صنف

Arabic

Etymology 1

In the root ص ن ف (ṣ n f) one also finds صِنْفَة (ṣinfa, “border of a garment”), which fits Ge'ez ጽንፍ (ṣənf, “extremity, edge, border, fringe etc.”), suspiciously enough with alternative vocalization as in Arabic ጸንፍ (ṣänf). Due to the restricted semantic range and the varying vocalization one wonders about a borrowing from Aramaic. Christian Palestinian Aramaic has ܨܢܦܬܐ (“border, fringe (of a garment)”) and Jewish Palestinian Aramaic צנפה (ṣanpā, “border, fringe (of a garment)”) and צנף (“to wrap or gird oneself”), but Jewish Babylonian Aramaic סנפא, סינפא (sinpā, “side-room”) seems also similar, via the idea of an anyhow abstract pigeonhole or خَانَة (ḵāna) things are fitted into, not emphatic but no doubt related because in the same isolect there is the geminate verb סנפ (“to gird”), which is also found in Classical Syriac, while the Syriac base stem ܣܢܱܦ (snap̄) means “to introduce, to insert”; apparently a Western Aramaic—Eastern Aramaic anlaut variation. For the meaning development in to a “sort” also contrast نَمَط (namaṭ, “drugget, horse-rug; pattern, manner”). In modern Hebrew, סְנִיף (snif) is used as “branch, affiliate”.

The ultimate origin is suggested by the Dictionnaire du faisceau dialectal arabe andalou as ultimately Akkadian [script needed] (ṣiliptu, “diagonal”), related to Akkadian [script needed] (ṣalāpu, “to distort”), well also found in Jewish Babylonian Aramaic צלפ / Classical Syriac ܨܠܦ (ṣlap̄, “to split, to wound”), the geminate stem in Syriac and Jewish Literary Aramaic “to perforate” and “to wound”, the Syriac causative stem “to open up as to show”, with an unemphatic variant Jewish Babylonian Aramaic סלף (“to wound”), Jewish Literary Aramaic סלף (“to wound”).

Verb

صَنَّفَ • (ṣannafa) II (non-past يُصَنِّفُ (yuṣannifu), verbal noun تَصْنِيف (taṣnīf))

