استعجم

He was unable to speak: (TA:) he was silent, mute, or speechless; (K, TA;) said of a man. (TA.) And اِسْتَعْجَمَتِ الدَّارُ عَنْ جَوَابِ سَايءِلِهَا [The dwelling kept silence from replying to its interrogator]: and Imra-el-Keys says,

صَمَّ صَدَاهَا وَعَفَا رَسْمُهَا

وَاسْتَعْجَمَتْ عَنْ مَنْطِقِ السَّايءِلِ

[Its echo has become dumb, and its trace has become effaced, and it has become in the state of keeping silence from answering the speech of the interrogator]: he makes استعجمت transitive by means of عن because it is used in the sense of سَكَتَتْ. (TA.)

One says also, استعجم عَلَيْهِ الكَلَامُ, (S,) or عَلَيْنَا, (Msb,) meaning Speech was as though it were closed against him, or us; or he, or we, became impeded in speech, unable to speak, or tongue-tied; synonym اِسْتَبْهَمَ: (S, Msb:) and عليه الكلام ↓ انعجم; [which means the same;] synonym اِنْطَبَقَ and اِنْغَلَقَ. (K * and TA in article طبق.) And according to the K, one says, استعجم القِرَاءَةَ, meaning He was unable to perform [or continue] the recitation, or reading, by reason of the overcoming of drowsiness: but what is said in the Nh and other works is اِسْتَعْحَمَتْ عَلَيْهِ قِرَاءَتُهُ i. e. His recitation, or reading, was cut short, and he was unable to perform [or continue] it, by reason of drowsiness: and it is also explained as meaning he was, or became, impeded in his recitation, or reading, and unable to perform [or continue] it, as though he became one in whom was عُجْمَة. (TA.)

And استعجم الخَبَرُ means The information, or narration, was dubious, confused, vague, or difficult to be understood or expressed; or was not to be understood or expressed; as though it were closed [against the hearer or speaker]; synonym اِسْتَبْهَمَ, and اِسْتَغْلَقَ. (Msb in article بهم.)