Classical Arabic - English Dictionary

فَنَاةٌ A bull or cow; syn. بَقَرَةٌ; (AA, T, Ṣ, M, Ḳ;) [i. e.] a بَقَرَة وَحْشِيَة [or wild bull or cow; an antelope of the bovine kind]: so says Aboo-ʼAlee El-Ḳálee: (TA:) it occurs in a verse of Lebeed; and is said, as on the authority of IAạr, to be قَنَاة, with ق: (TA in art. قنو:) pl. فَنَوَاتٌ (AA, T, Ṣ, M, Ḳ) and [coll. gen. n.] فَنًا↓. (Aboo-ʼAlee El-Ḳálee, TA.)

شَعَرٌ أَفْنَى i. q. فَيْنَانٌ [i. e. Hair having locks like the branches of trees; or long and beautiful hair]; (M, Ḳ, TA;) [or] meaning long hair. (TA.) [The fem. of أَفْنَى is فَنْوَآءُ. Hence,] اِمْرَأَةٌ فَنْوَآءُ A woman having much hair: (IAạr, M, Ḳ:) and شَجَرَةٌ فَنْوَآءُ A tree having أَفْنَان [or branches]; (AA, T, Ṣ, M;) or a tree having wide shade: (Ḳ:) by rule it should be فَنَّآءُ [q. v. in art. فن]. (Ṣ, M, Ḳ.)

أَفْنَآءٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ means Mixed sorts of men or people; like أَعْنَآءٌ: and the sings. are [said to be] فِنْوٌ and عِنْوٌ: (IAạr, T:) one says, هُوَ مِنْ أَفْنَآءِ النَّاسِ when it is not known of whom he is: (Ṣ:) or رَجَلٌ مِنْ أَفْنَآءِ القَبَائِلِ, meaning a man such that one knows not of what tribe he is: but some hold that one says only, قَوْمٌ من افنآء القبائل; not رَجُلٌ; and that there is no sing. of أَفْنَآء: (M in art. فنى:) accord. to AHeyth, one says, هٰؤُلَآءِ مِنْ أَفْنَآءِ النَّاسِ, meaning these are of the strangers from this and that place: but one does not say, speaking of one person, رَجُلٌ من افنآء الناس: and Umm El-Heythem knew not a sing. of أَفْنَآء. (T in art. فنى.)