2. to sort, to classify, to categorize (something)
3. to compile, to compose

Conjugation

Conjugation of صَنَّفَ (II, sound, full passive, verbal noun تَصْنِيف)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						تَصْنِيف taṣnīf
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						مُصَنِّف muṣannif
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول						مُصَنَّف muṣannaf
active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى				plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past indicative (perfect) الْمَاضِي	m	صَنَّفْتُ ṣannaftu	صَنَّفْتَ ṣannafta	صَنَّفَ ṣannafa		صَنَّفْنَا ṣannafnā	صَنَّفْتُمَا ṣannaftumā	صَنَّفَا ṣannafā		صَنَّفْنَا ṣannafnā	صَنَّفْتُمْ ṣannaftum	صَنَّفُوا ṣannafū
	f		صَنَّفْتِ ṣannafti	صَنَّفَتْ ṣannafat				صَنَّفَتَا ṣannafatā			صَنَّفْتُنَّ ṣannaftunna	صَنَّفْنَ ṣannafna
non-past indicative (imperfect) الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُصَنِّفُ ʔuṣannifu	تُصَنِّفُ tuṣannifu	يُصَنِّفُ yuṣannifu		نُصَنِّفُ nuṣannifu	تُصَنِّفَانِ tuṣannifāni	يُصَنِّفَانِ yuṣannifāni		نُصَنِّفُ nuṣannifu	تُصَنِّفُونَ tuṣannifūna	يُصَنِّفُونَ yuṣannifūna
	f		تُصَنِّفِينَ tuṣannifīna	تُصَنِّفُ tuṣannifu				تُصَنِّفَانِ tuṣannifāni			تُصَنِّفْنَ tuṣannifna	يُصَنِّفْنَ yuṣannifna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُصَنِّفَ ʔuṣannifa	تُصَنِّفَ tuṣannifa	يُصَنِّفَ yuṣannifa		نُصَنِّفَ nuṣannifa	تُصَنِّفَا tuṣannifā	يُصَنِّفَا yuṣannifā		نُصَنِّفَ nuṣannifa	تُصَنِّفُوا tuṣannifū	يُصَنِّفُوا yuṣannifū
	f		تُصَنِّفِي tuṣannifī	تُصَنِّفَ tuṣannifa				تُصَنِّفَا tuṣannifā			تُصَنِّفْنَ tuṣannifna	يُصَنِّفْنَ yuṣannifna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُصَنِّفْ ʔuṣannif	تُصَنِّفْ tuṣannif	يُصَنِّفْ yuṣannif		نُصَنِّفْ nuṣannif	تُصَنِّفَا tuṣannifā	يُصَنِّفَا yuṣannifā		نُصَنِّفْ nuṣannif	تُصَنِّفُوا tuṣannifū	يُصَنِّفُوا yuṣannifū
	f		تُصَنِّفِي tuṣannifī	تُصَنِّفْ tuṣannif				تُصَنِّفَا tuṣannifā			تُصَنِّفْنَ tuṣannifna	يُصَنِّفْنَ yuṣannifna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		صَنِّفْ ṣannif				صَنِّفَا ṣannifā				صَنِّفُوا ṣannifū
	f		صَنِّفِي ṣannifī								صَنِّفْنَ ṣannifna
passive voice الْفِعْل الْمَجْهُول
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى				plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past indicative (perfect) الْمَاضِي	m	صُنِّفْتُ ṣunniftu	صُنِّفْتَ ṣunnifta	صُنِّفَ ṣunnifa		صُنِّفْنَا ṣunnifnā	صُنِّفْتُمَا ṣunniftumā	صُنِّفَا ṣunnifā		صُنِّفْنَا ṣunnifnā	صُنِّفْتُمْ ṣunniftum	صُنِّفُوا ṣunnifū
	f		صُنِّفْتِ ṣunnifti	صُنِّفَتْ ṣunnifat				صُنِّفَتَا ṣunnifatā			صُنِّفْتُنَّ ṣunniftunna	صُنِّفْنَ ṣunnifna
non-past indicative (imperfect) الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُصَنَّفُ ʔuṣannafu	تُصَنَّفُ tuṣannafu	يُصَنَّفُ yuṣannafu		نُصَنَّفُ nuṣannafu	تُصَنَّفَانِ tuṣannafāni	يُصَنَّفَانِ yuṣannafāni		نُصَنَّفُ nuṣannafu	تُصَنَّفُونَ tuṣannafūna	يُصَنَّفُونَ yuṣannafūna
	f		تُصَنَّفِينَ tuṣannafīna	تُصَنَّفُ tuṣannafu				تُصَنَّفَانِ tuṣannafāni			تُصَنَّفْنَ tuṣannafna	يُصَنَّفْنَ yuṣannafna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُصَنَّفَ ʔuṣannafa	تُصَنَّفَ tuṣannafa	يُصَنَّفَ yuṣannafa		نُصَنَّفَ nuṣannafa	تُصَنَّفَا tuṣannafā	يُصَنَّفَا yuṣannafā		نُصَنَّفَ nuṣannafa	تُصَنَّفُوا tuṣannafū	يُصَنَّفُوا yuṣannafū
	f		تُصَنَّفِي tuṣannafī	تُصَنَّفَ tuṣannafa				تُصَنَّفَا tuṣannafā			تُصَنَّفْنَ tuṣannafna	يُصَنَّفْنَ yuṣannafna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُصَنَّفْ ʔuṣannaf	تُصَنَّفْ tuṣannaf	يُصَنَّفْ yuṣannaf		نُصَنَّفْ nuṣannaf	تُصَنَّفَا tuṣannafā	يُصَنَّفَا yuṣannafā		نُصَنَّفْ nuṣannaf	تُصَنَّفُوا tuṣannafū	يُصَنَّفُوا yuṣannafū
	f		تُصَنَّفِي tuṣannafī	تُصَنَّفْ tuṣannaf				تُصَنَّفَا tuṣannafā			تُصَنَّفْنَ tuṣannafna	يُصَنَّفْنَ yuṣannafna

Noun

صِنْف • (ṣinf) m (plural أَصْنَاف (ʔaṣnāf))
صَنْف • (ṣanf) m (plural صُنُوف (ṣunūf))

1. kind, sort, specimen
2. class, genus, species, category
3. (Classical) fringe, hem, border of a garment

Declension

Declension of noun صِنْف (ṣinf)

