عقيان

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

• IPA^(key): /ʕiq.jaːn/

عِقْيَان • (ʕiqyān) m

1. native gold
   • a. 869, الْجَاحِظ [al-jāḥiẓ], “بَابُ مَعْرِفَةِ ٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلْفِضَّةِ وَٱمْتِحَانِهِمَا [bābu maʕrifati ḏ-ḏahabi wal-fiḍḍati wamtiḥānihimā, About the knowledge of gold and silver and their assessment]”, in التَبَصُّر بِٱلتِّجَارَة [at-tabaṣṣur bi-t-tijāra]‎:

     وَزَعَمُوا أَنَّ خَيْرَ ٱلذَّهَبِ ٱلْعِقْيَانُ وَخَيْرَ ٱلْفِضَّةِ ٱللُّجَيْنُ، وَمَذَاقُ ٱلْفِضَّةِ ٱلصَّافِيَةِ عَذْبٌ، وَمَذَاقُ ٱلزَُيُوفِ مُرٌّ صَدِئٌ، وَٱلنَّبَهْرَجُ مِنَ ٱلدَّرَاهِمِ مَالِحٌ جَرَسِيُّ ٱلطَّنِينِ، وَٱلْفِضَّةُ صَافِيَةُ ٱلطَّنِينِ لَا يَشُوبُهَا صَمَمٌ، وَهِيَ تَقْطَعُ ٱلْعَطَشَ إِذَا مُسِكَتْ فِي ٱلْفَمِ.

     wazaʕamū ʔanna ḵayra ḏ-ḏahabi l-ʕiqyānu waḵayra l-fiḍḍati l-lujaynu, wamaḏāqu l-fiḍḍati ṣ-ṣāfiyati ʕaḏbun, wamaḏāqu z-zauyūfi murrun ṣadiʔun, wan-nabahraju mina d-darāhimi māliḥun jarasiyyu ṭ-ṭanīni, wal-fiḍḍatu ṣāfiyatu ṭ-ṭanīni lā yašūbuhā ṣamamun, wahiya taqṭaʕu l-ʕaṭaša ʔiḏā musikat fī l-fami.

     It is claimed that the best gold is the native one, and the best silver the refined one. Refined silver tastes sweet, fake silver bitter and disagreeable. The phoney dirhams are salty in taste and bell-sounding, whereas pure silver has a thudless sound. It tranquilizes thirst if held in the mouth.