# Words for camel



## squirrelgirl

Hi all,

I heard a claim that there are over a 1000 words for camel in Arabic and even more for camel behavior. Looking online I only found this.

I was curious if there is any truth to all of this?

Thanks


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## Masjeen

10 to 20 words (Within my personal information)


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## WadiH

For the vast majority of Arabic speakers, there are only 3 or 4 words (جمل, ناقة, إبل, and بعير): "camel," "male camel," "female camel," and "camels (plural)."

However, if you are a bedouin, whose livelihood is essentially the raising and selling of camels, you will of course need many more words than that.  That is why Classical Arabic, and the Arabic of the bedouins (which is a lineal descendant of Classical Arabic) both have dozens, perhaps hundreds, of words for different types, breeds, ages, shapes, and sizes of camels, and of course words relating to the business of raising camels in general.  Regional variations may also play a role, so that you can have words that are used in some regions but not others.

It is not only the bedouins who use these words.  Islamic law mandates an alms-tax (i.e. given to charity), that includes livestock.  Therefore, in enumerating the rules for taxation of livestocks, Islamic scholars used many of these words to describe camels at different stages of growth, or of varying quality, and to determine what sort of camel is acceptable for tax purposes.

Unfortunately, I don't know how many "camel-related" words there are in Classical or bedouin Arabic, and I don't know if anyone has ever tried to make an accurate count.  However, there is a book called _Arabian Diversions_ by Bruce Ingham, which includes a chapter on "camel terminology" among the Al Murra bedouins.  Maybe he has something to say about this question based on his observations.


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## ola84

I know only 4 words for camel:

جمل ، ناقة،  إبل ، حمر النعم


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## xebonyx

I believe saying more than 1000 words for camel is very much an exaggeration. More than likely this enumeration has taken into consideration borrowed technical terms of the word or less oft used forms.


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## Faylasoof

^Definitely various ways to categorize and also (borrowed) technical terms.

As for the largest number of synonyms for an animal in fus7a, _ it’ll be the lion_, not the camel, that’ll tops the list. I once attempted to count these by going through a dictionary and stopped after reaching 116!


For a camel, besides these, 
جمل ، ناقة، إبل ، حمر النعم, بعير
there is also طبز_Tibz_ = two-humped, _Bactrian camel_ (_Camelus bactrianus_), as opposed to the single-humped, Arabian camel, also called a _dromedary_(_Camelus dromedarius_). 

Rarely, _7afaD_ حفض (s.) _7ifaaD_ حفاض, _2a7faaD_ أحفاض (pl.) = baggage camel.

Of course there are terms denoting: 

-large numbers = _2ibbaul _إبول (sing.) _2abaaweel _أباويل = troop of camels
-special characteristics, like colour العيس = whitish / whitiish-yellow (from أعيس [m] عيساء [f].)

According to this, there are about 13 terms used for the camel in the Quran, based on various criteria.  

Additionally, this site lists many other categorizations for the camel. Quite interesting!


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## WadiH

Faylasoof said:


> Definitely various ways to categorize and also (borrowed) technical terms.


Borrowed??  You mean from other languages? 

I found this list:
http://www.3nzh.com/vb/showthread.php?t=43205

49 words, including 17 types of camels based on the manner that they drink from the watering hole.

I'm beginning to doubt that the number would even approach 1,000, but even a few hundred would be impressive.[...]

And this list tells you what a camel is called based on its age: http://aljahadr.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2110

Certainly, our poetry would not be as colorful without these words.


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## Josh_

When something is a prominent part of a culture, it should come as no surprise that many terms develop in order to explain the various aspects of it.  Languages tend to make distinctions in things which seem relevant to their particular environment.

Take for example the dog in English. We have hundreds of terms to describe the various breeds of dogs, but of course none mean "dog" in a general sense, so they are not really synonyms.  I imagine the same thing exists in Arabic, where there are many terms referring to different kinds/breeds of camels, or different attributes of camels (e.g tall, short, tan-colored, whitish), or different aspects of behavior (drinks water once every day, once every two days), but few are used in a generic sense.


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## Faylasoof

Wadi Hanifa said:


> Borrowed?? You mean from other languages?


 I decided to err on the side of caution and “quote” xebonyx:



xebonyx said:


> I believe saying more than 1000 words for camel is very much an exaggeration. More than likely this enumeration has taken into consideration borrowed technical terms of the word or less oft used forms.


 I thought she might have better knowledge of camels than I.


