أَنَّى

signifies Whence? synonym مِنْ أَيْنَ; (T, S, M;) being an interrogative respecting the direction, or quarter, from which a thing is: (Msb:) and whence [used to denote a condition]: (TA:) and where? and where [used to denote a condition]; synonym أَيْنَ: (T, K: [in which latter the first signification is not mentioned:]) and as one of the adverbial nouns used to denote a condition, whencesoever; from whatever direction or quarter: (S:) and wherever; wheresoever: (Lth, T:) and when? and when [used to den a condition]; synonym مَتَى: (T, K: [but in the latter of these, in article ان, in the place of مَتَى we find حَيْثُ, which I regard as a mistake:]) and how? synonym كَيْفَ: (Lth, T, S, M, K:) and however. (Lth, TA.) [I mention all these significations together because one of them is assigned by some authorities and another by others to انّى in one and the same instance.] You say, أَنَّى يَكُونُ هٰذَا Whence, from what direction or quarter, from what way, will, or should, be this? (Msb.) And أَنَّى لَكَ هٰذَا Whence [came, or cometh,] to thee this? (S.) It is said in the Qur'an, 3:32, يَا مَرْيَمُ أَنَّى لَكِ هٰذَا O Mary, whence [came] to thee this? (T.) And in the same [xxxiv. 51], وَأَنَّى لَهُمُ ٱلتَّنَاوُشُ مِنْ مَكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ, meaning [But] whence [shall the attaining of belief be possible to them from a distant place, i. e., (as explained in the S in article نوش,) in the world to come, when they have disbelieved in the present world? or but how, &c.?]. (T.) And in the same [1xxx. 25], according to one reading, أَنَّى صَبَبْنَا المَآءَ صَبَّا, meaning Where have we poured forth the water, pouring? but in this is an allusion to the direction [whence the rain comes]; and it may be rendered whence?, &c.; and according to this reading, the pause upon طَعَامِهٌ [immediately preceding] is complete. (IAmb, T.) And you say, أَنَّى تَأْتِنِى آتِكَ, (S, K,) meaning Whencesoever, or from whatever direction or quarter, thou shalt come to me, I will come to thee. (S.) In the saying of 'Alkameh,

وَمُطْعَمُ الغُنْمِ يُوْمَ الغُنْمِ مُطْعَمُهُ

أَنَّى تَوَجَّهَ وَالمَحْرُومُ مَحْرُومُ

the meaning is, [And he who is given spoil to enjoy, (lit., who is fed therewith,) on the day of spoil, is given it to enjoy] wherever he repairs, or however he repairs, [and the prohibited is prohibited.] (Lth, T, TA.) The saying in the Qur'an, 3:159, قُلْتُمٌ أَنَّى هٰذَا means Ye say, When is this? or How is this? (T,) or Whence is this? (T, Bd, Jel.) And أَنَّى شئْتُمْ, in the same, [ii. 223,] may mean Whence, or when, or how, ye will. (TA.) You say also, أَنَّى لَكَ أَنْ تَفْتَحَ الحِصْنَ, meaning How [is it, or will it be, possible for thee to open, or conquer, the fortress]? (S.)