شقحطب

Root entry · 7 derived lemmas

This root entry discusses a rare and obscure word, 'shaqḥaṭab', which is described as a type of ram with unusual horns. The entry delves into its etymology, suggesting it is a compound or 'carved' word formed from two other words, and provides details about its pronunciation and plural forms.

Derived headwords

الشَّقْحَطَبnoun

1.
Ram with unusual hornsclassical
A ram, specifically one described as having two or four horns, which are themselves described as being like pieces of firewood.

سِفْرِجَلnoun

1.
Quinceboth
A fruit, the quince, which is used here as a comparison for the horns of the ram 'shaqḥaṭab'.

شِقّnoun

1.
Split, crackboth
A split, crack, or fissure. In this context, it is part of the compound word 'shaqḥaṭab', referring to the shape or nature of the horns.

حَطَبnoun

1.
Firewoodboth
Wood intended for fuel. It is used here as a comparison for the horns of the ram 'shaqḥaṭab'.

شِقَاحِطnoun

1.
Plural of shaqḥaṭabclassical
A broken plural form for the word 'shaqḥaṭab', referring to multiple rams of this description.

شِقَاطِبnoun

1.
Plural of shaqḥaṭabclassical
Another broken plural form for the word 'shaqḥaṭab', also referring to multiple rams of this description.

مُنْحُوتadjective

1.
Carved, sculptedclassical
Literally carved or sculpted. In linguistics, it refers to a 'carved' or compound word formed from two others, like 'shaqḥaṭab' from 'shaq' and 'ḥaṭab'.

Parallel reading

الشقحطب كسفرجل: الكبش له قرنان منكران (أو أربعة)

The shaqḥaṭab, like a quince: the ram has two unusual horns (or four).

كل منها كشق حطب

Each of them is like a piece of firewood.

هذا وزاد (كل منها كشق حطب ج شقاحط وشقاطب)

This is what was added: (each of them like a piece of firewood, its plural is shaqāḥiṭ and shaqāṭib).

هذا حرف صحيح

This is a correct word.

وكان عثمان بن عيسى النحوي البلطي شيخ الديار المصرية، يسأله سؤال مستفيد عن حروف من حوشي اللغة.

And 'Uthman ibn 'Isa al-Naḥwī al-Balṭī, the shaykh of the Egyptian lands, used to ask him questions like a student seeking knowledge about rare words of the language.

سأله يوما عما وقع في كلام العرب على مثال شقحطب

One day, he asked him about what occurred in the speech of the Arabs in the pattern of 'shaqḥaṭab'.

فقال: هذا يسمى في كلام العرب المنحوت.

He replied: This is called in the speech of the Arabs 'al-manḥūt' (the carved/compound word).

ومعناه أن الكلمة منحوتة من كلمتين كما ينحت النجار الخشبتين ويجعلهم الخشبة واحدة.

And its meaning is that the word is carved from two words, just as a carpenter carves two pieces of wood and makes them into one piece of wood.

فشقحطب منحوت من شق وحطب

So, 'shaqḥaṭab' is carved from 'shaq' and 'ḥaṭab'.

فسأله البلطي أن يثبت لهما وقع من هذا المثال، فأملاها عليه في نحو عشرين ورقة من حفظه

So al-Balṭī asked him to confirm for him what occurred of this pattern, so he dictated them to him on about twenty pages from memory.

وسماها كتاب تنبيه البارعين على المنحوت من كلام العرب

And he named it 'Kitāb Tanbīh al-Bāri'īn 'alā al-Manḥūt min Kalām al-'Arab' (The Book of Alerting the Proficient to the Carved Words in the Speech of the Arabs).