Wadi Hanifa said:


> I'm beginning to doubt that the number would even approach 1,000, but even a few hundred would be impressive. Of course [...] a lot of them are just descriptions (e.g. "the Tall: a camel that is very tall.")


  It is rather a large number. Many are indeed descriptions:  _ba3uus_بعوس  = lean, “milkless” camel; _7albaanah_ حلبانة = milking camel; _7ilbid_ حلبد = small camel; _Sahlaj _صهلج= large camel; _bahnas_ بهنس = docile camel (also a lion).

May be it was just a casual remark. But you could get a large number if different combinations were used. I not sure if it is done. I don’t know enough about camel nomenclature in Arabic. 

 BTW, found some terms used for both, camel and lion, e.g. _bahnas_ بهنس: docile camel, lion, (also means _fat and heavy_). 

…. and thanks for those links! Enjoyed going through them.
[...]

Anyway, back to the camel. Here is another synonym (and I mean synonym - not epitet, as far as I know) for _Tibz_ *طبز*, the two-humped camel:  *duhaamij **دهامج*.


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## Faylasoof

[...]
Anyway, back to camel once again. Just like some of the terms you give above for the horse that may just be terms of characteristics <e.g. جواد = a swift horse = أبوُص; also خَضَمّ = heavy horse / sword ! >, the same is true also for the camel:

ضائل = strong male camel
 صِنخاب = stout camel

Just descriptive terms but I guess these might even have been used on a daily basis.


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## xebonyx

Faylasoof said:


> I decided to err on the side of caution and “quote” xebonyx:
> I thought she might have better knowledge of camels than I.



What I meant is that sometimes people tend to use technical words associated with certain fields and through trading, or use the specie's name ie. بكتريان - Bactrian. However, it seems the vast majority of these words are nicknames, synonyms, or simply adjectives.


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## Faylasoof

I see what you mean. Xebonyx.

I tried googling بكتريان. You do get a hit or two. Here is one link. Usually it is referred to as الجمل ذو سنامين. This of course gives a lot of hits.

Funnily when you go to Google Images with either طبز or دهامج , you get nothing that looks like a camel.  This useful Persian reference dictionary though suggests that it is an Arabicised word. Here, and here are a little more on دهامج. It also mentions طبز.


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## xebonyx

Faylasoof said:


> I see what you mean. Xebonyx.
> 
> I tried googling بكتريان.  You do get a hit or two. Here is one link. Usually it is referred to as الجمل ذو سنامين. This of course gives a lot of hits.


Yes. There are even quite a few more names for that particular type of camel listed here.


> Funnily when you go to Google Images with either طبز or دهامج , you get nothing that looks like a camel.  This useful Persian reference dictionary though suggests that it is an Arabicised word. Here, and here are a little more on دهامج. It also mentions طبز.


I actually did that earlier too, with most of the names provided so far, haha. It makes you wonder who's behind these naming rituals


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## Faylasoof

Yes, I saw that! It's in my post too! Quite a few names there - all from *لسان العر**ب*. (Reference at the bottom of the page).

So the number is steadily increasing!


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## Mahaodeh

Faylasoof said:


> Anyway, back to camel once again. Just like some of the terms you give above for the horse that may just be terms of characteristics <e.g. جواد = a swift horse = أبوُص; also خَضَمّ = heavy horse / sword ! >, the same is true also for the camel:
> 
> ضائل = strong male camel
> صِنخاب = stout camel
> 
> Just descriptive terms but I guess these might even have been used on a daily basis.


 
I suppose it depends on who used it and what type of descriptive usage. Usually there is only one or two general words for it and the others are much more specific.


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## Faylasoof

Incidentally, I was curious about all these other terms for the Bactrian camel, presented earlier. That link gives the following:

الفَلْج أو الفَالِج أو اليَعْلُول أو القِرْعَوْس أو الدُهَانِج أو الدُنَاهِج أو *الدُهَامِج* أو القِرْمِل أو العُصْفُورِيّ

This one ( *الدُهَامِج* ,and perhaps those like it) seems to be Arabicised according to the Persian reference dictionary <loghatnameh dehkhuda> - link provided in my post above.

The others intrigue me, esp. as to their origins. Of these, the last one is really curious as العُصْفُورِيّ seems to be related to العُصْفُورِ  = sparrow !
Though it may have more to with the verb  عَصفَرَ = to dye with saffron, dye with red or yellow. 

Anyone have any ideas on this. 
.... and for the others I need to start looking them up.


