بعر

Arabic

بَعْر

Etymology

From بَعِير (baʕīr, “camel”), or compare جَعْر (jaʕr, “dung”), جَعَرَ (jaʕara, “to void one’s dung”). The only parallel form in Semitic is Classical Syriac ܒܥܘܿܪܴܐ (bəʿōrā, “dried dung”), while the animal term is widely attested in Semitic, so unlikely the reverse happened that from the name of dung came the animal name – as Hommel suggested –, which is also comparatively a generally less likely direction.

Pronunciation

• (verb) IPA^(key): /ba.ʕa.ra/
• (noun) IPA^(key): /baʕr/

Verb

بَعَرَ • (baʕara) I (non-past يَبْعَرُ (yabʕaru), verbal noun بَعْر (baʕr))

1. to void dung, to evacuate, to throw out ordure (said of a cloven-hoofed beast)

Conjugation

    Conjugation of بَعَرَ (I, sound, a ~ a, full passive, verbal noun بَعْر)

verbal noun الْمَصْدَر						بَعْر baʕr
active participle اِسْم الْفَاعِل						بَاعِر bāʕir
passive participle اِسْم الْمَفْعُول						مَبْعُور mabʕūr
active voice الْفِعْل الْمَعْلُوم
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	بَعَرْتُ baʕartu	بَعَرْتَ baʕarta	بَعَرَ baʕara		بَعَرْتُمَا baʕartumā	بَعَرَا baʕarā		بَعَرْنَا baʕarnā	بَعَرْتُمْ baʕartum	بَعَرُوا baʕarū
	f		بَعَرْتِ baʕarti	بَعَرَتْ baʕarat			بَعَرَتَا baʕaratā			بَعَرْتُنَّ baʕartunna	بَعَرْنَ baʕarna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أَبْعَرُ ʔabʕaru	تَبْعَرُ tabʕaru	يَبْعَرُ yabʕaru		تَبْعَرَانِ tabʕarāni	يَبْعَرَانِ yabʕarāni		نَبْعَرُ nabʕaru	تَبْعَرُونَ tabʕarūna	يَبْعَرُونَ yabʕarūna
	f		تَبْعَرِينَ tabʕarīna	تَبْعَرُ tabʕaru			تَبْعَرَانِ tabʕarāni			تَبْعَرْنَ tabʕarna	يَبْعَرْنَ yabʕarna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أَبْعَرَ ʔabʕara	تَبْعَرَ tabʕara	يَبْعَرَ yabʕara		تَبْعَرَا tabʕarā	يَبْعَرَا yabʕarā		نَبْعَرَ nabʕara	تَبْعَرُوا tabʕarū	يَبْعَرُوا yabʕarū
	f		تَبْعَرِي tabʕarī	تَبْعَرَ tabʕara			تَبْعَرَا tabʕarā			تَبْعَرْنَ tabʕarna	يَبْعَرْنَ yabʕarna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أَبْعَرْ ʔabʕar	تَبْعَرْ tabʕar	يَبْعَرْ yabʕar		تَبْعَرَا tabʕarā	يَبْعَرَا yabʕarā		نَبْعَرْ nabʕar	تَبْعَرُوا tabʕarū	يَبْعَرُوا yabʕarū
	f		تَبْعَرِي tabʕarī	تَبْعَرْ tabʕar			تَبْعَرَا tabʕarā			تَبْعَرْنَ tabʕarna	يَبْعَرْنَ yabʕarna
imperative الْأَمْر	m		اِبْعَرْ ibʕar			اِبْعَرَا ibʕarā				اِبْعَرُوا ibʕarū
	f		اِبْعَرِي ibʕarī							اِبْعَرْنَ ibʕarna
passive voice الْفِعْل الْمَجْهُول
		singular الْمُفْرَد				dual الْمُثَنَّى			plural الْجَمْع
		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب		1st person الْمُتَكَلِّم	2nd person الْمُخَاطَب	3rd person الْغَائِب
past (perfect) indicative الْمَاضِي	m	بُعِرْتُ buʕirtu	بُعِرْتَ buʕirta	بُعِرَ buʕira		بُعِرْتُمَا buʕirtumā	بُعِرَا buʕirā		بُعِرْنَا buʕirnā	بُعِرْتُمْ buʕirtum	بُعِرُوا buʕirū
	f		بُعِرْتِ buʕirti	بُعِرَتْ buʕirat			بُعِرَتَا buʕiratā			بُعِرْتُنَّ buʕirtunna	بُعِرْنَ buʕirna
non-past (imperfect) indicative الْمُضَارِع الْمَرْفُوع	m	أُبْعَرُ ʔubʕaru	تُبْعَرُ tubʕaru	يُبْعَرُ yubʕaru		تُبْعَرَانِ tubʕarāni	يُبْعَرَانِ yubʕarāni		نُبْعَرُ nubʕaru	تُبْعَرُونَ tubʕarūna	يُبْعَرُونَ yubʕarūna
	f		تُبْعَرِينَ tubʕarīna	تُبْعَرُ tubʕaru			تُبْعَرَانِ tubʕarāni			تُبْعَرْنَ tubʕarna	يُبْعَرْنَ yubʕarna
subjunctive الْمُضَارِع الْمَنْصُوب	m	أُبْعَرَ ʔubʕara	تُبْعَرَ tubʕara	يُبْعَرَ yubʕara		تُبْعَرَا tubʕarā	يُبْعَرَا yubʕarā		نُبْعَرَ nubʕara	تُبْعَرُوا tubʕarū	يُبْعَرُوا yubʕarū
	f		تُبْعَرِي tubʕarī	تُبْعَرَ tubʕara			تُبْعَرَا tubʕarā			تُبْعَرْنَ tubʕarna	يُبْعَرْنَ yubʕarna
jussive الْمُضَارِع الْمَجْزُوم	m	أُبْعَرْ ʔubʕar	تُبْعَرْ tubʕar	يُبْعَرْ yubʕar		تُبْعَرَا tubʕarā	يُبْعَرَا yubʕarā		نُبْعَرْ nubʕar	تُبْعَرُوا tubʕarū	يُبْعَرُوا yubʕarū
	f		تُبْعَرِي tubʕarī	تُبْعَرْ tubʕar			تُبْعَرَا tubʕarā			تُبْعَرْنَ tubʕarna	يُبْعَرْنَ yubʕarna

