Of the root ح ن ف (ḥ-n-f). Probably an Aramaic loan, borrowing first the plural of Classical Syriac ܚܢܦܐ (ḥanpā, “pagan, impious”) and back-forming the Arabic singular, or from a differently vocalized Nabataean Aramaic relative of it, the details are disputed, like the semantics were a source of disagreement from the beginning.
حَنِيف • (ḥanīf) (masculine plural حُنَفَاء (ḥunafāʔ))
Singular | Masculine | Feminine | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
basic singular triptote | singular triptote in ـَة (-a) | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Informal | حَنِيف ḥanīf |
الْحَنِيف al-ḥanīf |
حَنِيفَة ḥanīfa |
الْحَنِيفَة al-ḥanīfa |
Nominative | حَنِيفٌ ḥanīfun |
الْحَنِيفُ al-ḥanīfu |
حَنِيفَةٌ ḥanīfatun |
الْحَنِيفَةُ al-ḥanīfatu |
Accusative | حَنِيفًا ḥanīfan |
الْحَنِيفَ al-ḥanīfa |
حَنِيفَةً ḥanīfatan |
الْحَنِيفَةَ al-ḥanīfata |
Genitive | حَنِيفٍ ḥanīfin |
الْحَنِيفِ al-ḥanīfi |
حَنِيفَةٍ ḥanīfatin |
الْحَنِيفَةِ al-ḥanīfati |
Dual | Masculine | Feminine | ||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Informal | حَنِيفَيْن ḥanīfayn |
الْحَنِيفَيْن al-ḥanīfayn |
حَنِيفَتَيْن ḥanīfatayn |
الْحَنِيفَتَيْن al-ḥanīfatayn |
Nominative | حَنِيفَانِ ḥanīfāni |
الْحَنِيفَانِ al-ḥanīfāni |
حَنِيفَتَانِ ḥanīfatāni |
الْحَنِيفَتَانِ al-ḥanīfatāni |
Accusative | حَنِيفَيْنِ ḥanīfayni |
الْحَنِيفَيْنِ al-ḥanīfayni |
حَنِيفَتَيْنِ ḥanīfatayni |
الْحَنِيفَتَيْنِ al-ḥanīfatayni |
Genitive | حَنِيفَيْنِ ḥanīfayni |
الْحَنِيفَيْنِ al-ḥanīfayni |
حَنِيفَتَيْنِ ḥanīfatayni |
الْحَنِيفَتَيْنِ al-ḥanīfatayni |
Plural | Masculine | Feminine | ||
basic broken plural diptote | sound feminine plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Informal | حُنَفَاء ḥunafāʔ |
الْحُنَفَاء al-ḥunafāʔ |
حَنِيفَات ḥanīfāt |
الْحَنِيفَات al-ḥanīfāt |
Nominative | حُنَفَاءُ ḥunafāʔu |
الْحُنَفَاءُ al-ḥunafāʔu |
حَنِيفَاتٌ ḥanīfātun |
الْحَنِيفَاتُ al-ḥanīfātu |
Accusative | حُنَفَاءَ ḥunafāʔa |
الْحُنَفَاءَ al-ḥunafāʔa |
حَنِيفَاتٍ ḥanīfātin |
الْحَنِيفَاتِ al-ḥanīfāti |
Genitive | حُنَفَاءَ ḥunafāʔa |
الْحُنَفَاءِ al-ḥunafāʔi |
حَنِيفَاتٍ ḥanīfātin |
الْحَنِيفَاتِ al-ḥanīfāti |