دُونً
Root: دون
Full Definition
دُونً
Low, base, vile, mean, paltry, inconsiderable, or contemptible; applied to a man &c.: and inferior, i. e. lower, baser, viler, &c., in grounds of pretension to respect or honour [or in any approvable quality]: and such as falls short [of a thing]; used in this sense as a prefixed noun: [see below what is said of its usage as a prefixed noun by Lth and by Sb: and used as an epithet, scanty, or deficient; applied to anything:] and of a middling sort; between good and bad; applied to a man and to a commodity: and also high, or eminent, in rank or condition; noble, or honourable: thus it bears two contr. significations [and significations intermediate between those two]. A poet says,
2 As an adv. n., دُون signifies Below, contr. of فَوْق; as denoting a falling short of the [right or approved] limit; or denoting low, or mean, estimation or condition; or a condition lower, baser, viler, &c., than that of another, in grounds of pretension to respect or honour [or in any approvable quality]; [and hence, inferior to, beneath, under, or short of, another in rank, height, size, &c.;] and less than another, and more deficient than another: and also above; i. q. فَوْق; in highness, or eminence, of rank or condition, or in nobility; [and hence, exceeding another, and more than another:] thus bearing two contr. significations. You say, زَيْدٌ دُونَكَ meaning Zeyd is [below thee, or] in a condition lower, baser, viler, &c., than thine, in grounds of pretension to respect or honour [&c.]: and when one says, “ Verily such a one is high, or eminent, in rank or condition, ” or “ is noble, ” another replies, وَ دُونَ ذٰلِكَ meaning And above that.
3 Also Beneath, below in situation, or under; syn. تَحْت. Using it in this sense, you say, دُوَن قَدَمِكَ خَدُّ عَدُوِّكَ [May the cheek of thine enemy be beneath thy foot]: and جَلَسَ دُونَهُ [He sat below him].
4 Also Before in respect of place, or in front: and [the contr., namely,] behind, or beyond. [You may say, using it in the former sense, جَلَسَ دُونَهُ He sat before him, or in front of him: and, using it in the latter sense,] you say, هٰذَا أَمِيرٌ عَلَى مَا دُونَ جَيْحُونَ This [man] is governor, or prince, over what is beyond [the river] Jeyhoon.
5 And i. q. قَبْل [generally signifying Before in respect of time; but as some say, in respect of place also, which may perhaps be here meant]: and [the contr., namely,] i. q. بَعْد [generally meaning after in respect of time; but as
6 It signifies also Nearer than another thing: so in the phrase هٰذَا دُونَ ذٰلِكَ [This is nearer than that]; or هٰذَا دُونَهُ [this is nearer than he, or it]. [Hence,] one says also, اُدْنُ دُونَكَ meaning Draw thou near in the space that is between me and thee: [or approach thou nearer to me:] or draw thou near [or nearer] to me. And يَزِيدُ بَغُضُّ الطَّرْفَ دُونِى, a saying of a poet, means Yezeed lowers the eye towards a spot between me and him. [خَشَعَتْ دُونَهُ الأَبْصَارُ, also, has a similar meaning: see 1 in art. خشع. So, too, has the phrase, خَاوَتَ طَرْفَهُ دُونِى: see 3 in art. خوت. And hence,] one says, دُونَ النَّهْرِ جَمَاعَةٌ [In the way of, or to, the river, or on this side of the river, or nearer than the river, is a company of men; or] before thy reaching the river [there is to be found, or encountered, a company of men]. And دُونَ قَتْلِ الأَسَدِ أَهْوَالٌ [In the way of, or to, the slaying of the lion, or] before thine attaining to the slaying of the lion, terrors [are to be encountered]. [And دُونَهُ خَرْطُ القَتَادِ: see 1 in art. خرط.] And حَالَ دُونَ الشَّىْءِ [It intervened as an obstacle in the way to the thing; or] it prevented from attaining the thing. [And لَيْسَ دُونَهُ شَىْءٌ There is nothing intervening as an obstacle in the way of, or to, him, or it.] And [hence,] قُتِلَ دُونَ مَالِهِ, and نَفْسِهِ, and أَخِيهِ, and جَارِهِ, He was slain in defence of his property, and of himself, and of his brother, and of his neighbour. (Occurring in a trad. commencing with the words الغَرِيقُ شَهِيدٌ, in the “ Jámi' es-Sagheer, ” and thus explained in the margin of a copy of that work.) [And نَبَحَ دُونَهُ is a modern phrase meaning
7 [Hence,] also i. q. عَلَى [as meaning Against; denoting defence by means of intervention: see an ex. in a verse cited voce شَخْصٌ].
