Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon

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عِصَامِىٌّ

Root: عصم

Full Definition

عِصَامِىٌّ [a rel. n. used as meaning Of the class of 'Isám; and hence, self-ennobled]. عِصَامٌ is the name of a chamberlain of En-Noamán Ibn-ElMundhir: and [in relation to him] it is said in a prov., كُنْ عِصَامِيًّا وَلَا تَكُنْ عِظَامِيًّا, [the former clause meaning Be thou of the class of 'Isám, i. e. be thou self-ennobled, and] the latter clause meaning and be not of those who glory in old and wasted and crumbling bones, [i. e. in their ancestors,] alluding to his saying, [so in the S and K and TA, but correctly the saying of En-Nábighah, ] نَفْسُ عِصَامٍ سَوَّدَتْ عِصَامَا وَعَلَّمَتْهُ الكَرَّ وَالإِقْدَامَا [The soul of 'Isám ennobled 'Isám, and taught him the art of attack, and boldness]. And [hence] one says also, فُلَانٌ عِصَامِىٌّ وَعِظَامِىٌّ i. e. Such a one is noble in respect of soul, or self, and of origin.
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