Core sense — a certain measure for corn; a drinking-vessel; a depressed piece of groundgenerated
1a certain measure used for measuring corn [&c.]—صُوعٌ
Also صَوْعٌ, صُوَاعٌ, and صِوَاعٌ, thus accord. to five different readers of the Kur-án 12:72.
It is the measure upon which the decisions of the Muslims [relating to measures of capacity] turn.
Or the صاع is different from the صُوَاع, the latter being a certain vessel in which, or from which, one drinks [as explained later here].
The former is four أَمْدَاد [pl. of مُدٌّ], i.e. five أَرْطَال [or pints] and a third, by the measure of Baghdād, the مُدّ being a pint and a third.
So with the people of El-Ḥijāz, that is, with the people of the Ḥarameyn, as was proved by a number of specimens of the صاع used in dealings with the Prophet, and so accord. to Esh-Shāfiʿee.
But with the people of El-ʿIrāq it was eight pints, and Aboo-Ḥaneefeh agreed with them; the مُدّ with them being two pints; but the addition was made by El-Ḥajjāj; and their صاع was the قَفِيز حَجَّاجِىّ, which was unknown to the people of El-Medeeneh, as Az says.
Accord. to Ed-Dāwoodee, its invariable measure is four times the quantity [of corn &c.] that fills the two hands, neither large nor small, of a man; for the صاع of the Prophet is not found in every place; and the author of the K says that he tried this and found it correct.
The word is masculine and feminine. Accord. to Fr, the people of El-Ḥijāz make it feminine; and Benoo-Asad, except some of them, make it masculine, as do the people of Nejd; and Zj says that the more chaste way is to make it masculine.
The plural of paucity, used by those who make the singular feminine, is أَصْوُعٌ, for which one may say أَصْؤُعٌ, changing the و into hemzeh; and accord. to AAF some say آصُعٌ, like آدُرٌ, a plural of دَارٌ, but AḤát says that this is a vulgar mistake. Those who make the singular masculine say أَصْوَاعٌ. And [of mult.] صُوعٌ, which is apparently plural of صِوَاعٌ with kesr, and صِيعَانٌ, which is likewise a plural of multitude — or this last is plural of صُوَاعٌ.
This singular signifies a [vessel of the kind called] جَام [apparently used here in the sense the word commonly has in Persian, i.e. a cup], in which, or from which, one drinks.
Saʿeed Ibn-Jubeyr says that the صواع of the king [mentioned in the Kur-án 12:72] was the Persian مَكُّوك, of which the two extremities [are compressed so that they] meet together [app. in such a manner that the whole vessel resembles a small boat, the word مكّوك being explained in several dictionaries as applied to a drinking-vessel of this form, probably from the Persian مَكُّوكْ meaning “a shuttle” and used in this sense in modern Arabic].
El-Ḥasan says that the صُوَاع and the سِقَايَة are one thing, as Zj also says; and that the صواع of the king is said to have been of وَرِق [meaning silver], and that they used to measure with it and sometimes drank with it.
Zj says that it is explained as an oblong vessel, resembling the مَكُّوك, with which the king used to drink; and said by some to have been of مِسّ [which means copper, from the Persian مِسْ].
[See also صَوْغٌ with غ.]
Qur’ān 12:72 approximate — somewhere between 12:61 and 12:76 Lane cites “Kur xii. 72”
Qur’ān 12:72 the verse Lane’s citation points to, and it uses this root
قَالُوا۟ نَفْقِدُ صُوَاعَ ٱلْمَلِكِ وَلِمَن جَآءَ بِهِۦ حِمْلُ بَعِيرٍ وَأَنَا۠ بِهِۦ زَعِيمٌThey said: "We miss the great beaker of the king; for him who produces it, is (the reward of) a camel load; I will be bound by it."Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’ān (1934)
1.1figurative · مجاز — inferredthe place [or plot] in which a صاع [of seed] is sown—صَاعٌ
So in a tradition.
