ببغاء

ببغاء

Arabic

ببغاء – Psittacus erithacus

Etymology

Perhaps of onomatopoeic origin. In view of the bird’s range, borrowing from an unknown African or South Asian language is possible. Related to Classical Syriac ܒܒܓܐ‎ (/bbgʾ/), ܦܵܦܵܐ‎ (ppʾ /pāp̄ā/), Old Armenian պապկայ (papkay), Persian ببغا‎ (babğâ), بپغا‎ (bapğâ, “parrot”).

Noun

بَبَّغَاء or بَبْغَاء or بَبَغَاء • (babbaḡāʾ or babḡāʾ or babaḡāʾ) m or f (dual بَبَّغَاوَانِ‎ (babbaḡāwāni) or بَبْغَاوَانِ‎ (babḡāwāni) or بَبَغَاوَانِ‎ (babaḡāwāni), plural بَبَّغَاوَات‎ (babbaḡāwāt) or بَبْغَاوَات‎ (babḡāwāt) or بَبَغَاوَات‎ (babaḡāwāt))

1. parrot
2. (figurative) one who repeats what was said

   ‏لَا تَكُنْ مِثْلَ الْبَبَّغَاءِ‎

   lā takun miṯla l-babbaḡāʾi

   Do not parrot.

Declension

Declension of noun بَبَّغَاء (babbaḡāʾ)‎; بَبْغَاء (babḡāʾ)‎; بَبَغَاء (babaḡāʾ)

Singular	basic singular diptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بَبَّغَاء‎; بَبْغَاء‎; بَبَغَاء babbaḡāʾ‎; babḡāʾ‎; babaḡāʾ	الْبَبَّغَاء‎‎; الْبَبْغَاء‎‎; الْبَبَغَاء‎ al-babbaḡāʾ‎; al-babḡāʾ‎; al-babaḡāʾ	بَبَّغَاء‎; بَبْغَاء‎; بَبَغَاء babbaḡāʾ‎; babḡāʾ‎; babaḡāʾ
Nominative	بَبَّغَاءُ‎; بَبْغَاءُ‎; بَبَغَاءُ babbaḡāʾu‎; babḡāʾu‎; babaḡāʾu	الْبَبَّغَاءُ‎‎; الْبَبْغَاءُ‎‎; الْبَبَغَاءُ‎ al-babbaḡāʾu‎; al-babḡāʾu‎; al-babaḡāʾu	بَبَّغَاءُ‎; بَبْغَاءُ‎; بَبَغَاءُ babbaḡāʾu‎; babḡāʾu‎; babaḡāʾu
Accusative	بَبَّغَاءَ‎; بَبْغَاءَ‎; بَبَغَاءَ babbaḡāʾa‎; babḡāʾa‎; babaḡāʾa	الْبَبَّغَاءَ‎‎; الْبَبْغَاءَ‎‎; الْبَبَغَاءَ‎ al-babbaḡāʾa‎; al-babḡāʾa‎; al-babaḡāʾa	بَبَّغَاءَ‎; بَبْغَاءَ‎; بَبَغَاءَ babbaḡāʾa‎; babḡāʾa‎; babaḡāʾa
Genitive	بَبَّغَاءَ‎; بَبْغَاءَ‎; بَبَغَاءَ babbaḡāʾa‎; babḡāʾa‎; babaḡāʾa	الْبَبَّغَاءِ‎‎; الْبَبْغَاءِ‎‎; الْبَبَغَاءِ‎ al-babbaḡāʾi‎; al-babḡāʾi‎; al-babaḡāʾi	بَبَّغَاءِ‎; بَبْغَاءِ‎; بَبَغَاءِ babbaḡāʾi‎; babḡāʾi‎; babaḡāʾi
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بَبَّغَاوَيْن‎‎; بَبْغَاوَيْن‎‎; بَبَغَاوَيْن‎ babbaḡāwayn‎; babḡāwayn‎; babaḡāwayn	الْبَبَّغَاوَيْن‎‎; الْبَبْغَاوَيْن‎‎; الْبَبَغَاوَيْن‎ al-babbaḡāwayn‎; al-babḡāwayn‎; al-babaḡāwayn	بَبَّغَاوَيْ‎‎; بَبْغَاوَيْ‎‎; بَبَغَاوَيْ‎ babbaḡāway‎; babḡāway‎; babaḡāway
Nominative	بَبَّغَاوَانِ‎‎; بَبْغَاوَانِ‎‎; بَبَغَاوَانِ‎ babbaḡāwāni‎; babḡāwāni‎; babaḡāwāni	الْبَبَّغَاوَانِ‎‎; الْبَبْغَاوَانِ‎‎; الْبَبَغَاوَانِ‎ al-babbaḡāwāni‎; al-babḡāwāni‎; al-babaḡāwāni	بَبَّغَاوَا‎‎; بَبْغَاوَا‎‎; بَبَغَاوَا‎ babbaḡāwā‎; babḡāwā‎; babaḡāwā
Accusative	بَبَّغَاوَيْنِ‎‎; بَبْغَاوَيْنِ‎‎; بَبَغَاوَيْنِ‎ babbaḡāwayni‎; babḡāwayni‎; babaḡāwayni	الْبَبَّغَاوَيْنِ‎‎; الْبَبْغَاوَيْنِ‎‎; الْبَبَغَاوَيْنِ‎ al-babbaḡāwayni‎; al-babḡāwayni‎; al-babaḡāwayni	بَبَّغَاوَيْ‎‎; بَبْغَاوَيْ‎‎; بَبَغَاوَيْ‎ babbaḡāway‎; babḡāway‎; babaḡāway
Genitive	بَبَّغَاوَيْنِ‎‎; بَبْغَاوَيْنِ‎‎; بَبَغَاوَيْنِ‎ babbaḡāwayni‎; babḡāwayni‎; babaḡāwayni	الْبَبَّغَاوَيْنِ‎‎; الْبَبْغَاوَيْنِ‎‎; الْبَبَغَاوَيْنِ‎ al-babbaḡāwayni‎; al-babḡāwayni‎; al-babaḡāwayni	بَبَّغَاوَيْ‎‎; بَبْغَاوَيْ‎‎; بَبَغَاوَيْ‎ babbaḡāway‎; babḡāway‎; babaḡāway
Plural	sound feminine plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بَبَّغَاوَات‎‎; بَبْغَاوَات‎‎; بَبَغَاوَات‎ babbaḡāwāt‎; babḡāwāt‎; babaḡāwāt	الْبَبَّغَاوَات‎‎; الْبَبْغَاوَات‎‎; الْبَبَغَاوَات‎ al-babbaḡāwāt‎; al-babḡāwāt‎; al-babaḡāwāt	بَبَّغَاوَات‎‎; بَبْغَاوَات‎‎; بَبَغَاوَات‎ babbaḡāwāt‎; babḡāwāt‎; babaḡāwāt
Nominative	بَبَّغَاوَاتٌ‎‎; بَبْغَاوَاتٌ‎‎; بَبَغَاوَاتٌ‎ babbaḡāwātun‎; babḡāwātun‎; babaḡāwātun	الْبَبَّغَاوَاتُ‎‎; الْبَبْغَاوَاتُ‎‎; الْبَبَغَاوَاتُ‎ al-babbaḡāwātu‎; al-babḡāwātu‎; al-babaḡāwātu	بَبَّغَاوَاتُ‎‎; بَبْغَاوَاتُ‎‎; بَبَغَاوَاتُ‎ babbaḡāwātu‎; babḡāwātu‎; babaḡāwātu
Accusative	بَبَّغَاوَاتٍ‎‎; بَبْغَاوَاتٍ‎‎; بَبَغَاوَاتٍ‎ babbaḡāwātin‎; babḡāwātin‎; babaḡāwātin	الْبَبَّغَاوَاتِ‎‎; الْبَبْغَاوَاتِ‎‎; الْبَبَغَاوَاتِ‎ al-babbaḡāwāti‎; al-babḡāwāti‎; al-babaḡāwāti	بَبَّغَاوَاتِ‎‎; بَبْغَاوَاتِ‎‎; بَبَغَاوَاتِ‎ babbaḡāwāti‎; babḡāwāti‎; babaḡāwāti
Genitive	بَبَّغَاوَاتٍ‎‎; بَبْغَاوَاتٍ‎‎; بَبَغَاوَاتٍ‎ babbaḡāwātin‎; babḡāwātin‎; babaḡāwātin	الْبَبَّغَاوَاتِ‎‎; الْبَبْغَاوَاتِ‎‎; الْبَبَغَاوَاتِ‎ al-babbaḡāwāti‎; al-babḡāwāti‎; al-babaḡāwāti	بَبَّغَاوَاتِ‎‎; بَبْغَاوَاتِ‎‎; بَبَغَاوَاتِ‎ babbaḡāwāti‎; babḡāwāti‎; babaḡāwāti

