Appendix:Arabic roots/ص ف ر

Arabic

Etymology

If the "void, empty" sense is original, the sense of "yellow" may be derived from the fading of more vibrant greenness in vegetation.

Alternatively, the "yellow" sense might be cognate to Aramaic צַפְרָא (ṣap̄(ə)rā) "morning"; in which case, the sense of "void" might be the derivative meaning via "yellowing of plants ~ a person's face" becoming "fading of color" and then generalized to "fading" with the result being "void, empty".

Root

ص ف ر • (ṣ f r)

1. Related to emptiness
2. Related to losing color; to become pale or pallid
3. Related to the color yellow, the color of dead herbage

Derived terms

• Form I: صَفَرَ (ṣafara)
  • Active participle: صَافِر (ṣāfir)
  • Passive participle: مَصْفُور (maṣfūr)

• Form I: صَفِرَ (ṣafira)
  • Active participle: ?
  • Passive participle: مَصْفُور (maṣfūr)
• Form II: صَفَّرَ (ṣaffara)
  • Verbal noun: تَصْفِير (taṣfīr)
  • Active participle: مُصَفِّر (muṣaffir)
  • Passive participle: مُصَفَّر (muṣaffar)
• Form IV: أَصْفَرَ (ʔaṣfara)
  • Verbal noun: إِصْفَار (ʔiṣfār)
  • Active participle: مُصْفِر (muṣfir)
  • Passive participle: مُصْفَر (muṣfar)
• Form IX: اِصْفَرَّ (iṣfarra)
  • Verbal noun: اِصْفِرَار (iṣfirār)
  • Active participle: مُصْفَرّ (muṣfarr)
• Form XI: اِصْفَارَّ (iṣfārra)
  • Verbal noun: اِصْفِيرَار (iṣfīrār)
  • Active participle: مُصْفَارّ (muṣfārr)

References

• The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Clarendon Press, 1989