زلفة

Arabic

Etymology 1

Root
ز ل ف (z l f)
3 terms

Alternative forms

• زُلْفَى (zulfā)

Noun

زُلْفَة • (zulfa) f (plural زُلَف (zulaf) or زُلَفَات (zulafāt)) (archaic)

1. nearness, proximity, neighborliness literally and figuratively

   Synonym: قُرْبَة (qurba)

   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 38:25:
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 38:40:

     وَإِنَّ لَهُ، عِنْدَنَا لَزُلْفَى وَحُسْنَ مَآبٍ

     waʔinna lahū, ʕindanā lazulfā waḥusna maʔābin

     And to him and to us there is neighborliness

2. those who are near, thy neighbours, or those who have a higher rank in relation to something
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 39:3:

     مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ زُلْفَىٰٓ

     We worship them not but to come closer to God’s intimate circle.

   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 34:37:

     وَمَآ أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَـٰدُكُم بِٱلَّتِى تُقَرِّبُكُمْ عِندَنَا زُلْفَىٰٓ

     And neither your riches nor your children are what bring you close to the intimate circle.

   • 7th century CE, Jamīʿ at-Tirmiḏiyy, section 49:

     هُوَ مِنْ أَقْرَبِهِمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَى

     huwa min ʔaqrabihim ʔilā l-lahi zulfā

     He is most intimately close to God.

3. grovelling, flattery by coming close in a respect
4. a period time comprising a commencing portion of either night or day

Declension

Declension of noun زُلْفَة (zulfa)

Singular	singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	زُلْفَة zulfa	الزُّلْفَة az-zulfa	زُلْفَة zulfat
Nominative	زُلْفَةٌ zulfatun	الزُّلْفَةُ az-zulfatu	زُلْفَةُ zulfatu
Accusative	زُلْفَةً zulfatan	الزُّلْفَةَ az-zulfata	زُلْفَةَ zulfata
Genitive	زُلْفَةٍ zulfatin	الزُّلْفَةِ az-zulfati	زُلْفَةِ zulfati
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	زُلْفَتَيْن zulfatayn	الزُّلْفَتَيْن az-zulfatayn	زُلْفَتَيْ zulfatay
Nominative	زُلْفَتَانِ zulfatāni	الزُّلْفَتَانِ az-zulfatāni	زُلْفَتَا zulfatā
Accusative	زُلْفَتَيْنِ zulfatayni	الزُّلْفَتَيْنِ az-zulfatayni	زُلْفَتَيْ zulfatay
Genitive	زُلْفَتَيْنِ zulfatayni	الزُّلْفَتَيْنِ az-zulfatayni	زُلْفَتَيْ zulfatay
Plural	basic broken plural triptote‎; sound feminine plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	زُلَف‎; زُلَفَات zulaf‎; zulafāt	الزُّلَف‎; الزُّلَفَات az-zulaf‎; az-zulafāt	زُلَف‎; زُلَفَات zulaf‎; zulafāt
Nominative	زُلَفٌ‎; زُلَفَاتٌ zulafun‎; zulafātun	الزُّلَفُ‎; الزُّلَفَاتُ az-zulafu‎; az-zulafātu	زُلَفُ‎; زُلَفَاتُ zulafu‎; zulafātu
Accusative	زُلَفًا‎; زُلَفَاتٍ zulafan‎; zulafātin	الزُّلَفَ‎; الزُّلَفَاتِ az-zulafa‎; az-zulafāti	زُلَفَ‎; زُلَفَاتِ zulafa‎; zulafāti
Genitive	زُلَفٍ‎; زُلَفَاتٍ zulafin‎; zulafātin	الزُّلَفِ‎; الزُّلَفَاتِ az-zulafi‎; az-zulafāti	زُلَفِ‎; زُلَفَاتِ zulafi‎; zulafāti

Etymology 2

See there.

Noun

زَلَفة or زِلْفَة • (zalafa or zilfa) f (singulative, collective زَلَف m (zalaf) or زِلْف (zilf)) (obsolete)

1. singulative of زَلَف (zalaf, “mother-of-pearl-shell”)

Declension

Declension of noun زَلَفة (zalafa)‎; زِلْفَة (zilfa)

