طابع

Arabic

Root
ط ب ع (ṭ b ʕ)
14 terms

Etymology 1

From Aramaic טַבְעָא / ܛܲܒܼܥܵܐ (ṭaḇəʿā, “stamp, seal, die, thing made sink”), as well as Hebrew טַבַּעַת (ṭaḇáʕaṯ, “ring, seal”) from Akkadian 𒋰 (ṭepûm, “to attach, to append”, to imprint or impress said of seals), from Akkadian 𒁾 (ṭuppum, “tablet, impressed markings in clay or other materials”), ultimately from Sumerian 𒁾 (dub).

Alternatively, from Egyptian ḏbꜥwt (“signet, seal”), presumably via Hebrew טבעת (ṭaḇáʕaṯ, “ring, seal”), then the above Aramaic טַבְעָא (ṭaḇəʿā), ultimately from Egyptian ḏbꜥ (“finger, digit”), cognate to Hebrew אֶצְבַּע (ʔeṣbáʕ) and Arabic إِصْبَع (ʔiṣbaʕ, “finger”), presumably indicating “putting one's finger” to sign or seal a royal document.

The root ط ب ع (ṭ-b-ʕ) “related to imprinting” in Arabic is merely derived from the borrowing. Aramaic טְבַע / ܛܒܲܥ (ṭbaʕ), Hebrew טָבַע (ṭaḇáʕ), Akkadian 𒋤 (SUD /⁠ṭebû⁠/), all meaning “to sink, to be dipped or drown” etc., are rather variants of צְבַע / ܨܒܱܥ (ṣḇaʿ), צָבַע (ṣaḇáʕ, “to dip, to moisten; to paint, to dye”), see them; other meanings of the Aramaic and Hebrew roots related to “coining” and “shaping” and “specifying” are derived from the seal borrowing.

Compare Arabic خَاتَم (ḵātam) representing a potential Egyptian equivalent. For more on the foreign pattern فَاعَل (fāʕal) see عَالَم (ʕālam).

Noun

طَابَع or طَابِع • (ṭābaʕ or ṭābiʕ) m (plural طَوَابِع (ṭawābiʕ))

1. postage stamp
2. stamp (for printing, etc.)
3. die for branding
4. impression, imprint, sealing, what a stamp or seal leaves