8 And i. q. عِنْدَ [meaning At, near, nigh, by, or near by; with, or present with; &c.]. Accord. to Ez-Zowzanee, it has this meaning in the saying of Imra-el-Keys, [describing a horse,]
9 And i. q. غَيْر [as meaning Other than, beside, or besides, exclusively of, or not as used before a substantive or an adjective]. Hence, in the Kur [xxi. 82], وَيَعْمَلُونَ عَمَلًا دُونَ ذٰلِكَ [And who should do work other than, or beside, that]. And in the same [iv. 51 and 116], وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذٰلِكَ But He will forgive what is other than that: or, as some say, what is less than that. And so, it is said, in the trad., لَيْسَ فِيمَا دُونَ خَمْسِ أَوَاقٍ صَدَقَةٌ [There is no poor-rate to be exacted in the case of what is other than, or not, or, rather less than, five ounces]. So, too, it is said to mean in the trad., أَجَازَ الخُلْعَ دُونَ عِقَاصِ رَأْسِهَا [He allowed the divorcing a wife for a gift, or compensation, other than the عِقَاص of her head: in the CK, in which الخَلْعُ is erroneously put for الخُلْعَ, this is given as an ex. of ذُونَ in the sense of سَوِى, which is syn. with غَيْر]: or the meaning is, for anything, even for the عقاص of her head.
10 It is also used as a subst. with مِنْ prefixed to it, [very often in this case, in the Kur and elsewhere, as meaning غَيْر and sometimes in other senses explained above,] and likewise with بِ though rarely. One says, هٰذَا دُونَكَ and هٰذَا مِنْ دُونِكَ [This is below thee, or above thee: &c.]. And it is said in the Kur [xxviii. 23], وَوَجَدَ مِنْ دُونِهِمُ ٱمْرَأَتَيْنِ And he found in a place below them two women: or beside them, or exclusively of them. One says also, هٰدَا لِىدُونَ لَكَ or مِنْ دُونِكَ [meaning This belongs to me exclusively of thee]; i. e. thou hast no right nor share [with me] in this. The phrase فِيهِمْ مَنْ لَيْسَ بِدُونِهِ [app. as meaning Among whom was such as was not below him in respect of knowledge of poetry] is used by Akh in his book on rhymes.
11 It also denotes a command, and an incitement to do a thing. Using it in the former sense, you say, دُونَكَ الدِّرْهَمَ, meaning Take thou the dirhem; or دُونَكَ الشَّىْءَ and دُونَكَ بِالشَّىْءِ, meaning Take thou the thing: and using it in the latter sense, you say, دُونَكَهُ, meaning Keep thou, cleave thou, cling thou, or hold thou fast, to him; and take care of him: or دُنَكَ زَيْدًا Keep thou, &c., to Zeyd, taking care of him. Temeem [meaning a party of the tribe so named] said to El-Hajjáj, when he had slain, i. e. crucified, Sálih Ibn-' Abd-Er-Rahmán, “ Permit us to bury Sálih: ” and he replied, دُونَكُمُوهُ [Take ye him].
12 And it also denotes a threat. So in the sayings دُوَكَ صِرَاعِى [Beware thou of wrestling with me] and دُونَكَ فَتَمَرَّسْ بِى [Beware thou, and then set thyself against me to do evil if thou canst].
13 It is said that no verb is derived from it: but some assert that دَانَ and أُدِينَ [mentioned in the first paragraph of this art.] are derived from it.
14 The dim. of دُونَ is دُوَيْنَ : and دُوَيْنَةَ occurs as a dim. in a verse of a post-classical poet; but, [ISd says,] of what word I know not, unless they said دُونَةَ [for دُونَ].
