Classical Arabic - English Dictionary

فِى is a particle governing the gen. case [and used in the manners and senses expl in what here follows]. (T, Ṣ, M, Mughnee, Ḳ.)

It relates to a receptacle; (Sb, Ṣ, M;) and, when used in a wider sense, to that which has some near resemblance thereto; (Sb, M;) [i. e.,] and also to what is considered as a receptacle: (Ṣ:) [in other words,] it denotes inclusion, or inbeing, (Mṣb, Mughnee, Ḳ, TA,) either in relation to place or in relation to time: (Mughnee, Ḳ, TA;) properly and tropically. (Mṣb, Mughnee, TA.) غُلِبَتِ ٱلرُّومُ فِى أَدْنَى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ غَلَبِهِمْ سَيَغْلِبُونَ فِى بِضْعِ سِنِينَ [The Greeks have been overcome in the nearer, or nearest, part of the land, and they, after the overcoming of them, shall overcome in some few years], in the Ḳur [xxx. 1 - 3], is an ex. of its relation to place and to time. (Mughnee.) And وَلَكُمْ فِى ٱلْقِصَاصِ حَيٰوةٌ ‡ [And there is, to you, in retaliation, life, or an advantage, (respecting the meaning of which see art. حى,) in the Ḳur ii. 175,] is an ex. of its being used tropically, (Mughnee.) أَدْخَلْتُ الخَاتَمَ فِى أُصْبَعِى is an ex. of its relation to place, but the proposition is inverted [i. e. the meaning is I inserted my finger into the signet-ring]. (Mughnee.) [Using it properly,] you say, المَآءُ فِى الإِنَآءِ [The water is in the vessel]: (Ṣ:) and هُوَ فِى الجِرَابِ [It is in the wallet,] and فِى الكِيسِ [in the purse]: and هُوَ فِى بَطْنِ أُمِّهِ [He is in the belly of his mother]: and هُوَ فِى الغُلِّ [He is in the shackle for the neck]: (M:) and زَيْدٌ فِى الدَّارِ [Zeyd is in the house], (Ṣ, M,* Mṣb,) or within the house, and in the midst of it, for فِى الدَّارِ, means دَاخِلِهَا, and وَسْطَهَا: (T:) and [using it tropically, you say,] الشَّكُّ فِى الخَبَرِ † [Doubt, or uncertainty, is in the information]. (Ṣ.) The saying فِيهِ عَيْبٌ [In him is a fault, or blemish], if relating to a real عَيْب, is proper; and if relating to an ideal عَيْب, tropical: the former is such as the amputation of the hand of the thief, and the redundance of a hand; and the latter, such as the runningaway of a slave. (Mṣb.) [When relating to time, it may in some cases be rendered In, or during; as in the phrase فِى أَيَّامٍ مَعْدُودَاتٍ, in the Ḳur ii. 139, i. e. In, or during, certain numbered days. إِنَّ أَصْحَابَ ٱلْجَنَّةِ ٱلْيَوْمَ فِى شُغُلٍ فَاكِهُونَ, in the Ḳur xxxvi. 55, may be rendered † Verily the inmates of Paradise this day shall be in the midst of diverting occupation, cheerful, or happy. The phrase أَمَّا قَوْلُهُ كَذَا فِيهِ مَا فِيهِ, lit. † As to his saying thus, in it is what is in it, is used as a polite expression of objection, or contradiction; like فِيهِ تَأَمُّلٌ, q. v. In many instances, فِى may be rendered Of, or concerning, or in respect of; as in قَالَ فِيهِ كَذَا † He said of, or concerning, him, or it, thus; for قَالَ فِى ذِكْرِهِ كَذَا † He said in mentioning him, or it, thus, or فِى وَصْفِهِ in describing him, or it; or the like hence, for ex., one says كَتَبَ كِتَابًا فِى عِلْمِ اللُّغَةِ † He wrote a book of, or concerning the science of lexicology: and hence, in the Ḳur ii. 133, أَتُّحَاجُّونَنَا فِى ٱللّٰهِ † Do ye argue with us concerning, or in respect of, God?]

