زعبل

Root entry · 8 derived lemmas

The root زعبل primarily describes a child or person with a swollen belly and thin neck, often due to poor nourishment. It extends to describe a poorly nourished or emaciated individual, and metaphorically to a foolish or incompetent person. The root also encompasses related concepts like a small rope or a specific type of bucket.

Derived headwords

الزَّعْبَلnoun

1.
Malnourished childclassical
A child who has not benefited from food, resulting in a swollen belly and a thin neck.
2.
Emaciated personclassical
One whose body is large but whose neck is thin, and whose head is large.
3.
Foolish womanclassical
A foolish woman, though this usage is rare and primarily attributed to Al-Jawhari.

زَعابِلاًnoun

1.
Malnourished childrenclassical
Plural of زعبل, referring to children with swollen bellies and thin necks.

الزَّعْبَلَةnoun

1.
Fat-bodied personclassical
One whose body is fat and whose neck is thin.
2.
Bucketclassical
A type of bucket, often described as having few holes.
3.
Abundanceclassical
Meaning 'many' or 'abundant', as narrated by Tha'lab.

زَعْبَلname

1.
Nameboth
A proper name.

زَعْبَلَةname

1.
Nameboth
A proper name.

الضَّآبِلاnoun

1.
Dangersclassical
Plural of ضئبل, referring to dangers or formidable matters.

ضِئْبِلnoun

1.
Dangerclassical
A danger or a formidable matter.

السَّمْطnoun

1.
Small ropeclassical
A small rope or cord.
2.
Poor personclassical
A poor or needy person.
3.
Hunterclassical
A hunter, as interpreted in the context of the poem.

Parallel reading

الصبي الذي لم ينجع فيه الغذاء فعظم بطنه ودقت عنقه

The child who did not benefit from food, so his belly became large and his neck thin.

سمطا يربي ولدة زعابلا

A hunter raising offspring like the زعابلا (malnourished children).

جاءت فلاقت عنده الضآبلا

She came, encountering formidable matters at him.

يبني من الشجراء بيتا واغلا

He builds from the trees a house and a shelter.

وهو الذي يعظم بطنه من أسفله ويدق من أعلاه ويكبر رأسه ويدق عنقه

And he is one whose belly is large from below, and thin from above, and his head is large, and his neck is thin.

والسمط في البيت الصائد، يريد أنه مثل السمط في صغره.

And the 'samṭ' in the verse refers to the hunter, meaning he is like the 'samṭ' in his smallness.

والسمط: النظام الصغير، والسمط الفقير

And 'samṭ': the small rope, and 'samṭ': the poor person.

حتى إذا عاين روعا رائعا، ... كلاب كلاب، وسمطا قابعا

Until he saw a terrifying sight, ... dogs, dogs, and a crouching hunter.

والزعبلة: الذي يسمن بدنه وتدق رقبته.

And 'za'balah': one whose body fattens and whose neck thins.

والزعبلة: الدلو

And 'za'balah': the bucket.

زعبلة قليلة الخروق، ... بلت بكفي سرب ممشوق

A bucket with few holes, ... it watered with my palm a slender gazelle herd.

والزعبل الأم؛ عن كراع؛ قال: والصحيح عندنا الرعبل، بالراء

And 'za'bal' is the mother; according to Kra'a; he said: But the correct term with us is 'ra'bal', with a raa'.

وزعبلة: كثير؛ عن ثعلب

And 'za'balah': abundant; according to Tha'lab.

ويقال: هبلته أمه الزعبل أي ثكلته أمه الحمقاء

And it is said: His mother bereaved him, the 'za'bal' mother, meaning his foolish mother bereaved him.