سَمَآءٌ
Root: سمو
Full Definition
2 [In its predominant acceptation,] a word of well-known meaning; i. e. [The sky, or heaven;] the canopy of the earth: in this sense masc. and fem.; sometimes fem.; rarely so, and thus as having the next but one of the significations here following: Az says that it is fem. because it is pl. [or coll. gen. n.] of سَمَآءَةٌ: or it is as though it were pl. of سَمَاوَةٌ , [or rather its coll. gen. n.,] like as سَحَابٌ is of سَحَابَةٌ: Er-Rághib says that the سَمَآء as opposed to the أَرْض is fem., and sometimes masc.; and is used as a sing. and as a pl.; as the latter in the Kur ii. 27 [where it is shown to apply to seven heavens]; and that it is like نَخْلٌ and شَجَرٌ and other [coll.] gen. ns.: in this sense the pl. is أَسْمِيَةٌ [a pl. of pauc.] and سُمِىٌّ, the latter [originally سُمُوىٌ] of the measure فُعُولٌ, and both [also] pls. of سَمَآءٌ in another sense, mentioned in what follows, and سَمَاوَاتٌ or سَمٰوَاتٌ, and accord. to the K, [in which all of these are mentioned as though pls. of سَمَآءٌ in all its senses,] سَمًا , [in the CK سُمًا,] but in the M سَمَآءٌ [like the sing., as mentioned above], where it is said that it must be a pl. in the Kur ii. 27 for the reason already stated, as though pl. of سَمَآءَةٌ or سَمَاوَةٌ; and a poet assigns to سَمَآءٌ the anomalous pl. سَمَآءٍ, by his saying,
[The heaven of God, above seven heavens]: the dim. is .سَمَآءُ ٱلْإِلٰهِ فَوْقَ سَبْعِ سَمَآئِيَا
3 And Any canopy, or covering over-head, of a person.
4 And hence, The ceiling, or roof, of a house, or chamber, or tent, and of anything; in this sense masc.; and سَمَاوَةٌ also has this meaning.
5 And The رِوَاق, i. e. the شُقَّة [or oblong piece of cloth] that is beneath the upper, or uppermost, شُقَّةٌ, of a بَيْت [or tent]; in which sense it is fem., and sometimes masc.; as also سَمَاوَةٌ ; [and so, app., سِمَايَةٌ ; for] one says, أَصْلَحَ سِمَايَتَهُ, with kesr, [He repaired his سماية,] meaning, his سَمَاوَة.
6 And The clouds; because of their height: or a cloud.
7 And Rain; because it comes forth from the سَمَآء [i. e. sky or clouds]: or a good rain (مَطْرَةٌ جَيِّدَةٌ): or a new rain (مَطْرَةٌ جَدِيدَةٌ): or, as some say, rain that has not fallen upon the earth; so called in consideration of what has been said above [of its meaning the “ clouds ” &c.]: [but] one says, مَا زِلْنَا نَطَأُ السَّمَآءَ حَتَّى أَتَيْنَاكُمْ [We ceased not to tread upon the rain until we came to you]: applied to rain, it is masc., and fem. also because of its connexion with the سَمَآء that canopies the earth; or it is fem., as meaning سَحَابَةٌ: the pl. [of mult.] is سُمِىٌّ and [of pauc.] أَسْمِيَةٌ. بَنُو مَآءِ السَّمَآءِ is an appellation of The Arabs; [signifying the sons of the water of the heaven;] because of their keeping much to the deserts which are the places of the falling of rain [by means of which they subsist]: or by مَآء السمآء is meant Zemzem, which God made to well forth for the Arabs, who are therefore like the sons thereof.
8 [Hence, app., as
9 [Hence, likewise, as being likened to rain,
10 Also
11 And The back of a horse; because of its height: coupled with [its opposite] أَرْضٌ [q. v.].
12 And of a sandal, [in like manner opposed to أَرْضٌ,] The upper part [of the sole, i. e. the upper surface thereof], upon which the foot is placed.
def.2 See also سَمَاوَةٌ.
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