ثعلب

See also: تغلب‎

Arabic

Etymology

From Proto-Semitic *ṯaʕlab- (“fox”). Cognate with Akkadian 𒈜𒀀 (šēlebum) and Hebrew שׁוּעָל‎ (šuʿɔl).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /θaʕ.lab/

• Audio

  (file)

  • (Gulf Arabic) IPA^(key): /ˈθəʕ.ləb/
  • (Hejazi) IPA^(key): /taʕ.lab/, /θaʕ.lab/

Noun

ثَعْلَب • (ṯaʕlab) m (plural ثَعَالِب‎ (ṯaʕālib), feminine ثَعْلَبَة‎ (ṯaʕlaba), masculine ثُعْلُبَان‎ (ṯuʕlubān))

1. fox (Vulpes vulpes)
2. (dialect, rare) jackal (Canis aureus)
3. (figuratively) a cunning or deceitful person

Declension

Declension of noun ثَعْلَب (ṯaʕlab)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	ثَعْلَب ṯaʕlab	الثَّعْلَب‎ aṯ-ṯaʕlab	ثَعْلَب ṯaʕlab
Nominative	ثَعْلَبٌ ṯaʕlabun	الثَّعْلَبُ‎ aṯ-ṯaʕlabu	ثَعْلَبُ ṯaʕlabu
Accusative	ثَعْلَبًا‎ ṯaʕlaban	الثَّعْلَبَ‎ aṯ-ṯaʕlaba	ثَعْلَبَ ṯaʕlaba
Genitive	ثَعْلَبٍ ṯaʕlabin	الثَّعْلَبِ‎ aṯ-ṯaʕlabi	ثَعْلَبِ ṯaʕlabi
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	ثَعْلَبَيْن‎ ṯaʕlabayn	الثَّعْلَبَيْن‎ aṯ-ṯaʕlabayn	ثَعْلَبَيْ‎ ṯaʕlabay
Nominative	ثَعْلَبَانِ‎ ṯaʕlabāni	الثَّعْلَبَانِ‎ aṯ-ṯaʕlabāni	ثَعْلَبَا‎ ṯaʕlabā
Accusative	ثَعْلَبَيْنِ‎ ṯaʕlabayni	الثَّعْلَبَيْنِ‎ aṯ-ṯaʕlabayni	ثَعْلَبَيْ‎ ṯaʕlabay
Genitive	ثَعْلَبَيْنِ‎ ṯaʕlabayni	الثَّعْلَبَيْنِ‎ aṯ-ṯaʕlabayni	ثَعْلَبَيْ‎ ṯaʕlabay
Plural	basic broken plural diptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	ثَعَالِب‎ ṯaʕālib	الثَّعَالِب‎ aṯ-ṯaʕālib	ثَعَالِب‎ ṯaʕālib
Nominative	ثَعَالِبُ‎ ṯaʕālibu	الثَّعَالِبُ‎ aṯ-ṯaʕālibu	ثَعَالِبُ‎ ṯaʕālibu
Accusative	ثَعَالِبَ‎ ṯaʕāliba	الثَّعَالِبَ‎ aṯ-ṯaʕāliba	ثَعَالِبَ‎ ṯaʕāliba
Genitive	ثَعَالِبَ‎ ṯaʕāliba	الثَّعَالِبِ‎ aṯ-ṯaʕālibi	ثَعَالِبِ‎ ṯaʕālibi

Descendants

• Egyptian Arabic: تعلب‎ (táʕlab)
• Gulf Arabic: ثعلب‎ (ṯaʕlab)
• Hijazi Arabic: ثعلب‎ (taʕlab, ṯaʕlab)
• South Levantine Arabic: تعلب‎ (táʕlab)
• Yemeni Arabic: ثَعَلْ‎ (ṯaʕal)

References

• Lane, Edward William (1863), “ثعلب”, in Arabic-English Lexicon, London: Williams & Norgate, page 338
• The Pennsylvania Sumerian Dictionary, šēlebu, University of Pennsylvania, 2004
• "Proto-Semitic Root: *t_aʕlab-; Number 2543" in Georgiy Starostin, Tower of Babel, Copyright 1998-2003 by S. Starostin.