manhood] is ended.
One in whom age and hoariness have become apparent; or a man from the age of fifty, or fifty-one, to the end of his life, or to the age of eighty.
Also explained as a man advanced in age but still having strength to fight; and as an old and weak, or decrepit, man who is of no service.
[In the present day, شَيْخٌ is used in the senses mentioned above; and it is also applied especially, as a title of honour, to a doctor of religion and law, to a head or chief of a religious brotherhood, to a chief of a tribe or the like and of a village, and to a reputed saint.]
Feminine شَيْخَةٌ: an old, or aged, woman; synonym عَجُوزٌ. [In the present day it is applied particularly to a learned woman, an instructress, and the like.]
The plural of paucity of شَيْخٌ is أَشْيَاخٌ and شِيخَةٌ; the plurals of multitude are شُيُوخٌ and شِيُوخٌ (with kesr, to agree with the ى) and شِيخَانٌ and شِيَخَةٌ and شَيَخَةٌ [said to be like عَبَدَةٌ] and مَشْيَخَةٌ, or this last is an ism jamʿ, as are مِشْيَخَةٌ and مَشْيُخَةٌ and مِشْيُخَةٌ and مَشِيخَةٌ and مَشْيُوخَآءُ, the last like مَشْيُوحَآءُ and مَعْلُوجَآءُ and مَسْلُومَآءُ and مَعْبُودَآءُ and مَعْيُورَآءُ, which are said to be the only other instances of this form [but to these should be added مَحْمُورَآءُ and مَكْبُورَآءُ and مَتْيُوسَآءُ, and perhaps some others], and مَشْيُخَآءُ.
Another plural is مَشَايِخُ, or this last is the plural of مَشْيَخَةٌ, and is disallowed by IDrd and Kz [though it is very commonly used in the present day, especially of doctors of religion and law].
The plural of أَشْيَاخٌ is أَشَايِيخُ, like أَنَايِيبُ, plural of أَنْيَابٌ.
The diminutive of شَيْخٌ is شُيَيْخٌ and شِيَيْخٌ, with kesr to the ش; شُوَيْخٌ is not allowable, or is rare.
1.1the two Sheykhs—الشَّيْخَانِ
A title used particularly of the first two Khaleefehs, Aboo-Bekr and 'Omar.
1.2figurative · مجاز — inferreda woman's husband, even though he be young—شَيْخٌ
a man's wife, whether old or young—عَجُوز
So Az says, in art. عجز.
1.3figurative · مجازhe inherited generosity from his ancestors—وَرِثَ مِنْ مَشِيخَةِ الكَرَم
Also an ancestor.
This phrase, and من أَشْيَاخِهِ, are found in a copy of the A that seems to have been used by the author of the TA, where the usage is figurative and the meaning is given as مِنْ آبَائِهِ; but the right reading is evidently من مَشِيخَتِهِ and الكَرَمَ.
1.4figurative · مجازIblees—شَيْخُ النَّارِ
So called because he was created of fire, or because his final place will be the fire of Hell.
1.5figurative · مجاز — inferredthe mountain-goat that is advanced in age, or full-grown—الشَّيْخُ
1.6figurative · مجاز — inferred
It also means the milk-skin.
1.7figurative · مجاز — inferredthe seven [or five] planets—أَشْيَاخُ النُّجُومِ
The same as أُصُولُهَا; or the دَرَارِىْء [a term applied by some to the five planets: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn].
According to IAar, اشياخ النجوم, or أَسْنَاخُ النُّجُومِ, as related by Th, means the stars that do not make their [temporary] abode in the Mansions of the Moon, which are called نُجُومُ الأَخْذِ.
ISd says: I think that by the نجوم he means the fixed stars.
Th says that they are called only أَسْنَاخُ النُّجُومِ, that is, the أُصُول of the stars, around which the other stars revolve and pursue their courses.
[See also سِنْخٌ, last sentence.]
2a certain tree—شَيْخٌ
It is also called شَجَرَةُ الشُّيُوخِ; its fruit is a جِرْو [q. v.] like that of the خِرِّيع, which is the bastard saffron.
