be feminine, be effeminate

[أَنُثَ, aor. , inf. n. أَنَاثَةٌ and أُنُوثَةٌ, (see the former of these two ns. below,) It was, or became, female, feminine, or of the feminine gender. ― -b2- And hence, أَنُثَتْ, said of land (أَرْض), (tropical:) It was, or became, such as is termed أَنِيثَة. ― -b3- Hence also,] أَنُثَ, said of iron, (tropical:) It was, or became, soft. (Golius, from the larger of two editions of the lexicon entitled مرقاة اللغة.) Accord. to IAar, softness is the primary signification. (M.) [But accord. to the A, the second and third of the meanings given above are tropical: (see أَنِيثٌ:) and the verb in the first of the senses here assigned to it, if not proper, is certainly what is termed حَقِيقَة عُرْفِيَّة, i. e., conventionally regarded as proper.]

, inf. n. تَأْنِيثٌ, He made it (namely, a noun [&c.], S and Msb) feminine; (S, M, L, Msb;) he attached to it, or to that which was syntactically dependent upon it, the sign of the feminine gender. (Msb.) ― -b2- (assumed tropical:) He, or it, rendered him effeminate. (KL.) [See the pass. part. n., below.] -A2- أنّث لَهُ, inf. n. as above, (tropical:) He acted gently, [or effeminately] towards him; as also له ↓ تأنّث. (K, TA.) And أنّث فِى أَمْرِهِ, inf. n. as above, (T, A,) (tropical:) He acted gently in his affair: (A:) or he applied himself gently to his affair: (T:) and some say, فى امره ↓ تأنّث, meaning he acted effeminately in his affair. (T, TA.)

, (S, M, A, K,) inf. n. إِينَاثٌ, (K,) She (a woman) brought forth a female, (S, A, K,) or females. (M.) ― -b2- [And hence,] (assumed tropical:) It (land, أَرْض,) was, or became, such as is termed مِيأْنَاث. (A.)

It (a noun [&c.]) was, or became, or was made, feminine. (S, L.) ― -b2- See also 2, in two places.

Female; feminine; of the female, or feminine, sex, or gender; contr. ?? ذَكَرٌ: (T, S, M:) an epithet applied to anything of that sex or gender: (T:) IAar asserts, that a woman is termed انثي from the phrase بَلَدٌ أَنِيثٌ, q. v, because of her softness; she being more soft than a man: (M, L:) [but see the observation at the end of the first paragraph of this art.:] the pl. is إِنَاثٌ; (T, S, M, A, Msb, K;) and sometimes one says أُنُثٌ, as though it were pl. of إِنَاثٌ; (S;) or it is [truly] pl. of إِنَاثٌ, like as نُمُرٌ is of نِمَارٌ; (T;) and أَنَاثَى, (T, A, Msb, K,) which last occurs in poetry. (T.) You say, هٰذَا طَايأِرٌ وَ أُنْثَاهُ [This is a (male) bird and his female]: not أُنْثَاتُهُ. (ISk, T.) In the Kur iv. 117, I'Ab reads أُثُنًا [in the place of أُنُثًا or إِنَاثًا]; and Fr says that it is pl. of وَثَنٌ, the و in وُثُنٌ being changed into أ as in أُقِّتَتٌ [for وُقِّتَتٌ]. (T, L.) ― -b2- اِمْرَأَةٌ أَنْثَى (tropical:) [A feminine woman,] means a perfect woman; (T, A, K;) a woman being thus termed in praise; like as a man is termed رَجُلٌ ذَكَرٌ. (T, A.) ― -b3- [The pl.]