It also denotes concomitance, (Mughnee, Ḳ,) and (Ḳ) in this ease (Mughnee) it is syn. with مَعَ. (Mṣb, Mughnee, Ḳ.) Thus in the phrase, قَالَ ٱدْخُلُوا فِى أُمَمٍ [He shall say, Enter ye with peoples]. (Mṣb, Mughnee, TA,) in the Ḳur [vii. 36]: (Mṣb, TA:) or, as some say, the meaning is, فِى جَمَاعَةِ أُمَمٍ [in the company of peoples]. (Mughnee.) Thus. too, in the phrase, in the Ḳur [xlvi. 15], فِى أَصْحَابِ الجَنَّةِ [With the inmates of Paradise]. (Mṣb, TA.) [Or in these and similar instances, فِى may be rendered, more agreeably with the primary signification, as meaning Among.] In the Ḳ, the meaning as denoting concomitance and that which is identical with مَعَ are made distinct: and it has been said that بِ denotes the continuance of concomitance and مَعَ denotes its commencement; though this is not invariably the case. (MF, TA.) [Hence it is used to denote a combination of two qualities: as in the phrase طُولٌ فِى ٱسْتِرْخَآءٍ † Length together with laxness: (occurring in the Ḳ voce طَنَبٌ:) and سَوَادٌ فِى حُمْرَةٍ † Blackness blending with redness: and the like. And in like manner it is used to denote the combination of the length and breadth of a thing: as in the phrase طُولُهُ عِشْرُونَ ذِرَاعًا فِى ثَلَاثِ أَذْرُعٍ عَرْضًا Its length is twenty cubits with (or as we say by) three cubits in breadth: in which case the number of square cubits is expressed by the phrase عِشْرُونَ فِى ثَلَاثٍ as though meaning Twenty as a multiplicand with three as its multiplier; i. e. twenty multiplied by three: see ضَرَبَ as signifying “he multiplied.”].

It also denotes the assigning of a cause. (Mṣb, Mughnee, Ḳ.) Thus in the phrase فِى أَرْبَعِينَ شَاةٌ i. e. On account, or because, of completing [the possession of] forty sheep or goats, [the giving of] a sheep or goat [for the poor-rate] is incumbent [on the possessor: or this may be rendered, in the case of the possession of forty, a sheep or goat is to be given]. (Mṣb.) And thus in the saying, [in the Ḳur xii. 32,] فَذٰلِكُنَّ ٱلَّذِى لُمْتُنَّنِى فِيهِ [And that is he because of whom ye blamed me]. (Mughnee.) Thus also in the saying, in a trad., إِنَّ ٱمْرَأَةً دَخَلَتِ النَّارَ فِى هِرَّةٍ حَبَسَتْهَا [Verily a woman entered the fire of Hell because of a she-cat which she confined without food]. (Mughnee.) [And thus in the phrase أَسْلَفَ فِى كَذَا He paid in advance, or beforehand, for, or on account of, such a thing.]

It also denotes superiority; (Mughnee, Ḳ, TA;) i. e. (TA) it is used in the sense of عَلَى. (T, Ṣ, M, Mṣb, TA.) Thus in the saying, in the Ḳur [xx. 74], وَلَأُصَلِّبَنَّكُمْ فِى جُذُوعِ ٱلنَّخْلِ [And I will assuredly crucify you upon the trunks of palm-trees]. (T, Ṣ, Mṣb, Mughnee, TA.) And so in the verse of 'Antarah cited voce سَرْحٌ. (T, M, Mughnee, TA.) And Yoo asserts that the Arabs say, نَزَلْتُ فِى أَبِيكَ, meaning عَلَيْهِ [i. e. I alighted, or descended and stopped,, &c., at the abode of thy father]. (Ṣ.)

It is also syn. with بِ, (T, Ṣ, M, Mughnee, Ḳ,) sometimes. (Ṣ.) Thus in the saying of Zeyd-el-Kheyl,

* وَتَرْكَبُ يَوْمَ الرَّوْعِ فِيهَا فَوَارِسُ *

* بَصِيرُونَ فِى طَعْنِ الأَبَاهِرِ والكُلَى *

(Ṣ, Mughnee, TA,) meaning, بِطَعْنِ الاباهر والكلى [i. e. And horsemen skilful in piercing the aortas and the kidneys ride in the day of fear therein]. (Ṣ, TA.) And thus in a verse cited by Fr, أَرْغَبُ is made trans. by فِى and عَنْ instead of بِ and عَنْ. (T, TA.) [Thus, also, لَيْسَ فِى شَىْءٍ is sometimes used for لَيْسَ بِشَىْءٍ, meaning It is nought; or not of any account or weight;, &c.: see more in art. شيأ.]

