وسط
1 وَسَطَ القَوْمَ,
aor. ـِ
inf. n. وَسْطٌ (
S,
Msb,
K) [and وُسُوطٌ (as shown below)] and سِطَةٌ, (
S,
K,) He sat, [or was, or became,] in the middle, or midst, of the people, or company of men; (
K;) or among them: (
TA;)
i. q. ↓ توسّطهُمْ; (
S,
K;) or بَيْنَهُمْ ↓ توسّط: (
Msb:) and in like manner, وَسَطَ المَكَانَ [he was, or became, or sat, in the middle, or midst, of the place]: (
Msb:) and وَسَطَ الشَّىْءَ, and ↓ وسّطهُ, and ↓ توسّطهُ, he was, or became, in the middle, or midst, of the thing: and [in like manner] وُسُوطُ الشَّمْسِ signifies السَّمَآءَ ↓ تَوَسُّطُهَا [The sun's being, or becoming, in the middle, or midst, of the sky]. (
M.)
b2: وَسَطَ الشَّىْءَ also signifies He, or it, was, or became, in the best part of the thing, most remote from the two extremes. (
TA.) And وَسَطَهُ He alighted, or took up his abode, in, or among, the best, or most generous, thereof. (
M.) and وَسَطَ الرَّجُلُ قَوْمَهُ, and فِى قَوْمِهِ,
inf. n. وَسَاطَةٌ, The man occupied, or held, a middle place, [meaning the best place, or one of the best places,] among his people, in respect of truth and equity. (
Msb.) And وَسَطَ قَوْمَهُ فِى الحَسَبِ,
aor. ـِ
inf. n. سِطَةٌ, [He held a middle, or good, or the best, rank among his people in regard of grounds of pretension to respect.] (
M.) And وَسُطَ فِى
حَسَبِهِ, [
aor. ـْ
inf. n. وَسَاطَةٌ and سِطَةٌ, [He held a middle, or good, or the best, rank in regard of his grounds of pretension to respect;] (
M,
TA;) and وَسَطَ signifies the same; (
M;) and so does ↓ وسّط, (
M,
TA,)
inf. n. تَوْسِيطٌ. (
TA.) [See وَسَطٌ, below.]
2 وسّطهُ, (
K,)
inf. n. تَوْسِيطٌ, (
S,
K,) He put it in the middle, or midst. (
S,
K.)
b2: And [so in the
S, but in the
K “ or,”] He cut it [in the middle, or midst, i. e.] in two halves. (
S,
K.) [See the
pass. part. n., below.]
b3: [In the
Kur, c. 5,] some read, فَوَسَّطْنَ بِهِ جَمْعًا [which may mean And have put in the midst, thereby, a company of the enemy: or have divided in two halves, thereby, &c.: or have thereby become in the midst of a company of the enemy]: (
S,
TA:) others read فَوَسَطْنَ. (
TA.) See 1, first sentence.
b4: وسّط فى حَسَبِهِ: see 1, last sentence.
5 تَوَسَّطَ see 1, first sentence, in four places.
b2: توسّط بَيْنَ النَّاسِ He mediated, or interceded, between the men, or people, for the purpose of accommodation; from وَسَطَ الرَّجُلُ قَوْمَهُ and فِى
قَوْمِهِ, explained above; (
Msb;) or from وَسَاطَةٌ; (
S;) he made mediation, or intercession, (عَمِلَ الوَسَاطَةَ,) between them. (
K.)
b3: توسّط also signifies He took what was of a middle sort, between the good and the bad. (
K.) وَسْط, with the س quiescent, is an adv.
n.; [as such written وَسْطَ, meaning In the middle of: in the midst of; or among;] (
S,
M,
IB,
Mgh,
K;) and it is for this reason that it has its middle letter quiescent, (
S,
IB,) like بَيْنَ (
IB) with which it is
syn.; (
IB,
Msb;) [for] it may be used in any case in which بَيْنَ may be substituted for it; (
S,
IAth,
K;) and, like بَيْنَ, it does not denote a part of the thing denoted by the noun to which it is prefixed, wherein differing from ↓ وَسَط. (
S,
IB,
K.) You say, جَلَسْتُ وَسْطَ القَوْمِ (
S,
IB,
Msb) I sat [in the middle of, or in the midst of,] or among, the people, or company of men, (
IB,
Msb;) not being one of them. (
IB.) And وَسْطَ رَأْسِهِ دُهْنٌ [In the middle of his head is oil]; not meaning a component part of the head. (
IB.) And it is said in a trad.
