كنف

Arabic

Etymology

From the root ك ن ف‎ (k-n-f), with some senses denominally derived from كَنِيف‎ (kanīf, “a toilet”). The noun kanaf is from Proto-Semitic *kanap-, and cognate with Akkadian 𒉺 (kappu^m, “wing, branch”), Hebrew כנף‎ (kanáf, “wing”), Ge'ez ክንፍ (kənf, “wing, fin”).

Pronunciation 1

• IPA^(key): /ka.na.fa/

Verb

كَنَفَ • (kanafa) I, non-past يَكْنُفُ‎‎ (yaknufu) (transitive)

1. to enclose (an area); to fence
2. to confine (something or someone); to shut, lock, close, or fence in; to enclose

   Synonyms: حَبَسَ‎ (ḥabasa), حَجَرَ‎ (ḥajara), حَجَزَ‎ (ḥajaza), أَمْسَكَ‎ (ʾamsaka)

3. to protect; to guard; to keep; to shelter

   Synonyms: حَفَظَ‎ (ḥafaẓa), حَمَى‎ (ḥamā), صَانَ‎ (ṣāna), سَتَرَ‎ (satara)

   1. to raise or treat as a relation (especially as one's child); to adopt

      Synonym: تَبَنَّى‎ (tabannā)

4. to outspread (one's hands) like a bowl

   Synonym: جَمَعَ‎ (jamaʿa)

5. to supply (an area) with a toilet

Conjugation

Conjugation of

كَنَفَ

(form-I sound, verbal nouns كَنْف or كُنُوف)

verbal nouns الْمَصَادِر						كَنْف or كُنُوف‎ kanf or kunūf
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						كَانِف‎ kānif
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول						مَكْنُوف‎ maknūf
active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	كَنَفْتُ‎ kanaftu	كَنَفْتَ‎ kanafta	كَنَفَ kanafa		كَنَفْتُمَا‎ kanaftumā	كَنَفَا‎ kanafā		كَنَفْنَا‎ kanafnā	كَنَفْتُمْ‎ kanaftum	كَنَفُوا‎ kanafū
	f		كَنَفْتِ‎ kanafti	كَنَفَتْ‎ kanafat			كَنَفَتَا‎ kanafatā			كَنَفْتُنَّ‎ kanaftunna	كَنَفْنَ‎ kanafna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أَكْنُفُ‎ ʾaknufu	تَكْنُفُ‎ taknufu	يَكْنُفُ‎ yaknufu		تَكْنُفَانِ‎ taknufāni	يَكْنُفَانِ‎ yaknufāni		نَكْنُفُ‎ naknufu	تَكْنُفُونَ‎ taknufūna	يَكْنُفُونَ‎ yaknufūna
	f		تَكْنُفِينَ‎ taknufīna	تَكْنُفُ‎ taknufu			تَكْنُفَانِ‎ taknufāni			تَكْنُفْنَ‎ taknufna	يَكْنُفْنَ‎ yaknufna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَكْنُفَ‎ ʾaknufa	تَكْنُفَ‎ taknufa	يَكْنُفَ‎ yaknufa		تَكْنُفَا‎ taknufā	يَكْنُفَا‎ yaknufā		نَكْنُفَ‎ naknufa	تَكْنُفُوا‎ taknufū	يَكْنُفُوا‎ yaknufū
	f		تَكْنُفِي‎ taknufī	تَكْنُفَ‎ taknufa			تَكْنُفَا‎ taknufā			تَكْنُفْنَ‎ taknufna	يَكْنُفْنَ‎ yaknufna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أَكْنُفْ‎ ʾaknuf	تَكْنُفْ‎ taknuf	يَكْنُفْ‎ yaknuf		تَكْنُفَا‎ taknufā	يَكْنُفَا‎ yaknufā		نَكْنُفْ‎ naknuf	تَكْنُفُوا‎ taknufū	يَكْنُفُوا‎ yaknufū
	f		تَكْنُفِي‎ taknufī	تَكْنُفْ‎ taknuf			تَكْنُفَا‎ taknufā			تَكْنُفْنَ‎ taknufna	يَكْنُفْنَ‎ yaknufna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		اُكْنُفْ‎ uknuf			اُكْنُفَا‎ uknufā				اُكْنُفُوا‎ uknufū
	f		اُكْنُفِي‎ uknufī							اُكْنُفْنَ‎ uknufna
passive voice الْفِعْل الْمَجْهُول
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	كُنِفْتُ‎ kuniftu	كُنِفْتَ‎ kunifta	كُنِفَ kunifa		كُنِفْتُمَا‎ kuniftumā	كُنِفَا‎ kunifā		كُنِفْنَا‎ kunifnā	كُنِفْتُمْ‎ kuniftum	كُنِفُوا‎ kunifū
	f		كُنِفْتِ‎ kunifti	كُنِفَتْ‎ kunifat			كُنِفَتَا‎ kunifatā			كُنِفْتُنَّ‎ kuniftunna	كُنِفْنَ‎ kunifna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُكْنَفُ‎ ʾuknafu	تُكْنَفُ‎ tuknafu	يُكْنَفُ‎ yuknafu		تُكْنَفَانِ‎ tuknafāni	يُكْنَفَانِ‎ yuknafāni		نُكْنَفُ‎ nuknafu	تُكْنَفُونَ‎ tuknafūna	يُكْنَفُونَ‎ yuknafūna
	f		تُكْنَفِينَ‎ tuknafīna	تُكْنَفُ‎ tuknafu			تُكْنَفَانِ‎ tuknafāni			تُكْنَفْنَ‎ tuknafna	يُكْنَفْنَ‎ yuknafna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُكْنَفَ‎ ʾuknafa	تُكْنَفَ‎ tuknafa	يُكْنَفَ‎ yuknafa		تُكْنَفَا‎ tuknafā	يُكْنَفَا‎ yuknafā		نُكْنَفَ‎ nuknafa	تُكْنَفُوا‎ tuknafū	يُكْنَفُوا‎ yuknafū
	f		تُكْنَفِي‎ tuknafī	تُكْنَفَ‎ tuknafa			تُكْنَفَا‎ tuknafā			تُكْنَفْنَ‎ tuknafna	يُكْنَفْنَ‎ yuknafna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُكْنَفْ‎ ʾuknaf	تُكْنَفْ‎ tuknaf	يُكْنَفْ‎ yuknaf		تُكْنَفَا‎ tuknafā	يُكْنَفَا‎ yuknafā		نُكْنَفْ‎ nuknaf	تُكْنَفُوا‎ tuknafū	يُكْنَفُوا‎ yuknafū
	f		تُكْنَفِي‎ tuknafī	تُكْنَفْ‎ tuknaf			تُكْنَفَا‎ tuknafā			تُكْنَفْنَ‎ tuknafna	يُكْنَفْنَ‎ yuknafna

