A term of cultic significance, borrowed into Arabic from Aramaic, as shown by the consonantism. The late occurrence of Akkadian 𒆏𒋢 (kabsu, “young male sheep”) also implies Aramaic borrowing. Compare Soqotri كبڛ (kobŝ, “ram”).
Nöldeke and Fraenkel assumed that Classical Syriac ܟܒܫܐ (keḇšā, “wether”) represented a borrowing from Arabic. This hypothesis was put forth because the /š/ would have been irregular if both the Syriac and Arabic term descended from a shared form with Proto-West Semitic *ś (/ɬ/). This idea was thence repeated in Syriac and Mandaic reference works until the 21st century. However, this cannot be correct, since we would have expected a vocalization *ܟܰܒ݂ܫܳܐ (kaḇšā) - rather than ܟܶܒ݂ܫܳܐ (keḇšā) - if it had been borrowed from Arabic. Additionally, the Syriac term was already borrowed as Old Armenian քաւշ (kʻawš) in the 5th century.
Instead, the Syriac form is closer to Hebrew כֶּבֶשׂ (kéḇeś, “sheep”) and Phoenician 𐤊𐤁𐤔 (kbš, “sheep”).
A potential cognate outside of Semitic is Mingrelian ქაბლა (kabla, “calf”). Interestingly, Mingrelian ლ (l) (corresponding to Svan შ (š)) can reflect Proto-Kartvelian *lʿ (/ɬ/), close in pronunciation to Proto-West Semitic *ś (/ɬ/).
(Can this(+) etymology be sourced?)
كَبْش • (kabš) m (plural كِبَاش (kibāš) or أَكْبَاش (ʔakbāš) or أَكْبُش (ʔakbuš) or كُبُوش (kubūš))
| Singular | basic singular triptote | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | كَبْش kabš |
الْكَبْش al-kabš |
كَبْش kabš |
| Nominative | كَبْشٌ kabšun |
الْكَبْشُ al-kabšu |
كَبْشُ kabšu |
| Accusative | كَبْشًا kabšan |
الْكَبْشَ al-kabša |
كَبْشَ kabša |
| Genitive | كَبْشٍ kabšin |
الْكَبْشِ al-kabši |
كَبْشِ kabši |
| Dual | Indefinite | Definite | Construct |
| Informal | كَبْشَيْن kabšayn |
الْكَبْشَيْن al-kabšayn |
كَبْشَيْ kabšay |
| Nominative | كَبْشَانِ kabšāni |
الْكَبْشَانِ al-kabšāni |
كَبْشَا kabšā |
| Accusative | كَبْشَيْنِ kabšayni |
الْكَبْشَيْنِ al-kabšayni |
كَبْشَيْ kabšay |
| Genitive | كَبْشَيْنِ kabšayni |
الْكَبْشَيْنِ al-kabšayni |
كَبْشَيْ kabšay |
| Plural | basic broken plural triptote | ||
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | كِبَاش; أَكْبَاش; أَكْبُش; كُبُوش kibāš; ʔakbāš; ʔakbuš; kubūš |
الْكِبَاش; الْأَكْبَاش; الْأَكْبُش; الْكُبُوش al-kibāš; al-ʔakbāš; al-ʔakbuš; al-kubūš |
كِبَاش; أَكْبَاش; أَكْبُش; كُبُوش kibāš; ʔakbāš; ʔakbuš; kubūš |
| Nominative | كِبَاشٌ; أَكْبَاشٌ; أَكْبُشٌ; كُبُوشٌ kibāšun; ʔakbāšun; ʔakbušun; kubūšun |
الْكِبَاشُ; الْأَكْبَاشُ; الْأَكْبُشُ; الْكُبُوشُ al-kibāšu; al-ʔakbāšu; al-ʔakbušu; al-kubūšu |
كِبَاشُ; أَكْبَاشُ; أَكْبُشُ; كُبُوشُ kibāšu; ʔakbāšu; ʔakbušu; kubūšu |
| Accusative | كِبَاشًا; أَكْبَاشًا; أَكْبُشًا; كُبُوشًا kibāšan; ʔakbāšan; ʔakbušan; kubūšan |
الْكِبَاشَ; الْأَكْبَاشَ; الْأَكْبُشَ; الْكُبُوشَ al-kibāša; al-ʔakbāša; al-ʔakbuša; al-kubūša |
كِبَاشَ; أَكْبَاشَ; أَكْبُشَ; كُبُوشَ kibāša; ʔakbāša; ʔakbuša; kubūša |
| Genitive | كِبَاشٍ; أَكْبَاشٍ; أَكْبُشٍ; كُبُوشٍ kibāšin; ʔakbāšin; ʔakbušin; kubūšin |
الْكِبَاشِ; الْأَكْبَاشِ; الْأَكْبُشِ; الْكُبُوشِ al-kibāši; al-ʔakbāši; al-ʔakbuši; al-kubūši |
كِبَاشِ; أَكْبَاشِ; أَكْبُشِ; كُبُوشِ kibāši; ʔakbāši; ʔakbuši; kubūši |