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## WadiH

I just wanted to add something.  Some words do indeed start out as referring to a specific type or quality of a camel, but end up being used to refer to camels generally.  For example: هجن/هجان used to refer to mean a purebred white camel, but now هجن can just mean camels in general.  Camel races are called سباق الهجن.

I imagine the same thing occurred with some of the words for "lion" as well.


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## haroon2007 ing

Camel (standard word)- الإبل

Camel (standard word) البعير

Plus these:

Male camel- الجمال

Female camel- الناقة

Then, there are these more specific terms relating to appearence or function:

الطبز and دهامج- a two humped camel (Bactrian)

ضائل- a strong male camel

صنخاب- a stout camel

حفض- a baggage camel

Where it gets fascinating is with these prescient terms that describe camels in minute detail:

*Camel types based on drinking behaviour:*
الغب —-A camel that drinks once every two days

الغب الطل -A camel that goes to drink from the watering hole during the day

الربع -A camel that drinks once every 3 days

الظاهرة- A camel that drinks once every day

الرفة -A camel that drinks at any time

القصريد -A camel that drinks little water

العرجاء -A camel that drinks once during the day and once at night

التندية -A camel that returns to the watering hole to drink once more

السلوف-A female camel that leads other camels to the watering hole to drink

الدفون -A female camel in the middle of a herd of camels

الملواح or الهافة- A female camel that gets thirsty quickly

عيوف-A female camel that smells the water but often doesn’t drink it

مقامح- A female camel that doesn’t drink to heal her affliction

رقوب — A female camel that doesn’t drink from the watering hole when it’s busy, but waits and observes

ملحاح A female camel that doesn’t often leave the watering hole

ميراد A female camel that rushes to get to the watering hole

الهيام- Thirsty camels (pl.)

*Camels according to character/ physical disposition:*
الغادر A male stallion camel that has completed the period of becoming ready to be bred, as demonstrated by his swelled belly

الهياج A male stallion that is ready to breed, as demonstrated by his lean belly (called قافل)

الهامل An unbridled/ stray camel that no owner claims

الحايل A non-pregnant female camel

المسيّر) المجسّر) A female camel ready to be bred

المعشّر A female camel in the beginning stages of pregnancy

اللقحة A female camel that has passed 4 months of gestation

الخلفة A female camel with a new born under six months old

العشرا A female camel with a fowl over six months old

الخلوج A female camel whose fowl has died prematurely and yearns for it continually

الخفوت A female camel whose fowl died a while ago and she has forgotten about it

المضيّرة A female camel who produces milk for a fowl that is not her own

المسوح A female camel that can be made to produce milk by rubbing its udders in the absence of her own fowl

النحوس A female camel that does not allow itself to be milked

الجضور A female camel that produces a lot of froth when milked

الرموح Either a female camel that bolts its leg when being milked; or a male camel that bolts its leg whenever approached

الجفول A camel that is frightened by anything

الشرود A camel that loves to escape and is difficult to catch

الأكله A camel that devours everything that approaches it

الخبوط A camel that stomps its front leg on the ground

الرابخ A camel that is obese due to abundance of fodder or grass

الثاوي A camel that is too weak to stand up

الطفوح A female camel that walks in front of other camels on its own

القوداء A female camel that always leads the other camels

المعطاء A female camel with a long non-meaty neck with little hair

الهارب A female camel that walks ahead of the other camels by a great distance so that it appears to be fleeing

الفاهية A female camel that is superior to all others in all things

العليا A female camel that is taller than the male

الوجناء A female camel that is docile for riding purposes

العوصاء A female riding camel that is very strong

*Camel names by color:*
أدم (fem. أدماء) A completely white camel

العيس (fem. العيساء) A white camel with blond / fair complexions

الأشعل A white camel with a different coloured tail

*Misc:*
حرذون- riding a camel without a saddle

شَداد- a camel-riding saddle

جِداجة- camel saddle

سنام- hump

وبر- camels (also goat) hair

*Camels by number:*
الذود-from 3–10 camels

الزيمة- from 2–15 camels

الرسل- approx 10 camels, and said to be between 15 and 25

الصرمة- between 10–30 camels

الصدعة – a herd of 60 camels

العكرة- herd of up to 70, said to be between 50–100 camels

الجول- a herd of 30–40 camels

هند وهنيدة- a herd of 100 camels

القرج- a herd of 150 camels, also has been said to be 500–1000 camels

ليلى- a herd of 300 camels
الحوم- said to be any herd numbering above 1000 camels


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