مدفع

Arabic

FWOTD – 19 March 2020

Etymology 1

Tool noun from the root د ف ع (d-f-ʕ); literally an instrument that propels or impels, occurring in the determined sense of a cannon first in the 14^th in Mamluk-ruled Egypt.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mid.faʕ/
  • (Egyptian) IPA^(key): /ˈmad.faʕ/
  • (Moroccan) IPA^(key): /mad.faʕ/
  • (Palestine) IPA^(key): /ˈmad.faʕ/

Noun

مِدْفَع • (midfaʕ) m (plural مَدَافِع (madāfiʕ))

1. gun; cannon

Declension

Declension of noun مِدْفَع (midfaʕ)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	مِدْفَع midfaʕ	الْمِدْفَع al-midfaʕ	مِدْفَع midfaʕ
Nominative	مِدْفَعٌ midfaʕun	الْمِدْفَعُ al-midfaʕu	مِدْفَعُ midfaʕu
Accusative	مِدْفَعًا midfaʕan	الْمِدْفَعَ al-midfaʕa	مِدْفَعَ midfaʕa
Genitive	مِدْفَعٍ midfaʕin	الْمِدْفَعِ al-midfaʕi	مِدْفَعِ midfaʕi
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	مِدْفَعَيْن midfaʕayn	الْمِدْفَعَيْن al-midfaʕayn	مِدْفَعَيْ midfaʕay
Nominative	مِدْفَعَانِ midfaʕāni	الْمِدْفَعَانِ al-midfaʕāni	مِدْفَعَا midfaʕā
Accusative	مِدْفَعَيْنِ midfaʕayni	الْمِدْفَعَيْنِ al-midfaʕayni	مِدْفَعَيْ midfaʕay
Genitive	مِدْفَعَيْنِ midfaʕayni	الْمِدْفَعَيْنِ al-midfaʕayni	مِدْفَعَيْ midfaʕay
Plural	basic broken plural diptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	مَدَافِع madāfiʕ	الْمَدَافِع al-madāfiʕ	مَدَافِع madāfiʕ
Nominative	مَدَافِعُ madāfiʕu	الْمَدَافِعُ al-madāfiʕu	مَدَافِعُ madāfiʕu
Accusative	مَدَافِعَ madāfiʕa	الْمَدَافِعَ al-madāfiʕa	مَدَافِعَ madāfiʕa
Genitive	مَدَافِعَ madāfiʕa	الْمَدَافِعِ al-madāfiʕi	مَدَافِعِ madāfiʕi

Descendants

• → Afar: madfáq
• → Amharic: መድፍ (mädf)
• → Ge'ez: መድፍዕ (mädfəʿ)
• → Persian: مدفع (madfa')
• → Tigrinya: መድፍዕ (mädfəʿ)

Etymology 2

Noun of place from the root د ف ع (d-f-ʕ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mad.faʕ/

Noun

مَدْفَع • (madfaʕ) m (plural مَدَافِع (madāfiʕ))

1. watercourse, the lowest part of a valley where the torrent pours forth
   • a. 622, لَبيد بن ربيعة [Labīd ibn Rabīʿa], معلقة Muʻallaqa, line 2a:

     ١ عَفَتِ الدِّيارُ مَحَلُّهَا فَمُقَامُهَا * بمنًى تأبَّدَ غَوْلُها فَرِجَامُهَا
     ٢ فمَدافعُ الرَّيَّانِ عُرِّيَ رَسْمُهَا * خَلَقًا كما ضَمِنَ الوُحِيَّ سِلاَمُها
     ٣ دِمَنٌ تَجَرَّمَ بَعدَ عَهْدِ أنِيسِهَا * حِجَجٌ خَلَوْنَ حَلالُهَا وحَرَامُهَا
     ٤ رُزِقَتْ مَرابيعَ النُّجُومِ وَصَابَهَا * وَدْقُ الرَّوَاعِدِ جَوْدُهَا فَرِهَامُها
     ٥ مِنْ كلِّ سَارِيَةٍ وغادٍ مُدْجِنٍ * وَعَشِيَّةٍ مُتجاوبٍ إرْزَامُهَا
     ٦ فَعَلا فُرُوعُ الأيْهُقَانِ وَأطْفَلَتْ * بالجَلهَتين ظِبَاؤهَا ونَعَامُهَا

     Effaced are her resting-places where she stayed and settled in Mina: deserted are her camps in Ḡawl and ar-Rijām
     and the torrents of ar-Rayyān: the traces thereof are laid bare and are torn, as inscribed rocks.
     Campsites have already passed after their period of use; years of war and peace overcome.
     Cast off there fell upon them the rains of spring signs, and there swept sated thunder clouds and drizzling rains
     from every cloud of night, every full one of morn, and those of eve, answering like a hoting squawk,
     and there sprung shoots of arugula, and in the brinks of a valley the goats and antelopes have youngs.

2. (rare) verbal noun of دَفَعَ (dafaʕa) (form I)
3. means of defense, pleading in court etc.

Declension

Declension of noun مَدْفَع (madfaʕ)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	مَدْفَع madfaʕ	الْمَدْفَع al-madfaʕ	مَدْفَع madfaʕ
Nominative	مَدْفَعٌ madfaʕun	الْمَدْفَعُ al-madfaʕu	مَدْفَعُ madfaʕu
Accusative	مَدْفَعًا madfaʕan	الْمَدْفَعَ al-madfaʕa	مَدْفَعَ madfaʕa
Genitive	مَدْفَعٍ madfaʕin	الْمَدْفَعِ al-madfaʕi	مَدْفَعِ madfaʕi
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	مَدْفَعَيْن madfaʕayn	الْمَدْفَعَيْن al-madfaʕayn	مَدْفَعَيْ madfaʕay
Nominative	مَدْفَعَانِ madfaʕāni	الْمَدْفَعَانِ al-madfaʕāni	مَدْفَعَا madfaʕā
Accusative	مَدْفَعَيْنِ madfaʕayni	الْمَدْفَعَيْنِ al-madfaʕayni	مَدْفَعَيْ madfaʕay
Genitive	مَدْفَعَيْنِ madfaʕayni	الْمَدْفَعَيْنِ al-madfaʕayni	مَدْفَعَيْ madfaʕay
Plural	basic broken plural diptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	مَدَافِع madāfiʕ	الْمَدَافِع al-madāfiʕ	مَدَافِع madāfiʕ
Nominative	مَدَافِعُ madāfiʕu	الْمَدَافِعُ al-madāfiʕu	مَدَافِعُ madāfiʕu
Accusative	مَدَافِعَ madāfiʕa	الْمَدَافِعَ al-madāfiʕa	مَدَافِعَ madāfiʕa
Genitive	مَدَافِعَ madāfiʕa	الْمَدَافِعِ al-madāfiʕi	مَدَافِعِ madāfiʕi

South Levantine Arabic

Root
د ف ع
3 terms

Etymology

From Arabic مِدْفَع (midfaʕ).

Noun

مدفع • (madfaʕ) m (plural مدافع (madāfeʕ))

1. cannon