Unknown. Potentially borrowed from Persian مرغ نوروزی (morğ nowruzi, literally “bird of Nowruz or New Years”), but as the apparent connection to Nowruz is unknown, the later term may itself be borrowed from Arabic.
Possibly related to Latin larus, derived from Ancient Greek λάρος (láros, “ravenous sea bird; potentially seamew, gull”). What complicates such an immediate identification is the lack of intermediate borrowings in other Semitic or regional languages, sources such as Classical Syriac or Middle Persian. The initial sound change is plausible, with the occasional conflation of /l/ and /n/ in other Arabic words, especially those featuring both /l/ and /r/, which typically do not appear together in a native Arabic root; compare وَرَل (waral), وَرَن (waran, “monitor lizard”).
نَوْرَس • (nawras) m (plural نَوَارِس (nawāris))
Singular | basic singular triptote | ||
---|---|---|---|
Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
Informal | نَوْرَس nawras |
النَّوْرَس an-nawras |
نَوْرَس nawras |
Nominative | نَوْرَسٌ nawrasun |
النَّوْرَسُ an-nawrasu |
نَوْرَسُ nawrasu |
Accusative | نَوْرَسًا nawrasan |
النَّوْرَسَ an-nawrasa |
نَوْرَسَ nawrasa |
Genitive | نَوْرَسٍ nawrasin |
النَّوْرَسِ an-nawrasi |
نَوْرَسِ nawrasi |
Dual | Indefinite | Definite | Construct |
Informal | نَوْرَسَيْن nawrasayn |
النَّوْرَسَيْن an-nawrasayn |
نَوْرَسَيْ nawrasay |
Nominative | نَوْرَسَانِ nawrasāni |
النَّوْرَسَانِ an-nawrasāni |
نَوْرَسَا nawrasā |
Accusative | نَوْرَسَيْنِ nawrasayni |
النَّوْرَسَيْنِ an-nawrasayni |
نَوْرَسَيْ nawrasay |
Genitive | نَوْرَسَيْنِ nawrasayni |
النَّوْرَسَيْنِ an-nawrasayni |
نَوْرَسَيْ nawrasay |
Plural | basic broken plural diptote | ||
Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
Informal | نَوَارِس nawāris |
النَّوَارِس an-nawāris |
نَوَارِس nawāris |
Nominative | نَوَارِسُ nawārisu |
النَّوَارِسُ an-nawārisu |
نَوَارِسُ nawārisu |
Accusative | نَوَارِسَ nawārisa |
النَّوَارِسَ an-nawārisa |
نَوَارِسَ nawārisa |
Genitive | نَوَارِسَ nawārisa |
النَّوَارِسِ an-nawārisi |
نَوَارِسِ nawārisi |
Learned borrowing from Arabic نَوْرَس (nawras).