Core sense — goats, the kind of small cattle that have hairgenerated
1goats—مَعَزٌ
General nouns, or rather ism jamʿ: the kind of غَنَم opposed to ضَأْنٌ, the kind of عَنَم that have hair; the ضأْن are those that have wool.
Also مِعْزًى. According to Sb, with tanwīn when indeterminate, and perfectly declinable; the ا [which is written ى] is a letter of quasi-coordination, not a mark of the feminine gender, for the word is quasi-coordinate to دِرْهَمٌ, of the measure فِعْلَلٌ.
The ا of quasi-coordination follows the same rules as a letter belonging to the word itself, as is shown by their saying مُعَيْزٍ and أُرَيْطٍ [originally مُعَيْزِىٌ and أُرَيْطِىٌ] as the diminutives of مِعْزًى and أَرْطًى, with tanwīn, the letter next after the ى of diminution having kesr, as they say دُرَيْهِمٌ.
If the ا denoted the feminine gender they would not change it into ى [in مُعَيْزِىٌ, the original form of مُعَيْزٍ], just as they do not change it in the diminutives of حُبْلَى and أَخْرَى [which are حُبَيْلَى and أُخَيْزَى].
It is sometimes made feminine [by being written or pronounced مِعْزَاةٌ], and sometimes made imperfectly declinable [and so without tanwīn].
Fr says that it is itself feminine, but that some make it masculine [and so with tanwīn]. A 'Obeyd says that most of the Arabs pronounce ذِفْرَى without tanwīn, while some pronounce it with tanwīn, whereas all of them pronounce مِعْزًى with tanwīn. IAar says that it is perfectly declinable when likened to the measure مِفْعَلٌ, and imperfectly declinable when held to follow the measure فِعْلَى.
According to Aboo-'Amr, Ibn-El-'Alà, it is from مَعَزٌ [maṣdar of مَعِزَ], and in the same way ذِفْرَى is from ذَفَرٌ.
مَعِيزٌ also means the same as مَعْزٌ, or is the plural of مَعْزٌ [or rather an ism jamʿ], as عَبِيدٌ is of عَبْدٌ. أُمْعُوزٌ too is synonymous with مَعْزٌ, and so are مِعَازٌ and مِعْزَآءٌ [on أُمْعُوزٌ see also below].
مَعْزٌ [like its synonyms mentioned above, and like all ism jamʿ, is sometimes masculine, but generally] is feminine. A male is called مَاعِزٌ, and so is a female; or a female is called مَاعِزَةٌ [and مَعْزَةٌ, under شَرْقَآءُ] and مِعْزَاة. شَاةٌ [or rather شَاةٌ مِنَ المَعْزِ] is also used as a singular, applied to a male and to a female. [See also ظَبْىٌ.]
أَمْعُزٌ is a plural of paucity of مَعْزٌ, as أَعْبُدٌ is of عَبْدٌ. The plural of مَاعِزٌ, or of مَاعِزَةٌ, is مَوَاعِزُ; and مِعَازٌ and أُمْعُوزٌ are said to be ism jamʿ.
The goats of the Arabs of the desert have short hair, not long enough to be spun; but the goats of the cold countries, and of the people of the fertile regions, have abundant hair, and from this the Akrád [or Kurds] make their tents.
See also تَدْمُرِىٌّ in the article دمر, and ضَائِنٌ in the article ضأن.
