وَسْط

, with the س quiescent, is an adv. n.; [as such written وَسْطَ, meaning In the middle of: in the midst of; or among;] (S, M, IB, Mgh, K;) and it is for this reason that it has its middle letter quiescent, (S, IB,) like بَيْنَ (IB) with which it is synonym; (IB, Msb;) [for] it may be used in any case in which بَيْنَ may be substituted for it; (S, IAth, K;) and, like بَيْنَ, it does not denote a part of the thing denoted by the noun to which it is prefixed, wherein differing from ↓ وَسَط. (S, IB, K.) You say, جَلَسْتُ وَسْطَ القَوْمِ (S, IB, Msb) I sat [in the middle of, or in the midst of,] or among, the people, or company of men, (IB, Msb;) not being one of them. (IB.) And وَسْطَ رَأْسِهِ دُهْنٌ [In the middle of his head is oil]; not meaning a component part of the head. (IB.) And it is said in a tradition الجَالِسُ وَسْطَ الحَلْقَةِ مَلْعُونٌ [The sitter in the midst of the ring is cursed]: for he must of necessity turn his back towards some of those who surround him, and so displease them; wherefore they curse him and revile him. (IAth.)

It may not [properly] be used as a decl. n., (IB,) i. e. as an inchoative, (Mgh,) nor as an agent, nor as an objective complement; (IB, Mgh) &c.; thus, also, differing from ↓ وَسَط; unless it have the adverbial particle [فِى] prefixed to it; in which case it has the sense of وَسَط, and you say, جَلَسْتُ فِى وَسْطِ القَوْمِ and فى وَسْطِ رَأْسِهِ دُهْنٌ [like as you say جَلَسْتُ وَسْطَ القَوْمِ and وَسْطَ رَأْسِهِ دُهنٌ, explained above]: and sometimes it is used as a subst., preserving the quiescence [and the adverbial form], like as بَيْنَ is used as a subst. though virtually an adv. n., in cases like that where it is said in the Qur'an, 6:94,] لَقَدْ تَقَطَّعَ بَيْنَكُمْ [meaning مَا بَيْنَكُمْ, or, as explained in the Expos. of the Jel., وَصْلُكُمْ بَيْنَكُمْ]: (IB:) or وَسْط is sometimes used for ↓ وَسَط, improperly; (S;) or it may be so used; (Msb;) or it is so used by poetic license; (M;) or, as some say, each of them may take the place of the other; and this seems the most likely: (IAth:) or one says وَسْط, with sukoon, only, of that whereof the component parts are separate, or distinct, (IAth, K *,) such as a number of men, and beasts of carriage, &c.; (IAth;) and ↓ وَسَط, (IAth,) or both, (K,) of that whereof the component parts are united, (IAth, K *,) such as a house, and the head, (IAth,) or such as a ring: (K:) it is related, as on the authority of Th, that الشَّىْءِ ↓ وَسَطُ and وسْطُهُ [both meaning The middle, or midst, of the thing] are said when the thing is solid; but when its component parts are separate, or distinct, the word is وَسْطٌ, with sukoon, exclusively. (M.)