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خُفٌّ خف A boot; (KL, PS, &c.;) a certain thing that is worn (JK, S, Msb, K, TA) upon the foot: (TA:) pl. خِفَافٌ (S, L, Msb, K) and أَخْفَافٌ [which is a pl. of pauc.]. (L, TA.) Hence, رَجَعَ بِخُفَّىْ حُنَيْنٍ [He returned with the two boots of Honeyn]; a saying which originated thus: (A 'Obeyd, TA:) an Arab of the desert bargained with Honeyn the إِِسْكَاف [or maker of shoes and boots], (K,) who was of the people of El-Heereh, (TA,) for a pair of boots, until he angered him, (K,) and Honeyn desired to anger the Arab: (TA:) so when the Arab of the desert departed, Honeyn took one of his two boots and threw it down in the way, and then he threw down the other in another place; and when the Arab passed by one of them, he said, “ How like is this to the boot of Honeyn ! and if the other were with it, I would take it: ” and he went on: and when he came to the other, he repented of having left the former: and Honeyn had lain in wait for him: therefore when the Arab went away in search of the former [boot], Honeyn betook himself to the camel that he rode, and what was upon it, and went away therewith; and the Arab came, having with him nothing but a pair of boots; and it was said, (K,) i. e. his people said to him, (TA,) “ What hast thou brought from thy journey? ” and he answered, جِئْتُكُمْ بِخُفَّىْ حُنَيْنٍ [“ I have brought you the two boots of Honeyn ”]: and this became a prov., applied on the occasion of one's despairing of an object of want, and returning disappointed: (K:) thus the case is related by A 'Obeyd, and by most others after him. (TA.) Accord. to ISk, Honeyn was a strong man, who asserted his relationship to Asad Ibn-Háshim Ibn-'Abd-Menáf, and came to 'Abd-El-Muttalib, wearing a pair of red boots, [formerly distinctive of kings and men of high rank,] and said, “ O my paternal uncle, I am the son of Asad the son of Háshim the son of 'Abd-Menáf: ” but 'Abd-El-Muttalib said, “ No, by the garments of my father Háshim, I know not in thee the natural qualities of Háshim; therefore return thou: ” so he returned: and it was said, رَجَعَ حُنَيْنٌ بِخُفَّيْهِ [Honeyn returned with his pair of boots]. (O, K, &c.) As to the saying of the rájiz, “ يَحْمِلُ فِى سَحْقٍ مِنَ الخِفَافِ
تَوَادِيًا سُوِّينَ مِنْ خِلَافِ
” he means thereby [He carries, in] a pastor's bag (كِنْف) made of the leg of a خُفّ [or boot, wooden implements to be tied upon the dugs of she-camels, made of different trees]. (S. See خِلَافٌ.) ― -b2- The foot (KL, PS) of the camel; (S, Msb, KL, PS;) the whole (مَجْمَع) of the فِرْسِن of the camel; (JK, K, TA;) of the male and of the female; corresponding to the حَافِر [or hoof] of the horse: (TA:) and sometimes of the ostrich, (K,) because resembling that of the camel: (TA:) but of no other than these two: (K:) of the masc. gender; whereas فِرْسِنٌ [its syn.] is fem.: (TA:) pl. أَخْفَافٌ. (S, Msb, K.) ― -b3- [And hence, by a synecdoche, for ذَوَاتُ خُفٍّ,] (tropical:) Camels; coupled with حَافِرٌ as meaning horses, [and sometimes asses or mules], (Mgh, TA, *) and ظِلْفٌ [as meaning sheep or goats or other cloven-hoofed beasts]. (TA.) You say, مَالَهُ خُفٌّ وَلَاحَافِرٌ وَلَا ظِلْفٌ (tropical:) [meaning He possesses not camels, nor horses or asses or mules, nor sheep or goats or other cloven-hoofed beasts]. (TA.) You say also, جَآءَتِ الإِِبِلُ عَلَىخُفٍّ وَاحِدٍ, meaning (tropical:) The camels came following one another, the head of each [except the first] being at the tail of the next [before it], whether tied together in a file or not. (L.) ― -b4- An aged camel: (K:) [and a weak camel:] or, as some say, a bulky camel: pl. أَخْفَافٌ. (TA.) It is said in a trad., يُحْمَى مِنَ الأَراَكِ مَا لَمْ تَنَلْهُ أَخْفَافُ الإِِبِلِ [Of the trees called اراك, what the aged and weak of camels cannot reach may be prohibited]: i. e. what is near, thereof, to the place of pasturage is not to be prohibited, but is to be left for the aged and weak camels, that cannot go far in search of pasture: (As, O, Msb:) or what camels cannot reach (Msb, TA) by means of their اخفاف, (Msb,) by walking thereto, (TA,) may be prohibited: (Msb, TA:) or it means, what camels cannot reach with their heads may be prohibited [to be shaken or beaten off for them]. (Mgh.) ― -b5- (tropical:) The sole, or part that touches the ground, of the foot of a man. (M, K, TA.) ― -b6- (tropical:) A tract of ground (S, A, O, L) more rugged, (S, O, L,) or longer, (A,) than such as is termed نَعْلٌ: (S, A, O, L:) or a rugged piece of ground. (K.)
An Arabic-English Lexicon. London. Williams and Norgate. 1863.
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