زُلْفَةٌ
Root: زلف
Full Definition
زُلْفَةٌ
i. q.
قُرْبَةٌ [i. e. Nearness, with respect to rank, degree, or station]; as also
زُلْفَى , and
زَلَفٌ . [It would seem that it means also Nearness with respect to place or situation: for SM immediately adds,] hence, in the Kur [lxvii. 27], فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ زُلْفَةً, [as though meaning But when they shall see it in a state of nearness: but] Zj says that the meaning is, but when they shall see it near (قَرِيبًا): and several authors say that زُلْفَةٌ is sometimes used in the sense of قَرِيبٌ, as is stated in the 'Ináyeh. And Station, rank, grade, or degree; as also
زُلْفَى , and
زَلْفٌ , and
زَلَفٌ : pl. of the first زُلَفٌ: or
زُلْفَى is a quasi-Verbal.Noun; and such it is in the saying in the Kur [xxxiv. 36], وَمَا
أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُمْ بِٱلَّتِى تُقَرِّبُكُمْ عِنْدِنَا زُلْفَى, as though meaning ٱزْدِلَافًا [i. e. And neither your riches nor your children are what will bring you near to us in advancement: but here it may be well rendered, in station]: accord. to Ibn- 'Arafeh, زُلْفَى signifies the bringing very near: the saying of Ibn-El-Tilimsánee that it is pl. of زُلْفَةٌ is very strange, and unknown; the correct pl. of this last word being زُلَفٌ.
2 Also A portion of the first part of the night, whether small or large: so accord. to Th: or, accord. to Akh, of the night absolutely: pl. زُلَفٌ and زُلَفَاتٌ and زُلُفَاتٌ and زُلْفَاتٌ: or زُلَفٌ signifies the hours, or periods, (سَاعَات,) of the night, commencing from the daytime, and the hours, or periods, of the daytime, commencing from the night: and its sing. is زُلْفَةٌ. وَزُلَفًا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ, in the Kur [xi. 116], means And at sunset and nightfall (the مَغْرِب and the عِشَآء): some read , with two dammehs; which may be a sing., like حُلُمٌ; or a pl. of زُلْفَةٌ, like as بُسُرٌ is of بُسُرَةٌ, with damm to the س in each: [but this is not a parallel instance; for بُسُرٌ is a coll. gen. n. of which بُسُرَةٌ is the n. un., and the latter is not of the same measure as زُلْفَةٌ:] and some read , which is a pl. [or rather coll. gen. n.] of زُلْفَةٌ, like as دُرٌّ is of دُرَّةٌ; or pl. of زَلِيفٌ , like as قُرْبٌ is of قَرِيبٌ, and غُرْبٌ of غَرِيبٌ: and some read زُلْفَى , in which the alif [written ى] is a denotative of the fem. gender.
def.2 See also the next paragraph.
2 Also A portion of the first part of the night, whether small or large: so accord. to Th: or, accord. to Akh, of the night absolutely: pl. زُلَفٌ and زُلَفَاتٌ and زُلُفَاتٌ and زُلْفَاتٌ: or زُلَفٌ signifies the hours, or periods, (سَاعَات,) of the night, commencing from the daytime, and the hours, or periods, of the daytime, commencing from the night: and its sing. is زُلْفَةٌ. وَزُلَفًا مِنَ اللَّيْلِ, in the Kur [xi. 116], means And at sunset and nightfall (the مَغْرِب and the عِشَآء): some read , with two dammehs; which may be a sing., like حُلُمٌ; or a pl. of زُلْفَةٌ, like as بُسُرٌ is of بُسُرَةٌ, with damm to the س in each: [but this is not a parallel instance; for بُسُرٌ is a coll. gen. n. of which بُسُرَةٌ is the n. un., and the latter is not of the same measure as زُلْفَةٌ:] and some read , which is a pl. [or rather coll. gen. n.] of زُلْفَةٌ, like as دُرٌّ is of دُرَّةٌ; or pl. of زَلِيفٌ , like as قُرْبٌ is of قَرِيبٌ, and غُرْبٌ of غَرِيبٌ: and some read زُلْفَى , in which the alif [written ى] is a denotative of the fem. gender.
def.2 See also the next paragraph.
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