شِمَالٌ

, (S, O, Msb, K, &c.,) applied to one of the hands or arms, (S, Msb,) The left; opposite of يَمِينٌ; (S, O, Msb, K;) as also شِيمَالٌ, (K, TA, [in the CK, الشَّمال and الشّمال are erroneously put for الشِّمَال and الشِّيمَال,]) the latter thought by ISd to be used only by poetic license, for شِمَالٌ, (TA,) and شِمْلَالٌ, (AA, S, O, K,) this last not known to Ks nor to As: (TA:) of the feminine gender: (S, O, Msb:) plural [of pauc.] أَشْمُلٌ, (S, O, Msb, K,) because it is feminine, (S, O,) and [of mult.] شَمَايءِلُ, (S, O, Msb, K,) which is anomalous, (S, O,) and شُمُلٌ, and شِمَالٌ like the singular (K.)

And The direction [or side] of the hand so called: you say, اِلْتَفَتَ يَمِينًا وَشِمَالًا i. e. [He looked, or turned his face,] in the direction of the يمين and in the direction of the شمال: and the plural in this sense also is أُشْمُلٌ and شَمَايءِلُ: (Msb:) you say, ذَهَبَ إِلَى أَيْمُنِ الإِبِلِ وَأَشْمُلِهَا He went to the right sides of the camels and the left sides thereof. (TA in article يمن.)

[Hence,] (tropical:) Ill luck, unluckiness, or evil fortune. (K, TA.) طَيْرُ الشِّمَالِ means (tropical:) Birds of ill luck: (A, TA:) every bird from which one augurs evil. (O, TA.) One says, جَرَى لَهُ غُرَابُ شِمَالٍ, meaning (assumed tropical:) What was disliked, or hated, happened to him: as though the bird [to which this is likened] came to him from the شِمَال [or direction of the left hand]. (TA.) And when the place that a person occupies is rendered evil, one says, فُلَانٌ عِنْدِى بِالشِّمَالِ (assumed tropical:) [Such a one is with me, or in my estimation, in an evil plight]. (TA.)

See also شَمَالٌ.

Also Every handful of corn, or seedproduce, which the reaper grasps [apparently because grasped with his left hand]. (K.)

And A sort of bag that is put upon the udder of the ewe or goat (S, O, K) when it (i. e. the udder, TA) is heavy [with milk]: (K, * TA:) or it is peculiar to the she-goat: (K:) plural شُمُلٌ. (K voce عَرَابَةٌ.)

And A similar thing that is put to the raceme of a palm-tree, made with pieces of [the garments called] أَكْسِيَة [plural of كِسَاءٌ], in order that the fruit may not be shaken off. (S, O.) [In this sense it may perhaps be from the same word as plural of شَمْلَةٌ.]

And A mark made with a hot iron (سِمَةٌ) upon the udder of a ewe or goat. (K.)

Also A nature; or a natural disposition or temper or the like: (O, Msb, K:) according to Er-Rághib, so called because [it is as though it were a thing] inwrapping the man [and restricting his freedom of action], like as the [garments called] شِمَال [plural of شَمْلَةٌ] inwrap the body: (TA:) the plural is شَمَايءِلُ, (O, K, TA,) and شِمَالٌ, also, [which seems to be rarely used as a singular in this sense,] may be a plural, like دِلَاصٌ. (TA; and Ham p. 489, q. v.) 'Abd-Yaghooth El-Hárithee says,

أَلَمْ تَعْلَمَا أَنَّ المَلَامَةَ نَفْعُهَا

قَلِيلٌ وَمَا لَوْمِى أَخِىمِنْ شِمَالِيَا

[Know not ye two that the utility of censure is little, and my censuring my brother is not of my nature, or of my natural dispositions?]: (O, TA:) here it may be a plural, of the class of هِجَانٌ and دِلَاصٌ: or it may be [شَمَالِيَا,] an instance of transposition, for شَمَايءِلِى. (TA.)

10.