بلس

Arabic

Etymology 1

A borrowing from probably Old South Arabian, found also in Amharic / Tigrinya / Tigre / Gurage / Ge'ez በለስ (bäläs, “fig”) which passed into Saho በለስ (balas) and Blin በለሳ (bäläsa) and hapax in the Amos 7, 14 Hebrew בֹּולֵס (bōlēs, “nipping the unripe sycomore to further its ripening”, active participle); no further cognates are known if not Egyptian nbs (“Ziziphus spina-christi tree and fruit”) compared by Koehler-Baumgartner.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ba.las/, dialectally also IPA^(key): /bi.lis/ and IPA^(key): /bu.lus/

Noun

بَلَس • (balas) m (collective, singulative بَلَسَة f (balasa)) (Yemen)

fig (tree and fruit)
Indian fig, prickly pear (plant and fruit)

Declension

Declension of noun **بَلَس** (balas)
collective	basic collective triptote
collective	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	بَلَس balas	الْبَلَس al-balas	بَلَس balas
nominative	بَلَسٌ balasun	الْبَلَسُ al-balasu	بَلَسُ balasu
accusative	بَلَسًا balasan	الْبَلَسَ al-balasa	بَلَسَ balasa
genitive	بَلَسٍ balasin	الْبَلَسِ al-balasi	بَلَسِ balasi
singulative	singulative triptote in ـَة (-a)
singulative	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	بَلَسَة balasa	الْبَلَسَة al-balasa	بَلَسَة balasat
nominative	بَلَسَةٌ balasatun	الْبَلَسَةُ al-balasatu	بَلَسَةُ balasatu
accusative	بَلَسَةً balasatan	الْبَلَسَةَ al-balasata	بَلَسَةَ balasata
genitive	بَلَسَةٍ balasatin	الْبَلَسَةِ al-balasati	بَلَسَةِ balasati
dual	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	بَلَسَتَيْن balasatayn	الْبَلَسَتَيْن al-balasatayn	بَلَسَتَيْ balasatay
nominative	بَلَسَتَانِ balasatāni	الْبَلَسَتَانِ al-balasatāni	بَلَسَتَا balasatā
accusative	بَلَسَتَيْنِ balasatayni	الْبَلَسَتَيْنِ al-balasatayni	بَلَسَتَيْ balasatay
genitive	بَلَسَتَيْنِ balasatayni	الْبَلَسَتَيْنِ al-balasatayni	بَلَسَتَيْ balasatay
paucal (3-10)	sound feminine paucal
paucal (3-10)	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	بَلَسَات balasāt	الْبَلَسَات al-balasāt	بَلَسَات balasāt
nominative	بَلَسَاتٌ balasātun	الْبَلَسَاتُ al-balasātu	بَلَسَاتُ balasātu
accusative	بَلَسَاتٍ balasātin	الْبَلَسَاتِ al-balasāti	بَلَسَاتِ balasāti
genitive	بَلَسَاتٍ balasātin	الْبَلَسَاتِ al-balasāti	بَلَسَاتِ balasāti

Etymology 2

Elsewhere عَدَس (ʕadas), of which also Arabic عَلَس (ʕalas, “emmer”) is a variant.

Alternative forms

بُلْسُن (bulsun), بِلْسِن (bilsin)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /bu.lus/, /buls/, /bils/

Noun

بُلُس or بُلْس or بِلْس • (bulus or buls or bils) m (collective, singulative بُلُسَة f (bulusa) or بُلْسَة (bulsa) or بِلْسَة (bilsa)) (Yemen)

