أَحَدٌ

, originally وَحَدٌ, the و being changed into أ, (Msb,) One; the first of the numbers; (S;) synonym [in many cases] with وَاحِدٌ; (S, Msb, K;) with which it is interchangeable in two cases, to be explained below: (Msb:) plural احَادٌ and أٌحْدَانٌ (K) and أَحَدُونَ, which last occurs in a phrase hereafter to be mentioned; (TA;) or it has no plural in this sense; (Msb, K, * TA;) and as to احَادٌ, it may be plural of وَاحِدٌ, [and originally أَوْحَادٌ,] like أَشْهَادٌ as plural of شَاهِدٌ, (Th, Msb,) a plural of pauc. (Msb.) The feminine is ↓ إِحْدَى only; and this is only used in particular cases, to be shown below: (Msb:) most agree that the ى in this word is the characteristic of the feminine gender: but some say that it is to render it quasi-coordinate to the quadriliteral-radical class: [this, however, is inconsistent with its pronunciation, which is invariably إِحْدَى, not إِحْدَّى:] (TA:) its plural is إِحَدٌ, as though the singular were إِحْدَةٌ, like as is said of ذِكَرٌ as plural of ذِكْرَى: one of the expositors of the Tes-heel writes it أُحَدٌ, with damm and then fet-h; but a plural of this measure is not applicable to a singular of the measure فِعْلَى, with kesr. (MF.) The diminutive of أَحَدٌ is ↓ أُحَيْدٌ; and that of إِحْدَى is ↓ أُحَيْدَى. (L in article وحد.)

It is interchangeable with وَاحِدٌ in two cases: first, when it is used as an epithet applied to God: (Msb:) for الأَحَدُ, as an epithet, is applied to God alone, (Msb, K,) and signifies The One; the Sole; He who has ever been one and alone: or the Indivisible: or He who has no second [to share] in his lordship, nor in his essence, nor in his attributes: (TA:) you say, هُوَ الوَاحِدُ and هُوَ الأَحَدُ: and in like manner, أَحَدٌ, without the article, is used as an epithet specially in relation to God, and is interchangeable in this case [but not in other cases] with وَاحِدٌ: therefore you do not say رَجُلٌ أَحَدٌ nor دِرْهَمٌ أَحَدٌ and the like [but رَجُلٌ وَاحدٌ and دِرهَمٌ وَاحِدٌ &c.] (Msb.) [See also وَاحِدٌ, in article وحد.] In the phrase in the Qur'an, 112:1, قُلْ هُوَ اللّٰهُ أَحَدٌ [Say, He is God, One God], أَحَدٌ is a substitute for اللّٰهُ; for an indeterminate noun is sometimes a substitute for a determinate noun, as in another passage in the Qur'an, 96:15 and 16. (S.) Secondly, it is interchangeable with وَاحِدٌ in certain nouns of number: (Msb:) you say أَحَدَ عَشَرَ [masculine] and إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ [feminine] (S) [meaning Eleven: and in these two cases you may not substitute وَاحِدٌ and وَاحِدَةٌ for أَحَدٌ and إِحْدَى: but] in أَحَدٌوعَشْرُونَ [One and twenty, and the like,] أَحَدٌ is interchangeable with وَاحِدٌ. (Msb.) Ks says, When you prefix the article ال to a number, prefix it to every number; therefore you should say, مَا فَعَلَتِ الأَحَدَ العَشَرَ الأَلْفَ الدِّرْهَمَ [What did the eleven thousand dirhems?]: but the Basrees prefix it to the first only, and say, ما فعلت الأَحَدَ عَشَرَ أَلْفَ دِرْهَمٍ. (S.)

