أفعى

Arabic

Etymology

From ف ع ي‎ (f-ʿ-y) or ف ع و‎ (f-ʿ-w); related to ف غ ي‎ (f-ḡ-y) meaning a bad thing.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔaf.ʕan/

• Audio

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Noun

أَفْعًى • (ʾafʿan) m (construct state أَفْعَى (ʾafʿā), dual أَفْعَيَانِ‎ (ʾafʿayāni), plural أَفَاعٍ‎ (ʾafāʿin), plural construct state أَفَاعِي‎ (ʾafāʿī), masculine أُفْعُوَان‎ (ʾufʿuwān))

1. viper, serpent

Declension

Declension of noun أَفْعًى (ʾafʿan)

Singular	singular in ـًى (-an)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	أَفْعَى ʾafʿā	الْأَفْعَى‎ al-ʾafʿā	أَفْعَى ʾafʿā
Nominative	أَفْعًى ʾafʿan	الْأَفْعَى‎ al-ʾafʿā	أَفْعَى ʾafʿā
Accusative	أَفْعًى ʾafʿan	الْأَفْعَى‎ al-ʾafʿā	أَفْعَى ʾafʿā
Genitive	أَفْعًى ʾafʿan	الْأَفْعَى‎ al-ʾafʿā	أَفْعَى ʾafʿā
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	أَفْعَيَيْن‎ ʾafʿayayn	الْأَفْعَيَيْن‎ al-ʾafʿayayn	أَفْعَيَيْ‎ ʾafʿayay
Nominative	أَفْعَيَانِ‎ ʾafʿayāni	الْأَفْعَيَانِ‎ al-ʾafʿayāni	أَفْعَيَا‎ ʾafʿayā
Accusative	أَفْعَيَيْنِ‎ ʾafʿayayni	الْأَفْعَيَيْنِ‎ al-ʾafʿayayni	أَفْعَيَيْ‎ ʾafʿayay
Genitive	أَفْعَيَيْنِ‎ ʾafʿayayni	الْأَفْعَيَيْنِ‎ al-ʾafʿayayni	أَفْعَيَيْ‎ ʾafʿayay
Plural	broken plural diptote in ـٍ (-in)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	أَفَاعِي‎ ʾafāʿī	الْأَفَاعِي‎ al-ʾafāʿī	أَفَاعِي‎ ʾafāʿī
Nominative	أَفَاعٍ‎ ʾafāʿin	الْأَفَاعِي‎ al-ʾafāʿī	أَفَاعِي‎ ʾafāʿī
Accusative	أَفَاعِيَ‎ ʾafāʿiya	الْأَفَاعِيَ‎ al-ʾafāʿiya	أَفَاعِيَ‎ ʾafāʿiya
Genitive	أَفَاعٍ‎ ʾafāʿin	الْأَفَاعِي‎ al-ʾafāʿī	أَفَاعِي‎ ʾafāʿī

References

• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884), “أفعى”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary, London: W.H. Allen

^ Lane's Dictionary page 2421 "فعى" meaning to be angry, foaming with anger, ferocity, intensity likened to a viper's behavior or bite.

^ Lane's Dictionary page 2422 "فغى" meaning to suddenly appear, to rise up like anger, to open like a flower, spread like a bad odour, consequently any negative thing; other roots in Arabic for snake have similar etymologies of an unfortunate encounter.