It grows in the meadows, and in the قُرْيَان [the places where water runs to, or in, or into, meadows and the like].
Qur’ānic occurrences شَيْخ
11:72
قَالَتْ يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰٓ ءَأَلِدُ وَأَنَا۠ عَجُوزٌ وَهَـٰذَا بَعْلِى شَيْخًا ۖ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَشَىْءٌ عَجِيبٌShe said: "Alas for me! shall I bear a child, seeing I am an old woman, and my husband here is an old man? That would indeed be a wonderful thing!"
12:78
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْعَزِيزُ إِنَّ لَهُۥٓ أَبًا شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا فَخُذْ أَحَدَنَا مَكَانَهُۥٓ ۖ إِنَّا نَرَىٰكَ مِنَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَThey said: "O exalted one! Behold! he has a father, aged and venerable, (who will grieve for him); so take one of us in his place; for we see that thou art (gracious) in doing good."
28:23
وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَآءَ مَدْيَنَ وَجَدَ عَلَيْهِ أُمَّةً مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ يَسْقُونَ وَوَجَدَ مِن دُونِهِمُ ٱمْرَأَتَيْنِ تَذُودَانِ ۖ قَالَ مَا خَطْبُكُمَا ۖ قَالَتَا لَا نَسْقِى حَتَّىٰ يُصْدِرَ ٱلرِّعَآءُ ۖ وَأَبُونَا شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌAnd when he arrived at the watering (place) in Madyan, he found there a group of men watering (their flocks), and besides them he found two women who were keeping back (their flocks). He said: "What is the matter with you?" They said: "We cannot water (our flocks) until the shepherds take back (their flocks): And our father is a very old man."
40:67
هُوَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ مِن نُّطْفَةٍ ثُمَّ مِنْ عَلَقَةٍ ثُمَّ يُخْرِجُكُمْ طِفْلًا ثُمَّ لِتَبْلُغُوٓا۟ أَشُدَّكُمْ ثُمَّ لِتَكُونُوا۟ شُيُوخًا ۚ وَمِنكُم مَّن يُتَوَفَّىٰ مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَلِتَبْلُغُوٓا۟ أَجَلًا مُّسَمًّى وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَIt is He Who has created you from dust then from a sperm-drop, then from a leech-like clot; then does he get you out (into the light) as a child: then lets you (grow and) reach your age of full strength; then lets you become old,- though of you there are some who die before;- and lets you reach a Term appointed; in order that ye may learn wisdom.
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
(S, A, Mgh, L, Msb, K, &c.) and شَيْخُونٌ , (K,) but the latter is a strange word, mentioned by some of the expositors of the Fs, as expressing more than the former word, (MF,) [An old, or elderly, man; an elder, as meaning a man whose age gives him a claim to reverence or respect; a senior;] one advanced in age, (Mgh,) such as is beyond him who is termed كَهْلٌ , (Mgh, Msb,) which means him whose شَبَاب [i. e. youthfulness, or prime of manhood,] is ended: (Mgh:) one in whom age has become apparent, (L, K,) and hoariness: (L:) or a man from the age of fifty, or fifty-one, to the end of his life, or to the age of eighty: (L, K:) also expl. as meaning a man advanced in age but having strength, or vigour, to fight: and an old and weak, or a decrepit, man, who is of no service: (Mgh:) [in the present day, شَيْخٌ is used in the senses above mentioned; and is also especially applied, as an appellation of honour, to a doctor of religion and law; a head, or chief, of a religious confraternity; a chief of a tribe