طفيل

Arabic

Etymology

Diminutive of طِفْل (ṭifl, “little child”), though in the sense of “parasite” perhaps a backformation from the commoner adjective طُفَيْلِيّ (ṭufayliyy). Ancient Arabic lexicographers explained this sense as being derived from the name of a certain man called Ṭufayl, who, among the ancient Arabs, used to gatecrash feasts. However, a derivation directly from the diminutive sense might also make sense. Hebrew טַפִּיל (tapil, “parasite”) is a 19th-century invention based on the Arabic word.

Noun

طُفَيْل • (ṭufayl) m

1. (biology) parasite
2. diminutive of طِفْل (ṭifl, “little child”)

Declension

Declension of noun طُفَيْل (ṭufayl)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	طُفَيْل ṭufayl	الطُّفَيْل aṭ-ṭufayl	طُفَيْل ṭufayl
Nominative	طُفَيْلٌ ṭufaylun	الطُّفَيْلُ aṭ-ṭufaylu	طُفَيْلُ ṭufaylu
Accusative	طُفَيْلًا ṭufaylan	الطُّفَيْلَ aṭ-ṭufayla	طُفَيْلَ ṭufayla
Genitive	طُفَيْلٍ ṭufaylin	الطُّفَيْلِ aṭ-ṭufayli	طُفَيْلِ ṭufayli

Derived terms

• عِلْم الطُفَيْلِيَّات (ʕilm aṭ-ṭufayliyyāt, “parasitology”)
• طُفَيْل الطُفِيلِى (“hyperparasite”)
• طُفَيْل خَارِجِيّ (ṭufayl ḵārijiyy, “ectoparasite”)
• طُفَيْل دَاخِلِيّ (ṭufayl dāḵiliyy, “endoparasite”)
• ّطُفَيْل مِيكْرُوسْكُوبِي (“microparasite”)
• طُفَيْل إِجْبَارِيّ (ṭufayl ʔijbāriyy, “obligate parasite”)
• ّطُفَيْل نَصْفِي (“hemiparasite”)
• طُفَيْل حَيَوَانِيّ (ṭufayl ḥayawāniyy, “zooparasite”)
• طُفَيْل دَمَوِيّ (ṭufayl damawiyy, “hematozoon”)
• طُفَيْل مَعَوِي (ṭufayl maʕawī, “enterozoon”)
• ّمَرَض طُفَيْلِي (“parasitic disease”)