abyssiner

Norwegian Bokmål

Two Abyssinian cats.

Etymology

Abessinia +‎ -er, first part from the place name Abyssinia, from Medieval Latin Abissini, a form of Abissīnus (“Abyssinian, Ethiopian”), either from Arabic الحَبَشِيّ (al-ḥabašiyy, “Ethiopian”), a form of الْحَبَشَة (al-ḥabaša, “Abyssinia”) (with the suffix ـِيّ (-iyy)), from the root ح ب ش (ḥ b š), or from Amharic ሀበሻ (häbäša, “Habesha (The inhabitants of Abyssinia)”). Last part from Old Norse -ari, from Medieval Latin and Middle Low German words, both from Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz, from Latin -ārius.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /abʏˈsiːnər/

• Audio

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• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ər
• Hyphenation: a‧bys‧sin‧er

Noun

abyssiner m (definite singular abyssineren, indefinite plural abyssinere, definite plural abyssinerne)

1. (historical, obsolete) an Abyssinian (a native or inhabitant of Abyssinia, and older name for Ethiopia)

   Synonym: abessinier

2. an Abyssinian (a short-haired domestic cat descended from cats of ancient Egypt)
   • 1958, Arbeiderbladet, page X:

     abyssinere eller «hellige egyptere» som de også kalles

     Abyssinians or "holy Egyptians" as they are also called

References

• “abyssiner” in Det Norske Akademis ordbok (NAOB).
• “abyssiner” in Store norske leksikon