singular	basic singular triptote
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	صِنْف ṣinf	الصِّنْف aṣ-ṣinf	صِنْف ṣinf
nominative	صِنْفٌ ṣinfun	الصِّنْفُ aṣ-ṣinfu	صِنْفُ ṣinfu
accusative	صِنْفًا ṣinfan	الصِّنْفَ aṣ-ṣinfa	صِنْفَ ṣinfa
genitive	صِنْفٍ ṣinfin	الصِّنْفِ aṣ-ṣinfi	صِنْفِ ṣinfi
dual	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	صِنْفَيْن ṣinfayn	الصِّنْفَيْن aṣ-ṣinfayn	صِنْفَيْ ṣinfay
nominative	صِنْفَانِ ṣinfāni	الصِّنْفَانِ aṣ-ṣinfāni	صِنْفَا ṣinfā
accusative	صِنْفَيْنِ ṣinfayni	الصِّنْفَيْنِ aṣ-ṣinfayni	صِنْفَيْ ṣinfay
genitive	صِنْفَيْنِ ṣinfayni	الصِّنْفَيْنِ aṣ-ṣinfayni	صِنْفَيْ ṣinfay
plural	basic broken plural triptote
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	أَصْنَاف ʔaṣnāf	الْأَصْنَاف al-ʔaṣnāf	أَصْنَاف ʔaṣnāf
nominative	أَصْنَافٌ ʔaṣnāfun	الْأَصْنَافُ al-ʔaṣnāfu	أَصْنَافُ ʔaṣnāfu
accusative	أَصْنَافًا ʔaṣnāfan	الْأَصْنَافَ al-ʔaṣnāfa	أَصْنَافَ ʔaṣnāfa
genitive	أَصْنَافٍ ʔaṣnāfin	الْأَصْنَافِ al-ʔaṣnāfi	أَصْنَافِ ʔaṣnāfi

Declension of noun صَنْف (ṣanf)

singular	basic singular triptote
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	صَنْف ṣanf	الصَّنْف aṣ-ṣanf	صَنْف ṣanf
nominative	صَنْفٌ ṣanfun	الصَّنْفُ aṣ-ṣanfu	صَنْفُ ṣanfu
accusative	صَنْفًا ṣanfan	الصَّنْفَ aṣ-ṣanfa	صَنْفَ ṣanfa
genitive	صَنْفٍ ṣanfin	الصَّنْفِ aṣ-ṣanfi	صَنْفِ ṣanfi
dual	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	صَنْفَيْن ṣanfayn	الصَّنْفَيْن aṣ-ṣanfayn	صَنْفَيْ ṣanfay
nominative	صَنْفَانِ ṣanfāni	الصَّنْفَانِ aṣ-ṣanfāni	صَنْفَا ṣanfā
accusative	صَنْفَيْنِ ṣanfayni	الصَّنْفَيْنِ aṣ-ṣanfayni	صَنْفَيْ ṣanfay
genitive	صَنْفَيْنِ ṣanfayni	الصَّنْفَيْنِ aṣ-ṣanfayni	صَنْفَيْ ṣanfay
plural	basic broken plural triptote
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	صُنُوف ṣunūf	الصُّنُوف aṣ-ṣunūf	صُنُوف ṣunūf
nominative	صُنُوفٌ ṣunūfun	الصُّنُوفُ aṣ-ṣunūfu	صُنُوفُ ṣunūfu
accusative	صُنُوفًا ṣunūfan	الصُّنُوفَ aṣ-ṣunūfa	صُنُوفَ ṣunūfa
genitive	صُنُوفٍ ṣunūfin	الصُّنُوفِ aṣ-ṣunūfi	صُنُوفِ ṣunūfi

Descendants

• → Azerbaijani: sinif
• → Bashkir: синыф (senıf)
• → Kazakh: сынып (sınıp)
• → Kyrgyz: сынып (sınıp)
• → Pashto: صنف
• → Ottoman Turkish: صنف (sınf, sınıf)
  • Turkish: sınıf
  • → Crimean Tatar: sınıf
  • → Laz: სინიჶი (sinifi)
• → Persian: صنف
• → Spanish: cenefa
• → Tatar: сыйныф (sıynıf)
• → Tajik: синф (sinf)
• → Turkmen: synp
• → Uzbek: sinf
• → Uyghur: سىنىپ (sinip)
• → Greek: σινάφι (sináfi)
• → Swahili: sanifu

Etymology 2

Probably borrowed from Middle Persian *čamp with Middle Persian č rendered as Arabic ṣ, as found in other borrowings from Persian: صَنْج (ṣanj), صَارُوج (ṣārūj), صَهْرِيج (ṣahrīj), الصِّين (aṣ-ṣīn).

Proper noun

صَنْف • (ṣanf) f (Classical)

1. Champa (a historical region of Farther India)

Declension

Declension of noun صَنْف (ṣanf)

singular	basic singular diptote
	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	—	صَنْف ṣanf	—
nominative	—	صَنْفُ ṣanfu	—
accusative	—	صَنْفَ ṣanfa	—
genitive	—	صَنْفَ ṣanfa	—

Further reading

• Corriente, Federico, Pereira, Christophe, Vicente, Angeles, editors (2017), Dictionnaire du faisceau dialectal arabe andalou. Perspectives phraséologiques et étymologiques (in French), Berlin: De Gruyter, →ISBN, page 776
• Curwin, David (2 October 2022), “snif”, in Balashon‎^[1]
• Freytag, Georg (1833), “صنف”, in Lexicon arabico-latinum praesertim ex Djeuharii Firuzabadiique et aliorum Arabum operibus adhibitis Golii quoque et aliorum libris confectum‎^[2] (in Latin), volume 2, Halle: C. A. Schwetschke, pages 526b–527a
• “ṣnp”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• “snp”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• “ṣlp”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• “slp”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic صِنْف (ṣinf, “kind, sort”).