also signifies (assumed tropical:) Inanimate things; (Lh, T, M, K;) as trees and stones (T, K) and wood. (T.) In the passage of the Kur mentioned above, إِنَاثًا is said to have this meaning: (T, M:) [or it there means females; for] Fr says that El-Lát and El-'Ozzà and the like were said by the Arabs to be feminine divinities. (T, TA.) ― -b2- Also (assumed tropical:) Small stars. (K.) ― -b3- And [the dual] الأُنْثَيَانِ (tropical:) The two testicles; syn. الخُصْيَتَانِ; (S, K;) or الخُصْيَانِ [which is said by some to mean the scrotum; but the former is generally, though app. not always, meant by الانثيان]. (M, Mgh, Msb.) ― -b4- And The two ears: (As, T, S, M, A, Mgh, K:) because they are of the fem. gender. (TA.) ― -b5- And (assumed tropical:) The two tribes of Bejeeleh and Kudá'ah. (K) ― -b6- And أُنْثَيَا الفَرَسِ (assumed tropical:) The inner parts (الرَّبَلَتَانِ) of the thighs of the horse. (M, L.) ― -b7- And الأُنْثَي is also used to signify (assumed tropical:) The [engine of war called] مَنْجَنِيق; because the latter word is [generally] of the feminine gender. (M.)

: see مُوأَنَّثٌ. ― -b2- أَرْضٌ أَنِيثَةٌ, (AA, * IAar, T, S, M, K,) and ↓ مِيأْنَاثٌ, (ISh, T, M, K,) (tropical:) Plain, even, or soft, land, or ground, (ISh, IAar, T, M, K,) that produces many plants, or much herbage; (AA, T, M, K;) or that produces herbs, or leguminous plants, and is plain, even, or soft; (El-Kilábee, S;) or fitted for producing plants, or herbage; not rugged. (ISh, T, L.) And مَكَانٌ أَنِيثٌ A place in which the herbage grows quickly, and becomes abundant. (T, L.) And بَلَدٌ أَنِيثٌ (assumed tropical:) A country, or district, of which the soil is soft, and plain, or even. (IAar, M, L.) ― -b3- حَدِيدٌ أَنِيثٌ (tropical:) Female iron; that which is not what is termed ذَكَرٌ: (S, M, L, K:) soft iron. (T and K in art. انف.) And سَيْفٌ أَنِيثٌ (tropical:) A sword of female iron: (M, L:) or a sword that is not sharp, or cutting; a blunt sword: (T, M, * L:) and ↓ سَيْفٌ مِيأْنَاثٌ, and ↓ مِيأْنَاثَةٌ, (T, M, L, K,) mentioned by Lh, (T, L,) a blunt sword; (K;) as also ↓ مُوأَنَّثٌ: (TA:) or a sword of soft iron. (T, L.)

[inf. n. of أَنُثَ, q. v.:] The female, or feminine, nature, or quality, or gender; (M;) as also ↓ أُنُوثَةٌ. (A.) ― -b2- (tropical:) The quality of land which is termed أَنِيثَةٌ. (A.) ― -b3- [(tropical:) Softness of iron: see أَنيثٌ.]

: see the paragraph next preceding.

A woman bringing forth, or who brings forth, a female, (S, K,) or females. (M.)

A woman who usually brings forth females: (S, M, K:) and a man who usually begets female children; for the measure مِفْعَالٌ applies equally to both sexes: (S:) the contr. epithet is مِذْكَارٌ. (TA.) ― -b2- See also مُوأَنَّثٌ, in two places. ― -b3- أَرْضٌ مِيأْنَاثٌ: see أَنِيثٌ. ― -b4- سَيْفٌ مِيأْنَاثٌ, and مِيأْنَاثَةٌ: see أَنِيثٌ.

[A feminine word; a word made feminine. ― -b2- Also,] (T, A, K,) and ↓ أَنِيثٌ, (AA, T,) and ↓ مِيأْنَاثٌ, (K,) and ↓ مِيأْنَاثَةٌ, (TA,) (tropical:) i. q. مُخَنَّثٌ, (AA, T, A, K,) i. e. An effeminate man; one who resembles a woman (AA, T, TA) in gentleness, and in softness of speech, and in an affectation of languor of the limbs: (TA:) or a man in the form, or make, of a female. (T.) ― -b3- سَيْفٌ مُوأَنَّثٌ: see أَنِيثٌ. ― -b4- طِيبٌ مُوأَنَّثٌ (tropical:) Perfume that is used by women; such as خَلُوق and زَعْفَران, (Sh, T, L,) and what colours the clothes: (L:) ذُكُورَةُ الطِّيبِ being such perfumes as have no colour; such as غَالِيَة and كَافُور and مِسْك and عُود and عَنْبَر and the like, which leave no mark. (T, L.)