It is also syn. with إِلَى. (Mughnee, Ḳ.) Thus in the Ḳur [xiv. 10], فَرَدُّوا أَيْدِيَهُمْ فِى أَفْوَاههم [And they put their hands to their mouths]. (Mughnee, TA.)

It is also syn. with مِنْ. (M, Mughnee, Ḳ, TA.) Thus in the Ḳur [xxvii. 12], فِى تِسْعِ آيَاتٍ [Of, or among, nine signs]. (M, TA.) And in the saying, خُذْ لِى عَشْرًا مِنَ الإِبِلِ فِيهَا فَحْلَانِ [Take thou for me ten of the camels; of, or among, them let there be two stallions.] (M, TA.) [Thus too in the saying هُوَ فِى أَصْلِ قَوْمِهِ He is of, or among, the purest in race,, &c., of his people: and the like thereof.]

It also denotes comparison; and this is when it occurs between a preceding [mention of a] thing excelled and a following [mention of a] thing excelling: as in the saying, [in the Ḳur ix. 38,] فَمَا مَتَاعُ ٱلْحَيٰوةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا فِى ٱلْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا قَلِيلٌ [But the enjoyment of the present life, in comparison with that which is to come, is no other than little]. (Mughnee, Ḳ.)

It is also used for compensation; and this is when it is redundant as a compensation for another [فِى] which is suppressed: as in the saying, ضَرَبْتُ فِيمَنْ رَغِبْتَ for ضَرَبْتُ مَنْ رَغِبْتَ فِيهِ [I beat, or struck, him whom thou desiredst]: (Mughnee, Ḳ:) but this is allowed by Ibn-Málik alone. (Mughnee.)

And it is used for corroboration: (Mughnee, Ḳ:) this is when it is redundant without its being for compensation: and this El-Fárisee allows in a case of necessity in verse; citing as an ex.,

* أَنَا أَبُوا سَعْدٍ إِذَا اللَّيْلُ دَجَا *

* تَخَالُ فِى سَوَادِهِ يَرَنْدَجَا *

[I am Aboo-Saạd; when the night becomes dark, thou imagining its blackness to be black leather]. (Mughnee.) And it is thus used in the saying, in the Ḳur [xi. 43], وَقَالَ ٱرْكَبُوا فِيهَا [for ٱرْكَبُوهَا, i. e. And he said, Embark ye therein, the like of which occurs also in xviii. 70 and xxix. 65], (Mughnee, Ḳ,) accord. to some. (Mughnee.)

فِى as a prefixed noun in the gen. case, syn. with فَم, and فِىَّ as syn. with فَمِى, see voce فُوهٌ, in art. فوه.

فَىَّ is a word expressive of wonder: they say, يَا فَىَّ مَا لِى أَفْعَلُ كَذَا [O my wonder! What has happened to me that I do thus?]: or it is expressive of regret on account of a thing that is passing away [so that this exclamation may be rendered Oh! What has happened to me, &c.]: Ks says that it is not to be written withء [though it is so written in several of the lexicons in art. فيأ, i. e. فَىْءَ]; and that it means يَا عَجَبِى [as first expl. above]: and in like manner one says, يَا فَىَّ مَا أَصْحَابُكَ [O my wonder! What are thy companions? i. e. what manner of men are thy companions? ما here denoting interrogation respecting qualities, or attributes; as in the Ḳur xxvi. 22]: and he says that ما in this case occupies the place of a noun in the nom. case. (M, TA.) Ks is also related to have said that some of the Arabs express wonder by فَىَّ and هَىَّ and شَىْءَ; and some add مَا, saying يَا فَيَّمَا and يَا هَيَّمَا and يَا شَيْئَمَا, meaning How good, or beautiful, is this! the Ḳ is faulty here; mentioning only يَا فَيَّمَا, and explaining it as denoting wonder. (TA.)