Classical Arabic - English Dictionary

كَتَبَهُ, aor. ـُ {يَكْتُبُ}, inf. n. كَتْبٌ and كِتَابٌ and كِتَابَةٌ (Ṣ, Ḳ) and كِتْبَةٌ; (Mṣb;) the first of these inf. ns. agreeable with analogy; the second, anomalous; (TA;) or the latter of these two is a subst., like لِبَاسٌ; (Lḥ;) or originally an inf. n., and afterwards used in the senses given below; (MF;) as also كِتَابَةٌ, and كِتْبَةٌ: (TA:) andكتّبهُ↓ (Ḳ) andاكتتبهُ↓; (Ṣ, Ḳ;) He wrote it: (Ṣ, Ḳ:) or كَتَبَهُ has this signification; andاكتتبهُ↓, as alsoاستكتبهُ↓, signifies he asked [one] to dictate it (إِسْتَمْلَاهُ): (Ḳ:) إِكْتَتَبَهَا↓ in the Ḳur, xxv. 6, signifies he hath written them (Ṣ) for himself: (Bḍ:) or he hath asked [one] to write them for him, or to dictate them to him. (TA, Bḍ.)

كَتَبَ عَنْهُ [He wrote what he had heard, or learned from him.] A phrase of common occurrence in biographies.

كَتَبَ [He was a writer, or scribe, and a learned man. (Implied in the Ṣ, where we are referred to the Ḳur, lii. 41, and lxviii., 47, in illustration of كَاتِبٌ as signifying “a learned man.”)]

كَتَبَ, aor. ـُ {يَكْتُبُ}, inf. n. كِتَابٌ, q. v., † He (God) prescribed, appointed, or ordained, (TA,) and made obligatory. (Mṣb.) كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ القِصَاصُ The law of retaliation is prescribed, appointed, or ordained, as a law of which the observance is incumbent on you. [Ḳur, ii. 173.] كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ Fasting is prescribed as incumbent on you. [Ḳur. ii. 179.] (TA.)

كَتَبَ عَلَيْهِ كَذَا ‡ He judged, passed sentence, or decreed, against him that he should do such a thing. (A.) كتب القَاضِى بِالنَّفَقَةِ The judge gave sentence that the expenses should be paid. (Mṣb.)

كَتَبَ, aor. ـُ {يَكْتُبُ}, inf. n. كَتْبٌ, He drew together; brought together; conjoined. (Ṣ.)

Hence, كَتَبَ البَغْلَةَ, aor. ـُ {يَكْتُبُ} and ـِ {يَكْتِبُ}, inf. n. كَتْبٌ, He conjoined the oræ of the mule's vulva by means of a ring or a thong; (Ṣ;) as also كَتَبَ عَلَيْهَا. (A.) كَتَبَ, aor. ـُ {يَكْتُبُ} and ـِ {يَكْتِبُ}, (Ḳ,) inf. n. كَتْبٌ; and كَتَبَ عَلَيْهَا; (TA;) He closed the camel's vulva, (Ḳ,) and put a ring upon it: (TA:) or he put a ring of iron or the like upon it, (Ḳ,) conjoining the oræ, in order that she might not be covered. (TA.)

كَتَبَ, aor. ـُ {يَكْتُبُ}, inf. n. كَتْبٌ; (Ṣ;) andاكتتب↓; (Ḳ;) He sewed a قِرْبَة, (Ṣ,) or a سِقَآء, (Ḳ,) or a مَزَادَة, (TA,) with two thongs: (Ḳ:) or, accord. to some, he closed it at the mouth, by binding it round with a وِكَاء, so that nothing [of its contents] should drop from it; (TA;) [as alsoاكتب↓:] or كتب signifies he sewed a قربة; andاكتب↓, he bound it with a وكآء, i. e. bound it round the upper part. (Lḥ.)

كَتَبَ, aor. ـُ {يَكْتُبُ}, inf. n. كَتْبٌ; (Ṣ;) andاكتب↓ (Ṣ, Ḳ) andاكتتب↓ (TA) ‡ He bound a قِرْبَة with a وِكَاء; (Ṣ;) he bound it round the head, or upper part: (Ḳ:) or the first of these verbs signifies he sewed a قربة. (Lḥ.) See above. IAạr says, I heard an Arab of the desert say, أَكْتَبْتُ فَمَ السِّقَاء فَلَمْ يَسْتَكْتِبْ↓ I bound the mouth of the سقاء, but it did not become fast bound, or closed, because of its hardness and thickness. (TA.)

كَتَبَ النَّاقَةَ He used art to make the she-camel take a liking to that which was not her own young one, and put something as a ring through her nostrils, lest she should smell the بَوّ, (in some copies of the Ḳ, بَوْل; but this is a mistake; TA,) and not have a fondness for it. (TA.)

كَتَبَ ‡ He collected a كَتِيبَة. (TA.) See also 2.

