ببس

Root entry · 2 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the term for a young camel or infant, with potential extensions to human infants. It explores the origin and usage of this term, particularly in classical poetry and religious contexts.

Derived headwords

البابوسnoun

1.
young camelclassical
The young of a camel, specifically a calf.
2.
infantboth
A young child, especially one in a cradle or being nursed.

حنت قلوصي إلى بابوسها طربا — My she-camel longed for her young camel out of desire

يا بابوس، من أبوك؟ — O infant, who is your father?

بابوسnoun

1.
infantclassical
A suckling child in its cradle.

Parallel reading

ولد الناقة

the young of a she-camel

وفي المحكم: الحوار

and in Al-Muhkam: the camel calf

حنت قلوصي إلى بابوسها طربا

My she-camel longed for her young camel out of desire

فما حنينك أم ما أنت والذكر؟

So what is your longing, or what do you have to do with ذكر (mention/male)?

وقد يستعمل في الإنسان

And it may be used for a human

البابوس الصبي الرضيع في مهده

Al-Babous is the suckling boy in his cradle

حين استنطق الرضيع في مهده: مسح رأس الصبي وقال له: يا بابوس، من أبوك؟

when he questioned the suckling child in his cradle: he wiped the boy's head and said to him: O infant, who is your father?

فقال: فلان الراعي

And he said: So-and-so the shepherd

فلا أدري أهو في الإنسان أصل أم استعارة

So I do not know if it is original for humans or a metaphor

لم نسمع به لغير الإنسان إلا في شعر ابن أحمر

We have not heard it applied to anything other than humans except in the poetry of Ibn Ahmar

والكلمة غير مهموزة وقد جاءت في غير موضع

And the word is not hamzated and it has appeared in more than one place

وقيل: هو اسم للرضيع من أي نوع كان

And it was said: it is a name for the suckling of any kind it may be

واختلف في عربيته

And there was disagreement about its Arabic origin