1.2figurative · مجاز
And: a depressed piece of ground; also صَاعَةٌ, like an excavation. Or, as some say, a depressed place, sloping down from its surrounding borders; or a narrow, depressed place.
1.3figurative · مجاز — inferreda piece of ground which a boy sweeps and in which he plays with the ball—صَاعَةٌ
He removes its pebbles from it. It also means a bare place, with nothing in it.
And: a place that is swept and in which one then plays. (Ibn-ʿAbbād) See the verse cited in what follows.
1.4figurative · مجازhe struck him in the middle of his breast—ضَرَبَهُ فِى صَاعِ جُؤُجُؤِهِ
And: the place of the breast of the ostrich when she puts it upon the ground; or such a place is called صَاعُ جُؤْجُؤِ النَّعَامِ.
he struck him in the middle of his breast—فى صاعِ صَدْرِهِ
2the [kind of goffstick called] صَوْلَجَان—صَاعٌ
In the following verse of El-Museiyab Ibn-ʿAlas, describing a she-camel:
shāhidمَرِحَتْ يَدَاهَا لِلنَّجَآءِ كَأَنَّمَاتَكْرُو بِكَفَّىْ لَاعِبٍ فِى صَاعِ
[the most obvious meaning of which is, Her fore legs moved briskly for the purpose of hastening, as though she were propelling a ball with the hands of a player in a piece of ground cleared for that exercise]. Or, as some relate it, بِكَفَّىْ مَاقِطٍ, meaning with the hands of a player with the ball.
Some say that he means بِصَاعٍ [though it is not easy to see why, if so, he did not say بِالصَّاعِ], and that by the صاع he means the صَوْلَجَان, because it is bent (يُعْطَفُ [see form 1, last sentence]) for the purpose of striking with it, so that the ball may be propelled with it.
Show Lane's original text
(S, Mgh, O, Msb, K) and صُوعٌ and صَوْعٌ (O, K) and صُوَاعٌ (S, O, K) and صِوَاعٌ , (O, K,) thus accord. to five different readers of the Kur in xii. 72, (O, K, * TA,) A certain measure used for measuring corn (& c.], (S, O, Msb, K,) and upon which turn [or depend] the decisions of the Muslims [relating to measures of capacity]: (K:) or the صاع is different from the صُوَاع ; (S, K;) the latter being a certain vessel, in [or from] which one drinks [as will be expl. hereafter in this paragraph]: (S, TA:) the former is four أَمْدَاد [pl. of مُدٌّ ]; (S, O, Msb, K;) i. e. (Msb) five أَرْطَال [or pints] and a third, (Mgh, Msb, TA,) by the measure of Baghdád; (Msb;) the مُدّ being a pint and a third: (K, TA:) so with the people of El-Hijáz, (Mgh, TA,) [i. e.] so with the people of the Harameyn, as was proved by a number of specimens of the صاع used in dealings with the Prophet, (Msb,) and so accord. to Esh-Sháfi'ee: (TA:) but with the people of El-' Irák it was eight pints, (Mgh, Msb, TA,) with whom agreed Aboo-Haneefeh; the مُدّ with them being two pints; (Msb, TA;) but the addition was made by El-Hajjáj; and their صاع was the قَفِيز حَجَّاجِىّ , and was unknown to the people of El-Medeeneh, as is said by Az: (Msb:) accord. to Ed-Dáwoodee, its invariable measure is four times the quantity [of corn & c.] that fills the two hands, that are neither large nor small, of a man; for the صاع of the Prophet is not found in every place; and this (the author of the K says, TA) I have tried, and found to be correct: (K, TA:) the word is masc. and fem.: (Zj, Msb, K, TA:) accord. to Fr, the people of El-Hijáz make it fem.; and Benoo-Asad, except some of them, make it masc., as do the people of Nejd; and Zj says that the more chaste way is to make it masc.: (Msb:) the pl. (of pauc., used by those who make the sing. fem., O, Msb) is