position, standing

He or it was. A verb of the class called incomplete, (نَاقِصٌ) because, with the agent which it comprises, or to which it relates, it cannot constitute a complete proposition; i. e., non-attributive. The other verbs of this class are, ظَلَّ أَضْحَى أَمْسَى أَصْبَحَ صَارَ, مَا دَامَ مَاٱنْفَكَّ مَا فَتِيأَ مَابَرِحَ مَا زَالَ بَاتَ, and لَيْسَ. Each of these governs its noun, or subject, in the nom. case, and its enunciative, or predicate, in the acc. case; as, كَانَ زَيْدٌ قَايأِمًا Zeyd was standing. ― -b2- (The ن in يَكُنْ and the like is often irregularly elided.) ― -b3- كَانَ, divested of all signification of time. is often used as a copula. (See De Sacy 's Gr. Ar. i. 196.) So too is كَايأِنٌ; for هٰذَا زَيْدٌ and هٰذَا كَايأِنٌ زَيْدًا signify the same. (Mughnee, voce أَنَّ.) ― -b4- كَانَ as a complete, i. e., an attributive, verb, see حَصَلَ. in three places.

He, or it, received, or took, his, or its, being, or existence; came into existence; originated.

He was, or became lowly, humble, submissive, or in a state of abasement. (Har, p. 4, q. v.) See اِسْتَكَنَ in art. سكن: and see art. كين.

: see حَوْرٌ and كَوْرٌ.

:see شَاخَ.

A particular place of being or existence. See an ex. voce نَفْسٌ. ― -b2- مَكَانَكَ وَزَيْدًا [Keep where thou art and approach not Zeyd!] Heard by Ks. (L, art. عند.) ― -b3- State, or condition. [Bd, xi. 122, and xxxix. 40.) See art. مكن. ― -b4- مَكَانٌ i. q. مَنْزِلَةٌ. (Bd, xii. 77.) ― -b5- هٰذَا مَكَانٌ لِقَوْلِنَا كَذَا This is a ground for our saying thus. ― -b6- أَصْبَحَ مَكَانَ كَذَا It became as, or like, such a thing. See a verse cited voce رَتْمٌ.