أَعْلَى

Higher, and highest; opposite of أَسْفَلُ: (M and Msb and K in article سفل:) the feminine is عُلْيَا; (TA;) which is like دُنْيَا and قُصْيَا, with و changed into ى; (ISd, TA voce بُقْوَى;) and of which the plural is عُلًى, like as كُبَرٌ is of كُبْرَى. (Msb, TA.) See عَلِىٌّ.

One says شَفَةٌ عُلْيَا and عَلْيَاءُ, but the former is the more usual, meaning An upper lip. (IAmb, Msb, TA.)

عُلْيَا مُضَرَ means The higher [apparently in respect of territory (see a note in p. xi. of the preface to this work)] of Mudar; (K, TA;) said to denote Kureysh and Keys; the rest being called سُفْلَى مُضَرَ. (TA.)

And one says, جَاءَ مِنْ أَعْلَى وَأرْوَحَ, meaning It came from the sky and the place whence the wind blows. (TA.)

أَعْلَى applied to a word, or form of word, means (assumed tropical:) [Of higher authority, more approved, or more chaste; and also, hence, as frequency of usage is a necessary condition of فَصَاحَةٌ, q. v.,] more usual or common. (M and TA in article قر.)

One says also, هُمْ بِهِمْ أَعْلَى عَيْنًا i. e. (assumed tropical:) They are most knowing respecting them, and most acquainted with their state, or condition. (TA.)

And هُوَ أَعْلَى بِكُمْ عَيْنًا i. e. (assumed tropical:) He is in the highest degree a magnifier, or honourer, of you; ye being greatly esteemed by him. (TA.)

اليَدُ العُلْيَا (assumed tropical:) The abstinent, or chaste, hand: or the expending, or disbursing, hand. (TA.)

أَعْلَى formed by transposition from أَعُوَلُ: see the latter, in article عول.