In [most] cases differing from these two, there is a difference in usage between أَحَدٌ and وَاحِدٌ: the former is used in affirmative phrases as a prefixed noun only, governing the noun which follows it in the gen. case; [as in exs. which will be found below;] and is used absolutely in negative phrases; [as will also be seen in exs. below;] whereas وَاحِدٌ is used in affirmative phrases as a prefixed noun and otherwise: the feminine إِحْدَى, also, is only used as a prefixed noun, except in numbers (Msb) [and in one other instance, which see below]. Using أَحَدٌ and its feminine in affirmative phrases as prefixed nouns, you say, قَامَ أَحَدُ الثَّلَاثَةِ [One of the three stood]; and قَالَتْ إِحْدَا هُمَا [One of them two (females) said]; and خُذْ إِحْدَى الثَّلَاثَةِ [Take thou one of the three]. (TA.) The phrase إِحْدَى بَنَاتِ طَبَقٍ means A calamity: (K:) or, as some say, (TA, but in the K “ and, ”) a serpent; (K, TA;) so called because it twists itself round so as to become like a طَبَق. (TA.) And the phrase إِحْدَى الإِحَدِ, (L, K, TA,) in which the latter word has kesr to the إ and fet-h to the ح, and is plural of the former, also written الأُحَدِ, but this form is disapproved by MF, as has been shown above, (TA, [in several copies of the K incorrectly written الأَحَدِ,]) [lit. means One of the ones; and] is applied to a great, or mighty, event; (L, K, TA;) one that is difficult, distressing, grievous, or terrible. (L, TA.) You say, أَتَى بِإِحْدَى الإِحَدِ [the last of which words is here again written in several copies of the K الأَحَدِ] He brought to pass a grievous, and great, or mighty, event, (K, TA,) when you desire to express the greatness and terribleness of an event. (TA.) You also say, فُلَانُ أَحَدُ الأَحَدِينَ, and وَاحِدُ الأَحَدِينَ, (K, TA,) the latter in one copy of the K written وَاحِدُ الوَاحِدِينَ, in which the latter word is plural of the former, (TA,) and وَاحِدُ الاحَادِ, and إِحْدَى الإِحَدِ, (K, TA,) like a phrase before mentioned, only the former is applied to a calamity, and this to an intelligent being, and written in the two manners before mentioned, the difference being only in application, (TA, [in several copies of the K here again written إِحْدَى الأَحَدِ, and in the CK اَحَدِىُّ الاَحَدِ,]) and إِحْدَى الأَحَدِينَ, (Et-Tes-heel,) and إِحْدَى الاحَادِ, (TA,) which are expressions of the utmost praise, (IAar, A Heyth, K,) [lit. Such a man is one of the ones; meaning] such a one is unique among the uniques; (TA;) one who has no equal; unequalled; incomparable. (IAar, Tes-heel.) It seems that the form of plural used in the phrase أَحَدُ الأَحَدِينَ is used only as applied to rational beings; but it is said in the Expositions of the Tes-heel that this phrase signifies One of the calamities; the form of the rational plural being given to nouns significant of things deemed great, mighty, or grievous. (AHeyth.) In the phrase إِحْدَى الإِحَدِ, the feminine forms are said to be used for the purpose of giving intensiveness to the signification, as though the meaning were دَاهِيَةُ الدَّوَاهِى, the word داهية being [an intensive epithet] from دَهَاءٌ as signifying intelligence, or intelligence mixed with craft or cunning and forecast; or by داهية being meant a calamity. (Expositions of the Fs, TA.) AHei thought أَحَدُ الأَحَدِينَ to be an epithet applied to a male, and إِحْدَى الإِحَدِ to be applied to a female: but his opinion has been refuted by EdDemámeenee in the Expos. of the Tes-heel: and this latter author there remarks, that in expressions meant to denote praise [of a man], أَحَدٌ and إِحْدَى are prefixed to their own proper pls., as أَحَدُونَ and إِحَدٌ; or to an epithet, as in the case of أَحَدُ العُلَمَاءِ [One of the learned]; but that they have not been heard prefixed to generic nouns. (TA.) You say likewise, هُوَ ابْنُ إِحْدَاهَا He is born of noble, or generous, ancestors, both on the father's and the mother's side; speaking of a man and of a camel. (L and K in article وحد.) And لَا يَقُومُ بِهٰذَا الأَمْرِ إِلَّا ابْنُ إِحْدَاهَا None will manage this thing, or affair, but a noble, or generous, man. (AZ, L in article وحد.) And ↓ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُهَا ابْنُ إِحْداتِهَا [None will be able to perform it but a noble, or generous, man]. (L in article وحد.)

One instance is mentioned, of the occurrence, in a tradition, of إِحْدَى not used as a part of a number [i. e. not as a part of the compound إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ] nor as a prefixed noun; viz., إِحْدَى مِنْ سَبْعٍ [One of seven]; in which سبع is said to mean the nights of 'Ád [during which that tribe was destroyed], or the years of Joseph [during which Egypt was afflicted with dearth]. (MF, from the Fáïk &c.)

Used in a negative phrase, أَحَدٌ signifies Any one with whom one may talk or speak: and in this manner it is used without variation as singular and plural and feminine (S) as well as masculine (Msb.) You say, لَا أَحَدَ فِي الدَّارِ [There is not any one in the house]: but you do not say, فِيهَا أَحَدٌ [as meaning the contrary]. (S.) We read in the Qur'an, 69:47, this example of its use as a masculine plural], فَمَا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ عَنْهُ حَاجِزِينَ [And not any persons of you should have withheld me from punishing him]. (S.) And in the same [xxxiii. 32, we find this example of its use as a feminine plural], لَسْتُنَّ كَأَحَدٍ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ [Ye are not like any others of women]. (S.)

It is also used in interrogative phrases; as in the saying, هَلْ أَحَدٌ رَأَي مِثْلَ هٰذَا [Has any one seen the like of this?]; (A'Obeyd, L;) and in the saying, يَا حَدْ رَاهَا [for يَا أَحَدٌ, O, has any one seen her, or it?]. (L, from a tradition)

It is [said to be] also used in the sense of شَىءٌ [meaning Anything], applied to an irrational being; as in the saying, مَا بِا لدَّارِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا حِمَارًا There is not in the house anything, rational or irrational, except an ass: so that the thing excepted is united in kind to that from which the exception is made [according to this rendering; but this instance is generally regarded as one in which the thing excepted is disunited in kind from that from which the exception is made]. (Msb.) So too in the Qur'an, 60:11, according to the reading of Ibn-Mes'ood: (Msb:) but others there read شَىْءٌ, which may mean any one or any thing. (Bd, Jel.)

الأَحَدٌ, (K,) as also يَوْمَ الأَحَدِ, (S, Msb,) as a proper name, (Msb,) is applied to A certain day; (K;) [Sunday;] the first day of the week; or, as some say, [i. e. as some term it,] the second of the week; (TA;) for the Arabs are said, by IAar, to have reckoned the Sabbath, or Saturday, as the first, though they called Sunday the first of the days: (Msb in article جمع:) it is singular, and masculine: (Lh:) plural [as above, i. e.] احَادٌ (S, Msb, K) and أُحْدَانٌ: (K:) or it has no plural (K: [but in the TA this last observation is very properly restricted, as relating only to أَحَدٌ as synonym with وَاحِدٌ, and as applied to any unknown person.]) In this sense, it has no diminutive (Sb, in S, article امس.)

الاحَادُ in lexicology signifies What have been transmitted by some of the lexicologists, but not by such a number of them as cannot be supposed to have agreed to a falsehood: what has been transmitted by this larger number is termed مُتَوَاتِرُ. (Mz 3rd نوع.)