Quranic root
فيل
f · y · l
The root's central orientation is slackness, softness, or weakness.
This orientation is associated with weak judgment and soft flesh; the term for the guessing game is treated as a divergent lexical branch rather than a direct extension of the root principle.
- Maqāyīs · row 3691
- 1
- Quran-attested forms
- 1
- 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.
فِيلٌ
fīlun
- 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.
The elephant, a known large animal.
The Quranic occurrence is the definite singular noun in the expression referring to the Companions of the Elephant.
- Lane · entry 35403
- Mufradāt · row 1149
Selected Quran examples
Quran 105:1word 7
“(of the) Elephant”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
- 105:1ٱلْفِيلِ(of the) Elephant
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 16 Classical meanings
فَالَ
To become weak or erroneous in judgment or opinion; to err in insight.
Used of a judgment or opinion, and also of a person by implication.
- Lane · entry 35396
فَالَ
To magnify oneself, become elephant-like in bearing, or show a morose aspect.
A figurative usage comparing self-aggrandizing or morose behavior with the elephant.
- Lane · entry 35396
فَيَّلَ
To declare or deem someone's judgment or opinion weak, bad, or erroneous.
A causative construction applied to another person's judgment or opinion.
- Lane · entry 35397
تَفَيَّلَ
To become fat or large-bodied, as though elephant-like.
Used of a person or an animal in the cited lexical construction.
- Lane · entry 35399
تَفَيَّلَ
To increase into prime and fullness; of herbage, to become tall and full-grown or to reach its full height and blossom.
The subject is youth or young manhood, or herbage, according to the construction.
- Lane · entry 35399
اِسْتَفْيَلَ
To become elephant-like in bigness.
Used of a camel in the attested usage.
- Lane · entry 35400
لَوْنُ الفِيلِ
Black or dust-coloured, by comparison with the colour of the elephant; figuratively, so dark that the right course cannot be discerned.
Especially used in the expression describing a night like the colour of the elephant.
- Lane · entry 35403
دَاءُ الفِيلِ
A named disease causing enormous swelling of the leg, traditionally identified as tumid Barbados leg.
This lexical designation is distinguished in the cited discussion from elephantiasis.
- Lane · entry 35403
فِيلٌ
Heavy or dull; figuratively, low, ignoble, or mean.
An epithet used in a figurative or extended sense.
- Lane · entry 35403
فِيلُ الرَّأْيِ
Weak or erroneous in judgment or opinion; one who forms an opinion and errs in insight.
A conventional expression for defective judgment, with the related forms فَيِّلُ الرَّأْيِ and فَالٌ.
- Lane · entry 35403
فَايَلَ، الفَيَالُ، مُفَايِلٌ
To play, or to be one who plays, the game called الفَيَالُ: an object is hidden in earth or dust divided into two portions, and the other player is asked in which portion it lies.
A game associated with children, youths, or young men; the noun names the game and the derived forms name playing it or its player.
- Lane · entry 35398
- Lane · entry 35404
- Lane · entry 35412
فَيِّلُ اللَّحْمِ
A person having much flesh.
An adjectival expression describing abundant flesh.
- Lane · entry 35407
فَيَّالٌ
The attendant, keeper, master, or driver of an elephant.
Used for one responsible for an elephant or elephants.
- Lane · entry 35408
فَائِلُ
The flesh over the hip's sacro-ischiatic hollow; alternatively, a vein in that region descending into the leg or thigh.
An anatomical term whose application is reported variously to the flesh or to a vein; related dual and dialectal forms occur in the same usage.
- Lane · entry 35409
أَفْيَلُ
More weak or erroneous in judgment or opinion.
A comparative expression applied to judgments or opinions.
- Lane · entry 35411
مَفْيُولَاء
The young ones of elephants.
A quasi-plural expression; no singular form is supplied in the cited evidence.
- Lane · entry 35414