الجَالِسُ وَسْطَ الحَلْقَةِ مَلْعُونٌ [The sitter in the midst of the ring is cursed]: for he must of necessity turn his back towards some of those who surround him, and so displease them; wherefore they curse him and revile him. (
IAth.)
b2: It may not [properly] be used as a
decl. n., (
IB,) i. e. as an
inchoative, (
Mgh,) nor as an
agent, nor as an
objective complement; (
IB,
Mgh) &c.; thus, also, differing from ↓ وَسَط; unless it have the adverbial
particle [فِى] prefixed to it; in which case it has the sense of وَسَط, and you say, جَلَسْتُ فِى وَسْطِ القَوْمِ and فى وَسْطِ رَأْسِهِ دُهْنٌ [like as you say جَلَسْتُ وَسْطَ القَوْمِ and وَسْطَ رَأْسِهِ دُهنٌ, explained above]: and sometimes it is used as a
subst., preserving the quiescence [and the adverbial form], like as بَيْنَ is used as a
subst. though virtually an adv.
n., in cases like that where it is said in the
Kur, [vi. 94,] لَقَدْ تَقَطَّعَ بَيْنَكُمْ [meaning مَا بَيْنَكُمْ, or, as explained in the
Expos. of the
Jel., وَصْلُكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ]: (
IB:) or وَسْط is sometimes used for ↓ وَسَط, improperly; (
S;) or it may be so used; (
Msb;) or it is so used by poetic license; (
M;) or, as some say, each of them may take the place of the other; and this seems the most likely: (
IAth:) or one says وَسْط, with sukoon, only, of that whereof the component parts are separate, or distinct, (
IAth,
K *,) such as a number of men, and beasts of carriage, &c.; (
IAth;) and ↓ وَسَط, (
IAth,) or both, (
K,) of that whereof the component parts are united, (
IAth,
K *,) such as a house, and the head, (
IAth,) or such as a ring: (
K:) it is related, as on the authority of
Th, that الشَّىْءِ ↓ وَسَطُ and وسْطُهُ [both meaning The middle, or midst, of the thing] are said when the thing is solid; but when its component parts are separate, or distinct, the word is وَسْطٌ, with sukoon, exclusively. (
M.) وَسَطٌ [The middle, midst, or middle part, of a thing; i. e.,] properly, the part of which several lateral, or outer, portions are equal; as, for instance, the middle finger: but also meaning the part which is surrounded, or enclosed, on its several sides, although unequally: (
Msb:) or the part that is between the two sides or extremities of a thing; (
M,
IB,
Mgh,
K;) [or the part, or point, that is between every two opposite extremities of a thing; and properly when equidistant;] as, for instance, the centre of a circle: (
Mgh:) as also ↓ أَوْسَطُ, (
M,
K,) which is [likewise] a
subst., like أَفْكَلٌ and أَزْمَلٌ [but imperfectly
decl. because originally an
epithet]: (
M:) وَسَطٌ has its middle letter with fet-h in order that it may agree in measure with its
contr., which is طَرَفٌ; the like agreement being frequent: (
IB:) and it is only used in cases in which بَيْنَ may not be substituted for it, herein [and in other respects, mentioned in the next preceding paragraph,] differing from وَسْط: (
S,
IB,
K:) [respecting the similar and dissimilar usages of وَسَط and وَسّط, sufficient observations have been made in the next preceding paragraph, which see throughout, and more especially in its latter part:] the
pl. of وَسَطٌ is أَوْسَاطٌ; and that of its
syn. ↓ أَوْسَطُ is أَوَاسِطُ; or this may be a
pl. of ↓ وَاسِطٌ, and originally وَوَاسِطُ. (
M.) You say, جَلَسْتُ فِى
وَسَطِ الدَّارِ [I sat in the middle, or middle part, of the house]; (
S,
Mgh,
Msb;) because وَسَط is a
subst. (
S.) And إِتَّسَعَ وَسَطُهُ [The middle, or middle part, thereof, became wide]. (
Mgh,
Msb.) And ضَرَبْتُ وَسَطَ رَأْسِهِ [I smote the middle, or middle part, of his head]. (
Mgh, *
Msb.) And كَسَرْتُ وَسَطَ الرُّمْحِ [I broke the middle, or middle part, of the spear]. (
IB.) And وَسَطُهُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ طَرَفِهِ [The middle, or middle part, thereof is better than the extremity]. (
Mgh,
Msb.) And خَيَرُ الأُمُورِ أَوْسَاطُهَا The best of affairs, or actions, or cases, are such of them as are between two extremes. (
M. [See
R.
