علج

Arabic

Etymology

Root
ع ل ج (ʕ-l-j)

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

• IPA^(key): /ʕild͡ʒ/

Noun

عِلْج • (ʕilj) m (plural عُلُوج (ʕulūj) or أَعْلَاج (ʔaʕlāj) or عِلَجَة (ʕilaja))

1. sturdy man, bulky bloke
2. (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.

3. 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^[1] (in Latin), volume 3, Halle: C. A. Schwetschke, page 206
• Lane, Edward William (1863) “علج”, in Arabic-English Lexicon‎^[2], London: Williams & Norgate, page 2128
• Leslau, Wolf (1991) Comparative Dictionary of Geʿez (Classical Ethiopic), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, →ISBN, page 7