جفن

See also: خفن and حقن

Arabic

Etymology

From the root ج ف ن (j-f-n). Cognate to Hebrew גֶּפֶן (gép̄en, “vine”), Classical Syriac ܓܦܢܬܐ (gəp̄entā, “vine”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʒafn/
  • (Gulf Arabic) IPA^(key): /d͡ʒɪfɪn/

Noun

جَفْن • (jafn) m (plural جُفُون (jufūn) or أَجْفَان (ʔajfān))

1. eyelid
2. (archaic) vat, tub
3. (archaic) vine, grapevine
4. (archaic) enceinte, close, buildings of fortification surrounding an area
   • 1355, اِبْن بَطُّوطَة [ibn baṭṭūṭa, Ibn Baṭṭūṭa], edited by Charles Defrémery & Beniamino Sanguinetti, تُحْفَةُ ٱلنُّظَّارِ فِي غَرَائِبِ ٱلْأَمْصَارِ وَعَجَائِبِ ٱلْأَسْفَارِ [tuḥfatu n-nuẓẓāri fī ḡarāʔibi l-ʔamṣāri waʕajāʔibi l-ʔasfāri]‎^[1], volume IV, Paris: L'imprimerie impériale/nationale, published 1858, page 351, lines 4–7:

     وممّا شاع من أفعال مولانا أيده الله في الجهاد إنشاؤه الأجفان بجميع السواحل واستكثاره من عُدَد البحر وهذا في زمان الصلح والمُهادنة إعْدادًا لأيّام القِرة وأخذًا بالحزم في قطع أَطْماع الكفّار.

     One of the most notable deeds of our master (God assist him!) of struggle is his engineering of enceintes on all shores, and his manifold provisions in naval matters, in time of peace and armistice to prepare for days of war, to shortcircuit the cravings of the infidels resolutely.

5. (archaic) a kind of round ship
   • 1355, اِبْن بَطُّوطَة [ibn baṭṭūṭa, Ibn Baṭṭūṭa], edited by Charles Defrémery & Beniamino Sanguinetti, تُحْفَةُ ٱلنُّظَّارِ فِي غَرَائِبِ ٱلْأَمْصَارِ وَعَجَائِبِ ٱلْأَسْفَارِ [tuḥfatu n-nuẓẓāri fī ḡarāʔibi l-ʔamṣāri waʕajāʔibi l-ʔasfāri]‎^[2], volume II, Paris: L'imprimerie impériale/nationale, published 1854, page 234, line 1 a fine:
   • 1355, اِبْن بَطُّوطَة [ibn baṭṭūṭa, Ibn Baṭṭūṭa], edited by Charles Defrémery & Beniamino Sanguinetti, تُحْفَةُ ٱلنُّظَّارِ فِي غَرَائِبِ ٱلْأَمْصَارِ وَعَجَائِبِ ٱلْأَسْفَارِ [tuḥfatu n-nuẓẓāri fī ḡarāʔibi l-ʔamṣāri waʕajāʔibi l-ʔasfāri]‎^[3], volume IV, Paris: L'imprimerie impériale/nationale, published 1858, page 105, line 2:
   • 1355, اِبْن بَطُّوطَة [ibn baṭṭūṭa, Ibn Baṭṭūṭa], edited by Charles Defrémery & Beniamino Sanguinetti, تُحْفَةُ ٱلنُّظَّارِ فِي غَرَائِبِ ٱلْأَمْصَارِ وَعَجَائِبِ ٱلْأَسْفَارِ [tuḥfatu n-nuẓẓāri fī ḡarāʔibi l-ʔamṣāri waʕajāʔibi l-ʔasfāri]‎^[4], volume IV, Paris: L'imprimerie impériale/nationale, published 1858, page 271, line 3 a fine:

