مَسَافَةٌ

Full Definition

مَسَافَةٌ [properly A place of smelling:
2 and hence,] Distance; and مَسَافٌ and سِيفَةٌ signify the same in this sense [or in others here following]: [a space, or tract, or an extent, over which one journeys:] a far-extending tract that one traverses: originally a place of smelling of the guides, in order that they may know whether it be far or near, out of the way or in the right way: or a [desert, or such as is termed] مَفَازَة: said to be from سَافَ الشَّىْءَ meaning “ he smelled the thing; ” for the guide smells the dust of the place wherein he is; and if he smell the odour of urine and dung of camels, he knows that he [or some other] has traversed it; but otherwise, not: or because the guide, when he is in a desert, and has lost his way therein, smells its dust, in order that he may know, or and thus knows, whether he be in the right way, or not: then, by reason of frequency of usage of this word [as meaning “ a place of smelling of the guides ”] it became a term for “ distance: ” pl. مَسَاوِفُ and مَسَافَاتٌ. One says, كَمْ مَسَافَةُ هٰذِهِ الأَرْضِ and and [How long is the distance, or how much is the extent, of this land?]. And بَيْنَهُمْ مَسَافَةٌ بَعِيدَةٌ [Between them is a far-extending distance or space]. And بَيْنَنَا مَسَافَةُ عِشْرِينَ يَوْمًا [Between us is the distance, or space, of twenty days].
3 In the following saying of Dhu-rRummeh, it is doubly tropical: وَأَبْعَدُهُمْ مَسَافَةَ غَوْرِ عَقْلٍ إِذَا مَا الأَمْرُ ذُو الشُّبُهَاتِ عَالَا [And the furthest of them in the extent of the depth of intelligence when the affair, or case, in which are dubiousnesses overcomes and is onerous].

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