Quranic root
فنن
f · n · n
The root has two principal lexical orientations: forceful driving away or causing difficulty, and branching into distinct kinds, modes, or forms.
The branch sense extends to varieties, kinds, diversified speech, and differing forms, while a separate orientation denotes driving away, delaying, defrauding, or troubling.
- Maqāyīs · row 3653
- 1
- Quran-attested forms
- 2
- Quran senses
- 1
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
فَنَنٌ
fananun
- Part of speech
- Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 1 occurrence
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
A branch of a tree.
In ذَوَاتَا أَفْنَانٍ, the plural أَفْنَانٌ is understood as branches or boughs.
- Lane · entry 35013
- Mufradāt · row 1137
Selected Quran examples
Quran 55:48word 2
“branches”
A kind, sort, or variety; alternatively, differing colors or forms.
An alternative interpretation of ذَوَاتَا أَفْنَانٍ treats أَفْنَانٌ as referring to kinds or varieties, or to differing colors, rather than tree branches.
- Lane · entry 35013
- Mufradāt · row 1137
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 55:48أَفْنَانٍۢbranches
Broader Classical Arabic meanings
Recorded for this root in the Classical lexicons beyond its Quran usage. These are secondary to the Quran senses above.
Show 41 Classical meanings
فَنَّ
To drive away a person or camels.
- Lane · entry 35003
فَنَّ
To delay or defer payment, repeatedly putting a creditor off with promises of later payment.
Used with a person in the matter of a debt.
- Lane · entry 35003
فَنَّ
To cheat, deceive, overreach, or defraud; to cause loss or damage.
- Lane · entry 35003
فَنَّ
To cause difficulty, distress, trouble, fatigue, or weariness.
- Lane · entry 35003
فَنَّ
To adorn or decorate a person or thing.
- Lane · entry 35003
فَنَّنَ
To make people consist of different sorts or form a medley rather than one tribe.
Causative use with people or men.
- Lane · entry 35004
فَنَّنَ
To diversify discourse or speech, branch into different modes of expression, or vary one's opinion.
Used with narrative, speech, language, or opinion.
- Lane · entry 35004
تَفْنِينٌ
Mixing or confusing things; variation, disunion, or nonuniformity in a garment's make or texture.
The textile use includes uneven thin and thick places or parts becoming separated as a garment wears.
- Lane · entry 35004
فَنَّنَ
To seek many or various things.
- Lane · entry 35004
تَفَنَّنَ
To be or become various in sorts, modes, or manners; to diversify one's speech or possess varied acquirements.
Used of modes of speech and of varied knowledge or accomplishments.
- Lane · entry 35005
تَفَنَّنَ
To be or become in a state of commotion.
A separately reported use of the verb.
- Lane · entry 35005
اِفْتَنَّ
To enter upon or produce various sorts and modes of speech; to use versatility in disputation or litigation.
Used with narration, discourse, or argument.
- Lane · entry 35006
اِفْتَنَّ
Of a male donkey, to drive the she-asses in varied directions and courses.
The reported construction describes movement to the right and left and by direct and indirect routes.
- Lane · entry 35006
اِسْتَفَنَّ
To incite or urge someone to practise various modes of pacing.
- Lane · entry 35007
فَنْفَنَ
To cause one's camels to become dispersed through indolence or remissness.
- Lane · entry 35008
فَنٌّ
A kind, sort, species, state, mode, or manner; also a medley of people of different kinds.
The plural forms include فُنُونٌ and أَفْنَانٌ; the lexical item can describe kinds of things, modes of conduct, or people not belonging to one tribe.
- Lane · entry 35009
فَنٌّ
A wonderful thing, affair, or case.
- Lane · entry 35009
فِنُّ
A person who occupies himself well with science; a good student of a science.
Used in the expression هُوَ فِنُّ عِلْمٍ.
- Lane · entry 35010
فَنَّةٌ
A particular period or time.
Used with مِنَ الدَّهْرِ to denote a particular time or period.
- Lane · entry 35011
فُنَّةٌ
Much or abundant herbage.
- Lane · entry 35012
فَنَنٌ
A branch-like shelter or covering; poetically, darkness that shelters a fugitive.
A figurative use based on the sheltering quality of a branch.
- Lane · entry 35013
فَنَنٌ
Locks of hair, likened to branches.
A figurative plural use in descriptions of hair.
- Lane · entry 35013
فَنِينٌ
A painful swelling or tumor in a camel's armpit; also, a camel bearing such a tumor.
- Lane · entry 35014
فَنَّاءُ
A tree having branches, especially long or numerous branches.
The form فَنْوَاءُ is also reported, though identified as anomalous in the source discussion.
- Lane · entry 35015
فَنْوَاءُ
Having much hair, especially as an epithet for a woman.
A figurative extension from a tree having many branches; the source also notes فَنَّاءُ as the regular form.
- Lane · entry 35015
فَنَّانٌ
A wild ass characterized by various modes of running.
- Lane · entry 35016
فَيْنَانٌ
Hair with abundant locks, or long and beautiful hair; by extension, one having much hair.
The derivation and exact morphological analysis are discussed differently, but the lexical use concerns abundant or long hair.
- Lane · entry 35017
أُفْنُونٌ
A tangled, luxuriant, or dense branch.
- Lane · entry 35018
أُفْنُونٌ
Obscure, indistinct, or confused speech.
Especially speech of a foolish, stupid, or dull person.
- Lane · entry 35018
أُفْنُونٌ
A mixed or confused run of a horse or she-camel.
- Lane · entry 35018
أُفْنُونٌ
A serpent.
- Lane · entry 35018
أُفْنُونٌ
An old or aged woman; some explanations add the sense of one who is flaccid or flabby.
The lexical sources report differing explanations of this application.
- Lane · entry 35018
أُفْنُونٌ
A calamity, misfortune, or comparable grave occurrence.
Reported as equivalent to دَاهِيَةٌ.
- Lane · entry 35018
أُفْنُونٌ
The first part of youth or youthfulness.
- Lane · entry 35018
أُفْنُونٌ
Clouds.
A separately reported nominal use.
- Lane · entry 35018
مِفَنٌّ
A person who uses various modes or varieties of speech.
- Lane · entry 35019
مِفَنٌّ
A person who utters or performs wonderful things.
- Lane · entry 35019
مِفَنٌّ
A horse that performs various modes of running.
- Lane · entry 35019
مُفَنَّنٌ
A garment or piece of cloth that is diversified and not uniform.
- Lane · entry 35020
مُفَنَّنٌ
Old and evil in disposition, as an epithet for a man or woman.
- Lane · entry 35020
مُفَنَّنٌ
A she-camel that appears to have been ten months pregnant but subsequently proves otherwise.
A specialized and somewhat obscure description of a she-camel.
- Lane · entry 35020
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The Quranic أَفْنَانٍ has two explicitly reported interpretations: branches, and kinds or differing colors. The supplied contextual gloss supports the branch reading, while the alternative is lexical interpretation rather than a second QAC occurrence.
The public headword فَنَنٌ is the singular citation form; the sole Quran occurrence is the plural أَفْنَانٍ.