Declension

Declension of noun جَفْن (jafn)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	جَفْن jafn	الْجَفْن al-jafn	جَفْن jafn
Nominative	جَفْنٌ jafnun	الْجَفْنُ al-jafnu	جَفْنُ jafnu
Accusative	جَفْنًا jafnan	الْجَفْنَ al-jafna	جَفْنَ jafna
Genitive	جَفْنٍ jafnin	الْجَفْنِ al-jafni	جَفْنِ jafni
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	جَفْنَيْن jafnayn	الْجَفْنَيْن al-jafnayn	جَفْنَيْ jafnay
Nominative	جَفْنَانِ jafnāni	الْجَفْنَانِ al-jafnāni	جَفْنَا jafnā
Accusative	جَفْنَيْنِ jafnayni	الْجَفْنَيْنِ al-jafnayni	جَفْنَيْ jafnay
Genitive	جَفْنَيْنِ jafnayni	الْجَفْنَيْنِ al-jafnayni	جَفْنَيْ jafnay
Plural	basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	جُفُون‎; أَجْفَان jufūn‎; ʔajfān	الْجُفُون‎; الْأَجْفَان al-jufūn‎; al-ʔajfān	جُفُون‎; أَجْفَان jufūn‎; ʔajfān
Nominative	جُفُونٌ‎; أَجْفَانٌ jufūnun‎; ʔajfānun	الْجُفُونُ‎; الْأَجْفَانُ al-jufūnu‎; al-ʔajfānu	جُفُونُ‎; أَجْفَانُ jufūnu‎; ʔajfānu
Accusative	جُفُونًا‎; أَجْفَانًا jufūnan‎; ʔajfānan	الْجُفُونَ‎; الْأَجْفَانَ al-jufūna‎; al-ʔajfāna	جُفُونَ‎; أَجْفَانَ jufūna‎; ʔajfāna
Genitive	جُفُونٍ‎; أَجْفَانٍ jufūnin‎; ʔajfānin	الْجُفُونِ‎; الْأَجْفَانِ al-jufūni‎; al-ʔajfāni	جُفُونِ‎; أَجْفَانِ jufūni‎; ʔajfāni

Derived terms

• جَفْنَة (jafna)

Descendants

• Maltese: ġifen
• → Azerbaijani: cəfn
• → Persian: جفن (jafn)
• → Ottoman Turkish: جفن (cefn)
  • Turkish: cefn
• →⇒? Middle Armenian: ճփնի (čpʻni)

References

• Agius, Dionisius A. (2008) Classic Ships of Islam. From Mesopotamia to the Indian Ocean (Handbook of Oriental Studies; 92), Leiden: Brill, pages 338–340
• Dozy, Reinhart Pieter Anne (1881) “جفن”, in Supplément aux dictionnaires arabes‎^[5] (in French), volume 2, Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 201

Egyptian Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic جَفْن (jafn).

Noun

جفن • (gifn) m (plural جفون (gufū́n))

1. eyelid

Hijazi Arabic

Root
ج ف ن
1 term

Etymology

From Arabic جِفْن (jifn).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʒi.fin/, [d͡ʒɪfɪn]

Noun

جفن • (jifin) m (construct state جِفْن (jifn), plural جُفُون (jufūn) or أَجْفَان (ʔajfān))

1. eyelid

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic جَفْن (jafn, “eyelid”).

Noun

جفن • (cefn) (plural اجفان (ecfan))

1. eyelid, a thin skin membrane that covers the eye

   Synonym: گوز قپاغی (göz kapağı)

2. scabbard, the sheath of a sword or knife

   Synonyms: غلف (gılıf), قین (kın)

Descendants

• Turkish: cefn

Further reading

• Çağbayır, Yaşar (2007) “cefn”, in Ötüken Türkçe Sözlük (in Turkish), volume 1, Istanbul: Ötüken Neşriyat, page 768
• Kélékian, Diran (1911) “جفن”, in Dictionnaire turc-français‎^[6], Constantinople: Mihran, page 442
• Meninski, Franciszek à Mesgnien (1680) “جفن”, in Thesaurus linguarum orientalium, Turcicae, Arabicae, Persicae, praecipuas earum opes à Turcis peculiariter usurpatas continens, nimirum Lexicon Turkico-Arabico-Persicum‎^[7], Vienna, column 1626
• Redhouse, James W. (1890) “جفن”, in A Turkish and English Lexicon‎^[8], Constantinople: A. H. Boyajian, page 666

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic جَفْن (jafn).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʒifn/, [ˈʒɪ.f(ɪ)n]

• Audio (Ramallah)

  (file)

Noun

جفن • (jifn) m (plural جفون (jfūn) or جفونة (jfūne))

1. eyelid