See 1 and 4

كتّب النَّاقَةَ, inf. n. تَكْتِيبٌ, He tied the udder of the camel. (AZ, Ṣ.)

كتّب الكَتَائِبَ, inf. n. تَكْتِيبٌ; (Ṣ, Ḳ;) andكَتَبَهَا↓; (TA;) ‡ He prepared the troops; (Ḳ;) he disposed the troops in order, troop by troop. (Ṣ.)

مُكَاتَبَةٌ andتَكَاتُبٌ↓ are syn.: (Ṣ, Ḳ:) you say, كاتب صَدِيقَهُ He wrote to his friend: andتكاتبا↓ They wrote, one to the other. (TA.)

كاتبهُ, inf. n. مُكَاتَبَةٌ (Az, Ḳ, Mṣb) and كِتَابٌ, (Az, Mṣb,) ‡ He (a slave) made a written [or other] contract with him (his master), that he (the former) should pay a certain sum as the price of himself, and on the payment thereof be free: (Ḳ, &c.:) also he (a master) made such a contract with him (his slave): (Az, Mṣb, &c.:) andتكاتبا↓ They two made such a contract, one with the other. (Mṣb.) The slave in this case is called مُكَاتَبٌ (Ṣ, Mṣb) and also مُكَاتِبٌ; and so is the master; the act being mutual. (Mṣb.) [But the lawyers in the present day call the slave مُكَاتَبٌ only; and the master, مُكَاتِبٌ.] الكِتَابَةُ, signifying “what is written,” is tropically used by the professors of practical law as syn. with المُكَاتَبَةُ, because the contract above mentioned was generally written; and is so used by them when nothing is written. It was thus called in the age of el-Islám, accord. to Az. These two words are said by Z to be syn.; but it is thought that he may have written the former by mistake for الكِتَابُ, adding the ة by a slip of the pen. (Mṣb.)

اكتب He dictated. (Ṣ, Ḳ.) Ex. أَكْتِبْنِى هٰذِهِ القَصِيدَةَ Dictate to me this ode. (Ṣ.)

اكتب andكتّب↓ He taught the art of writing. (Ḳ.)

See also 1, in three places.

تكتّب ‡ He girded himself, and drew together his garments upon him. (TA.)

تكتّب ‡ It (an army, Ṣ) collected itself together. (Ṣ, Ḳ.)

See 1.

كِتْبَةٌ [is a quasi-inf. n. of 8; syn. with إِكْتِتَابٌ; and is explained as signifying] The writing a book, transcribing it [from another book]: (إِكْتِتَابُكَ كِتَابًا تَنْسَخُهُ). (Ḳ.)

It also signifies, [as a quasi-inf. n. of 8,] The writing one's name in [the list of those who receive] stipend and maintenance (الكتتاب فى الفرض والرزق [اصحاب]). (TA.)

اكتتب He registered himself in the book of the Sultán's army-list, or stipendiaries. (Ṣ, Ḳ.) إِكْتَتَبْتُ فِى غَزْوَةِ كَذَا I wrote down my name in the list of the soldiers of such an expedition. (TA, from a trad.)

اكتتب كِتَابًا He asked for a book (or the like) to be written for him. (TA.) See also 10.

اكتتب ‡ His urine was suppressed. (TA.)

اكتتب بَطْنُهُ ‡ He was constipated, or costive; (TA;) his belly was constipated. (Ḳ.)

استكتبهُ شَيْئًا He asked him to write a thing for him. (Ṣ.) See also 1 and 8.

With reference to a سِقَاء (or skin), see 1.

كُتْبَةٌ ‡ A thong with which one sews (Ḳ) a مَزَادَة or a قِرْبَة: pl. كُتَبٌ. (TA.)

That with which the vulva of a camel (or of a mule, TA,) is closed in order that she may not be covered: (Ḳ:) pl. كُتَبٌ. (TA.)

A seam or suture, (KL, PṢ,) in a skin or hide; (KL;) [app. made by sewing together two edges so that one laps over the other;] a خُرْزَةٌ (Ṣ, Mgh, Ḳ) whereof the thong conjoins the two faces [or sides]: (Ḳ:) or a خرزة that is joined together with a thong: (Lth:) or that whereof the thong conjoins each of the two faces [or sides]: (ISd, TA:) pl. كُتَبٌ. (Ṣ, Mgh.)

كِتْبَةٌ: see 1 and 8.

[Also, agreeably with analogy, A mode, or manner, of writing.]

[كُتُبِىٌّ, meaning A bookseller, is a vulgar term, like صُحُفِىٌّ: by rule it should be كِتَابِىٌّ.]

كِتَابٌ [inf. n. of 1, q. v.]

