ببغاء

Arabic

ببغاء – Psittacus erithacus

Etymology

Perhaps of onomatopoeic origin. In view of the bird’s range, borrowing from an unknown African or South Asian language is possible. Related to Classical Syriac ܒܒܓܐ (/⁠bbgʾ⁠/), ܦܵܦܵܐ (ppʾ /⁠pāp̄ā⁠/), Old Armenian պապկայ (papkay), Persian ببغا (babğâ), بپغا (bapğâ, “parrot”).

Noun

بَبَّغَاء or بَبْغَاء or بَبَغَاء • (babbaḡāʔ or babḡāʔ or babaḡāʔ) m or f (dual بَبَّغَاوَانِ (babbaḡāwāni) or بَبْغَاوَانِ (babḡāwāni) or بَبَغَاوَانِ (babaḡāwāni), plural بَبَّغَاوَات (babbaḡāwāt) or بَبْغَاوَات (babḡāwāt) or بَبَغَاوَات (babaḡāwāt))

1. parrot
2. (figurative) one who repeats what was said

   لَا تَكُنْ مِثْلَ الْبَبَّغَاءِ

   lā takun miṯla l-babbaḡāʔi

   Do not parrot.

Declension

Declension of noun بَبَّغَاء (babbaḡāʔ)‎; بَبْغَاء (babḡāʔ)‎; بَبَغَاء (babaḡāʔ)

Singular	basic singular diptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بَبَّغَاء‎; بَبْغَاء‎; بَبَغَاء babbaḡāʔ‎; babḡāʔ‎; babaḡāʔ	الْبَبَّغَاء‎; الْبَبْغَاء‎; الْبَبَغَاء al-babbaḡāʔ‎; al-babḡāʔ‎; al-babaḡāʔ	بَبَّغَاء‎; بَبْغَاء‎; بَبَغَاء babbaḡāʔ‎; babḡāʔ‎; babaḡāʔ
Nominative	بَبَّغَاءُ‎; بَبْغَاءُ‎; بَبَغَاءُ babbaḡāʔu‎; babḡāʔu‎; babaḡāʔu	الْبَبَّغَاءُ‎; الْبَبْغَاءُ‎; الْبَبَغَاءُ al-babbaḡāʔu‎; al-babḡāʔu‎; al-babaḡāʔu	بَبَّغَاءُ‎; بَبْغَاءُ‎; بَبَغَاءُ babbaḡāʔu‎; babḡāʔu‎; babaḡāʔu
Accusative	بَبَّغَاءَ‎; بَبْغَاءَ‎; بَبَغَاءَ babbaḡāʔa‎; babḡāʔa‎; babaḡāʔa	الْبَبَّغَاءَ‎; الْبَبْغَاءَ‎; الْبَبَغَاءَ al-babbaḡāʔa‎; al-babḡāʔa‎; al-babaḡāʔa	بَبَّغَاءَ‎; بَبْغَاءَ‎; بَبَغَاءَ babbaḡāʔa‎; babḡāʔa‎; babaḡāʔa
Genitive	بَبَّغَاءَ‎; بَبْغَاءَ‎; بَبَغَاءَ babbaḡāʔa‎; babḡāʔa‎; babaḡāʔa	الْبَبَّغَاءِ‎; الْبَبْغَاءِ‎; الْبَبَغَاءِ al-babbaḡāʔi‎; al-babḡāʔi‎; al-babaḡāʔi	بَبَّغَاءِ‎; بَبْغَاءِ‎; بَبَغَاءِ babbaḡāʔi‎; babḡāʔi‎; babaḡāʔi
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بَبَّغَاوَيْن‎; بَبْغَاوَيْن‎; بَبَغَاوَيْن babbaḡāwayn‎; babḡāwayn‎; babaḡāwayn	الْبَبَّغَاوَيْن‎; الْبَبْغَاوَيْن‎; الْبَبَغَاوَيْن al-babbaḡāwayn‎; al-babḡāwayn‎; al-babaḡāwayn	بَبَّغَاوَيْ‎; بَبْغَاوَيْ‎; بَبَغَاوَيْ babbaḡāway‎; babḡāway‎; babaḡāway
Nominative	بَبَّغَاوَانِ‎; بَبْغَاوَانِ‎; بَبَغَاوَانِ babbaḡāwāni‎; babḡāwāni‎; babaḡāwāni	الْبَبَّغَاوَانِ‎; الْبَبْغَاوَانِ‎; الْبَبَغَاوَانِ al-babbaḡāwāni‎; al-babḡāwāni‎; al-babaḡāwāni	بَبَّغَاوَا‎; بَبْغَاوَا‎; بَبَغَاوَا babbaḡāwā‎; babḡāwā‎; babaḡāwā
Accusative	بَبَّغَاوَيْنِ‎; بَبْغَاوَيْنِ‎; بَبَغَاوَيْنِ babbaḡāwayni‎; babḡāwayni‎; babaḡāwayni	الْبَبَّغَاوَيْنِ‎; الْبَبْغَاوَيْنِ‎; الْبَبَغَاوَيْنِ al-babbaḡāwayni‎; al-babḡāwayni‎; al-babaḡāwayni	بَبَّغَاوَيْ‎; بَبْغَاوَيْ‎; بَبَغَاوَيْ babbaḡāway‎; babḡāway‎; babaḡāway
Genitive	بَبَّغَاوَيْنِ‎; بَبْغَاوَيْنِ‎; بَبَغَاوَيْنِ babbaḡāwayni‎; babḡāwayni‎; babaḡāwayni	الْبَبَّغَاوَيْنِ‎; الْبَبْغَاوَيْنِ‎; الْبَبَغَاوَيْنِ al-babbaḡāwayni‎; al-babḡāwayni‎; al-babaḡāwayni	بَبَّغَاوَيْ‎; بَبْغَاوَيْ‎; بَبَغَاوَيْ babbaḡāway‎; babḡāway‎; babaḡāway
Plural	sound feminine plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بَبَّغَاوَات‎; بَبْغَاوَات‎; بَبَغَاوَات babbaḡāwāt‎; babḡāwāt‎; babaḡāwāt	الْبَبَّغَاوَات‎; الْبَبْغَاوَات‎; الْبَبَغَاوَات al-babbaḡāwāt‎; al-babḡāwāt‎; al-babaḡāwāt	بَبَّغَاوَات‎; بَبْغَاوَات‎; بَبَغَاوَات babbaḡāwāt‎; babḡāwāt‎; babaḡāwāt
Nominative	بَبَّغَاوَاتٌ‎; بَبْغَاوَاتٌ‎; بَبَغَاوَاتٌ babbaḡāwātun‎; babḡāwātun‎; babaḡāwātun	الْبَبَّغَاوَاتُ‎; الْبَبْغَاوَاتُ‎; الْبَبَغَاوَاتُ al-babbaḡāwātu‎; al-babḡāwātu‎; al-babaḡāwātu	بَبَّغَاوَاتُ‎; بَبْغَاوَاتُ‎; بَبَغَاوَاتُ babbaḡāwātu‎; babḡāwātu‎; babaḡāwātu
Accusative	بَبَّغَاوَاتٍ‎; بَبْغَاوَاتٍ‎; بَبَغَاوَاتٍ babbaḡāwātin‎; babḡāwātin‎; babaḡāwātin	الْبَبَّغَاوَاتِ‎; الْبَبْغَاوَاتِ‎; الْبَبَغَاوَاتِ al-babbaḡāwāti‎; al-babḡāwāti‎; al-babaḡāwāti	بَبَّغَاوَاتِ‎; بَبْغَاوَاتِ‎; بَبَغَاوَاتِ babbaḡāwāti‎; babḡāwāti‎; babaḡāwāti
Genitive	بَبَّغَاوَاتٍ‎; بَبْغَاوَاتٍ‎; بَبَغَاوَاتٍ babbaḡāwātin‎; babḡāwātin‎; babaḡāwātin	الْبَبَّغَاوَاتِ‎; الْبَبْغَاوَاتِ‎; الْبَبَغَاوَاتِ al-babbaḡāwāti‎; al-babḡāwāti‎; al-babaḡāwāti	بَبَّغَاوَاتِ‎; بَبْغَاوَاتِ‎; بَبَغَاوَاتِ babbaḡāwāti‎; babḡāwāti‎; babaḡāwāti