Q. 1, in art. حق.]) It is sometimes put in the
accus. case as an adv.
n.; as in the saying, جَلَسْتُ وَسَطَ الدَّارِ; but this is an instance of departure from the original usage; and [the meaning is جَلَسْتُ فِى وَسَطِ الدَّارِ signifying as explained above; so that] it is not here
syn. with بَيْنَ, like as وَسْطَ is. (
IB.)
b2: It is also used as an
epithet: (
IB,
Mgh:) [as such signifying Middle; intermediate; midway, or equidistant, between the two extremities or extremes; in place, or position: but in this sense superseded in usage by ↓ أَوْسَطُ and ↓ وَاسِطٌ and ↓ مُتَوَسِّطٌ: and in time; but in this sense also superseded in usage by ↓ أَوْسَطُ:] middling; of middle sort, kind, or rate; (
Msb;) as also ↓ أَوْسَطُ (
S, *
M,
Mgh,
Msb,
K) and ↓ مُتَوَسِّطٌ (
M,
Mgh,
Msb) and ↓ وَسُوطٌ (
M,
TA) [and ↓ وَسِيطٌ]; between good and bad; (
Msb,
TA;) as also ↓ أَوْسَطُ: (
Msb:) conforming, or conformable, to the just mean; just; equitable: (
Zj,
S,
K:) good; (
Zj,
M,
Msb,
K;) as also ↓ وَسِيطٌ: (
M:) most conforming, or conformable, to the just mean; most just; most equitable; applied to what is so of a thing; (
S,
M,
K;) whatever it be; (
S,
K;) as also ↓ أَوْسَطَ: (
M:) best; (
Msb;) as also ↓ أَوْسَطُ: (
S, *
Msb,
K *:) most generous: (
M:) and when used as an
epithet, it is applied alike to a
masc.,
fem.,
sing., dual, and
pl.,
subst.: (
Mgh:) the
fem. of ↓ أَوْسَطُ is وُسْطَى; (
Mgh,
Msb;) and the
pl. masc. أَوَاسِطُ; and
pl. fem. وُسَطٌ. (
Msb.) Hence, (
Msb,) ↓ الإِصْبَعُ الوُسْطَى (
S,
Msb,
K) The middle finger. (
Msb.) And ↓ اليَوْمُ الأَوْسَطُ [The middle day]. (
Msb.) And ↓ اللَّيْلَةُ الوُسْطَى [The middle night. (
Msb.) And ↓ العَشَرَةُ الأَوَاسِطُ, meaning The [ten middle] days. (
Msb.) And العَشْرُ
↓ الوُسَطُ, meaning The [ten middle nights: not ↓ العَشْرُ الأَوْسَطُ; for this is a vulgar mistake, into which relaters of traditions have fallen; or it may be a mistake of transcription. (
Msb.) and ↓ الصَّلٰوةُ الوُسْطَى, (
M,
Mgh, &c.,) mentioned in the
Kur, [ii. 239,] (
M,
K,) meaning The middle prayer (
Bd,
TA) between the other prayers, (
Bd,) or between the prayers of the night and the day; (
TA;) or the most excellent of them in particular: (
Bd:) i. e. the prayer of the afternoon; ('Alee Ibn-Abee-
Tálib,
I'Ab, and others,
Mgh,
Bd,
K;) because the prophet said, on the day of the Ahzáb, “they have diverted us from الصلوة الوسطى, the prayer of the afternoon: ” (
Bd:) or the prayer of daybreak; (also said to be on the authority of 'Alee,
Mgh,
Bd,
K;) because it is between the prayers of the night and the day; (
Bd;) for the saying of the prophet mentioned above does not contravene this and other assertions, since what is meant in the
trad. is not what is meant in the
Kur: (
K:) or, (
M,
K,)
accord. to Abu-l-Hasan, (
M,) the prayer of Friday; (
M,
K;) because it is the most excellent of the prayers; (
M;) and he who says otherwise errs, unless he trace up the assertion to the prophet: (
M,
K:) these three opinions are of the strongest authority; (
B;) and the first is that which commonly obtains: (
