جَمَل
root: ج-م-ل / noun / plural: جِمال / definition: camel
I didn’t realise it’d been so long since our last proper Dictionary Finds post, especially as I’m always adding to the list of intriguing vocabulary I’ve stumbled upon whilst consulting the dictionary for one reason or another.
So today I’ve chosen a word from that list. And the interesting thing about this word is not really the definition itself, but rather how it takes on a seemingly unrelated meaning in the collocations it occurs in.
The word I’m referring to can be found on page 728 of the Hans Wehr dictionary:
عَطَن: resting place of camels near a waterhole
I mean, it’s still quite an interesting definition to find in a dictionary, but not too surprising of a find in an Arabic one where, if I searched for entries including the term “camel”, I’m sure I’d be met with a plethora of results to dig through.
But it gets thought-provoking when we look at the phrases mentioned immediately after it:
ضَيِّق العَطَن: narrow-minded, parochial
رَحب العَطَن: broad-minded
Both of these phrases are examples of the adjective إضافة and, in them, عَطَن seems to assume the meaning of “mind” rather than a place for camels.
I wonder, what’s the link here? What are your thoughts? Let me know!
!إلى اللقاء
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