ف ل ن

فُلَانٌ is a substitute for the proper name of a human being, (S, Msb, * K, TA,) i. e. of a male; (S, TA;) and in like manner ↓ فُلَانَةُ , (Msb, K, TA,) for that of a female; (TA,) each without ال ; (Msb:) [the former may be rendered Such a one, or Such a man; and the latter, Such a woman:] and الفُلَانُ and ↓ الفُلَانَةُ for other than a human being, (S, K, TA,) i. e. for a [particular] camel, (Lth, TA,) or for a [particular] beast, as in the saying, رَكِبْتُ الفُلَانَ [I rode such a beast, i. e. such a male beast], and ↓ حَلَبْتُ الفُلَانَةَ [I milked such a beast]: (Msb, TA:) فُلَانٌ has no dual nor pl.: (IB, TA:) [but] sometimes one says to a single person, mase., يَا فُلُ ; and to two, يَا فُلَانِ ; and to a pl. number, يَافُلُونَ : and in the fem., يَا فُلَةُ ; &c.; (K: [see more in art. فل :]) accord. to Kh, فُلَانٌ is of the measure فُعَالٌ ; and its dim. is ↓ فُلَيْنٌ : (TA:) or, as some say, it is of the measure فُلَانٌ , [originally فُلْوَانٌ ,] with و rejected, therefore its dim. is ↓ فُلَيَّانٌ [originally فُلَيْوَانٌ ]; (T, L, TA;) like as اـنْسَانٌ is [said by some to be] اـنْسِيَانٌ , of which the ى is rejected. and therefore its dim. is أُنيْسِيَانٌ . (T, L.)