Descendants

• → Ancient Greek: παπαγᾶς (papagâs)
  • → Italian: pappagallo
    • → Albanian: papagall
    • → Greek: παπαγάλος m (papagálos)
  • → Sicilian: pappagaḍḍu, pappajaḍḍu
  • → Latvian: papagailis (gailis "rooster")
  • → Spanish: papagayo
    • → Old French: papegai
      • → Czech: papoušek (details unknown)
      • → Middle Dutch: papegay
        • Dutch: papegaai, papagaai (misspelling), pappegaai, pappegaei, pappegaey, papegaei, papegaey (obsolete)
          • Afrikaans: papegaai
          • Berbice Creole Dutch: papkai
          • → Aukan: papakai
          • → Russian: попуга́й (popugáj)
            • → Ingrian: popugai
            • → Veps: popugai
            • → Yakut: попугай (popugay)
      • → Middle English: popinjay
        • English: popinjay
      • → Finnish: papukaija
      • → Middle High German: papegei
        • German: Papagei
        • → Hungarian: papagáj
      • → Middle Low German: papegoie
        • → Danish: papegøje
        • → Norwegian: papegøye
        • → Swedish: papegoja
      • → Portuguese: papagaio
      • → Northern Kurdish: papaxan
• → Ottoman Turkish: پاپاغان
  • Turkish: papağan
  • → Lithuanian: papūga
  • → Polish: papuga
  • → Old Ruthenian: папу́га (papúha)
    • Ukrainian: папу́га (papúha)
• → Chinese: 八哥 (bāgē, “mynah”)
  • → Dongxiang: bage
• → Middle Armenian: պղպղայ (pġpġay)

References

• Ciancaglini, Claudia A. (2008) Iranian loanwords in Syriac (Beiträge zur Iranistik; 28), Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, page 120
• Freytag, Georg (1830) “ببغاء”, in Lexicon arabico-latinum praesertim ex Djeuharii Firuzabadiique et aliorum Arabum operibus adhibitis Golii quoque et aliorum libris confectum‎^[1] (in Latin), volume 1, Halle: C. A. Schwetschke, page 81
• Lane, Edward William (1863) “ببغاء”, in Arabic-English Lexicon‎^[2], London: Williams & Norgate, page 147
• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884) “ببغاء”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary‎^[3], London: W.H. Allen, page 104
• Wehr, Hans (1979) “ببغاء”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN, page 51