Pronunciation 2

• IPA^(key): /ka.naf/

Noun

كَنَف • (kanaf) m (plural أَكْنَاف‎ (ʾaknāf))

1. (countable, of primates) the lateral part of the torso, the side

   Synonym: حِضْن‎ (ḥiḍn)

2. (countable, of avians or other winged animals) the lateral propelling organ, the wing

   Synonym: جَنَاح‎ (janāḥ)

3. (countable) a shadow

   Synonym: ظِلّ‎ (ẓill)

4. (uncountable) guardianship; protection; keeping; patronage

   Synonyms: سِتْر‎ (sitr), صَوْن‎ (ṣawn), حِفْظ‎ (ḥifẓ), حِمَاية‎ (ḥimāya), رِعَايَة‎ (riʿāya), عِنَايَة‎ (ʿināya)

   Hyponym: نَفَقَة‎ (nafaqa, “financial support”)

Declension

Declension of noun كَنَف (kanaf)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	كَنَف kanaf	الْكَنَف‎ al-kanaf	كَنَف kanaf
Nominative	كَنَفٌ kanafun	الْكَنَفُ‎ al-kanafu	كَنَفُ kanafu
Accusative	كَنَفًا‎ kanafan	الْكَنَفَ‎ al-kanafa	كَنَفَ kanafa
Genitive	كَنَفٍ kanafin	الْكَنَفِ‎ al-kanafi	كَنَفِ kanafi

References

• Баранов, Х. К. (2011), “كنف”, in Большой арабско-русский словарь (Bolʹšoj arabsko-russkij slovarʹ), 11th edition, Москва: Живой язык, →ISBN
• Lane, Edward William (1863), “كنف”, in Arabic-English Lexicon, London: Williams & Norgate
• Wehr, Hans (1960), “كنف”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 3rd edition, Ithaca, NY: Otto Harrassowitz