خَفَاءٌ obscurity in Arabic
خَفَاءٌ is how you say “obscurity” in Arabic.
Root خ ف ي kh-f-y. noun (verbal noun / maṣdar). khafā'.
Arabic
English
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Meaning of obscurity in Arabic
- obscurity, concealment the state of being hidden, unperceived, or not apparent; the maṣdar of the verb خَفِىَ, 'to be hidden/unapparent'
- a secret; a hidden matter as in the idiom بَرِحَ الخَفَاءُ, 'the khafā' departed', said when a secret or concealed affair becomes manifest
Example sentence
قلّة التَّوْفِيق وَفَسَاد الرَّأْي وخفاء الْحق وَفَسَاد الْقلب
Lack of success, distortion of opinion, obscurity of truth, and corruption of the heart.
وَخَفَاءُ and obscurity
wa- = 'and'; khafa' means 'hiddenness', leading into the next 'of…' word.
The English is machine-translated.
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How it is used
خَفِىَ, the verb behind this noun, is a classic case of an Arabic word with two contrary senses: it can mean 'to be hidden/unapparent' or, in the reverse sense some grammarians recognize, 'to become apparent'. خَفَاءٌ itself is used for the state of being obscure or concealed, and appears in the set phrase بَرِحَ الخَفَاءُ, said when something once secret has come to light.
Words from the same root
- خَفِىَ to be hidden, unperceived, or unapparent (form I verb)
- أَخْفَى to conceal, hide (also used, per some readings, in the contrary sense 'to reveal')
- اِخْتَفَى to hide oneself, become concealed
- خِفَآءٌ a covering; that which conceals a thing
- خُفْيَةٌ secretly, covertly, privately
- خَافٍ hidden, unapparent (active participle)
Common questions
- How do you say "obscurity" in Arabic?
- خَفَاءٌ (khafā').
- What does the idiom بَرِحَ الخَفَاءُ mean?
- Literally 'the khafā' departed' — it means a hidden matter or secret has become manifest, i.e. the obscurity has lifted.
Related words
Definitions summarised from Lane's Arabic-English Lexicon (E. W. Lane, 1863–1893).