أَصْوُعٌ , (S, Mgh, O, Msb, K,) for which one may say أَصْؤُعٌ , (S, O, K, *) changing the و into hemzeh, (S, O,) and accord. to AAF some say آصُعٌ , like آدُرٌ , (Mgh, Msb,) a pl. of دَارٌ , (Mgh,) but AHát says that this is a vulgar mistake, (Msb,) and أَصْوَاعٌ , (O, Msb, K,) which is used by those who make the sing. masc., (O, Msb,) and [of mult.] صُوعٌ , (K,) which is app. pl. of صِوَاعٌ , with kesr, (TA,) and صِيعَانٌ , (Mgh, O, Msb, K,) which is [likewise] a pl. of mult., (Msb,) or this last is pl. of صُوَاعٌ : and this sing. signifies a [vessel of the kind called] جَام , [app. here used in the sense which this word commonly has in Pers., i. e. as meaning a cup,] in which, (K, TA,) or from which, (TA,) one drinks: (K, TA:) Sa'eed Ibn-Jubeyr says that the صواع of the king [mentioned in the Kur xii. 72] was the Persian مَكُّوك , of which the two extremities [are compressed so that they] meet together [app. in such a manner that the whole vessel resembles a small boat, the word مكّوك being expl. in several dictionaries as applied to a drinking-vessel of this form, probably from the Pers. مَكُّوكْ signifying “ a shuttle ” and used in this sense in modern Arabic]: El-Hasan says that the صُوَاع and the سِقَايَة are one thing, as Zj also says; and that the صواع of the king is said to have been of وَرِق [meaning silver], and that they used to measure with it and sometimes they drank with it: Zj says that it is explained as an oblong vessel, resembling the مَكُّوك , with which the king used to drink; and said by some to have been of مِسّ [which (as is said in the TA in art. مس ) means copper, from the Pers. مِسْ ]. (TA.) [See also صَوْغٌ , with غ .] صَاعٌ signifies also The place [or plot] in which a صاع [of seed] is sown: so in a trad. (TA.) And A depressed piece of ground; (S, O, K, TA;) as also صَاعَةٌ ; (O, K, TA;) like an excavation: or, as some say, a depressed place, sloping down from its surrounding borders: (TA:) or a narrow, depressed place. (TA in art. طأ .) And A place that is swept and in which one then plays: (Ibn-' Abbád, O, K:) [see the verse cited in what follows:] and صَاعَةٌ is said to signify a piece of ground which a boy sweeps, removing its pebbles, and in which he plays with the ball: and a bare place, in which is nothing. (TA.) And The place of the breast of the ostrich when she puts it upon the ground: (K:) or such a place is called صَاعُ جُؤْجُؤِ النَّعَامِ . (IF, O.) And one says, ضَرَبَهُ فِى صَاعِ جُؤُجُؤِهِ and فى صاعِ صَدْرِهِ meaning He struck him in the middle of his breast. (Z, TA.) And it is said that] صَاعٌ also signifies The [kind of goffstick called] صَوْلَجَان . (K.) In the following verse of El-Museiyab Ibn-' Alas, describing a she-camel, 1 [the most obvious meaning of which is, Her fore legs moved briskly for the purpose of hastening, as though she were propelling a ball with the hands of a player in a piece of ground cleared for that exercise,] or, as some relate it, بِكَفَّىْ مَاقِطٍ , meaning with the hands of a player with the ball, it is said by some that he means بِصَاعٍ , [though it is not easy to see why, if so, he did not say بِالصَّاعِ ,] and that by the صاع he means the صَوْلَجَان , because it is bent ( يُعْطَفُ [see 1, last sentence,]) for the purpose of striking with it, that the ball may be propelled ( تُصَاعُ ) with it. (O.) مَرِحَتْ يَدَاهَا لِلنَّجَآءِ كَأَنَّمَا | تَكْرُو بِكَفَّىْ لَاعِبٍ فِى صَاعِ