The Arabic verb رَفَعَ (rafaʿa) is a high-frequency root in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA/Fuṣḥā) and has numerous derived and idiomatic uses across both classical Arabic and national dialects. Let’s explore it in detail.

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🔹 BASE FORM: رَفَعَ (rafaʿa)

Meaning: to raise, lift, elevate, increase, or remove.
Form I verb (perfect active): رَفَعَ

• Imperfect (present): يَرْفَعُ (yarfaʿu)
• Verbal noun (maṣdar): رَفْع (rafʿ)
• Active participle: رَافِع (rāfiʿ)
• Passive participle: مَرْفُوع (marfūʿ)

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🟠 IN FUSHA (MSA / Classical Arabic)

🔸 Basic meanings & examples:

1. To raise/lift (physically or metaphorically)

• رَفَعَ يَدَهُ – He raised his hand
  → e.g., asking a question or swearing an oath.
• رَفَعَ صَوْتَهُ – He raised his voice

1. To increase (volume, status, rank, price, etc.)

• رَفَعَ السِّعْرَ – He increased the price
• رَفَعَ الْمُسْتَوَى – He raised the standard/level

1. To remove or lift away (a burden, a rule, etc.)

• رَفَعَ الْحَصَارَ – He lifted the siege
• رَفَعَ الْقَيْدَ – He lifted the restriction

1. Grammatical term (nominative case)

• رَفْع is also the grammatical nominative case in Arabic.
  → Example: الفاعلُ مرفوعٌ – The subject is in the nominative case.

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🔸 Collocations in MSA:

Expression	Meaning
رَفَعَ عَلَمًا	To raise a flag
رَفَعَ دَعْوَى	To file a lawsuit
رَفَعَ التَّقْرِيرَ	To submit/raise a report
رَفَعَ الْجَلْسَةَ	To adjourn a session
رَفَعَ الدُّعَاءَ	To raise a supplication (to God)
رَفَعَ الأَذَانَ	To make the call to prayer
رَفَعَ الْحَجْبَ	To lift the ban/barrier (metaphor)

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🟢 IN NATIONAL DIALECTS

The root r-f-ʿ is widely retained in dialects, but forms may vary.

✅ Egyptian Arabic (Maṣrī):

• يرفع (yerfaʿ) – often replaced by more common periphrastic phrases depending on meaning.
• رفع قضية – filed a lawsuit
• رفع صوته – he raised his voice
• رفع السماعة – picked up the phone (receiver)
  (NB: more common is شال السماعة)

✅ Levantine Arabic (e.g., Lebanese, Syrian):

• يرفع الصوت – to raise one’s voice (used with emphasis in anger)
• يرفع معنوياته – to raise someone’s morale
• رفع عريضة – to submit a petition

✅ Gulf Arabic:

• Similar uses as MSA; used in admin/military/official talk.
• May replace رفع in speech with borrowed or more idiomatic verbs depending on context.

✅ Maghrebi Arabic:

• The root is often retained in more formal or administrative contexts.
• In daily speech, local idioms may take over.

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🔹 Derivatives and Related Words:

Word	Root Form	Meaning
رَافِع	Active ptc.	One who raises
مَرْفُوع	Pass. ptc.	Raised, elevated (also gramm.)
مِرْفَع	Instrumental	A jack, elevator (dialectal)
رَفْع	Maṣdar	Raising, elevation (also “nominative”)

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🔸 Cultural and Religious Uses:

• رَفَعَ اللهُ ذِكْرَكَ – May God raise your mention (blessing)
• رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ – He raised his hands to the sky (prayer)
• مرفوع إلى السماء – “Lifted to heaven,” e.g., in reference to the Prophet ʿĪsā (Jesus)

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Would you like a table comparing the verb’s conjugation in fuṣḥā and in a specific dialect (e.g., Egyptian or Levantine)?

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