بطيخ
Arabic
Etymology
Presumably borrowed from Aramaic, attested in Jewish Palestinian Aramaic בטיח (*baṭṭīḥ) and Classical Syriac ܦܲܛܝܼܚܵܐ (paṭṭīḥā), and a broken plural Hebrew אֲבַטִּיחַ (ʾăḇaṭṭī́aḥ). While it has been theoretized to have been acquired in Semitic via Egyptian bddw kꜣ (“watermelon”) from sub-Saharan Africa, there is an explanation as an Iranian borrowing equivalent to Persian بیدخت (bēduxt, “Venus”), which is the known Akkadian 𒂗 (bēlu, “master; Bel, Baal”) + Persian دخت (duxt, “daughter”), literally “daughter of Baal”, a reinterpretation of the feminine form of the Baʿal god found as ܒܝܠܬܝ (bēltī), ܒܠܬܝ (beltī, “Venus”) in Classical Syriac, equalling بَعْلَة (baʿla, “mistress”). Like in general food items can be reused to denote body parts, especially those viewed sexually, and in Eastern languages specifically the names of fruits come to mean “vulva”, as well-known South Levantine Arabic تِينة (tīne, “fig”), Armenian թուզ (tʿuz, “fig”), Hebrew רִמּוֹן (rimmṓn, “pomegrenate”) in Song of Solomon 7:12 and 8:2, here in turn the meaning of a melon would be secondarily transferred from representations of fertility goddesses. This is corroborated by lexicographers mentioning a Himyaritic word بَيْدَخَة (baydaḵa, “plump, chubby”, applied to women).
Noun
بِطِّيخ or بَطِّيخ • (biṭṭīḵ or baṭṭīḵ) m (collective, singulative بِطِّيخَة f (biṭṭīḵa) or بَطِّيخَة f (baṭṭīḵa), plural بَطَاطِيخ (baṭāṭīḵ))
- melon, melons
- watermelon, watermelons
Declension
| Collective | basic collective triptote | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | بِطِّيخ; بَطِّيخ biṭṭīḵ; baṭṭīḵ | الْبِطِّيخ; الْبَطِّيخ al-biṭṭīḵ; al-baṭṭīḵ | بِطِّيخ; بَطِّيخ biṭṭīḵ; baṭṭīḵ |
| Nominative | بِطِّيخٌ; بَطِّيخٌ biṭṭīḵun; baṭṭīḵun | الْبِطِّيخُ; الْبَطِّيخُ al-biṭṭīḵu; al-baṭṭīḵu | بِطِّيخُ; بَطِّيخُ biṭṭīḵu; baṭṭīḵu |
| Accusative | بِطِّيخًا; بَطِّيخًا biṭṭīḵan; baṭṭīḵan | الْبِطِّيخَ; الْبَطِّيخَ al-biṭṭīḵa; al-baṭṭīḵa | بِطِّيخَ; بَطِّيخَ biṭṭīḵa; baṭṭīḵa |
| Genitive | بِطِّيخٍ; بَطِّيخٍ biṭṭīḵin; baṭṭīḵin | الْبِطِّيخِ; الْبَطِّيخِ al-biṭṭīḵi; al-baṭṭīḵi | بِطِّيخِ; بَطِّيخِ biṭṭīḵi; baṭṭīḵi |
| Singulative | singulative triptote in ـَة (-a) | ||
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | بِطِّيخَة; بَطِّيخَة biṭṭīḵa; baṭṭīḵa | الْبِطِّيخَة; الْبَطِّيخَة al-biṭṭīḵa; al-baṭṭīḵa | بِطِّيخَة; بَطِّيخَة biṭṭīḵat; baṭṭīḵat |
| Nominative | بِطِّيخَةٌ; بَطِّيخَةٌ biṭṭīḵatun; baṭṭīḵatun | الْبِطِّيخَةُ; الْبَطِّيخَةُ al-biṭṭīḵatu; al-baṭṭīḵatu | بِطِّيخَةُ; بَطِّيخَةُ biṭṭīḵatu; baṭṭīḵatu |
| Accusative | بِطِّيخَةً; بَطِّيخَةً biṭṭīḵatan; baṭṭīḵatan | الْبِطِّيخَةَ; الْبَطِّيخَةَ al-biṭṭīḵata; al-baṭṭīḵata | بِطِّيخَةَ; بَطِّيخَةَ biṭṭīḵata; baṭṭīḵata |
