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 إنْسَانٌ is
[said by some to be] إنْسِيَانٌ, of which the ى is
rejected. and therefore its dim. is أُنيْسِيَانٌ.
(T, L.)