ክታብ
Amharic
Etymology
May be a borrowing from Arabic كِتَاب (kitāb), due to the fetishization of the written word encountered with the learned.
Noun
ክታብ • (kətab)
- amulet, talisman, fetish, charm particularly wrapped in parchment or with medicinal herbs
- book, document
References
- Thomas Leiper Kane (1990) Amharic-English Dictionary, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, →ISBN, page 1430b
Ge'ez
Etymology
Probably a borrowing from Arabic كِتَاب (kitāb).
Noun
ክታብ • (kətab) m (plural ክታባት (kətabat))
- book, leaflet, document, chit
- charm, spell, amulet, fetish
References
- Dillmann, August (1865), “ክታብ”, in Lexicon linguae aethiopicae cum indice latino (in Latin), Leipzig: T. O. Weigel
- Leslau, Wolf (1991), “ክታብ”, in Comparative Dictionary of Geʿez (Classical Ethiopic), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, →ISBN, page 297b
Tigre
Etymology
A loan from Arabic كِتَاب (kitāb), with some other meanings in the derivation ክታበት (kətabät).
Noun
ክታብ • (kətab) m (plural አክትበት (ʾäktəbät), and አክትባታት (ʾäktəbatat), diminutive ክቴባይ (kətebay))
- book
References
- Littmann, Enno; Höfner, Maria (1962), “ክታብ”, in Wörterbuch der Tigrē-Sprache. Tigrē—Deutsch—Englisch (Veröffentlichungen der Orientalischen Kommission der Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur; XI), Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag GmbH, page 414b
Tigrinya
Etymology
May be a borrowing from Arabic كِتَاب (kitāb), due to the fetishisation of the written word encountered with Muslim scholars.
Noun
ክታብ • (kətab)
- amulet
- fetish, charm, a strip or ribbon into which one scribbles indecipherable text to ward off evil
References
- da Bassano, Francesco (1918), “ክታብ”, in Vocabolario tigray-italiano e repertorio italiano-tigray (in Italian), Rome: Casa editrice italiana di C. de Luigi, column 604b