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مُخَنَّثٌ مخنث , from خَنَّثَ “he bent,” (S, K,) because of his softness, delicacy, tenderness, flabbiness, laxness, or limberness, and affectation of languor, or languidness; (TA;) or from خُنْثَى; (Kh, JK, MS;) An effeminate man; (T in art. انث, and TA;) one who resembles a woman in gentleness, and in softness of speech, and in an affectation of languor of the limbs: (TA voce مُؤَنَّثٌ, q. v.: [see also خَنِثٌ:]) it is written thus and ↓ مُخَنِّثٌ : (TA:) this latter is explained by some as meaning one who makes his speech like that of women, in softness and gentleness: (Msb, TA:) it is also said that both these epithets are used to signify one who affects languor, or languidness, of the limbs; one who makes himself like women in the bending of himself, and in affecting languor, or languidness, and in speech: but that one uses the latter epithet only when he means one who does what is excessively foul, or obscene; [i. e. a catamite; though this is a meaning often borne by the former also;] notwithstanding that تَخْنِيثٌ, as signifying the “committing such an action,” was unknown to the Arabs [of the classical ages], and is not found in their language: (MF, TA:) [often, also,] the former epithet signifies a man incapable of venery: (MA:) it is said in a trad. that they used to reckon the مخنّث as one of those having no need of نِكَاح. (TA in art. ارب.) The مُخَنَّث is also called ↓ خُنَاثَةُ and ↓ خُنَيْثَةُ [each imperfectly decl.]. (K, TA.)
An Arabic-English Lexicon. London. Williams and Norgate. 1863.
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