سيف

See also: سيق and شيق

Arabic

Etymology 1

Related to Ancient Greek ξίφος (xíphos); either a loan, or from a common original source. The same word is probably preserved in Egyptian zft, Coptic ⲥⲏϥⲉ (sēfe). Dümichen (1867) suggested an Old Semitic saïf or sêf, Myres (1930) a possible Libyan or "Sea Peoples" word. The root س ي ف (s-y-f) is denominal.

Compare Hebrew סיף (sayif).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /sajf/
- (Gulf) IPA^(key): /seːf/

Noun

سَيْف • (sayf) m (plural سُيُوف (suyūf) or أَسْيَاف (ʔasyāf) or أَسْيُف (ʔasyuf))

sword, sabre, foil, rapier, scimitar

Declension

Declension of noun سَيْف (sayf)

Singular	basic singular triptote
Singular	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	سَيْف sayf	السَّيْف as-sayf	سَيْف sayf
Nominative	سَيْفٌ sayfun	السَّيْفُ as-sayfu	سَيْفُ sayfu
Accusative	سَيْفًا sayfan	السَّيْفَ as-sayfa	سَيْفَ sayfa
Genitive	سَيْفٍ sayfin	السَّيْفِ as-sayfi	سَيْفِ sayfi
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	سَيْفَيْن sayfayn	السَّيْفَيْن as-sayfayn	سَيْفَيْ sayfay
Nominative	سَيْفَانِ sayfāni	السَّيْفَانِ as-sayfāni	سَيْفَا sayfā
Accusative	سَيْفَيْنِ sayfayni	السَّيْفَيْنِ as-sayfayni	سَيْفَيْ sayfay
Genitive	سَيْفَيْنِ sayfayni	السَّيْفَيْنِ as-sayfayni	سَيْفَيْ sayfay
Plural	basic broken plural triptote
Plural	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	سُيُوف‎; أَسْيَاف‎; أَسْيُف suyūf‎; ʔasyāf‎; ʔasyuf	السُّيُوف‎; الْأَسْيَاف‎; الْأَسْيُف as-suyūf‎; al-ʔasyāf‎; al-ʔasyuf	سُيُوف‎; أَسْيَاف‎; أَسْيُف suyūf‎; ʔasyāf‎; ʔasyuf
Nominative	سُيُوفٌ‎; أَسْيَافٌ‎; أَسْيُفٌ suyūfun‎; ʔasyāfun‎; ʔasyufun	السُّيُوفُ‎; الْأَسْيَافُ‎; الْأَسْيُفُ as-suyūfu‎; al-ʔasyāfu‎; al-ʔasyufu	سُيُوفُ‎; أَسْيَافُ‎; أَسْيُفُ suyūfu‎; ʔasyāfu‎; ʔasyufu
Accusative	سُيُوفًا‎; أَسْيَافًا‎; أَسْيُفًا suyūfan‎; ʔasyāfan‎; ʔasyufan	السُّيُوفَ‎; الْأَسْيَافَ‎; الْأَسْيُفَ as-suyūfa‎; al-ʔasyāfa‎; al-ʔasyufa	سُيُوفَ‎; أَسْيَافَ‎; أَسْيُفَ suyūfa‎; ʔasyāfa‎; ʔasyufa
Genitive	سُيُوفٍ‎; أَسْيَافٍ‎; أَسْيُفٍ suyūfin‎; ʔasyāfin‎; ʔasyufin	السُّيُوفِ‎; الْأَسْيَافِ‎; الْأَسْيُفِ as-suyūfi‎; al-ʔasyāfi‎; al-ʔasyufi	سُيُوفِ‎; أَسْيَافِ‎; أَسْيُفِ suyūfi‎; ʔasyāfi‎; ʔasyufi

Descendants

Gulf Arabic: سيف (sēf)
Moroccan Arabic: سيف (sayf, sīf)
Maltese: sejf
→ Amharic: ሰይፍ (säyf)
→ English: seif, Saiph
→ Ottoman Turkish: سیف (seyf)
- Turkish: seyf
→ Persian: سیف (seyf)
→ Tajik: сайф (sayf)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /siːf/

Noun

سِيف • (sīf) m (plural أَسْيَاف (ʔasyāf))

Declension

Declension of noun سِيف (sīf)

Singular	basic singular triptote
Singular	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	سِيف sīf	السِّيف as-sīf	سِيف sīf
Nominative	سِيفٌ sīfun	السِّيفُ as-sīfu	سِيفُ sīfu
Accusative	سِيفًا sīfan	السِّيفَ as-sīfa	سِيفَ sīfa
Genitive	سِيفٍ sīfin	السِّيفِ as-sīfi	سِيفِ sīfi
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	سِيفَيْن sīfayn	السِّيفَيْن as-sīfayn	سِيفَيْ sīfay
Nominative	سِيفَانِ sīfāni	السِّيفَانِ as-sīfāni	سِيفَا sīfā
Accusative	سِيفَيْنِ sīfayni	السِّيفَيْنِ as-sīfayni	سِيفَيْ sīfay
Genitive	سِيفَيْنِ sīfayni	السِّيفَيْنِ as-sīfayni	سِيفَيْ sīfay
Plural	basic broken plural triptote
Plural	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	أَسْيَاف ʔasyāf	الْأَسْيَاف al-ʔasyāf	أَسْيَاف ʔasyāf
Nominative	أَسْيَافٌ ʔasyāfun	الْأَسْيَافُ al-ʔasyāfu	أَسْيَافُ ʔasyāfu
Accusative	أَسْيَافًا ʔasyāfan	الْأَسْيَافَ al-ʔasyāfa	أَسْيَافَ ʔasyāfa
Genitive	أَسْيَافٍ ʔasyāfin	الْأَسْيَافِ al-ʔasyāfi	أَسْيَافِ ʔasyāfi

Descendants

→ Ottoman Turkish: سیف

References

Wehr, Hans (1979) “س ي ف”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN

Hijazi Arabic

Root
س ي ف
1 term

Etymology

From Arabic سَيْف (sayf).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /seːf/, [se̞ːf]

Noun

سيف • (sēf) m (plural سِيُوف (siyūf))

sword

Moroccan Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic سَيْف (sayf).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /sajf/, /siːf/
Audio: (file)

Noun

سيف • (sayf, sīf) m (plural سيوف (syūf) or سيوفة (syūfa))

sword, sabre

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic سَيْف (sayf).

Noun

سيف • (sēf) m (plural سيوف (syūf))

sword