Some Etymological and Semantic Remarks on the Lexeme zaġārī

Some Etymological and Semantic Remarks on the Lexeme zaġārī

Herbert Eisenstein (Vienna)

Abstract

This paper deals with one of the minor problems of Arabic lexicology concerning one certain Arabic lexeme only. The first mention of this item in Arabic sources dates back to the Crusades era. We will follow a new way of discussing its etymology and semantics because former attempts to explain the origin of the word are not fully satisfactory when considering some new aspects. The lexeme in question is the Arabic item zaġārī, which is used for a certain type of hunting dogs (referred here as hounds).

Keywords

Arabic etymology, Arabic semantics, Arabic lexicography, terminology for hunting dogs