ص ف ر

See also: صفر and صقر

Arabic

Etymology

The sense of yellow derives from the fading of more vibrant greenness in vegetation; unrelated to the false cognate زَعْفَرَان (zaʕfarān, “saffron”).

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: صَافِر (ṣāfir)
  • 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