Noun

بَعْر • (baʕr) m (collective, singulative بَعْرَة f (baʕra), plural أَبْعَار (ʔabʕār))

1. dung, ordure (of a cloven-hoofed beast)
   • 7th century CE, Sunan Abī Dāwud, 1:38:

     نَهَانَا رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ نَتَمَسَّحَ بِعَظْمٍ أَوْ بَعْرٍ.

     nahānā rasūli l-lahi ṣallā llāhu ʕalayhi wasallama ʔan natamassaḥa biʕaẓmin ʔaw baʕrin.

     The Prophet (PBUH) forbade us to wipe ourselves with bone or dung.

   • 7th century CE, Ṣaḥīḥ al-Buḵāriyy, 68:81:

     وَقَدْ كَانَتْ إِحْدَاكُنَّ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ تَرْمِي بِالْبَعَرَةِ عَلَى رَأْسِ الْحَوْلِ.

     waqad kānat ʔiḥdākunna fī l-jāhiliyyati tarmī bi-l-baʕarati ʕalā raʔsi l-ḥawli.

     In the pre-Islamic time one of your kind (a widow) used to cast a globe of dung when a year has elapsed.

   • 7th century CE, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, -1:87:

     فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُهُ كَانَتْ بَعْرَةٌ أَحَبَّ إِلَىَّ مِنْهُ

     falammā raʔaytuhu kānat baʕratun ʔaḥabba ʔilāāa minhu

     When I saw him a globe of dung would have been more preferred to me than him.

