# فرد - fard (gun)



## Qcumber

Split from here.


> "fard" or "fared" (gun):


ElRoy, how do you write this term in Arabic letters?
I can't find it in my dictionary.


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## elroy

I would spell it فرد but I'm afraid I don't think it's an MSA word.  The MSA word for "gun" (or at least one of them) is مسدس.


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## Qcumber

Thanks a lot, ElRoy. Is fard  فرد a Levantine term?


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## elroy

It's certainly Palestinian.  I couldn't tell you with complete certainty whether it's used in other Levantine dialects.


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## cherine

It's also used (but I don't know how often) in Upper Egypt الصعيد .

Interesting thing: I noticed several similarities between Palestinian words and Sa3iidi ones.


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## elroy

cherine said:


> Interesting thing: I noticed several similarities between Palestinian words and Sa3iidi ones.


 Interesting indeed!  I've noticed the same thing.

What word is commonly used in the rest of Egypt?


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## cherine

Usually we say mosaddas مسدس (and I can't imagine where did this word come from !) It's used in both colloquial and fus7a (m*u*saddas).
Another colloquial word that's sometimes used in rural areas ferfer فِـرْفـِر  (Big smile because it sounds funny, and in some movies it's used as a funny word).

P.S. I added the word (gun) to the thread title, because the first meaning that comes to -at least _my_ mind- when reading or hearing fard is (individual). I hope you guys don't mind.


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## elroy

cherine said:


> Usually we say mosaddas مسدس (and I can't imagine where did this word come from !)


 Could it have anything to do with the number six?  As you know the word مسدس also means "hexagon."

I in turn wonder where فرد (meaning "gun") comes from.


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## cherine

elroy said:


> Could it have anything to do with the number six? As you know the word مسدس also means "hexagon."


Amazing how ideas just pop into your head when you read other people's posts 
I didn't doubt about the "six" thing, what confused me was what does it have to do with guns.
Now I think I got it  : it's the number of bullets. Don't guns (the simpler ones at least, those used in older movies) have six bullets ? 


> I in turn wonder where فرد (meaning "gun") comes from.


Now this is a harder one  I hope we can find a valid guess for it or, better of course, an established explanation.


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## Qcumber

What about 
برقيل
 birqiil "musket"?


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## DrLindenbrock

cherine said:


> Amazing how ideas just pop into your head when you read other people's posts
> I didn't doubt about the "six" thing, what confused me was what does it have to do with guns.
> Now I think I got it  : it's the number of bullets. Don't guns (the simpler ones at least, those used in older movies) have six bullets ?
> 
> Now this is a harder one  I hope we can find a valid guess for it or, better of course, an established explanation.


 
Yes, Cherine, I think your hypothesis is correct. I recall my Arabic professor telling us about the word musaddas and the fact it was called this way because guns normally had six bullets. He was very excited about it and I was too.... I love these etymological connections!!!
Well, I'm sorry this is all the help I can give... I can't provide any reference....
Cheers


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## suma

elroy said:


> Could it have anything to do with the number six? As you know the word مسدس also means "hexagon."


In the US the old term for a gun was a "six shooter", so I'm certain that's where the Arabic  مسدس was coined from.
Hope that answers it.


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## maxl

Is it possible that fard for "pistol" derives from the meaning "one of a pair" (sc. of pistols)?
And talking of fard "one", I've heard the expression "arba3 ufard"  for "five", perhaps as an euphemism in order to avoid for some (taboo?) reason the number "khamsa". Sounds familiar to anyone?


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## elroy

maxl said:


> And talking of fard "one", I've heard the expression "arba3 ufard" for "five", perhaps as an euphemism in order to avoid for some (taboo?) reason the number "khamsa". Sounds familiar to anyone?


 No, I've never heard this.  I wonder why anyone would want to avoid saying the number five.


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## Taalib

"Musaddas" is _definitely_ derived from the concept of six, and to be entymologically accurate it would mean "revolver" rather than "pistol." The latter means any gun that can be held by the hand and fired with single trigger-action, but "revolver" describes from the gun famously pioneered by Samuel Colt in the mid-19th century, which were revolutionary in having a revolving cylindrical block that held six bullets. Though revolvers later evolved to incorporate more bullets, they became standard weapons of military and police forces until their replacement in this century with semi-automatic pistols. So they must have made quite an impression!

Despite it being outdated (few security or military officers still carry functional revolvers), it's so much easier than saying "semi-automatic gun held in hand" in literal fusha.


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## ayed

We, Bedouins, always call "six-shooter" -- "Fard".
When someone comes over alone, some would ask saying:"
Is Ali accompanied?
Answer:" No, he came "fard"alone " 
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In the dictionary _Lisan al-Arab_(Arabs' Tongue)by Ibn mandhoor, each one of the jaws called"fard".
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Once upon a time, a funny anecdote took place among three Bedouins. One of them was armed with a colt. The two unarmed men would tease the armed man saying that :"You aren't holding "fard".You are holding a sheep jaw. They continued teasing him all the time. They stopped and made their dinner. Each one prepared his blanket to sleep. All fell asleep except the armed man who took out and loaded his colt, and shot over his companions. The two men woke up quickly horrified and asked him what had happened .He answered:"Hey!Sleep!Sleep ! It is a mere sheep jaw exploded!
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We call each one of a pair of shoes "fardah".

Question :
Does the shape of colt look like a jaw?

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