ክታብ

Amharic

Etymology

May be a borrowing from Arabic كِتَاب (kitāb), due to the fetishization of the written word encountered with the learned.

Noun

ክታብ • (kətab)

1. amulet, talisman, fetish, charm particularly wrapped in parchment or with medicinal herbs
2. book, document

References

• Thomas Leiper Kane (1990) Amharic-English Dictionary, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, →ISBN, page 1430b

Ge'ez

Root
ከ-ተ-በ (kä-tä-bä)
2 terms

Etymology

Probably a borrowing from Arabic كِتَاب (kitāb).

Noun

ክታብ • (kətab) m (plural ክታባት (kətabat))

1. book, leaflet, document, chit
2. charm, spell, amulet, fetish

References

• Dillmann, August (1865) “ክታብ”, in Lexicon linguae aethiopicae cum indice latino (in Latin), Leipzig: T. O. Weigel
• Leslau, Wolf (1991) “ክታብ”, in Comparative Dictionary of Geʿez (Classical Ethiopic), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, →ISBN, page 297b

Tigre

Etymology

A loan from Arabic كِتَاب (kitāb), with some other meanings in the derivation ክታበት (kətabät).

Noun

ክታብ • (kətab) m (plural አክትበት (ʾäktəbät), and አክትባታት (ʾäktəbatat), diminutive ክቴባይ (kətebay))

1. book

References

• Littmann, Enno, Höfner, Maria (1962) “ክታብ”, in Wörterbuch der Tigrē-Sprache. Tigrē—Deutsch—Englisch (Veröffentlichungen der Orientalischen Kommission der Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Literatur; XI)‎^[1], Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag GmbH, page 414b

Tigrinya

Etymology

May be a borrowing from Arabic كِتَاب (kitāb), due to the fetishisation of the written word encountered with Muslim scholars.

Noun

ክታብ • (kətab)

1. amulet
2. fetish, charm, a strip or ribbon into which one scribbles indecipherable text to ward off evil

References

• da Bassano, Francesco (1918) “ክታብ”, in Vocabolario tigray-italiano e repertorio italiano-tigray (in Italian), Rome: Casa editrice italiana di C. de Luigi, column 604b