دُون

duwnF dwn dwnn Low, base, vile, mean, paltry, inconsiderable, or contemptible; (Fr, T, S, M, * Msb, K;) applied to a man &c.: (T, Msb:) and inferior, i. e. lower, baser, viler, &c., in grounds of pretension to respect or honour [or in any approvable quality ]: (Lth, T:) and such as falls short [of a thing]; used in this sense as a prefixed noun: (Ham p. 686:) [see below what is said of its usage as a prefixed noun by Lth and by Sb: and used as an epithet, scanty, or deficient; applied to anything:] and of a middling sort; between good and bad; applied to a man and to a commodity: (M:) and also high, or eminent, in rank or condition; noble, or honourable: (T, K:) thus it bears two contr. significations (K) [and significations intermediate between those two]. A poet says, A_i*aA maA EalaA Almaro'u raAma AlEalaA=' wayaqotaEu biAld~uwni mano kaAnaA duwnaA [ When the man is high in rank, or nobility, he seeks highness: and he who is low is content with that which is low ]. (S.) Accord. to the most common usage, (Msb,) or accord. to what is asserted to be the most common usage, (Lh, M,) one says rajulN mino duwnK (T, M, Msb, K) and $aYo'N mino duwnK (M, Msb) A man who is [ of a kind that is ] low, base, &c., and a thing that is [ of a kind that is ] low, base, &c.: (Msb:) but sometimes they said rajulN duwnN and $aYo'N duwnN , without mino ; (M, Msb;) and vawobN duwnN a bad [or an inferior ] garment, or piece of cloth: (M:) or one should not say rajulN duwnN ; (T, K;) for the Arabs did not use this phrase. (T.) Accord. to Lth, one says, h`*aA duwnu *aAka [ This is the inferior of that ], when meaning to denote by it low estimation, using the nom. case: (T:) [but this is uncommon, if allowable:] Sb says that duwn is not used in the nom. case as a prefixed noun: as to the saying in the Kur [lxxii. 11, an instance similar to which occurs also in vii. 167], min~aA AlS~aAliHuwna wa min~aA duwna *`lika , the meaning is, wa min~aA qawomN duwna *`lika [i. e. Of us are the righteous, and of us are a party below that party in rank or estimation ]; (M, TA;) or, as another says, dwn is here in the accus. case but in the place of a noun in the nom. case because it is generally used as an adv. n. (TA.) ― -b2- As an adv. n., duwn signifies Below, contr. of fawoq ; (S, K;) as denoting a falling short of the [ right or approved ] limit; (S;) or denoting low, or mean, estimation or condition; (Lth, T, M;) or a condition lower, baser, viler, &c., than that of another, in grounds of pretension to respect or honour [or in any approvable quality ]; (Lth, T;) [and hence, inferior to, beneath, under, or short of, another in rank, height, size, &c.;] and less than another, and more deficient than another: (Fr, T:) and also above; i. q. fawoq ; (T, K;) in highness, or eminence, of rank or condition, or in nobility; (T;) [and hence, exceeding another, and more than another:] thus bearing two contr. significations. (K.) You say, zayodN duwnaka meaning Zeyd is [ below thee, or] in a condition lower, baser, viler, &c., than thine, in grounds of pretension to respect or honour [&c.]: and when one says, “ Verily such a one is high, or eminent, in rank or condition, ” or “ is noble, ” another replies, wa duwna *`lika meaning And above that. (T.) ― -b3- Also Beneath, below in situation, or under; syn. taHot . (T, TA.) Using it in this sense, you say, duwan qadamika xad~u Eaduw~ika [ May the cheek of thine enemy be beneath thy foot ]: (T, TA:) and jalasa duwnahu [ He sat below him ]. (TA.) ― -b4- Also Before in respect of place, or in front: and [the contr., namely,] behind, or beyond. (T, M, K.) [You may say, using it in the former sense, jalasa duwnahu He sat before him, or in front of him: (see Ham p. 86:) and, using it in the latter sense,] you say, h`*aA A^amiyrN EalaY maA duwna jayoHuwna This [man] is governor, or prince, over what is beyond [the river] Jeyhoon. (TA.) ― -b5- And i. q. qabol [generally signifying Before in respect of time; but as some say, in re