[When the man is high in rank, or nobility, he seeks highness: and he who is low is content with that which is low]. Accord. to the most common usage, or accord. to what is asserted to be the most common usage, one says رَجُلٌ مِنْ دُونٍ and شَىْءٌ مِنْ دُونٍ A man who is [of a kind that is] low, base, &c., and a thing that is [of a kind that is] low, base, &c.: but sometimes they said رَجُلٌ دُونٌ and شَىْءٌ دُونٌ, without مِنْ; and ثَوْبٌ دُونٌ a bad [or an inferior] garment, or piece of cloth: or one should not say رَجُلٌ دُونٌ; for the Arabs did not use this phrase. Accord. to Lth, one says, هٰذَا دُونُ ذَاكَ [This is the inferior of that], when meaning to denote by it low estimation, using the nom. case: [but this is uncommon, if allowable:] Sb says that دُون is not used in the nom. case as a prefixed noun: as to the saying in the Kur [lxxii. 11, an instance similar to which occurs also in vii. 167], مِنَّا الصَّالِحُونَ وَ مِنَّا دُونَ ذٰلِكَ, the meaning is, وَ مِنَّا قَوْمٌ دُونَ ذٰلِكَ [i. e. Of us are the righteous, and of us are a party below that party in rank or estimation]; or, as another says, دون is here in the accus. case but in the place of a noun in the nom. case because it is generally used as an adv. n.إِذَا مَا عَلَا المَرْءُ رَامَ العَلَآء وَيَقْتَعُ بِالدُّونِ مَنْ كَانَا دُونَا
2 As an adv. n., دُون signifies Below, contr. of فَوْق; as denoting a falling short of the [right or approved] limit; or denoting low, or mean, estimation or condition; or a condition lower, baser, viler, &c., than that of another, in grounds of pretension to respect or honour [or in any approvable quality]; [and hence, inferior to, beneath, under, or short of, another in rank, height, size, &c.;] and less than another, and more deficient than another: and also above; i. q. فَوْق; in highness, or eminence, of rank or condition, or in nobility; [and hence, exceeding another, and more than another:] thus bearing two contr. significations. You say, زَيْدٌ دُونَكَ meaning Zeyd is [below thee, or] in a condition lower, baser, viler, &c., than thine, in grounds of pretension to respect or honour [&c.]: and when one says, “ Verily such a one is high, or eminent, in rank or condition, ” or “ is noble, ” another replies, وَ دُونَ ذٰلِكَ meaning And above that.
3 Also Beneath, below in situation, or under; syn. تَحْت. Using it in this sense, you say, دُوَن قَدَمِكَ خَدُّ عَدُوِّكَ [May the cheek of thine enemy be beneath thy foot]: and جَلَسَ دُونَهُ [He sat below him].
4 Also Before in respect of place, or in front: and [the contr., namely,] behind, or beyond. [You may say, using it in the former sense, جَلَسَ دُونَهُ He sat before him, or in front of him: and, using it in the latter sense,] you say, هٰذَا أَمِيرٌ عَلَى مَا دُونَ جَيْحُونَ This [man] is governor, or prince, over what is beyond [the river] Jeyhoon.
5 And i. q. قَبْل [generally signifying Before in respect of time; but as some say, in respect of place also, which may perhaps be here meant]: and [the contr., namely,] i. q. بَعْد [generally meaning after in respect of time; but as
6 It signifies also Nearer than another thing: so in the phrase هٰذَا دُونَ ذٰلِكَ [This is nearer than that]; or هٰذَا دُونَهُ [this is nearer than he, or it]. [Hence,] one says also, اُدْنُ دُونَكَ meaning Draw thou near in the space that is between me and thee: [or approach thou nearer to me:] or draw thou near [or nearer] to me. And يَزِيدُ بَغُضُّ الطَّرْفَ دُونِى, a saying of a poet, means Yezeed lowers the eye towards a spot between me and him. [خَشَعَتْ دُونَهُ الأَبْصَارُ, also, has a similar meaning: see 1 in art. خشع. So, too, has the phrase, خَاوَتَ طَرْفَهُ دُونِى: see 3 in art. خوت. And hence,] one says, دُونَ النَّهْرِ جَمَاعَةٌ [In the way of, or to, the river, or on this side of the river, or nearer than the river, is a company of men; or] before thy reaching the river [there is to be found, or encountered, a company of men]. And دُونَ قَتْلِ الأَسَدِ أَهْوَالٌ [In the way of, or to, the slaying of the lion, or] before thine attaining to the slaying of the lion, terrors [are to be encountered]. [And دُونَهُ خَرْطُ القَتَادِ: see 1 in art. خرط.] And حَالَ دُونَ الشَّىْءِ [It intervened as an obstacle in the way to the thing; or] it prevented from attaining the thing. [And لَيْسَ دُونَهُ شَىْءٌ There is nothing intervening as an obstacle in the way of, or to, him, or it.] And [hence,] قُتِلَ دُونَ مَالِهِ, and نَفْسِهِ, and أَخِيهِ, and جَارِهِ, He was slain in defence of his property, and of himself, and of his brother, and of his neighbour. (Occurring in a trad. commencing with the words الغَرِيقُ شَهِيدٌ, in the “ Jámi' es-Sagheer, ” and thus explained in the margin of a copy of that work.) [And نَبَحَ دُونَهُ is a modern phrase meaning
7 [Hence,] also i. q. عَلَى [as meaning Against; denoting defence by means of intervention: see an ex. in a verse cited voce شَخْصٌ].
