دَهْ
Root: ده
Full Definition
دَهْ
, or إِلَّا دَهٍ فَلَا دَهٍ, a saying of the Arabs, meaning If this thing be not now, it will not be after the present time: As says, I know not its origin, but I think it to be Pers., and to mean, if thou strike not him, or it, now, thou wilt not strike him, or it, ever: accord. to IAar, it is said to a man when he is at the point of accomplishing his want in respect of a creditor of his, or in respect of his blood-revenge, or in respect of paying honour to a friend of his; and means if thou seize not the opportunity now, thou wilt never meet with it: accord. to Lth, it means, if thou avenge not his blood, or if thou slay him not in blood-revenge, now, thou wilt never do so. Accord. to As, one says also, لَا دَهٍ فَلَا دَهٍ, meaning I will not accept either of the two actions proposed. Az says that this saying shows ده to be Pers., and to mean The act of striking: you say to a man, دِهْ , meaning Strike thou: and he says, I have seen it written with kesr in the book of AZ.
دِهْ in Pers. means Give thou: and metonymically, the act of striking.
Lane's Lexicon
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Hans Wehr
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Mufradat
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