From the root ن ع م (n-ʕ-m). Else found in Jewish Babylonian Aramaic נַעָמׅיתָה (naʿāmīṯā), Jewish Palestinian Aramaic נעמיתה, Jewish Literary Aramaic נַעֳמָא (naʿămā), נַעֲמִיתָא (naʿămīṯā), נַעָמִיתָא (naʿāmīṯā), Christian Palestinian Aramaic ܢܥܡܝܬܐ, Classical Syriac ܢܰܥܳܡܳܐ (naʿāmā. naʿʿāmā), Mishnaic Hebrew נָעֳמׅית (nɔ̄ʾɔ̄mīṯ, “ostrich”). Hommel declared them to be borrowed from Arabic in spite of their early attestation due to the bird’s preferring semiarid conditions, but its distribution, now not even concluding Arabia, seems to have extended even into Aram, so the term may be of shared Central Semitic origin.
نَعَام • (naʕām) m (collective, singulative نَعَامَة f (naʕāma), plural نَعَائِم (naʕāʔim))
| Collective | basic collective triptote | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | نَعَام naʕām |
النَّعَام an-naʕām |
نَعَام naʕām |
| Nominative | نَعَامٌ naʕāmun |
النَّعَامُ an-naʕāmu |
نَعَامُ naʕāmu |
| Accusative | نَعَامًا naʕāman |
النَّعَامَ an-naʕāma |
نَعَامَ naʕāma |
| Genitive | نَعَامٍ naʕāmin |
النَّعَامِ an-naʕāmi |
نَعَامِ naʕāmi |
| Singulative | singulative triptote in ـَة (-a) | ||
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | نَعَامَة naʕāma |
النَّعَامَة an-naʕāma |
نَعَامَة naʕāmat |
| Nominative | نَعَامَةٌ naʕāmatun |
النَّعَامَةُ an-naʕāmatu |
نَعَامَةُ naʕāmatu |
| Accusative | نَعَامَةً naʕāmatan |
النَّعَامَةَ an-naʕāmata |
نَعَامَةَ naʕāmata |
| Genitive | نَعَامَةٍ naʕāmatin |
النَّعَامَةِ an-naʕāmati |
نَعَامَةِ naʕāmati |
| Dual | Indefinite | Definite | Construct |
| Informal | نَعَامَتَيْن naʕāmatayn |
النَّعَامَتَيْن an-naʕāmatayn |
نَعَامَتَيْ naʕāmatay |
| Nominative | نَعَامَتَانِ naʕāmatāni |
النَّعَامَتَانِ an-naʕāmatāni |
نَعَامَتَا naʕāmatā |
| Accusative | نَعَامَتَيْنِ naʕāmatayni |
النَّعَامَتَيْنِ an-naʕāmatayni |
نَعَامَتَيْ naʕāmatay |
| Genitive | نَعَامَتَيْنِ naʕāmatayni |
النَّعَامَتَيْنِ an-naʕāmatayni |
نَعَامَتَيْ naʕāmatay |
| Paucal (3-10) | sound feminine paucal | ||
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | نَعَامَات naʕāmāt |
النَّعَامَات an-naʕāmāt |
نَعَامَات naʕāmāt |
| Nominative | نَعَامَاتٌ naʕāmātun |
النَّعَامَاتُ an-naʕāmātu |
نَعَامَاتُ naʕāmātu |
| Accusative | نَعَامَاتٍ naʕāmātin |
النَّعَامَاتِ an-naʕāmāti |
نَعَامَاتِ naʕāmāti |
| Genitive | نَعَامَاتٍ naʕāmātin |
النَّعَامَاتِ an-naʕāmāti |
نَعَامَاتِ naʕāmāti |
| Plural of variety | basic broken plural diptote | ||
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | نَعَائِم naʕāʔim |
النَّعَائِم an-naʕāʔim |
نَعَائِم naʕāʔim |
| Nominative | نَعَائِمُ naʕāʔimu |
النَّعَائِمُ an-naʕāʔimu |
نَعَائِمُ naʕāʔimu |
| Accusative | نَعَائِمَ naʕāʔima |
النَّعَائِمَ an-naʕāʔima |
نَعَائِمَ naʕāʔima |
| Genitive | نَعَائِمَ naʕāʔima |
النَّعَائِمِ an-naʕāʔimi |
نَعَائِمِ naʕāʔimi |
نعام • (nʕām) m (collective, singulative نعامة f (nʕāma), paucal نعامات (nʕāmāt))