ببغاء

Arabic

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 (babġâ), (bapġâ, “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))

parrot
(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
singular	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
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
      - → Cornish: papynjay
    - → 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
  - → Tagalog: papagayo
→ 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 (1863-1893) “ببغاء”, in Arabic-English Lexicon, London: Williams & Norgate, page 147.
Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884) “ببغاء”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary‎^[2], 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