Noun

صنف • (sınf or sınıf) (definite accusative صنفی (sınfı), plural اصناف (esnâf) or صنوف (sunuf))

1. kind, sort, type, variety, a class of entities that have common characteristics such that they may be grouped together

   Synonyms: جنس (cins), چشید (çeşid), صوی (soy), فن (fenn), نوع (nevʼ)

2. class, category, a group, collection, or set to which items are assigned based on similarity or defined criteria
3. classroom, schoolroom, a room, often in a school, where classes take place and in which both children and adults learn

   Synonym: درسخانه (dershâne)

4. guild, corporation, any association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft or trade

   Synonyms: اصناف (esnâf), لونجه (lonca)

Derived terms

• احتیاط صنفی (ihtiyat sınfı, “preparatory class”)
• ردیف صنفی (redif sınfı, “reserve class”)
• همر صنف (hemr sınf, “of the same class or category”)

Descendants

• Turkish: sınıf
• → Crimean Tatar: sınıf
• → Laz: სინიჶი (sinifi)

Further reading

• Barbier de Meynard, Charles (1886), “صنف”, in Dictionnaire turc-français, volume II, Paris: E. Leroux, page 220
• Çağbayır, Yaşar (2007), “sınıf”, in Ötüken Türkçe Sözlük (in Turkish), volume 1, Istanbul: Ötüken Neşriyat, page 4204
• Devellioğlu, Ferit (1962), “sınıf”, in Osmanlıca-Türkçe Ansiklopedik Lûgat‎ [Ottoman–Turkish Encyclopedic Dictionary]‎^[3] (in Turkish), Istanbul: Türk Dil Kurumu, page 1138
• Kélékian, Diran (1911), “صنف”, in Dictionnaire turc-français‎^[4] (in French), Constantinople: Mihran, page 769
• Meninski, Franciszek à Mesgnien (1687), “Species”, in Complementum thesauri linguarum orientalium, seu onomasticum latino-turcico-arabico-persicum, simul idem index verborum lexici turcico-arabico-persici, quod latinâ, germanicâ, aliarumque linguarum adjectâ nomenclatione nuper in lucem editum‎^[5], Vienna, column 1579
• Meninski, Franciszek à Mesgnien (1680), “صنف”, in Thesaurus linguarum orientalium, Turcicae, Arabicae, Persicae, praecipuas earum opes à Turcis peculiariter usurpatas continens, nimirum Lexicon Turkico-Arabico-Persicum‎^[6], Vienna, columns 2993-2994
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–), “sınıf”, in Nişanyan Sözlük
• Redhouse, James W. (1890), “صنف”, in A Turkish and English Lexicon‎^[7], Constantinople: A. H. Boyajian, page 1187

Persian

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Arabic صِنْف (ṣinf).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /ˈsinf/

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [sɪɱf]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [sɪɱf]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [sɪɱf]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [siɱf]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [seɱf]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [siɱf]

• Rhymes: -inf

Readings
Classical reading?	sinf
Dari reading?	sinf
Iranian reading?	senf
Tajik reading?	sinf

Noun

صنف • (senf) (plural اصناف (asnâf))

1. (Dari) class (group, collection, category or set sharing characteristics or attributes)
2. guild (a group of tradespeople made up of merchants, craftspeople, or artisans)

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Arabic صَنْف (ṣanf).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /ˈsanf/

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [säɱf]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [säɱf]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [säɱf]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [säɱf]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [sæɱf]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [säɱf]

• Rhymes: -anf

Readings
Classical reading?	sanf
Dari reading?	sanf
Iranian reading?	sanf
Tajik reading?	sanf

Proper noun

صنف • (sanf)

1. Champa (a historical region of Farther India)

Urdu

Etymology

Etymology tree

Arabic صِنْف (ṣinf)

Classical Persian صِنْف (sinf)bor.

Urdu صنف

Borrowed from Classical Persian صِنْف (sinf), from Arabic صِنْف (ṣinf).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /sɪnf/

Noun

صِنْف • (sinf) m (formal plural اَصْناف (asnāf), Hindi spelling सिंफ़)

1. a genre
2. (sociology, gender studies) gender

Related terms

• صِنْف کا اِظْہار m (sinf kā izhār)
• صِنْفِی (sinfī)
• صِنْفی شَناخْت f (sinfī śanāxt)

References

• “صنف”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “sinf”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2026.