أَثَرٌ

A remain, or relic, of a thing; (M, Msb, K;) as of a house; as also ↓ أَثَارَةٌ: (Msb:) a trace remaining of a thing; and of the stroke, or blow, of a sword: (S:) see also أُثْرٌ: a sign, mark, or trace; opposed to the عَيْن, or thing itself: (TA:) a footstep, vestige, or track; a footprint; the impression, or mark, made by the foot of a man [&c.] upon the ground; as also ↓ إِثْرٌ: and an impress, or impression, of anything: (El-Wá'ee:) plural اثَارٌح(M, Msb, K) and إُثُورٌ. (M, K.) [The singular is also frequently used in a plural sense: and the former of these pls. is often used to signify Remains, or monuments, or memorials, of anti- quity, or of any past time.] It is said in a prov., لَا أَطْلُبُ أَثَرًا بَعْدَ عَيْنٍ I will not seek a trace, or vestige, [or, as we rather say in English, a shadow,] after suffering a reality, or substance, to escape me: or, as some relate it, لَا تَطْلُبْ seek not thou. (Har pp. 120 and 174.) And one says, قَطَعَ اللّٰهُ أَثَرَهُ [May God cut short his footsteps]: meaning may God render him crippled: for when one is crippled, his footsteps cease. (TA.) And فُلَانٌ لَيَصْدُقُ أَثَرُهُ, and أَثَرَهُ, Such a one, if asked, will not tell thee truly whence he comes: (M in article صدق:) a prov. said of a liar. (TA.) And خَرَجْتُ, (S, M, * K,) and جَيءْتُ, (El-Wá'ee, Msb,) فيِ أَثَرِهِ, and ↓, في إِثْرِهِ, (T, S, M, Msb, K,) the former of which is said by more than one to be the more chaste, (TA,) [but the latter seems to be the more common,] and عَلَى أَثَرِهِ, and ↓ على إِثْرِهِ, (El-Wá'ee, Msb,) I went out, (S, &c.,) and I came, (El-Wá'ee, Msb,) after him: (M, A, K:) or at his heel: (Expos. of the Fs:) or following near upon him, or hard upon him, or near after him, or following him nearly: (Msb:) as though treading in his footsteps. (El-Wá'ee.) And أَثَرَ ذِى أَثِيرَيْنِ: see اثِرٌ. (K.)

An impress or impression, a mark, stamp, character, or trace, in a fig. sense; an effect. (The Lexicons passim.) You say, عَلَى مَاشِيَتِهِ أَثَرٌ حَسَنٌ Upon his camels, or sheep, or goats, is an impress of a good state, or condition; of fatness, and of good tending; like إِصْبَعٌ. (TA in article صبع.) And إِنَّهُ لَحَسَنُ الأَثَرِفِى مَالِهِ Verily he has the impress of a good state, or condition, in his camels, or sheep, or goats; like حَسَنُ الإِصْبَعِ, and المَسِ. (TA ubi suprà.) And عَلَيْهِ أَثَرُ كَذَا He, or it, bears the mark, stamp, character, or trace, of such a thing. (The Lexicons passim.)

[The plural] اثَارٌalso signifies Signs, or marks, set up to show the way. (K.)

Also the singular, i. q. أَثْرٌ, q. v. (M, L.)

Also i. q. خَبَرٌ [both of which words are generally held to be synonym, as meaning A tradition, or narration relating or describing a saying or an action &c., of Mo- hammad]: (M, K:) or, according to some, the former signifies what is related as received from [one or more of] the Companions of Mohammad; (TA;) but it may also be applied to a saying of the Prophet; (Kull p. 152;) and the latter, what is from Mohammad himself; (TA;) or from another; or from him or another: (Kull p. 152:) or the former signifies i. q. سُنَّةٌ[a practice or saying, or the practices and sayings collectively, of Mo- hammad, or any other person who is an authority in matters of religion, namely, any prophet, or a Companion of Mohammad, as handed down by tradition]: (S, A:) plural اثَارٌ. (S, M.) You say, وَجَدْتُهُ فِي الأَثَرِ[I found it in the traditions of the practices and sayings of the Prophet; &c.]: and فُلَانٌ مِنْ حَمَلَةِ الاثَارِ[Such a one is of those who bear in their memories, knowing by heart, the traditions of the practices and sayings of the Prophet; &c.]. (A.)

A man's origin; as in the sayings, مَا يُدْرَى لَهُ أَيْنَ أَثَرٌ It is not known where was his origin; and مَا يُدْرَى لَهُ مَا أثَرٌ It is not known what is his origin. (Ks, Lh, M.)

The term, or period, of life: so called because it follows life: (Msb, TA:) or from the same word as signifying the print of one's foot upon the ground; because when one dies, his footprints cease to be seen. (TA.)

[For the former of these two reasons,] اثَارَهُمْin the Qur'an, 36:11 means The rewards and punishments of their good and evil lives. (M, L.)

-A2- اثَارٌis also a plural of ثَأْرٌ, q. v.; formed by transposition from أَثْارٌ. (Yaa- Koob, and M in article ثأر.)