or the like, and of a village; and to a reputed saint:] fem. شَيْخَةٌ , (S, A, Msb, K,) an old, or aged, woman; syn. عَجُوزٌ : (A:) [and applied in the present day particularly to a learned woman; an instructress; and the like:] the pl. [of pauc.] of شَيْخٌ is أَشْيَاخٌ (S, A, Mgh, Msb, K) and شِيخَةٌ (Kr, ISd, A, Mgh, Msb, K) and [of mult.] شُيُوخٌ (S, A, Mgh, Msb, K) and شِيُوخٌ (K, with kesr, to agree with the ى , TA) and شِيخَانٌ (S, A, Msb, K) and شِيَخَةٌ (S, Mgh, K) and شَيَخَةٌ (A [there said to be like عَبَدَةٌ ]) and مَشْيَخَةٌ , (K, and so in one of my copies of the S,) or this last is a quasi-pl. n., (Mgh, Msb,) and [so are] مِشْيَخَةٌ and مَشْيُخَةٌ and مِشْيُخَةٌ (TA) and مَشِيخَةٌ (K, and so in one of my copies of the S,) and مَشْيُوخَآءُ , (S, K,) the last like مَشْيُوحَآءُ and مَعْلُوجَآءُ and مَسْلُومَآءُ and مَعْبُودَآءُ and مَعْيُورَآءُ , which are said to be the only other instances of this form, (TA,) [but to these should be added مَحْمُورَآءُ and مَكْبُورَآءُ and مَتْيُوسَآءُ and perhaps some other instances,] and مَشْيُخَآءُ , (K,) and another pl. is مَشَايِخُ , (S, A, K,) or this last is pl. of مَشْيَخَةٌ , (Mgh, Msb,) and is disallowed by IDrd and Kz (TA) [though very commonly used in the present day, especially as applied to doctors of religion and law]; and the pl. of أَشْيَاخٌ is أَشَايِيخُ , like أَنَايِيبُ pl. of أَنْيَابٌ : (Z, TA:) the dim. of شَيْخٌ is شُيَيْخٌ (S, A, K) and شِيَيْخٌ , (S, K,) with kesr to the ش : (S:) شُوَيْخٌ is not allowable, (S, A,) or is rare. (K.) [ الشَّيْخَانِ , The two Sheykhs, is a title peculiarly applied to the first two Khaleefehs, Aboo-Bekr and 'Omar.] شَيْخٌ also signifies A woman's husband, (K,) though young: and in like manner, a man's wife, whether old or young, is called his عَجُوز . (Az, TA in art. عجز .) [And An ancestor. Accord. to a copy of the A that seems to have been used by the author of the TA, one says, وَرِثَ مِنْ مَشِيخَةِ الكَرَم and من أَشْيَاخِهِ , which is tropical, meaning مِنْ آبَائِهِ : but the right reading is evidently من مَشِيخَتِهِ , and الكَرَمَ ; and the meaning, He inherited, from his ancestors, generosity.] شَيْخُ النَّارِ means Iblees: because he was created of fire, or because his ultimate place will be the fire of Hell. (Har p. 130.) And الشَّيْخُ The mountain-goat that is advanced in age, or fullgrown. (TA.) And The milk-skin. (TA.) أَشْيَاخُ النُّجُومِ i. q. أُصُولُهَا , (K,) i. e. The seven [or five] planets; (TK;) or the دَرَارِىْء [also applied by some to the five planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn]; accord. to IAar, اشياخ النجوم , (TA in this art.,) or أَسْنَاخُ النُّجُومِ as is related by Th, (TA in art. سنخ ,) means the stars that do not make their [temporary] abode in the Mansions of the Moon, which [latter] are called نُجُومُ الأَخْذِ : ISd says, I think that he means, by the نجوم , the fixed stars: Th says that they are called only أَسْنَاخُ النُّجُومِ , i. e. the أُصُول thereof, around which the [other] stars revolve, and pursue their courses. (TA. [See also سِنْخٌ , last sentence.]) شَيْخٌ signifies also A certain tree; (AZ, K, TA;) also called شَجَرَةُ الشُّيُوخِ , the fruit of which is a جِرْو [q. v.] like that of the خِرِّيع , which is the bastard saffron ( شَجَرَةُ العُصْفُرِ ); it grows in the meadows, and the قُرْيَان [or places where water runs to, or in, or into, meadows, &c.]. (AZ, TA.)