فِيلُ

[The elephant; Pers. Pيل;] a certain animal, (TA,) well known: plural [of pauc.] أَفْيَالٌ and [of mult.] فُيُولٌ and فِيَلَةٌ; (S, M, O, Msb, K;) not أَفْيِلَةٌ: (ISk, S, O, Msb:) according to Sb. فِيلٌ may be originally of the measure فُعْلٌ, (S, M, O,) pronounced with kesr because of the ى, like as they said أَبْيَضُ and بيضٌ; but Akh says, this is not the case in the sing, but only in the plural: (S, O:) feminine with ة. (M, K)

Hence, لَيْلَةٌ مِثْلُ لَوْنِ الفِيلِ [lit. A night like the colour of the elephant;] meaning a night that is black. (M, TA,) and dust-coloured; (M;) in which one knows not the right course to pursue: the colours of the فيل being of this kind. (M, TA.)

[Hence, also, دَاءُ الفِيلِ The disease called by us the tumid Barbadoes leg; because the leg of the patient resembles that of the elephant by reason of its enormously-swollen state: not (as some have supposed it to be) elephantiasis; this latter being termed جُذَام (q. v.) [

And hence, likewise, used as an epithet,] فِيلٌ signifies also (tropical:) Heavy [or dull]; and low, ignoble, or mean. (K, TA.)

And one says رَجُلٌ فِيلُ الرَّأْىِ, meaning A man weak in respect of judgment, or opinion; (T, S, M, O, K;) and so ↓ فِيْلُهُ; (M, K;) and ↓ فَايءِلُهُ: (T, M, O, K;) and ↓ فَيِّلُهُ, (ISk, T, S, M, O, K,) of the measure فَيْعِل; (O:) and ↓ فَالُهُ, (T, M, O, K,) and فَالٌ alone. (S, K.) meaning weak in respect of judgment, or opinion; (T, S, M, O, K;) erring in insight: (S:) plural of the first] أَفْيَالٌ: (S, M, O, K:) but AO says, the ↓ فَايءِل is one who, inspecting, forms an opinion and errs; if he err after examining a horse in all its states or conditions and forming an opinion respecting it from his inspection, [not while doing so,] he is not reckoned to be فايءل. (TA.)