כרפס

כרפס

Hebrew

Etymology 1

Root
כ־ר־פ־ס‎ (k-r-p-s)

Compare Maltese karfus (“celery”), Classical Syriac ܟܪܦܣܐ‎ (kerpəsā, “celery”), Arabic كَرَفْس‎ (karafs, “celery”). The ultimate provenance of these terms is murky.

Noun

כַּרְפַּס • (karpás) m

1. celery

Synonyms

• סֶלֶרִי‎ (séleri)

References

• “כרפס” in the Hebrew Terms Database of the Academy of Hebrew Language

Further reading

• כרפס on the Hebrew Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^he

Etymology 2

From Sanskrit कर्पास (karpāsa, “cotton”).

Noun

כַּרְפַּס • (karpás) m

1. (biblical, rare) a type of expensive fabric made of cotton
   • Esther 1:6, with translation of the Jewish Publication Society:

     ‏חוּר כַּרְפַּס וּתְכֵלֶת אָחוּז בְּחַבְלֵי־בוּץ וְאַרְגָּמָן עַל־גְּלִילֵי כֶסֶף וְעַמּוּדֵי שֵׁשׁ מִטּוֹת זָהָב וָכֶסֶף עַל רִצְפַת בַּהַט־וָשֵׁשׁ וְדַר וְסֹחָרֶת׃‎‎

     there were hangings of white, fine cotton, and blue, bordered with cords of fine linen and purple, upon silver rods and pillars of marble; the couches were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of green, and white, and shell, and onyx marble.

Usage notes

• According to some, the color of this fabric was green.

Descendants

• → Ancient Greek: κάρπᾰσος (kárpasos, “cotton”)
  • ⇒ Ancient Greek: καρπᾰ́σινος (karpásinos, “fabric made of cotton”)
  • → Latin: carbasus (“fabric of cotton”)

References

• Lewy, Heinrich (1895) Die semitischen Fremdwörter im Griechischen (in German), Berlin: R. Gaertner’s Verlagsbuchhandlung, page 126
• Löw, Immanuel (1924) Die Flora der Juden‎ (in German), volume 2, Wien und Leipzig: R. Löwit, pages 235–242 (for the cotton)
• Löw, Immanuel (1924) Die Flora der Juden‎ (in German), volume 2, Wien und Leipzig: R. Löwit, page 236 (for the celery)