حَرْفٌ

Full Definition

حَرْفٌ The extremity, verge, border, margin, brink, brow, side, or edge, of anything; as, for instance, the side of a river or rivulet, and of a ship or boat, and of the notch of an arrow; and the edge of a sword: pl. [of mult. حُرُوفٌ, and of pauc.] أَحْرُفٌ. Hence, [A point, a ridge, a brow, and a ledge, of a mountain:] the pointed, sharp, or edged, summit of a mountain: a projecting portion in the side of a mountain, in form like a small دُكَّان [i. e. bench] or the like: and a portion in the summit of a mountain, having a thin edge, or ridge, rising above the upper part of the back: pl. حِرَفٌ; accord. to Fr, the only instance of the kind except طِلَلٌ as pl. of طَلٌّ. [Hence, also,] A nib, of a writing-reed, obliquely cut: so in the phrase قَلَمٌ لَا حَرْفَ لَهُ, in the S and K in art. جزم, a writingreed not having a nib obliquely cut. And حَرْفَا الرَّأْسِ The two lateral halves of the head. [Hence, also, the phrase] فُلَانٌ عَلَى حَرْفٍ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ [and بِحَرْفٍ مِنْهُ ] Such a one is [standing] aloof with respect to his affair, (عَلَى نَاحِيَةٍ مِنْهُ, ISd, TA,) [in suspense,] waiting, and looking to the result, if he see, in regarding it from one side, what he likes; turning from it if he see what does not please him. The saying, in the Kur xxii. 11, وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَنْ يَعْبُدُ ٱللّٰهَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ means And of men is he who serves God standing aloof with respect to religion, in a fluctuating state, like him who is in the outskirts of the army, who, if sure of victory and spoil, stands firm, and otherwise flees: or the meaning is, who serves God in doubt, or suspense, being unsteady like him who alights and abides upon the حَرْف [i. e. point, or ridge, or brow,] of a mountain: or in a state of disquietude respecting his case; i. e. not entering into the religion firmly, or steadily: or who serves God in one mode of circumstances; i. e. when in ample circumstances, and not when straitened in circumstances; as though good fortune and plenty were one side, and an evil state were another side: [hence,] حَرْفٌ sometimes signifies a mode, or manner, and a way.
2 A letter of the alphabet: pl. حُرُوفٌ: the letters being thus called because they are the extremities of the word [and of the syllable]. The saying of the lawyers, تُبْطَلُ الصَّلَاةَ بِحَرْفٍ مُفْهِمٍ [Prayer is made null by a significant letter] means only by an imperative of a verb of which the first and last radical letters are infirm; such as فِ from وَفَى, and قِ from وَقَى, and the like.
3 As a grammatical term, [A particle; i. e.] what is used to express a meaning, and is not a noun nor a verb: every other definition of it is bad: pl. حُرُوفٌ.
4 And A word [absolutely: often used in this sense in lexicons &c.].
5 A dialect, an idiom, or a mode of expression, peculiar to certain of the Arabs: pl. [of pauc.] أَحْرُفٌ: so in the saying نَزَلَ القُرْآنُ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ The Kur-án has been revealed according to seven dialects, of the dialects of the Arabs: or this means, according to seven modes, or manners, of reading: whence فُلَانٌ يَقْرَأُ بِحَرْفِ ٱبْنِ مَسْعُودٍ Such a one reads in the manner of reading of Ibn-Mes'ood.

def.2 Applied to a she-camel, Lean, or light of flesh; or lean, and lank in the belly; and firm, strong, or hardy; likened to the حَرْف of a mountain; or to the حرف of a sword, in respect of her leanness, or thinness, and her sharpness and effectiveness in pace; or to a letter of the alphabet, meaning the letter ا, in respect of her leanness: or excellent, or high-bred, or strong and light and swift, sharp and effective in pace, rendered lean by journeyings; likened to the حرف of a sword: or emaciated: so As used to say: but this is inconsistent with Dhu-r-Rummeh's description of a she-camel by the epithets جُمَالِيَّةٌ حَرْفٌ سِنَادٌ: [see حَرِيثَةٌ:] or [in the CK “ and ”] great; big; of great size; likened to the حرف of a mountain: it is applied only to a she-camel: one may not say جَمَلٌ حَرْفٌ.

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