# Meaning and etymology of فزاعة



## Rainbowlight

Hello,

I am looking for the meaning and, above all, a known, trustworthy etymology of the word فزاعة 

Does the word makes any reference to birds or is it entirely unrelated?

Thanks for your help. : )


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## djara

فزاعة is from the Arabic root فزع to wake up, to get up, to rouse from sleep. It also carries the related meaning of fright and alarm. 
The original meaning of فزاعة = a person who terrorizes people a lot. Hence the meaning فزاعة = scarecrow (its relation with birds) and its current figurative meaning فزاعة = fake news designed to terrorize people.


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## Rainbowlight

djara said:


> فزاعة is from the Arabic root فزع to wake up, to get up, to rouse from sleep. It also carries the related meaning of fright and alarm.
> The original meaning of فزاعة = a person who terrorizes people a lot. Hence the meaning فزاعة = scarecrow (its relation with birds) and its current figurative meaning فزاعة = fake news designed to terrorize people.


Thanks for your answer. I also wanted to know whether the Arabic word for "bird" or the name of any particular species of bird are actually included in the word.


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## djara

Rainbowlight said:


> I also wanted to know whether the Arabic word for "bird" or the name of any particular species of bird are actually included in the word


The only link with birds I know of is "scarecrow".


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## Rainbowlight

djara said:


> The only link with birds I know of is "scarecrow".


: )

What I meant is if in the Arabic word for "scarecrow" the words "*birds*" or "*crow*" actually are a part of the word, as it happens, for example, in English.


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## djara

Rainbowlight said:


> What I meant is if in the Arabic word for "scarecrow" the words "*birds*" or "*crow*" actually are a part of the word, as it happens, for example, in English.


I may not have been clear enough in Post #2. فزاعة doesn't include the words bird or crow or any other type of bird


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## Awwal12

Apparently I must note that compound words are highly unusual in Arabic, so if the word is formed from the verb "fazaʕa", it's just about that. Morphologically the model CaCCāCa(tun) very roughly corresponds to "she-doer", in this case - ~"she-waker".


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## Abaye

If faza3a an ancient Arabic word (like Quranic) or a newer one? we don't have it in Hebrew.


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## WadiH

Abaye said:


> If faza3a an ancient Arabic word (like Quranic) or a newer one? we don't have it in Hebrew.



The word is old (it's just a normal derivation from the root using a common pattern), but its use to mean 'scarecrow' specifically may be more recent.


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## djara

WadiH said:


> but its use to mean 'scarecrow' specifically may be more recent.


12 century CE can hardly be said recent! 
فزّاعة: يفزع منه الناس كثيراً، ومنه: *فزّاعات الزروع* 
أساس البلاغة للزمخشري



Abaye said:


> If faza3a an ancient Arabic word (like Quranic) or a newer one?


At least as old as one of the oldest Arabic dictionaries, Kitab al-'ayn, 8th century CE. ("فزّاعة: يفزّع الناس كثيرا. ")


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## WadiH

djara said:


> 12 century CE can hardly be said recent!
> فزّاعة: يفزع منه الناس كثيراً، ومنه: *فزّاعات الزروع*
> أساس البلاغة للزمخشري



More recent than the Quran at least  but point taken. Thanks.


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## Rainbowlight

djara said:


> I may not have been clear enough in Post #2. فزاعة doesn't include the words bird or crow or any other type of bird


No, I think you were absolutely clear. It was me who read the message in a hurry and didn't really got the message! : )


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## raamez

Abaye said:


> If faza3a an ancient Arabic word (like Quranic) or a newer one? we don't have it in Hebrew.


Try to look up p-z-z.
Note also that there is a semantic shift from jump to scare which is also evident by Syrian قفط (to scare/to catch) from Arabic قفص (to jump / to contract) with atypical Saad to Taa' shift. Hence the word for cage قفص


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## Abaye

raamez said:


> Try to look up p-z-z.


Thanks, this is interesting. Hebrew p-z-z means to be agile, be nimble, to leap (Strong's H6339). Gesenius writes (ibid.): "this root seems to have almost fallen into disuse among Hebrews, and by many to have been forgotten" (in regard to biblical Hebrew), but the root survived until modern time, mostly in a metaphoric sense: to be reckless. However, it doesn't convey the meaning "to cause fear" as in Arabic. Also, a shift from p-z-ع to p-z-z requires explanation, although we have some examples where both C1-C2-C2 and C1-C2-ع (C1 and C2 are consonants) exist with similar meaning.


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## WadiH

raamez said:


> Note also that there is a semantic shift from jump to scare which is also evident by Syrian قفط (to scare/to catch) from Arabic قفص (to jump / to contract) with atypical Saad to Taa' shift. Hence the word for cage قفص



قفط meaning 'catch' exists in Najdi and Hijazi dialects (and probably many others), not just Syrian.  I think it's highly debatable that it's related to قفص.  Seems quite a leap (no pun intended).



Abaye said:


> Thanks, this is interesting. Hebrew p-z-z means to be agile, be nimble, to leap (Strong's H6339). Gesenius writes (ibid.): "this root seems to have almost fallen into disuse among Hebrews, and by many to have been forgotten" (in regard to biblical Hebrew), but the root survived until modern time, mostly in a metaphoric sense: to be reckless. However, it doesn't convey the meaning "to cause fear" as in Arabic. Also, a shift from p-z-ع to p-z-z requires explanation, although we have some examples where both C1-C2-C2 and C1-C2-ع (C1 and C2 are consonants) exist with similar meaning.



I don't know if f-z-3 and f-z-z are related (there is a theory that trilateral roots can be broken down into bilateral roots), but f-z-z also exists in Arabic with a similar meaning ('to jump suddenly'). Its range overlaps with f-z-3 but it's not identical.


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