Descendants

• → Ancient Greek: παπαγᾶς (papagâs)
  • → Italian: pappagallo
    • → Greek: παπαγάλος m (papagálos)
  • → Latvian: papagailis (gailis "rooster")
  • → Spanish: papagayo
    • → Old French: papegai
      • → Czech: papoušek (details unknown)
      • → Dutch: papegaai
      • → Finnish: papukaija
      • → German: Papagei
        • → Hungarian: papagáj
      • → English: popinjay
      • → Middle Low German: papegoie
        • → Danish: papegøje
        • → Norwegian: papegøye
        • → Swedish: papegoja
      • → Portuguese: papagaio
      • → Russian: попугай (popugaj)
      • → Northern Kurdish: papaxan
• → Ottoman Turkish: پاپاغان‎
  • Turkish: papağan
  • → Old Ruthenian: папу́га (papúha)
    • Ukrainian: папу́га (papúha)
  • → Lithuanian: papūga
• → Chinese: 八哥 (bāgē, “mynah”)
  • → Dongxiang: bage
• → Middle Armenian: պղպղայ (płpłay)

References

• Ciancaglini, Claudia A. (2008) Iranian loanwords in Syriac (Beiträge zur Iranistik; 28), Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, page 120
• Freytag, Georg (1830), “ببغاء”, in Lexicon arabico-latinum praesertim ex Djeuharii Firuzabadiique et aliorum Arabum operibus adhibitis Golii quoque et aliorum libris confectum (in Latin), volume 1, Halle: C. A. Schwetschke, page 81
• Lane, Edward William (1863), “ببغاء”, in Arabic-English Lexicon, London: Williams & Norgate, page 147
• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884), “ببغاء”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary‎, London: W.H. Allen, page 104
• Wehr, Hans (1979), “ببغاء”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN, page 51