علج
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Arabic
Etymology
| Root |
|---|
| ع ل ج (ʕ l j) |
| 5 terms |
Connected by Jakob Barth to Ge'ez አድግ (ʾädg, “ass”); as a nickname originating in some ancient dialect therewith inviting to draw a parallel with عَلَس (ʕalas, “emmer”) vs. عَدَس (ʕadas, “lentil”).
The word was quite obscure until the 2003 invasion of Iraq, when the Iraqi information minister Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf aka "Comical Ali" started frequently using it to refer to the invading American troops. It was a hassle for translators, and sparked debate in Arabic-language media regarding its meaning and etymology.
Pronunciation
Noun
عِلْج • (ʕilj) m (plural عُلُوج (ʕulūj) or أَعْلَاج (ʔaʕlāj) or عِلَجَة (ʕilaja))
- sturdy man, bulky bloke
- (Islam, archaic, religious slur) atheist, kafir
- 7th century CE, Muwaṭṭaʾ Mālik, section 21:
- إِنَّهُ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ رِجَالاً مِنْكُمْ يَطْلُبُونَ الْعِلْجَ حَتَّى إِذَا أَسْنَدَ فِي الْجَبَلِ وَامْتَنَعَ
- ʔinnahu balaḡanī ʔanna rijālan minkum yaṭlubūna l-ʕilja ḥattā ʔiḏā ʔasnada fī l-jabali wāmtanaʕa
- It has reached me that some of your men would seek and chase a non-believer till he retreats to the mountains.
- wild ass, onager
Declension
Declension of noun عِلْج (ʕilj)
| Singular | basic singular triptote | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | عِلْج ʕilj |
الْعِلْج al-ʕilj |
عِلْج ʕilj |
| Nominative | عِلْجٌ ʕiljun |
الْعِلْجُ al-ʕilju |
عِلْجُ ʕilju |
| Accusative | عِلْجًا ʕiljan |
الْعِلْجَ al-ʕilja |
عِلْجَ ʕilja |
| Genitive | عِلْجٍ ʕiljin |
الْعِلْجِ al-ʕilji |
عِلْجِ ʕilji |
| Dual | Indefinite | Definite | Construct |
| Informal | عِلْجَيْن ʕiljayn |
الْعِلْجَيْن al-ʕiljayn |
عِلْجَيْ ʕiljay |
| Nominative | عِلْجَانِ ʕiljāni |
الْعِلْجَانِ al-ʕiljāni |
عِلْجَا ʕiljā |
| Accusative | عِلْجَيْنِ ʕiljayni |
الْعِلْجَيْنِ al-ʕiljayni |
عِلْجَيْ ʕiljay |
| Genitive | عِلْجَيْنِ ʕiljayni |
الْعِلْجَيْنِ al-ʕiljayni |
عِلْجَيْ ʕiljay |
| Plural | basic broken plural triptote; broken plural triptote in ـَة (-a) | ||
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | عُلُوج; أَعْلَاج; عِلَجَة ʕulūj; ʔaʕlāj; ʕilaja |
الْعُلُوج; الْأَعْلَاج; الْعِلَجَة al-ʕulūj; al-ʔaʕlāj; al-ʕilaja |
عُلُوج; أَعْلَاج; عِلَجَة ʕulūj; ʔaʕlāj; ʕilajat |
| Nominative | عُلُوجٌ; أَعْلَاجٌ; عِلَجَةٌ ʕulūjun; ʔaʕlājun; ʕilajatun |
الْعُلُوجُ; الْأَعْلَاجُ; الْعِلَجَةُ al-ʕulūju; al-ʔaʕlāju; al-ʕilajatu |
عُلُوجُ; أَعْلَاجُ; عِلَجَةُ ʕulūju; ʔaʕlāju; ʕilajatu |
| Accusative | عُلُوجًا; أَعْلَاجًا; عِلَجَةً ʕulūjan; ʔaʕlājan; ʕilajatan |
الْعُلُوجَ; الْأَعْلَاجَ; الْعِلَجَةَ al-ʕulūja; al-ʔaʕlāja; al-ʕilajata |
عُلُوجَ; أَعْلَاجَ; عِلَجَةَ ʕulūja; ʔaʕlāja; ʕilajata |
| Genitive | عُلُوجٍ; أَعْلَاجٍ; عِلَجَةٍ ʕulūjin; ʔaʕlājin; ʕilajatin |
الْعُلُوجِ; الْأَعْلَاجِ; الْعِلَجَةِ al-ʕulūji; al-ʔaʕlāji; al-ʕilajati |
عُلُوجِ; أَعْلَاجِ; عِلَجَةِ ʕulūji; ʔaʕlāji; ʕilajati |
References
- Barth, Jakob (1893) Etymologische Studien zum semitischen insbesondere zum hebräischen Lexicon (in German), Berlin: H. Itzkowski, page 45
- Freytag, Georg (1835) “علج”, in Lexicon arabico-latinum praesertim ex Djeuharii Firuzabadiique et aliorum Arabum operibus adhibitis Golii quoque et aliorum libris confectum (in Latin), volume 3, Halle: C. A. Schwetschke, page 206
- Lane, Edward William (1863) “علج”, in Arabic-English Lexicon, London: Williams & Norgate, page 2128
- Leslau, Wolf (1991) Comparative Dictionary of Geʿez (Classical Ethiopic), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, →ISBN, page 7