بطيخ

Arabic

بَطِّيخ

Etymology

Presumably borrowed from Aramaic, attested in Jewish Palestinian Aramaic בטיח (*baṭṭīḥ) and Classical Syriac ܦܲܛܝܼܚܵܐ (paṭṭīḥā), and a broken plural Hebrew אֲבַטִּיחַ (ʾăḇaṭṭī́aḥ). While it has been theoretized to have been acquired in Semitic via Egyptian bddw-kꜣ (“watermelon”) from sub-Saharan Africa, there is an explanation as an Iranian borrowing equivalent to Persian بیدخت (bêdoxt, “Venus”), which is the known Akkadian 𒂗 (bēlu, “master; Bel, Baal”) + Persian دخت (doxt, “daughter”), literally “daughter of Baal”, a reinterpretation of the feminine form of the Baʿal god found as ܒܝܠܬܝ (bēltī), ܒܠܬܝ (beltī, “Venus”) in Classical Syriac, equalling بَعْلَة (baʕla, “mistress”). Like in general food items can be reused to denote body parts, especially those viewed sexually, and in Eastern languages specifically the names of fruits come to mean “vulva”, as well-known South Levantine Arabic تِينة (tīne, “fig”), Armenian թուզ (tʻuz, “fig”), Hebrew רִמּוֹן (rimmṓn, “pomegrenate”) in Song of Solomon 7:12 and 8:2, here in turn the meaning of a melon would be secondarily transferred from representations of fertility goddesses. This is corroborated by lexicographers mentioning a Himyaritic word بَيْدَخَة (baydaḵa, “plump, chubby”, applied to women).

Noun

بِطِّيخ or بَطِّيخ • (biṭṭīḵ or baṭṭīḵ) m (collective, singulative بِطِّيخَة f (biṭṭīḵa) or بَطِّيخَة (baṭṭīḵa), plural بَطَاطِيخ (baṭāṭīḵ))

1. melon, melons

   Synonyms: شمام (šammām), بَطِّيخ أَصْفَر (baṭṭīḵ ʔaṣfar)

2. watermelon, watermelons

Declension

Declension of noun بِطِّيخ (biṭṭīḵ)‎; بَطِّيخ (baṭṭīḵ)

