فُلَانٍso-and-so

Example sentences

• وَهِىَ تَقُولُ فَعَلَ اللَّهُ بِفُلَانٍ وَفَعَلَ

  And she said, "Allah did something to so-and-so, and did..."

  بِفُلَانٍ — to so-and-so. Here bi- means 'to/against' marking the target of the action, attached to a placeholder noun standing for an unnamed person ('so-and-so'). It governs that noun into the genitive, and the placeholder lets the report avoid naming the man.

  From: Aisha Cleared of Slander →

• 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."

  فُلَانٍ — so-and-so. This is a second placeholder name in the genitive 'of' slot, the owner half completing 'son of so-and-so'. Its position right after 'son of' supplies the lineage link with no separate word. It stands in for the father's unstated name.

  From: A Spy in the Enemy Camp →