Declension

Declension of noun طَابَع (ṭābaʕ)‎; طَابِع (ṭābiʕ)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	طَابَع‎; طَابِع ṭābaʕ‎; ṭābiʕ	الطَّابَع‎; الطَّابِع aṭ-ṭābaʕ‎; aṭ-ṭābiʕ	طَابَع‎; طَابِع ṭābaʕ‎; ṭābiʕ
Nominative	طَابَعٌ‎; طَابِعٌ ṭābaʕun‎; ṭābiʕun	الطَّابَعُ‎; الطَّابِعُ aṭ-ṭābaʕu‎; aṭ-ṭābiʕu	طَابَعُ‎; طَابِعُ ṭābaʕu‎; ṭābiʕu
Accusative	طَابَعًا‎; طَابِعًا ṭābaʕan‎; ṭābiʕan	الطَّابَعَ‎; الطَّابِعَ aṭ-ṭābaʕa‎; aṭ-ṭābiʕa	طَابَعَ‎; طَابِعَ ṭābaʕa‎; ṭābiʕa
Genitive	طَابَعٍ‎; طَابِعٍ ṭābaʕin‎; ṭābiʕin	الطَّابَعِ‎; الطَّابِعِ aṭ-ṭābaʕi‎; aṭ-ṭābiʕi	طَابَعِ‎; طَابِعِ ṭābaʕi‎; ṭābiʕi
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	طَابَعَيْن‎; طَابِعَيْن ṭābaʕayn‎; ṭābiʕayn	الطَّابَعَيْن‎; الطَّابِعَيْن aṭ-ṭābaʕayn‎; aṭ-ṭābiʕayn	طَابَعَيْ‎; طَابِعَيْ ṭābaʕay‎; ṭābiʕay
Nominative	طَابَعَانِ‎; طَابِعَانِ ṭābaʕāni‎; ṭābiʕāni	الطَّابَعَانِ‎; الطَّابِعَانِ aṭ-ṭābaʕāni‎; aṭ-ṭābiʕāni	طَابَعَا‎; طَابِعَا ṭābaʕā‎; ṭābiʕā
Accusative	طَابَعَيْنِ‎; طَابِعَيْنِ ṭābaʕayni‎; ṭābiʕayni	الطَّابَعَيْنِ‎; الطَّابِعَيْنِ aṭ-ṭābaʕayni‎; aṭ-ṭābiʕayni	طَابَعَيْ‎; طَابِعَيْ ṭābaʕay‎; ṭābiʕay
Genitive	طَابَعَيْنِ‎; طَابِعَيْنِ ṭābaʕayni‎; ṭābiʕayni	الطَّابَعَيْنِ‎; الطَّابِعَيْنِ aṭ-ṭābaʕayni‎; aṭ-ṭābiʕayni	طَابَعَيْ‎; طَابِعَيْ ṭābaʕay‎; ṭābiʕay
Plural	basic broken plural diptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	طَوَابِع ṭawābiʕ	الطَّوَابِع aṭ-ṭawābiʕ	طَوَابِع ṭawābiʕ
Nominative	طَوَابِعُ ṭawābiʕu	الطَّوَابِعُ aṭ-ṭawābiʕu	طَوَابِعُ ṭawābiʕu
Accusative	طَوَابِعَ ṭawābiʕa	الطَّوَابِعَ aṭ-ṭawābiʕa	طَوَابِعَ ṭawābiʕa
Genitive	طَوَابِعَ ṭawābiʕa	الطَّوَابِعِ aṭ-ṭawābiʕi	طَوَابِعِ ṭawābiʕi

Etymology 2

Root
ط ب ع (ṭ b ʕ)
14 terms

Derived from the active participle of طَبَعَ (ṭabaʕa, “to print”).

Noun

طَابِع • (ṭābiʕ) m

1. printer (person who prints)
2. person who seals
3. stamp, mark

Declension

Declension of noun طَابِع (ṭābiʕ)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	طَابِع ṭābiʕ	الطَّابِع aṭ-ṭābiʕ	طَابِع ṭābiʕ
Nominative	طَابِعٌ ṭābiʕun	الطَّابِعُ aṭ-ṭābiʕu	طَابِعُ ṭābiʕu
Accusative	طَابِعًا ṭābiʕan	الطَّابِعَ aṭ-ṭābiʕa	طَابِعَ ṭābiʕa
Genitive	طَابِعٍ ṭābiʕin	الطَّابِعِ aṭ-ṭābiʕi	طَابِعِ ṭābiʕi

References

• “ṭbˁ”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• Fischer, Wolfdietrich (2006) Grammatik des Klassischen Arabisch (in German), 4^th edition, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, →ISBN, § 62 Anm. 5, page 36
• Fraenkel, Siegmund (1886) Die aramäischen Fremdwörter im Arabischen (in German), Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 193
• Garosi, Eugenio (2022 December 1) “Regional Diversity in the Use of Administrative Loanwords in Early Islamic Arabic Documentary Sources (632–800 CE): A Preliminary Survey”, in Egypt and the Eastern Mediterranean World. From Constantinople to Baghdad, 500-1000 CE, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →DOI, →ISBN, page 414
• Jeffery, Arthur (1938) The Foreign Vocabulary of the Qurʾān (Gaekwad’s Oriental Series; 79), Baroda: Oriental Institute, pages 208–209
• Nöldeke, Theodor (1875) Mandäische Grammatik‎^[1] (in German), Halle: Verlag der Buchhandlung des Waisenhauses, page 112