Qur’ānic occurrences مَعْز
6:143
ثَمَـٰنِيَةَ أَزْوَٰجٍ ۖ مِّنَ ٱلضَّأْنِ ٱثْنَيْنِ وَمِنَ ٱلْمَعْزِ ٱثْنَيْنِ ۗ قُلْ ءَآلذَّكَرَيْنِ حَرَّمَ أَمِ ٱلْأُنثَيَيْنِ أَمَّا ٱشْتَمَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ أَرْحَامُ ٱلْأُنثَيَيْنِ ۖ نَبِّـُٔونِى بِعِلْمٍ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ(Take) eight (head of cattle) in (four) pairs: of sheep a pair, and of goats a pair; say, hath He forbidden the two males, or the two females, or (the young) which the wombs of the two females enclose? Tell me with knowledge if ye are truthful:
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
, and مَعَزٌ , (S, A, Msb, K,) gen. ns., (S, Msb,) [or rather quasi-pl. ns., signifying Goats;] the kind of غَنَم opposed to ضَأْنٌ ; (S, A, K;) the kind of عَنَم that have hair; (Msb, TA;) the ضأْن being those that have wool; (TA;) as also مِعْزًى , (S, Msb, K,) accord. to Sb, (S,) with tenween, (S, Msb,) when indeterminate, (Msb,) and perfectly decl., (S,) the ا [which is written ى ] being a letter of quasicoördination, not a characteristic of the fem. gender, (S, Msb,) for the word is quasi-coördinate to دِرْهَمٌ , of the measure فِعْلَلٌ ; for the ا of quasi-coördination follows the same rules as a letter belonging to the word itself, as is shown by their saying مُعَيْزٍ and أُرَيْطٍ [originally مُعَيْزِىٌ and أُرَيْطِىٌ ] as the dim. forms of مِعْزًى and أَرْطًى with tenween, the letter next after the ى of diminution being with kesr, like as they say دُرَيْهِمٌ ; for if the ا were to denote the fem. gender they would not change it into ى [in مُعَيْزِىٌ , the original form of مُعَيْزٍ ,] like as they do not change it in the dims. of حُبْلَى and أَخْرَى [which are حُبَيْلَى and أُخَيْزَى ]: (S:) it is sometimes made fem., [by being written or pronounced مِعْزَاةٌ ,] and sometimes it is made imperfectly decl. [and therefore without tenween]: (K:) Fr says, that it is [itself] fem., but that some make it masc. [and therefore with tenween]: but A 'Obeyd says, that most of the Arabs pronounce ذِفْرَى without tenween, while some of them pronounce it with tenween, whereas all of them pronounce مِعْزًى with tenween: (S:) IAar says, that it is perfectly decl. when likened to the measure مِفْعَلٌ , and imperfectly decl. when held to accord. with the measure فِعْلَى : (TA:) accord. to Aboo-'Amr, Ibn-El-'Alà, it is from مَعَزٌ , [inf. n. of مَعِزَ ,] and in like manner ذِفْرَى is from ذَفَرٌ : (As, S:) مَعِيزٌ also signifies the same as مَعْزٌ , (S, A, K,) or is pl. of مَعْزٌ , [or rather a quasi-pl. n.] like as عَبِيدٌ is of عَبْدٌ ; (Msb;) and أُمْعُوزٌ also is syn. with مَعْزٌ , (S, K,) and so are مِعَازٌ (K) and مِعْزَآءٌ : (Sgh, K:) [respecting أُمْعُوزٌ , see also below:] مَعْزٌ [as well as its syns. mentioned above, like all quasi-pl. ns., is sometimes masc., but generally] is fem.: (Msb:) a male is called مَاعِزٌ , (S, A, Msb, K,) and so a female; (Msb, K;) or a female is called مَاعِزَةٌ (S, A, TA) [and مَعْزَةٌ (M, voce شَرْقَآءُ )] and مِعْزَاة ; (TA;) and شَاةٌ [or rather شَاةٌ مِنَ المَعْزِ ] is also used as a sing., (Msb,) and is applied to a male and to a female: (Msb, art. شوه :) [see also ظَبْىٌ :] أَمْعُزٌ is a pl. [of pauc.] of مَعْزٌ , like as أَعْبُدٌ is of عَبْدٌ : (Msb:) the pl. of مَاعِزٌ , (K,) or of مَاعِزَةٌ , (S,) is مَوَاعِزُ ; (S, K;) and مِعَازٌ and أُمْعُوزٌ are said to be quasi-pl. ns. (TA.) The goats of the Arabs of the desert have short hair, not long enough to be spun; but the goats of the cold countries, and of the people of the fertile regions, have abundant hair, and of this the Akrád [or Kurds] fabricate their tents. (T in art. بنى .) See also تَدْمُرِىٌّ in art. دمر ; and see ضَائِنٌ in art. ضأن .