| Genitive | بِطِّيخَةٍ; بَطِّيخَةٍ biṭṭīḵatin; baṭṭīḵatin | الْبِطِّيخَةِ; الْبَطِّيخَةِ al-biṭṭīḵati; al-baṭṭīḵati | بِطِّيخَةِ; بَطِّيخَةِ biṭṭīḵati; baṭṭīḵati |
| Dual | Indefinite | Definite | Construct |
| Informal | بِطِّيخَتَيْن; بَطِّيخَتَيْن biṭṭīḵatayn; baṭṭīḵatayn | الْبِطِّيخَتَيْن; الْبَطِّيخَتَيْن al-biṭṭīḵatayn; al-baṭṭīḵatayn | بِطِّيخَتَيْ; بَطِّيخَتَيْ biṭṭīḵatay; baṭṭīḵatay |
| Nominative | بِطِّيخَتَانِ; بَطِّيخَتَانِ biṭṭīḵatāni; baṭṭīḵatāni | الْبِطِّيخَتَانِ; الْبَطِّيخَتَانِ al-biṭṭīḵatāni; al-baṭṭīḵatāni | بِطِّيخَتَا; بَطِّيخَتَا biṭṭīḵatā; baṭṭīḵatā |
| Accusative | بِطِّيخَتَيْنِ; بَطِّيخَتَيْنِ biṭṭīḵatayni; baṭṭīḵatayni | الْبِطِّيخَتَيْنِ; الْبَطِّيخَتَيْنِ al-biṭṭīḵatayni; al-baṭṭīḵatayni | بِطِّيخَتَيْ; بَطِّيخَتَيْ biṭṭīḵatay; baṭṭīḵatay |
| Genitive | بِطِّيخَتَيْنِ; بَطِّيخَتَيْنِ biṭṭīḵatayni; baṭṭīḵatayni | الْبِطِّيخَتَيْنِ; الْبَطِّيخَتَيْنِ al-biṭṭīḵatayni; al-baṭṭīḵatayni | بِطِّيخَتَيْ; بَطِّيخَتَيْ biṭṭīḵatay; baṭṭīḵatay |
| Paucal (3-10) | sound feminine paucal | ||
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | بِطِّيخَات; بَطِّيخَات biṭṭīḵāt; baṭṭīḵāt | الْبِطِّيخَات; الْبَطِّيخَات al-biṭṭīḵāt; al-baṭṭīḵāt | بِطِّيخَات; بَطِّيخَات biṭṭīḵāt; baṭṭīḵāt |
| Nominative | بِطِّيخَاتٌ; بَطِّيخَاتٌ biṭṭīḵātun; baṭṭīḵātun | الْبِطِّيخَاتُ; الْبَطِّيخَاتُ al-biṭṭīḵātu; al-baṭṭīḵātu | بِطِّيخَاتُ; بَطِّيخَاتُ biṭṭīḵātu; baṭṭīḵātu |
| Accusative | بِطِّيخَاتٍ; بَطِّيخَاتٍ biṭṭīḵātin; baṭṭīḵātin | الْبِطِّيخَاتِ; الْبَطِّيخَاتِ al-biṭṭīḵāti; al-baṭṭīḵāti | بِطِّيخَاتِ; بَطِّيخَاتِ biṭṭīḵāti; baṭṭīḵāti |
| Genitive | بِطِّيخَاتٍ; بَطِّيخَاتٍ biṭṭīḵātin; baṭṭīḵātin | الْبِطِّيخَاتِ; الْبَطِّيخَاتِ al-biṭṭīḵāti; al-baṭṭīḵāti | بِطِّيخَاتِ; بَطِّيخَاتِ biṭṭīḵāti; baṭṭīḵāti |
| Plural of variety | basic broken plural diptote | ||
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | بَطَاطِيخ baṭāṭīḵ | الْبَطَاطِيخ al-baṭāṭīḵ | بَطَاطِيخ baṭāṭīḵ |
| Nominative | بَطَاطِيخُ baṭāṭīḵu | الْبَطَاطِيخُ al-baṭāṭīḵu | بَطَاطِيخُ baṭāṭīḵu |
| Accusative | بَطَاطِيخَ baṭāṭīḵa | الْبَطَاطِيخَ al-baṭāṭīḵa | بَطَاطِيخَ baṭāṭīḵa |
| Genitive | بَطَاطِيخَ baṭāṭīḵa | الْبَطَاطِيخِ al-baṭāṭīḵi | بَطَاطِيخِ baṭāṭīḵi |
Descendants
- Maltese: bettieħ, bettiħ, bittiħ
- → Old Catalan: albudeca
- Catalan: albudeca
- → Ge'ez: በጢሕ (baṭṭiḥ)
- → Kurdish:
- Northern Kurdish: petêx
- → Medieval Latin: botefles, buteflez, budusta, batheca
- → Malay: betik
- Indonesian: betik
- → Malayalam: വത്തയ്ക്ക (vattaykka)
- → Old Portuguese: albudeca, albudieca, batecha
- Galician: botefa, potefa
- Portuguese: pateca