Singulative	singulative triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	زَلَفة‎; زِلْفَة zalafa‎; zilfa	الزَّلَفة‎; الزِّلْفَة az-zalafa‎; az-zilfa	زَلَفة‎; زِلْفَة zalafat‎; zilfat
Nominative	زَلَفةٌ‎; زِلْفَةٌ zalafatun‎; zilfatun	الزَّلَفةُ‎; الزِّلْفَةُ az-zalafatu‎; az-zilfatu	زَلَفةُ‎; زِلْفَةُ zalafatu‎; zilfatu
Accusative	زَلَفةً‎; زِلْفَةً zalafatan‎; zilfatan	الزَّلَفةَ‎; الزِّلْفَةَ az-zalafata‎; az-zilfata	زَلَفةَ‎; زِلْفَةَ zalafata‎; zilfata
Genitive	زَلَفةٍ‎; زِلْفَةٍ zalafatin‎; zilfatin	الزَّلَفةِ‎; الزِّلْفَةِ az-zalafati‎; az-zilfati	زَلَفةِ‎; زِلْفَةِ zalafati‎; zilfati
Collective	basic collective triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	زَلَف‎; زِلْف zalaf‎; zilf	الزَّلَف‎; الزِّلْف az-zalaf‎; az-zilf	زَلَف‎; زِلْف zalaf‎; zilf
Nominative	زَلَفٌ‎; زِلْفٌ zalafun‎; zilfun	الزَّلَفُ‎; الزِّلْفُ az-zalafu‎; az-zilfu	زَلَفُ‎; زِلْفُ zalafu‎; zilfu
Accusative	زَلَفًا‎; زِلْفًا zalafan‎; zilfan	الزَّلَفَ‎; الزِّلْفَ az-zalafa‎; az-zilfa	زَلَفَ‎; زِلْفَ zalafa‎; zilfa
Genitive	زَلَفٍ‎; زِلْفٍ zalafin‎; zilfin	الزَّلَفِ‎; الزِّلْفِ az-zalafi‎; az-zilfi	زَلَفِ‎; زِلْفِ zalafi‎; zilfi
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	زَلَفتَيْن‎; زِلْفَتَيْن zalafatayn‎; zilfatayn	الزَّلَفتَيْن‎; الزِّلْفَتَيْن az-zalafatayn‎; az-zilfatayn	زَلَفتَيْ‎; زِلْفَتَيْ zalafatay‎; zilfatay
Nominative	زَلَفتَانِ‎; زِلْفَتَانِ zalafatāni‎; zilfatāni	الزَّلَفتَانِ‎; الزِّلْفَتَانِ az-zalafatāni‎; az-zilfatāni	زَلَفتَا‎; زِلْفَتَا zalafatā‎; zilfatā
Accusative	زَلَفتَيْنِ‎; زِلْفَتَيْنِ zalafatayni‎; zilfatayni	الزَّلَفتَيْنِ‎; الزِّلْفَتَيْنِ az-zalafatayni‎; az-zilfatayni	زَلَفتَيْ‎; زِلْفَتَيْ zalafatay‎; zilfatay
Genitive	زَلَفتَيْنِ‎; زِلْفَتَيْنِ zalafatayni‎; zilfatayni	الزَّلَفتَيْنِ‎; الزِّلْفَتَيْنِ az-zalafatayni‎; az-zilfatayni	زَلَفتَيْ‎; زِلْفَتَيْ zalafatay‎; zilfatay
Paucal (3-10)	sound feminine paucal
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	زَلَفَات‎; زِلْفَات zalafāt‎; zilfāt	الزَّلَفَات‎; الزِّلْفَات az-zalafāt‎; az-zilfāt	زَلَفَات‎; زِلْفَات zalafāt‎; zilfāt
Nominative	زَلَفَاتٌ‎; زِلْفَاتٌ zalafātun‎; zilfātun	الزَّلَفَاتُ‎; الزِّلْفَاتُ az-zalafātu‎; az-zilfātu	زَلَفَاتُ‎; زِلْفَاتُ zalafātu‎; zilfātu
Accusative	زَلَفَاتٍ‎; زِلْفَاتٍ zalafātin‎; zilfātin	الزَّلَفَاتِ‎; الزِّلْفَاتِ az-zalafāti‎; az-zilfāti	زَلَفَاتِ‎; زِلْفَاتِ zalafāti‎; zilfāti
Genitive	زَلَفَاتٍ‎; زِلْفَاتٍ zalafātin‎; zilfātin	الزَّلَفَاتِ‎; الزِّلْفَاتِ az-zalafāti‎; az-zilfāti	زَلَفَاتِ‎; زِلْفَاتِ zalafāti‎; zilfāti

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic زَلَفة (zalafa, “mother-of-pearl-shell”).

Noun

زلفة • (zalafe) f (singulative, plural زلف (zalaf))

1. spoon

   Synonyms: معلقة (maʕlaʔa), خَاشُوقَة (ḵāšūga) (regional, obsolete)