Mgh:) or the prayer of noon; (
Mgh,
Bd,
Msb,
K;) because it is in the middle of the day: (
Bd:) or the prayer of Friday on the day thereof; but on other days the prayer of noon: (
K, and also said to be on the authority of 'Alec:) or the prayer of sunset: (
Mgh,
Bd,
K:) or the prayer of nightfall: (
Bd,
K:) or [the night-prayer called] الوِتْر: (
K:) or the prayer of the breaking of the fast: (
K:) or the prayer of sacrifices: (
K:) or the prayer of the period called the ضُحَى: (
K:) or the prayer of the congregation: (
K:) or the prayer of fear: (
K:) or the prayers of nightfall and daybreak together: (
K, and said to be on the authorities of 'Omar and 'Othmán:) or the prayers of daybreak and the afternoon together: (
K:) or any of the five prayers; because before it are two prayers and after it are two prayers: (
K:) or all the divinely-appointed prayers: (
K:) or certain prayers not particularized: (
K:) or prayer of middling length, between long and short. (
K.) Hence also, شَىْءٌ وَسَطٌ A middling thing; a thing of middle sort or kind; (
Msb;) between good and bad; (
S,
Msb;) as also ↓ أَوْسَطُ: (
Msb:) and in like manner it is applied to a male slave, and a female slave, (
Msb,) and two male slaves, and two sheep or goats. (
Mgh.) And مَا تُطْعِمُونَ ↓ مِنْ أَوْسَطِ
أَهْلِيكُمْ, in the
Kur, [
v. 91,] Of the middle sort of that which ye give for food to your families, (
Mgh,
Msb,) between what is prodigal and what is niggardly. (
Mgh.) And ↓ النَّمَطُ الأَوْسَطُ The middle class of men: occurring in a saying of 'Alee, cited in full in art. غط. (
M.) And عَلِّمْنِى
↓ دِينًا وَسُوطا Teach thou to me a religion of the middle sort: occurring in a saying of an Arab of the desert to El-Hasan, cited in full
voce فَرَطَ. (
M,
TA.) And جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أَمَّةً وَسَطًا, in the
Kur, [ii. 137,] (
S,
Mgh,
Msb,) [We have made you to be a nation] conforming, or conformable, to the just mean; just; equitable: (
Zj,
S,
IB,
Bd,
K:) or good. (
Zj,
Bd,
Msb,
K.) And مَرْعًى
وَسَطٌ Choice pasturage. (
M.) And رَجُلٌ وَسَطٌ A good man; as also ↓ وَسِيطٌ: (
M:) or a man having good grounds of pretension to respect. (
TA.) And فِى قَوْمِهِ ↓ فُلَانٌ وَسِيطٌ, (
S,
K *,) or بَيْنَهُمْ, (as in some copies of the
K,) Such a one is the best of his people (↓ أَوْسَطُهُمْ) in race, and the highest of them in station. (
S,
K.) and الدَّارِ وَالحَسَبِ ↓ فُلَانٌ وَسِيطُ [Such a one is of good quality, or of the best quality, in respect of tribe, and of grounds of pretension to honour]. (
Lth.) And هُوَ مِنْ وَسَطِ قَوْمِهِ, and ↓ من أَوْسَطِهِمْ, He is of the best of his people. (
Msb.) And in like manner, هُوَ مِنْ وَسَطِ الشَّىْءِ, and ↓ من أَوْسَطِهِ, It is of the best of the thing. (
Msb.) And قَالَ
↓ أَوْسَطُهُمْ in the
Kur, lxviii. 28, The best of them said: (
Jel:) or the most rightly directed, of them, to the truth: (
Msb:) or it means ↓ أَوْسَطُهُمْ رَأْيًا [the most remote, of them, from either extreme, in judgment]; or سِنًّا [in age]. (
Bd.) وَسُوطٌ: see وَسَطٌ, as an
epithet, in two places.