- → French: pastèque
- → Italian: pasteca – Liguria
- → Ligurian: pateca
- → French: pastèque
- → Sardinian: pateca, patega
- → Spanish: patilla
- → Old Spanish: albudeca, budefa, badea, badeha
- Ladino: bateha
- Spanish: albudeca, badea
- → Old Venetian: bateco
References
- “botefles (or: buteflez)”, in Arabic and Latin Glossary, Würzburg: Julius-Maximilians-Universität, 2018–
- “blty”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
- Elmaz, Orhan (2014), “Investigating South Arabian words in al-Khalīl's Kitāb al-ʿayn”, in Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, volume 44, Supplement: Language of Southern Arabia: Papers from the Special Session of the Seminar for Arabian Studies held on 27 July 2013, Oxford: Archaeopress, page 34b
- Fraenkel, Siegmund (1886) Die aramäischen Fremdwörter im Arabischen (in German), Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 140
- Grimme, Hubert (1914), “Semitische P-Laute”, in Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft (in German), volume 68, page 269, who derives owing to phonetic variation from Hittite
- Lane, Edward William (1863), “بطيخ”, in Arabic-English Lexicon, London: Williams & Norgate, page 216c
- Leslau, Wolf (1991) Comparative Dictionary of Geʿez (Classical Ethiopic), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, →ISBN, page 113
- Löw, Immanuel (1928) Die Flora der Juden (in German), volume 1, Wien und Leipzig: R. Löwit, pages 550–553
- Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884), “بطيخ”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary, London: W.H. Allen, page 130a
Gulf Arabic
Etymology
From Arabic بَطِّيخ (baṭṭīḵ).
Pronunciation
- (Kuwaiti Gulf Arabic) IPA(key): /bətˤːiːχ/
Noun
بطيخ • (baṭṭīḵ) (collective, singulative بطيخة (baṭṭīḵa))
- cantaloupe, muskmelon
- شنو تحب اكثر، الرقي ولا البطيخ؟
- šinu tḥib akṯar, ir-raggi wila-lbaṭṭīḵ?
- What do you like more, watermelon or muskmelon?
- Synonym: شمام (šammām)
- unprofessional, bad, crappy
- المقاول هذا شغله بطيخ
- This contractor's job is crappy
Derived terms
- ديرة بطيخ (dīrat baṭṭiḵ)
Hijazi Arabic
Etymology
From Arabic بَطِّيخ (baṭṭīḵ).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /batˤːiːx/
Noun
بطيخ • (baṭṭīḵ) m (collective, singulative بطيخة f (baṭṭīḵa), plural بَطِّيخات (baṭṭīḵāt))
- watermelon, watermelons
- Synonym: حبحب (ḥabḥab)
South Levantine Arabic
Etymology
From Arabic بَطِّيخ (baṭṭīḵ).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /batˤ.tˤiːx/, [bɑtˤˈtˤiːx]
Audio (Bethlehem) (file)
Noun
بطّيخ • (baṭṭīḵ) m (collective, singulative بطّيخة f (baṭṭīḵa), plural بطِّيخات (baṭṭīḵāt))
- (uncountable) watermelon