Collective	basic collective triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بِطِّيخ‎; بَطِّيخ biṭṭīḵ‎; baṭṭīḵ	الْبِطِّيخ‎; الْبَطِّيخ al-biṭṭīḵ‎; al-baṭṭīḵ	بِطِّيخ‎; بَطِّيخ biṭṭīḵ‎; baṭṭīḵ
Nominative	بِطِّيخٌ‎; بَطِّيخٌ biṭṭīḵun‎; baṭṭīḵun	الْبِطِّيخُ‎; الْبَطِّيخُ al-biṭṭīḵu‎; al-baṭṭīḵu	بِطِّيخُ‎; بَطِّيخُ biṭṭīḵu‎; baṭṭīḵu
Accusative	بِطِّيخًا‎; بَطِّيخًا biṭṭīḵan‎; baṭṭīḵan	الْبِطِّيخَ‎; الْبَطِّيخَ al-biṭṭīḵa‎; al-baṭṭīḵa	بِطِّيخَ‎; بَطِّيخَ biṭṭīḵa‎; baṭṭīḵa
Genitive	بِطِّيخٍ‎; بَطِّيخٍ biṭṭīḵin‎; baṭṭīḵin	الْبِطِّيخِ‎; الْبَطِّيخِ al-biṭṭīḵi‎; al-baṭṭīḵi	بِطِّيخِ‎; بَطِّيخِ biṭṭīḵi‎; baṭṭīḵi
Singulative	singulative triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بِطِّيخَة‎; بَطِّيخَة biṭṭīḵa‎; baṭṭīḵa	الْبِطِّيخَة‎; الْبَطِّيخَة al-biṭṭīḵa‎; al-baṭṭīḵa	بِطِّيخَة‎; بَطِّيخَة biṭṭīḵat‎; baṭṭīḵat
Nominative	بِطِّيخَةٌ‎; بَطِّيخَةٌ biṭṭīḵatun‎; baṭṭīḵatun	الْبِطِّيخَةُ‎; الْبَطِّيخَةُ al-biṭṭīḵatu‎; al-baṭṭīḵatu	بِطِّيخَةُ‎; بَطِّيخَةُ biṭṭīḵatu‎; baṭṭīḵatu
Accusative	بِطِّيخَةً‎; بَطِّيخَةً biṭṭīḵatan‎; baṭṭīḵatan	الْبِطِّيخَةَ‎; الْبَطِّيخَةَ al-biṭṭīḵata‎; al-baṭṭīḵata	بِطِّيخَةَ‎; بَطِّيخَةَ biṭṭīḵata‎; baṭṭīḵata
Genitive	بِطِّيخَةٍ‎; بَطِّيخَةٍ biṭṭīḵatin‎; baṭṭīḵatin	الْبِطِّيخَةِ‎; الْبَطِّيخَةِ al-biṭṭīḵati‎; al-baṭṭīḵati	بِطِّيخَةِ‎; بَطِّيخَةِ biṭṭīḵati‎; baṭṭīḵati
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بِطِّيخَتَيْن‎; بَطِّيخَتَيْن biṭṭīḵatayn‎; baṭṭīḵatayn	الْبِطِّيخَتَيْن‎; الْبَطِّيخَتَيْن al-biṭṭīḵatayn‎; al-baṭṭīḵatayn	بِطِّيخَتَيْ‎; بَطِّيخَتَيْ biṭṭīḵatay‎; baṭṭīḵatay
Nominative	بِطِّيخَتَانِ‎; بَطِّيخَتَانِ biṭṭīḵatāni‎; baṭṭīḵatāni	الْبِطِّيخَتَانِ‎; الْبَطِّيخَتَانِ al-biṭṭīḵatāni‎; al-baṭṭīḵatāni	بِطِّيخَتَا‎; بَطِّيخَتَا biṭṭīḵatā‎; baṭṭīḵatā
Accusative	بِطِّيخَتَيْنِ‎; بَطِّيخَتَيْنِ biṭṭīḵatayni‎; baṭṭīḵatayni	الْبِطِّيخَتَيْنِ‎; الْبَطِّيخَتَيْنِ al-biṭṭīḵatayni‎; al-baṭṭīḵatayni	بِطِّيخَتَيْ‎; بَطِّيخَتَيْ biṭṭīḵatay‎; baṭṭīḵatay
Genitive	بِطِّيخَتَيْنِ‎; بَطِّيخَتَيْنِ biṭṭīḵatayni‎; baṭṭīḵatayni	الْبِطِّيخَتَيْنِ‎; الْبَطِّيخَتَيْنِ al-biṭṭīḵatayni‎; al-baṭṭīḵatayni	بِطِّيخَتَيْ‎; بَطِّيخَتَيْ biṭṭīḵatay‎; baṭṭīḵatay
Paucal (3-10)	sound feminine paucal
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بِطِّيخَات‎; بَطِّيخَات biṭṭīḵāt‎; baṭṭīḵāt	الْبِطِّيخَات‎; الْبَطِّيخَات al-biṭṭīḵāt‎; al-baṭṭīḵāt	بِطِّيخَات‎; بَطِّيخَات biṭṭīḵāt‎; baṭṭīḵāt
Nominative	بِطِّيخَاتٌ‎; بَطِّيخَاتٌ biṭṭīḵātun‎; baṭṭīḵātun	الْبِطِّيخَاتُ‎; الْبَطِّيخَاتُ al-biṭṭīḵātu‎; al-baṭṭīḵātu	بِطِّيخَاتُ‎; بَطِّيخَاتُ biṭṭīḵātu‎; baṭṭīḵātu
Accusative	بِطِّيخَاتٍ‎; بَطِّيخَاتٍ biṭṭīḵātin‎; baṭṭīḵātin	الْبِطِّيخَاتِ‎; الْبَطِّيخَاتِ al-biṭṭīḵāti‎; al-baṭṭīḵāti	بِطِّيخَاتِ‎; بَطِّيخَاتِ biṭṭīḵāti‎; baṭṭīḵāti
Genitive	بِطِّيخَاتٍ‎; بَطِّيخَاتٍ biṭṭīḵātin‎; baṭṭīḵātin	الْبِطِّيخَاتِ‎; الْبَطِّيخَاتِ al-biṭṭīḵāti‎; al-baṭṭīḵāti	بِطِّيخَاتِ‎; بَطِّيخَاتِ biṭṭīḵāti‎; baṭṭīḵāti
Plural of variety	basic broken plural diptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بَطَاطِيخ baṭāṭīḵ	الْبَطَاطِيخ al-baṭāṭīḵ	بَطَاطِيخ baṭāṭīḵ
Nominative	بَطَاطِيخُ baṭāṭīḵu	الْبَطَاطِيخُ al-baṭāṭīḵu	بَطَاطِيخُ baṭāṭīḵu
Accusative	بَطَاطِيخَ baṭāṭīḵa	الْبَطَاطِيخَ al-baṭāṭīḵa	بَطَاطِيخَ baṭāṭīḵa
Genitive	بَطَاطِيخَ baṭāṭīḵa	الْبَطَاطِيخِ al-baṭāṭīḵi	بَطَاطِيخِ baṭāṭīḵi

