فُلَانٌman called so-and-so

Example sentences

• قَالُوا أَهْدَاهُ لَكَ فُلَانٌ أَوْ فُلَانَةٌ

  They said, "Either a man called so-and-so gave it to you, or a woman called so-and-so gave it to you."

  فُلاَنٌ — a man called so-and-so. This is the placeholder name for an unnamed man ('so-and-so'), standing as the subject of the giving verb in its subject form. It stands in for a real name the speaker cannot or need not give. It is the doer of the gift.

  From: Generosity to the Poor →

• قُلْتُ قَالَهُ فُلَانٌ وَفُلَانٌ وَفُلَانٌ وَأُسَيْدُ بْنُ الْحُضَيْرِ الأَنْصَارِيِّ

  I said: It was said by so-and-so, and so-and-so, and so-and-so, and Usayd ibn al-Hudayr al-Ansari.

  فُلَانٌ — so-and-so. A stand-in noun for an unnamed person, the equivalent of 'so-and-so', used when the actual name is withheld or unknown. It holds a name-slot in the list without identifying anyone.

  From: The Martyr's Reward →

• قُلْتُ قَالَهُ فُلَانٌ وَفُلَانٌ وَفُلَانٌ وَأُسَيْدُ بْنُ الْحُضَيْرِ الأَنْصَارِيِّ

  I said: It was said by so-and-so, and so-and-so, and so-and-so, and Usayd ibn al-Hudayr al-Ansari.

  وَفُلَانٌ — and so-and-so. An 'and' joined to the same stand-in noun, adding another unnamed person to the list. The connector strings the placeholders together; the repetition is the listing device.

  From: The Martyr's Reward →

• قُلْتُ قَالَهُ فُلَانٌ وَفُلَانٌ وَفُلَانٌ وَأُسَيْدُ بْنُ الْحُضَيْرِ الأَنْصَارِيِّ

  I said: It was said by so-and-so, and so-and-so, and so-and-so, and Usayd ibn al-Hudayr al-Ansari.

  وَفُلَانٌ — and so-and-so. An 'and' joined to the same stand-in noun, adding another unnamed person to the list. The connector strings the placeholders together; the repetition is the listing device.

  From: The Martyr's Reward →

• فَقُلْتُ مَنْ أَنْتَ فَقَالَ أَنَا فُلَانٌ بْنُ فُلَانٍ

  I said, "Who are you?" He said, "I am so-and-so, son of so-and-so."

  فلَان — so-and-so. This is a stand-in placeholder name, the equivalent of 'so-and-so', used when a real name is left unstated. It heads the name-pattern completed by 'son of...'. It fills the subject's name slot without committing to a person.

  From: A Spy in the Enemy Camp →