8 And i. q. عِنْدَ [meaning At, near, nigh, by, or near by; with, or present with; &c.]. Accord. to Ez-Zowzanee, it has this meaning in the saying of Imra-el-Keys, [describing a horse,]
i. e. And he made us to overtake the foremost of the wild animals, while near to him were those that lagged behind, in a herd, not dispersed.فَأَلْحَقَنَا بِالهَادِيَاتِ وَ دُونَهُ جَوَاحِرُهَا فِى صَرَّةٍ لَمْ تُزَيَّلِ
9 And i. q. غَيْر [as meaning Other than, beside, or besides, exclusively of, or not as used before a substantive or an adjective]. Hence, in the Kur [xxi. 82], وَيَعْمَلُونَ عَمَلًا دُونَ ذٰلِكَ [And who should do work other than, or beside, that]. And in the same [iv. 51 and 116], وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذٰلِكَ But He will forgive what is other than that: or, as some say, what is less than that. And so, it is said, in the trad., لَيْسَ فِيمَا دُونَ خَمْسِ أَوَاقٍ صَدَقَةٌ [There is no poor-rate to be exacted in the case of what is other than, or not, or, rather less than, five ounces]. So, too, it is said to mean in the trad., أَجَازَ الخُلْعَ دُونَ عِقَاصِ رَأْسِهَا [He allowed the divorcing a wife for a gift, or compensation, other than the عِقَاص of her head: in the CK, in which الخَلْعُ is erroneously put for الخُلْعَ, this is given as an ex. of ذُونَ in the sense of سَوِى, which is syn. with غَيْر]: or the meaning is, for anything, even for the عقاص of her head.
10 It is also used as a subst. with مِنْ prefixed to it, [very often in this case, in the Kur and elsewhere, as meaning غَيْر and sometimes in other senses explained above,] and likewise with بِ though rarely. One says, هٰذَا دُونَكَ and هٰذَا مِنْ دُونِكَ [This is below thee, or above thee: &c.]. And it is said in the Kur [xxviii. 23], وَوَجَدَ مِنْ دُونِهِمُ ٱمْرَأَتَيْنِ And he found in a place below them two women: or beside them, or exclusively of them. One says also, هٰدَا لِىدُونَ لَكَ or مِنْ دُونِكَ [meaning This belongs to me exclusively of thee]; i. e. thou hast no right nor share [with me] in this. The phrase فِيهِمْ مَنْ لَيْسَ بِدُونِهِ [app. as meaning Among whom was such as was not below him in respect of knowledge of poetry] is used by Akh in his book on rhymes.
11 It also denotes a command, and an incitement to do a thing. Using it in the former sense, you say, دُونَكَ الدِّرْهَمَ, meaning Take thou the dirhem; or دُونَكَ الشَّىْءَ and دُونَكَ بِالشَّىْءِ, meaning Take thou the thing: and using it in the latter sense, you say, دُونَكَهُ, meaning Keep thou, cleave thou, cling thou, or hold thou fast, to him; and take care of him: or دُنَكَ زَيْدًا Keep thou, &c., to Zeyd, taking care of him. Temeem [meaning a party of the tribe so named] said to El-Hajjáj, when he had slain, i. e. crucified, Sálih Ibn-' Abd-Er-Rahmán, “ Permit us to bury Sálih: ” and he replied, دُونَكُمُوهُ [Take ye him].
12 And it also denotes a threat. So in the sayings دُوَكَ صِرَاعِى [Beware thou of wrestling with me] and دُونَكَ فَتَمَرَّسْ بِى [Beware thou, and then set thyself against me to do evil if thou canst].
13 It is said that no verb is derived from it: but some assert that دَانَ and أُدِينَ [mentioned in the first paragraph of this art.] are derived from it.
14 The dim. of دُونَ is دُوَيْنَ : and دُوَيْنَةَ occurs as a dim. in a verse of a post-classical poet; but, [ISd says,] of what word I know not, unless they said دُونَةَ [for دُونَ].
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