طاعون
Arabic
Etymology
Of the root ط ع ن (ṭ-ʿ-n). The pattern suggests a borrowing from Classical Syriac ܛܳܥܘܿܢܳܐ (ṭāʿōnā) from ܛܥܷܢ (ṭʿen, “to carry”), related to Arabic ظَعَنَ (ẓaʿana, “to depart”), though the Syriac is not known to mean a disease but “carrier”. The semantic evolution would either be via “to carry as a burden, to endure“ with the ailment understood as hardship, or via “transport” developing the meaning of transmission, the plague being transmitted quickly by vectors. Compare also the other Arabic name of the disease, مُوتَان (mūtān) from another Semitic language.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /tˤaː.ʕuːn/
Noun
طَاعُون • (ṭāʿūn) m (plural طَوَاعِين (ṭawāʿīn))
- epidemic disease, plague, pestilence, pest
Declension
Declension of noun طَاعُون (ṭāʿūn)
| Singular | basic singular triptote | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | طَاعُون ṭāʿūn | الطَّاعُون aṭ-ṭāʿūn | طَاعُون ṭāʿūn |
| Nominative | طَاعُونٌ ṭāʿūnun | الطَّاعُونُ aṭ-ṭāʿūnu | طَاعُونُ ṭāʿūnu |
| Accusative | طَاعُونًا ṭāʿūnan | الطَّاعُونَ aṭ-ṭāʿūna | طَاعُونَ ṭāʿūna |
| Genitive | طَاعُونٍ ṭāʿūnin | الطَّاعُونِ aṭ-ṭāʿūni | طَاعُونِ ṭāʿūni |
| Dual | Indefinite | Definite | Construct |
| Informal | طَاعُونَيْن ṭāʿūnayn | الطَّاعُونَيْن aṭ-ṭāʿūnayn | طَاعُونَيْ ṭāʿūnay |
| Nominative | طَاعُونَانِ ṭāʿūnāni | الطَّاعُونَانِ aṭ-ṭāʿūnāni | طَاعُونَا ṭāʿūnā |
| Accusative | طَاعُونَيْنِ ṭāʿūnayni | الطَّاعُونَيْنِ aṭ-ṭāʿūnayni | طَاعُونَيْ ṭāʿūnay |
| Genitive | طَاعُونَيْنِ ṭāʿūnayni | الطَّاعُونَيْنِ aṭ-ṭāʿūnayni | طَاعُونَيْ ṭāʿūnay |
| Plural | basic broken plural diptote | ||
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | طَوَاعِين ṭawāʿīn | الطَّوَاعِين aṭ-ṭawāʿīn | طَوَاعِين ṭawāʿīn |
| Nominative | طَوَاعِينُ ṭawāʿīnu | الطَّوَاعِينُ aṭ-ṭawāʿīnu | طَوَاعِينُ ṭawāʿīnu |
| Accusative | طَوَاعِينَ ṭawāʿīna | الطَّوَاعِينَ aṭ-ṭawāʿīna | طَوَاعِينَ ṭawāʿīna |
| Genitive | طَوَاعِينَ ṭawāʿīna | الطَّوَاعِينِ aṭ-ṭawāʿīni | طَوَاعِينِ ṭawāʿīni |
Synonyms
- وَبَأ (wabaʾ), وَبَاء (wabāʾ), مُوتَان (mūtān)
Descendants
- → Azerbaijani: taun
- → Medieval Latin: althaum, althoin
- → Ottoman Turkish: طاعون (taun)
- Turkish: taun
- → Persian: طاعون
- → Uzbek: toun
References
- “ṭˁwn2”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
- Fraenkel, Siegmund (1886) Die aramäischen Fremdwörter im Arabischen (in German), Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 265
- Steiger, Arnald (1960), “Voces de origen oriental contenidas en el Tesoro lexicográfico de Samuel Gili Gaya”, in Revista de Filología Española (in Spanish), volume 43, issue 1.o–2.o, DOI:, page 53