Descendants

• Cypriot Arabic: pattíx
• Maltese: bettieħ, bettiħ, bittiħ
• → Old Catalan: albudeca
  • Catalan: albudeca
• → Ge'ez: በጢሕ (baṭṭiḥ)
• → Kurdish:

  Northern Kurdish: petêx

• → Medieval Latin: botefles, buteflez, budusta, batheca
• → Malay: betik
  • Indonesian: betik
• → Malayalam: വത്തയ്ക്ക (vattaykka)
• → Old Galician-Portuguese: albudeca, albudieca, batecha
  • Galician: botefa, potefa
  • Portuguese: pateca
    • → French: pastèque
      • → Italian: pasteca — Liguria
      • → Ligurian: pateca
• → Sardinian: pateca
• → Spanish: patilla
• → Old Spanish: albudeca, budefa, badea, badeha
  • Ladino: bateha
  • Spanish: albudeca, badea
• → Old Venetian: bateco

References

• “botefles (or: buteflez)”, in Arabic and Latin Glossary, Würzburg: Julius-Maximilians-Universität, 2018–
• “blty”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• Elmaz, Orhan (2014) “Investigating South Arabian words in al-Khalīl's Kitāb al-ʿayn”, in Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies‎^[1], volume 44, Supplement: Language of Southern Arabia: Papers from the Special Session of the Seminar for Arabian Studies held on 27 July 2013, Oxford: Archaeopress, page 34b
• Fraenkel, Siegmund (1886) Die aramäischen Fremdwörter im Arabischen (in German), Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 140
• Grimme, Hubert (1914) “Semitische P-Laute”, in Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft‎^[2] (in German), volume 68, page 269, who derives owing to phonetic variation from Hittite
• Lane, Edward William (1863) “بطيخ”, in Arabic-English Lexicon‎^[3], London: Williams & Norgate, page 216c
• Leslau, Wolf (1991) Comparative Dictionary of Geʿez (Classical Ethiopic), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, →ISBN, page 113
• Löw, Immanuel (1928) Die Flora der Juden‎^[4] (in German), volume 1, Wien und Leipzig: R. Löwit, pages 550–553
• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884) “بطيخ”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary‎^[5], London: W.H. Allen, page 130a

Gulf Arabic

بَطِّيخ

Etymology

From Arabic بَطِّيخ (baṭṭīḵ).

Pronunciation

• (Kuwait) IPA^(key): /bətˤːiːχ/

Noun

بطيخ • (baṭṭīḵ) (collective, singulative بطيخة (baṭṭīḵa))

1. cantaloupe, muskmelon

   Synonym: شمام (šammām)

   شنو تحب اكثر، الرقي ولا البطيخ؟

   šinu tḥib akṯar, ir-raggi wila-lbaṭṭīḵ?

   What do you like more, watermelon or muskmelon?

2. unprofessional, bad, crappy

   المقاول هذا شغله بطيخ

   This contractor's job is crappy

Derived terms

• ديرة بطيخ (dīrat baṭṭiḵ)

Hijazi Arabic

بَطِّيخ

Etymology

From Arabic بَطِّيخ (baṭṭīḵ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /batˤːiːx/

Noun

بطيخ • (baṭṭīḵ) m (collective, singulative بطيخة f (baṭṭīḵa), plural بَطِّيخات (baṭṭīḵāt))

1. watermelon, watermelons

   Synonym: حبحب (ḥabḥab)

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic بَطِّيخ (baṭṭīḵ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /batˤ.tˤiːx/, [bɑtˤˈtˤiːx]

• Audio (Bethlehem)

  (file)

Noun

بطّيخ • (baṭṭīḵ) m (collective, singulative بطّيخة f (baṭṭīḵa), plural بطِّيخات (baṭṭīḵāt))

1. (uncountable) watermelon