ⲃⲉϩⲱⲗ

Coptic

Alternative forms

• ⲃⲉⲗϩⲱⲗ (belhōl), ⲃⲉⲣϩⲱⲗ (berhōl) — Bohairic
• ⲃⲟⲩϩⲱⲗ (bouhōl) — Fayyumic

Etymology

Apparently from a descendant of Proto-Semitic *paḥal-, whose Arabic descendant فَحْل (faḥl) beside a male camel and virile man also means a male palm-tree, and a modification of which بَلَح (balaḥ) is used for fresh dates; direct borrowings are phonologically and chronologically difficult.

Noun

ⲃⲉϩⲱⲗ • (behōl) f (plural not attested)

1. (Sahidic) date palm

References

• Crum, Walter E. (1939) A Coptic Dictionary‎^[1], Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN, page 48a
• Černý, Jaroslav (1976) Coptic Etymological Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 30, gives Proto-Semitic *balaḥ- which we cannot maintain
• “pḥl”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–, gives the meaning of “male palm” in square brackets for Mandaic without source or reasoning