ناطف

Arabic

Etymology

Either from the root ن ط ف‎ (n-ṭ-f) related to dribbling, spilling, because of the manner cream is created, or an Aramaic borrowing, since soapwort has been used to make a foam sugared and used as a surrogate for egg white foam (meringue) or whipped cream,[1] and the Aramaic root cognate to ن ظ ف‎ (n-ẓ-f) would be נ־ט־ף‎ (n-ṭ-p̄) which however just means “to drip”, perhaps the source of the uncommon Arabic root. The Iberian turrón type of candy is claimed to be a material borrowing from Arabic practice.[2]

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /naː.tˤif/

Noun

نَاطِف • (nāṭif) m (collective, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Egypt)

a kind of nougat or hard candy from cream or foam hardened with sugar
Synonym: قُبَّيْط‎ (qubbayṭ)

Declension

Declension of noun نَاطِف (nāṭif)

Singular	basic singular triptote
Singular	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	نَاطِف nāṭif	النَّاطِف‎ an-nāṭif	نَاطِف nāṭif
Nominative	نَاطِفٌ nāṭifun	النَّاطِفُ‎ an-nāṭifu	نَاطِفُ nāṭifu
Accusative	نَاطِفًا‎ nāṭifan	النَّاطِفَ‎ an-nāṭifa	نَاطِفَ nāṭifa
Genitive	نَاطِفٍ nāṭifin	النَّاطِفِ‎ an-nāṭifi	نَاطِفِ nāṭifi

References

Löw, Immanuel (1928) Die Flora der Juden‎ (in German), volume 1, Wien und Leipzig: R. Löwit, page 649
Salloum, Habeeb; Salloum, Muna; Salloum Elias, Leila (2013) Sweet Delights from a Thousand and One Nights: The Story of Traditional Arab Sweets, London and New York: I. B. Tauris, →ISBN, page 157

[1] Löw, Immanuel (1928) Die Flora der Juden‎ (in German), volume 1, Wien und Leipzig: R. Löwit, page 649

[2] Salloum, Habeeb; Salloum, Muna; Salloum Elias, Leila (2013) Sweet Delights from a Thousand and One Nights: The Story of Traditional Arab Sweets, London and New York: I. B. Tauris, →ISBN, page 157