وَسِيطٌ: see وَسَطٌ, as an
epithet, in five places.
b2: A mediator, or an intercessor, for the purpose of accommodation, (
O,
K,) between people, (
O,) or between two persons engaged in mutual altercation or litigation. (
K.) وَسَاطَةٌ [originally an
inf. n.: (see 1:)
b2: and hence, as a
subst., Mediation, or intercession]. (
S,
K: see 5.)
b3: وَسَاطَةُ الدَّنَانِيرِ The best of deenárs. (
TA.) وَسِيطَةٌ A mean, or means:
pl. وَسَائِطُ.]
وَاسِطٌ: see وَسَطٌ, as a
subst., and also as an
epithet.
b2: وَاسِطُ الكُورِ, (
Lth,
S,
K,) or الرَّحْلِ, (
ISh,
Az,
M,) and ↓ وَاسِطَتُهُ, (
Lth,
M,
K,) and ↓ مَوْسِطَتُهُ, (
Lh,
M, [or perhaps ↓ مُوسِطَتُهُ, corresponding to ↓ مُؤْخِرَتُهُ,]) The fore-part of the camel's saddle: (
S,
K:)
accord. to
Lth, (
Az,
TA,) the part, of the camel's saddle, which is between the تَادِمَة and the آخِرَة; (
Az,
M,
L;) but this is a mistake; (
Az,
L;) for the واسط of the camel's saddle is one of the شَرْخَانِ, (
ISh,
Az,
L,) which are its two extremities, [or upright pieces of wood,] like the قَرَبُوسُانِ of the horse's saddle, (
Az,
L,) between which the rider sits; (
ISh,
Az,
L;) it is the extremity which is next to the head of the camel; (
Az,
L;) the tall forepart next to the breast of the rider, (
ISh,
Az,
L,) against which the breast of the rider sometimes strikes; (
TA, in art. نحز;) the آخِرةَ being the extremity which is next to the tail of the camel; (
Az,
L;) the hinder part of the saddle, which is its tall and broad piece of wood that is against (تُحَاذِى) the head of the rider: (
ISh,
Az,
L:) the former of these is not called واسط as being a middle part between the آخرة and the قادمة, as
Lth says; nor has the camel's saddle any [part called] قادمة. (
Az,
L.)
b3: الوَاسِطُ also signifies The piece of wood that is in the middle, between the two pieces called the عِضَادَتَانِ, in the yoke that is upon the neck of a bull which draws a cart or the like. (
L in art. عضذ.)
وَاسِطَةٌ The jewel that is in the middle of a قِلَادَة [or necklace], which is the best thereof; (
S;) the large pearl (دُرَّة) that is in the middle thereof, which is the most precious of the beads thereof. (
L.)
b2: [In modern Arabic, A means of doing a thing. You say, بِـ
ـوَاسِطَةِ كَذَا By means of such a thing.
b3: Also, An intermediary, interposer, or
agent between parties; a go-between.]
b4: See also وَاسِطٌ.
b5: هُوَ فِى
وَاسِطَةٍ مِنَ العَيْشِ (assumed
tropical:) He is in a good condition of life. (
Er-Rághib,
TA, in art. حف.) أَوْسَطُ;
fem. وُسْطَى;
pl. masc. أَوَاسِطُ;
pl. fem.
وُسَطٌ: see وَسَطٌ, as a
subst., in two places; and as an
epithet, throughout.
مُوسَطٌ What is in the middle of a بَيْت [i. e. house, or tent, &c.], particularly. (Ibn-'Abbád,
K.) مَوْسِطَةٌ, or مُوسِطَةٌ: see وَاسِطٌ.
قَتَلَ فُلَانًا مُوَسَّطًا He slew such a one cut [in the middle, or midst,] in two halves. (
TA.) [This mode of slaughter, termed تَوْسِيطٌ, was often practised under the rule of the Egyptian Sultáns; many instances thereof being mentioned by ElMakreezee and other historians. See De Sacy's Chrest. Ar., 2nd ed., vol. i. p. 468.]
مُتَوَسِّطٌ: see وَسَطٌ, as an
epithet, in two places.
