خَافَ
1.
, (S, Msb, K, &c.,) originally خَوِفَ, (Lth, L, &c.,) first pers. خِفْتُ, (TA,) aorist يَخَافُ, (S, K, &c.,) originally يَخْوَفُ, (L,) imperative خَفْ, (S,) verbal noun خَوْفٌ (S, Msb, K, &c.) and
خِيفٌ, [originally خِوْفٌ,] (Lh, TA,) erroneously written in the K with fet-h [to the خ], but some say that this is a simple subst., not a verbal noun, (TA,) and
خِيفَةٌ, (Lh, S, Msb, K, &c.,) originally خِوْفَةٌ, (K,) but some say that this also is a simple subst., not a verbal noun, (TA,) and [therefore] its plural is خِيفٌ, (Lh, JK, S, and so in the CK,) in [some of] the copies of the K erroneously written خِيَفٌ, (TA,) or this [as well as the next preceding] may be a verbal noun, for some few inf. ns. have pls., (ISd, TA,) and مَخَافَةٌ, (S, Msb, K, &c.,) originally مَخْوَفَةٌ, for which last, the first of these inf. ns. is used by a poet, and therefore made feminine, (TA,) He feared; he was afraid or frightened or terrified; synonym فَزِعَ. (K.) It is also transitive: (Msb:) you say, خَافَهُ and
تخوّفهُ [He feared, or was afraid of, him, or it]; (Msb, TA;) both signifying the same: (TA:) [and so خَافَ مِنْهُ; or this may mean he feared what might happen to him from him, or it:] and عَلَيْهِ شَيْيءًا
تخوّف, meaning خَافَهُ [i. e. خَافَ عَلَيْهِ
شَيْيءًا
He feared for him a thing]: (S, K:) and خَاَفَهُ عَلَى مَالِهِ and عَلَيْهِ
تخوّفهُ [He feared him, or it, for his property]. (Mgh.)
2.
[Hence,] it is also used in the sense of ظَنَّ [He thought, or opined]: and in this case, the Arabs sometimes use it in the same manner as a verb signifying an oath, and give it the same kind of complement; as in an example cited voce دَرِدَ [q. v.]. (S in article درد.) And He knew. (Lh, Kr, K.) Hence, وَإِنِ امْرَأَةٌ
خَافَتْ مِنْ بَعْلِهَا نُشُوزًا [And if a woman know that there is, on the part of her husband, injurious treatment, or unkindness, or estrangement], (K,) in the Qur'an, 4:127. (TA.) And hence also, فَمَنْ خَافَ مِنْ مُوصٍ جَنَفًا [And he who knoweth that there is, on the part of the testator, an inclining to a wrong course, or a declining from the right course, &c.], (K,) in the Qur'an, 2:178; thus explained by Lh. (TA.)