   • 1951 August 20, Šākir Maḥmūd, “السرقين والسماد في الزراعة قديما”, in مجلة الرسالة:

     راجعنا مقالاتهم في أنواع السرقين والمفاضلة بين ذرق الحمام وأرواث الخيل والبغال والحمير، وأخثاء البقر والجواميس وأبعار الغنم والضأن والماعز، […]

     We have reviewed their articles on the types of manure and the differences between pigeon droppings, dung of horses and mules and asses, and sharn of cows and buffalos and sheep and goats, […]

Declension

Declension of noun بَعْر (baʕr)

Collective	basic collective triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بَعْر baʕr	الْبَعْر al-baʕr	بَعْر baʕr
Nominative	بَعْرٌ baʕrun	الْبَعْرُ al-baʕru	بَعْرُ baʕru
Accusative	بَعْرًا baʕran	الْبَعْرَ al-baʕra	بَعْرَ baʕra
Genitive	بَعْرٍ baʕrin	الْبَعْرِ al-baʕri	بَعْرِ baʕri
Singulative	singulative triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بَعْرَة baʕra	الْبَعْرَة al-baʕra	بَعْرَة baʕrat
Nominative	بَعْرَةٌ baʕratun	الْبَعْرَةُ al-baʕratu	بَعْرَةُ baʕratu
Accusative	بَعْرَةً baʕratan	الْبَعْرَةَ al-baʕrata	بَعْرَةَ baʕrata
Genitive	بَعْرَةٍ baʕratin	الْبَعْرَةِ al-baʕrati	بَعْرَةِ baʕrati
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بَعْرَتَيْن baʕratayn	الْبَعْرَتَيْن al-baʕratayn	بَعْرَتَيْ baʕratay
Nominative	بَعْرَتَانِ baʕratāni	الْبَعْرَتَانِ al-baʕratāni	بَعْرَتَا baʕratā
Accusative	بَعْرَتَيْنِ baʕratayni	الْبَعْرَتَيْنِ al-baʕratayni	بَعْرَتَيْ baʕratay
Genitive	بَعْرَتَيْنِ baʕratayni	الْبَعْرَتَيْنِ al-baʕratayni	بَعْرَتَيْ baʕratay
Paucal (3-10)	sound feminine paucal
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	بَعْرَات baʕrāt	الْبَعْرَات al-baʕrāt	بَعْرَات baʕrāt
Nominative	بَعْرَاتٌ baʕrātun	الْبَعْرَاتُ al-baʕrātu	بَعْرَاتُ baʕrātu
Accusative	بَعْرَاتٍ baʕrātin	الْبَعْرَاتِ al-baʕrāti	بَعْرَاتِ baʕrāti
Genitive	بَعْرَاتٍ baʕrātin	الْبَعْرَاتِ al-baʕrāti	بَعْرَاتِ baʕrāti
Plural of variety	basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	أَبْعَار ʔabʕār	الْأَبْعَار al-ʔabʕār	أَبْعَار ʔabʕār
Nominative	أَبْعَارٌ ʔabʕārun	الْأَبْعَارُ al-ʔabʕāru	أَبْعَارُ ʔabʕāru
Accusative	أَبْعَارًا ʔabʕāran	الْأَبْعَارَ al-ʔabʕāra	أَبْعَارَ ʔabʕāra
Genitive	أَبْعَارٍ ʔabʕārin	الْأَبْعَارِ al-ʔabʕāri	أَبْعَارِ ʔabʕāri

See also

• Thesaurus – Arabic terms for “feces, excrement, dung, ordure, manure”

References

• “bˁwr³”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• “bˁwrh”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• Hommel, Fritz (1879) Die Namen der Säugethiere bei den südsemitischen Völkern als Beiträge zur arabischen und äthiopischen Lexicographie, zur semitischen Kulturforschung und Sprachvergleichung und zur Geschichte der Mittelmeerfauna. Mit steter Berücksichtigung auch der assyrischen und hebräischen Thiernamen und geographischen und literaturgeschichtlichen Excursen‎^[1] (in German), Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs’sche Buchhandlung, pages 143–144
• Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2000–2005) Semitic Etymological Dictionary, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, pages 73–75