[as a subst.,] A thing in which, or on which, one writes: [a book:] a written piece of paper or [a record, or register; and a written mandate;] of skin: (Ḳ:) a writing, or writ, or thing written; as alsoكَتِيبَةٌ↓: and both are applied also to the revelation from above: and to a letter, or epistle, which a person writes and sends: sometimes made fem., as meaning صَحِيفَةٌ: AA says, I heard an Arab of the desert, of El-Yemen, say, فُلَانٌ لَغُوبٌ جَآءَتْهُ كِتَابِى فَٱحْتَقَرَهَا Such a one is stupid: my letter came to him, and he despised it: so I said, Dost thou say, جاءته كتابى? and he replied, Is it not a صحيفة? (Mṣb.) Pl. كُتُبٌ and كُتْبٌ. (Ṣ.)

A revealed scripture. (Mṣb.) [Whence أَهْلُ كِتَابٍ People having a revealed scripture: and أَهْلُ الكِتَابِ The people of the Bible. See also أَهْلٌ.] الكتاب signifies The تَوْراة, or Pentateuch, or Mosaic Law: (Ḳ:) and the Gospel, or Book of the Gospels: the Scriptures of the Jews and Christians: (Expositions of the Ḳur, passim:) and the Ḳur-án. (TA.)

See also 3.

كِتَابٌ [inf. n., or subst.: see 1] Divine prescript, appointment, or ordinance: judgment, or sentence: fatal decree, or predestination. (Ṣ, Ḳ.) لَأَقْضِيَنَّ بَيْنَكُمَا بِكِتَابِ ٱللّٰهِ I will assuredly determine, or judge, between you two according to the judgment, or sentence, of God, which hath been revealed in his book. A trad., not relating to the Ḳur-án. (TA.) El-Jaadee says,

* يَا ٱبْنَةَ عَمِّى كِتَابُ ٱللّٰهِ أَخْرَجَنِى *

* عَنْكُمْ وَهَلْ أَمْنَفَنَّ ٱللّٰهَ مَا فَعَلَا *

[O daughter of my paternal uncle! the decree of God hath expelled me from you: and could I indeed forbid God to do what He hath done?] (Ṣ.) [Hence,] الكِتَابُ الأَوَّلُ [The first writing; meaning the register of God's decrees]. (M and Ḳ voce مَحْبَلٌ, q. v.)

A receptacle for ink. (Ḳ).

قِرْبَةٌ كَتِيبٌ A skin that is sewed (Ṣ) with two thongs: (TA:) and the same, andمُكْتَبٌ↓, (Ṣ,) andمُكْتَتَبٌ↓, (TA,) ‡ A skin bound with a وِكَاء; (Ṣ;) closed at the mouth, by its being bound with a وِكَاء, so that nothing [of its contents] may drop from it. (TA.)

كِتَابَةٌ subst. from 1; signifying The art of writing. (IAạr, Mṣb.)

See also 3.

كَتِيبَةٌ see كِتَابٌ.

An army; a military force: (Ṣ, Ḳ:) or a collected portion thereof; (Mṣb;) [a body of troops; a corps:] or a troop: or a troop of horse making a hostile attack or incursion, in number from a hundred to a thousand: (Ḳ:) pl. كَتَائِبُ. (Ṣ.)

كُتَّابٌ, see مَكْتَبٌ

The same, (Ṣ, Ḳ,) as also كُثَّابٌ, q. v., but the former is the more approved: (Ṣ: the reverse, however, is said in the TA; and MF says that some authors altogether reject كتّاب, with ت, in the sense here following:) A kind of small, round-headed, arrow, with which boys learn to shoot. (Ṣ, Ḳ.)

كَاتِبٌ [A writer; a scribe; a secretary]: pl. كَاتِبُونَ and كُتَّابٌ and كَتَبَةٌ. (Ṣ, Ḳ.)

A learned man (Ṣ, Ḳ) was so called by the Arabs, (IAạr,) because, in general, he who knew the art of writing was possessed of science and knowledge; and writers among them were few. (TA.)

مَكْتَبٌ (Ṣ, Ḳ) andكُتَّابٌ↓ (Lth, Ṣ, &c.) A school; a place where the art of writing is taught: (Ṣ, Ḳ, &c.:) accord. to Mbr and F, the assigning this signification to the latter word is an error; it being a pl. of كَاتِبٌ, and signifying, accord. to Mbr, the boys of a school: in the A it is said, this word is said to signify the boys; not the place: but Esh-Shiháb says, in the Sharh esh-Shifa, that it occurs in this sense in the classical language, and is not to be regarded as a post-classical word: it is said to be originally a pl. of كَاتِبٌ, and to be fig. employed to signify a school. (TA.) Pl. of the former مَكَاتِبُ; (TA;) and of the latter كَتَاتِيبُ. (Ṣ.)

مُكْتِبٌ A teacher of the art of writing. (Ṣ.)

بغلة مَكْتُوبَةٌ, and مَكْتُوبٌ عَلَيْهَا, A mule that has the oræ of her vulva conjoined by means of a ring or a thong. (A.) See also 1.

مُكَتَّبٌ A bunch of grapes and the like of which a part has been eaten. (Ḳ, TA.)

مُكْتَوْتِبٌ Swollen, and full. (Ḳ.)