طفيل

العربية

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طفيل

Where it comes from

Diminutive of طِفْل (ṭifl, “little child”), though in the sense of “parasite” perhaps a backformation from the commoner adjective طُفَيْلِيّ (ṭufayliyy). Ancient Arabic lexicographers explained this sense as being derived from the name of a certain man called Ṭufayl, who, among the ancient Arabs, used to gatecrash feasts. However, a derivation directly from the diminutive sense might also make sense. Hebrew טַפִּיל (tapil, “parasite”) is a 19th-century invention based on the Arabic word.

noun طُفَيْل · ṭufayl · الطُّفَيْل · طُفَيْلٌ

parasite
diminutive diminutive of طِفْل (ṭifl, “little child”)

In English

parasite (biology) organism that exists by stealing resources from another organism

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MLA

"طفيل." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/ar/%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%8A%D9%84. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

APA

طفيل. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/ar/%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%8A%D9%84

Chicago

"طفيل." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/ar/%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%8A%D9%84.

BibTeX

@misc{micwyn_2026,
  title = {طفيل},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/ar/%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%8A%D9%84},
  urldate = {2026-11-07}
}