Quranic root
رفت
r · f · t
A root centered on breaking, crumbling, and reducing something into fragments, with an associated notion of twisting or severing.
Material broken down by hand or force becomes رُفَاتٌ, while the same semantic orientation extends to things breaking off, becoming severed, or figuratively decaying.
- Maqāyīs · row 2093
- Mufradāt · row 567
- 1
- Quran-attested forms
- 1
- Quran senses
- 2
- Quran occurrences
Forms in the Quran
The forms this root actually takes in the Quran. Select one to jump to its senses and examples.
رُفَاتٌ
rufātun
- Part of speech
- Noun
- Quran occurrences
- 2 occurrences
Selected examples are shown with the sense they illustrate — chosen to teach that sense, not the complete list of this form’s Quran occurrences.
Crumbled, scattered fragments or particles, especially the remains of old, decayed bones and more generally dry material broken into small pieces.
A mass noun used in the Quran in coordination with عِظَامٌ (bones), describing material reduced to fragments; attested at 17:49 and 17:98.
- Lane · entry 23900
- Mufradāt · row 567
Selected Quran examples
Quran 17:49word 5
“and crumbled particles”
Quran 17:98word 10
“and crumbled particles”
Occurrences in the Quran
Every place this root appears, in Quran order. The first few are shown here.
View all 2 occurrencesBroader Classical Arabic meanings
Recorded for this root in the Classical lexicons beyond its Quran usage. These are secondary to the Quran senses above.
Show 10 Classical meanings
رَفَتَ
To break, crush, bruise, bray, pound, or crumble something into small pieces.
Form I transitive usage, including the breaking or crushing of bones and other solid things.
- Lane · entry 23895
رَفَتَ
Of water, to relieve or break the intensity of thirst.
An extended figurative construction used specifically of water relieving thirst.
- Lane · entry 23895
رَفَّتَ
To break something extensively or into many pieces.
Form II intensive transitive usage.
- Lane · entry 23896
رَفَّتَ
To dishonour, despise, or condemn someone.
An extended figurative use of Form II, expressing contempt or degradation.
- Lane · entry 23896
اِرْفَتَّ
To become broken, crushed, bruised, brayed, pounded, or broken into pieces; also to break or become broken off.
Form IX usage can be intransitive or transitive; the breaking-off construction is attested of a rope.
- Lane · entry 23897
رُفَتٌ
Straw, especially straw that has been trodden or threshed and cut.
A nominal usage distinct from the Quranic noun رُفَاتٌ.
- Lane · entry 23898
رُفَتٌ
A breaker or crusher: one who breaks, crushes, bruises, brays, pounds, or crumbles things.
An agent-noun usage referring to a person who performs the breaking action.
- Lane · entry 23898
رِفْتَةٌ
A mode or manner of breaking, crushing, or reducing something to pieces.
A noun naming the manner or method of the breaking action.
- Lane · entry 23899
رُفَاتٌ
By metaphorical extension, something severed piece by piece, such as a broken rope, or something decayed that is restored, including neglected merits or actions.
Figurative applications extend the physical idea of fragmentation to a rope broken into sections and to qualities or actions that have fallen into decay.
- Lane · entry 23900
- Mufradāt · row 567
مَرْفُوتٌ
Broken, crushed, or broken into pieces.
A passive-participial adjective describing something subjected to the breaking or crushing action.
- Lane · entry 23901
Cautions
Points that affect how this root should be read.
The public headword is the dictionary citation form رُفَاتٌ; the two QAC occurrences appear in the accusative surface form رُفَاتًا. Historical Quran citation notation in the lexical evidence is not used as a modern verse location; the examples use the independently supplied QAC locations.