حمبزان

Arabic

حَمْبِزَان

Alternative forms

حِمْبَاز‎ (ḥimbāz), حِمْبَازَة‎ (ḥimbāza), حِنْزَاب‎ (ḥinzāb), حُنْزُوب‎ (ḥunzūb)

Etymology

Mandaville observes that “there are a few unexpected absences in the old data [i. e. of classical Arabic plant name uses] […] We also look in vain for two important annuals with edible rootstock: rubaḥlah and ḥambizān”. Steiger argues that the forms for this sour root vegetable are actually the same word as زَنْبُوع‎ (zanbūʿ, “pomelo”), زَنْبَاع‎ (zanbāʿ, “grapefruit”), positing these as progressively sonorized from زَنْبُوح‎ (zanbūḥ), *زَنْبَاح (*zanbāḥ), in a chain from the now obsolete form حُنْزُوب‎ (ḥunzūb) to *زُنْحُوب (*zunḥūb) to زُنْبُوح‎ (zunbūḥ) to زُنْبُوع‎ (zunbūʿ) and a chain حِنْزَاب‎ (ḥinzāb) → *زِنْبَاح (*zinbāḥ) → زَنْبَاع (zanbāʿ), and also deeming the same term present in Catalan alambó, alambor (“bitter orange”), ultimately explaining all as from the transparent term حُمَّاض‎ (ḥummāḍ), vulgarly حَمَّاض‎ (ḥammāḍ, “sorrel”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ħam.bi.zaːn/

Noun

حَمْبِزَان • (ḥambizān) m

Emex gen. et spp. (the taproot and petioles, of Emex spinosa at least, are eaten)

Declension

Declension of noun حَمْبِزَان (ḥambizān)

Singular	basic singular triptote
Singular	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	حَمْبِزَان ḥambizān	الْحَمْبِزَان‎ al-ḥambizān	حَمْبِزَان ḥambizān
Nominative	حَمْبِزَانٌ ḥambizānun	الْحَمْبِزَانُ‎ al-ḥambizānu	حَمْبِزَانُ ḥambizānu
Accusative	حَمْبِزَانًا‎ ḥambizānan	الْحَمْبِزَانَ‎ al-ḥambizāna	حَمْبِزَانَ ḥambizāna
Genitive	حَمْبِزَانٍ ḥambizānin	الْحَمْبِزَانِ‎ al-ḥambizāni	حَمْبِزَانِ ḥambizāni