lentils

Declension

Declension of noun **بَلَس** (balas)‎; **بُلْس** (buls)‎; **بِلْس** (bils)
collective	basic collective triptote
collective	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	بَلَس‎; بُلْس‎; بِلْس balas‎; buls‎; bils	الْبَلَس‎; الْبُلْس‎; الْبِلْس al-balas‎; al-buls‎; al-bils	بَلَس‎; بُلْس‎; بِلْس balas‎; buls‎; bils
nominative	بَلَسٌ‎; بُلْسٌ‎; بِلْسٌ balasun‎; bulsun‎; bilsun	الْبَلَسُ‎; الْبُلْسُ‎; الْبِلْسُ al-balasu‎; al-bulsu‎; al-bilsu	بَلَسُ‎; بُلْسُ‎; بِلْسُ balasu‎; bulsu‎; bilsu
accusative	بَلَسًا‎; بُلْسًا‎; بِلْسًا balasan‎; bulsan‎; bilsan	الْبَلَسَ‎; الْبُلْسَ‎; الْبِلْسَ al-balasa‎; al-bulsa‎; al-bilsa	بَلَسَ‎; بُلْسَ‎; بِلْسَ balasa‎; bulsa‎; bilsa
genitive	بَلَسٍ‎; بُلْسٍ‎; بِلْسٍ balasin‎; bulsin‎; bilsin	الْبَلَسِ‎; الْبُلْسِ‎; الْبِلْسِ al-balasi‎; al-bulsi‎; al-bilsi	بَلَسِ‎; بُلْسِ‎; بِلْسِ balasi‎; bulsi‎; bilsi
singulative	singulative triptote in ـَة (-a)
singulative	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	بَلَسَة‎; بُلْسَة‎; بِلْسَة balasa‎; bulsa‎; bilsa	الْبَلَسَة‎; الْبُلْسَة‎; الْبِلْسَة al-balasa‎; al-bulsa‎; al-bilsa	بَلَسَة‎; بُلْسَة‎; بِلْسَة balasat‎; bulsat‎; bilsat
nominative	بَلَسَةٌ‎; بُلْسَةٌ‎; بِلْسَةٌ balasatun‎; bulsatun‎; bilsatun	الْبَلَسَةُ‎; الْبُلْسَةُ‎; الْبِلْسَةُ al-balasatu‎; al-bulsatu‎; al-bilsatu	بَلَسَةُ‎; بُلْسَةُ‎; بِلْسَةُ balasatu‎; bulsatu‎; bilsatu
accusative	بَلَسَةً‎; بُلْسَةً‎; بِلْسَةً balasatan‎; bulsatan‎; bilsatan	الْبَلَسَةَ‎; الْبُلْسَةَ‎; الْبِلْسَةَ al-balasata‎; al-bulsata‎; al-bilsata	بَلَسَةَ‎; بُلْسَةَ‎; بِلْسَةَ balasata‎; bulsata‎; bilsata
genitive	بَلَسَةٍ‎; بُلْسَةٍ‎; بِلْسَةٍ balasatin‎; bulsatin‎; bilsatin	الْبَلَسَةِ‎; الْبُلْسَةِ‎; الْبِلْسَةِ al-balasati‎; al-bulsati‎; al-bilsati	بَلَسَةِ‎; بُلْسَةِ‎; بِلْسَةِ balasati‎; bulsati‎; bilsati
dual	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	بَلَسَتَيْن‎; بُلْسَتَيْن‎; بِلْسَتَيْن balasatayn‎; bulsatayn‎; bilsatayn	الْبَلَسَتَيْن‎; الْبُلْسَتَيْن‎; الْبِلْسَتَيْن al-balasatayn‎; al-bulsatayn‎; al-bilsatayn	بَلَسَتَيْ‎; بُلْسَتَيْ‎; بِلْسَتَيْ balasatay‎; bulsatay‎; bilsatay
nominative	بَلَسَتَانِ‎; بُلْسَتَانِ‎; بِلْسَتَانِ balasatāni‎; bulsatāni‎; bilsatāni	الْبَلَسَتَانِ‎; الْبُلْسَتَانِ‎; الْبِلْسَتَانِ al-balasatāni‎; al-bulsatāni‎; al-bilsatāni	بَلَسَتَا‎; بُلْسَتَا‎; بِلْسَتَا balasatā‎; bulsatā‎; bilsatā
accusative	بَلَسَتَيْنِ‎; بُلْسَتَيْنِ‎; بِلْسَتَيْنِ balasatayni‎; bulsatayni‎; bilsatayni	الْبَلَسَتَيْنِ‎; الْبُلْسَتَيْنِ‎; الْبِلْسَتَيْنِ al-balasatayni‎; al-bulsatayni‎; al-bilsatayni	بَلَسَتَيْ‎; بُلْسَتَيْ‎; بِلْسَتَيْ balasatay‎; bulsatay‎; bilsatay
genitive	بَلَسَتَيْنِ‎; بُلْسَتَيْنِ‎; بِلْسَتَيْنِ balasatayni‎; bulsatayni‎; bilsatayni	الْبَلَسَتَيْنِ‎; الْبُلْسَتَيْنِ‎; الْبِلْسَتَيْنِ al-balasatayni‎; al-bulsatayni‎; al-bilsatayni	بَلَسَتَيْ‎; بُلْسَتَيْ‎; بِلْسَتَيْ balasatay‎; bulsatay‎; bilsatay
paucal (3-10)	sound feminine paucal
paucal (3-10)	indefinite	definite	construct
informal	بَلَسَات‎; بُلْسَات‎; بِلْسَات balasāt‎; bulsāt‎; bilsāt	الْبَلَسَات‎; الْبُلْسَات‎; الْبِلْسَات al-balasāt‎; al-bulsāt‎; al-bilsāt	بَلَسَات‎; بُلْسَات‎; بِلْسَات balasāt‎; bulsāt‎; bilsāt
nominative	بَلَسَاتٌ‎; بُلْسَاتٌ‎; بِلْسَاتٌ balasātun‎; bulsātun‎; bilsātun	الْبَلَسَاتُ‎; الْبُلْسَاتُ‎; الْبِلْسَاتُ al-balasātu‎; al-bulsātu‎; al-bilsātu	بَلَسَاتُ‎; بُلْسَاتُ‎; بِلْسَاتُ balasātu‎; bulsātu‎; bilsātu
accusative	بَلَسَاتٍ‎; بُلْسَاتٍ‎; بِلْسَاتٍ balasātin‎; bulsātin‎; bilsātin	الْبَلَسَاتِ‎; الْبُلْسَاتِ‎; الْبِلْسَاتِ al-balasāti‎; al-bulsāti‎; al-bilsāti	بَلَسَاتِ‎; بُلْسَاتِ‎; بِلْسَاتِ balasāti‎; bulsāti‎; bilsāti
genitive	بَلَسَاتٍ‎; بُلْسَاتٍ‎; بِلْسَاتٍ balasātin‎; bulsātin‎; bilsātin	الْبَلَسَاتِ‎; الْبُلْسَاتِ‎; الْبِلْسَاتِ al-balasāti‎; al-bulsāti‎; al-bilsāti	بَلَسَاتِ‎; بُلْسَاتِ‎; بِلْسَاتِ balasāti‎; bulsāti‎; bilsāti

Descendants

→? Amharic: ምስር (məssər)
→ Ge'ez: ብርስን (bərsən)
→ Saho: birsin
→ Tigre: ብርስን (bərsən)
→ Tigrinya: ብርስን (bərsən), ብርሱን (bərsun), ብርሽን (bəršən)

References

Dillmann, August (1865) “በለስ”, in Lexicon linguae aethiopicae cum indice latino (in Latin), Leipzig: T. O. Weigel, column 487
Freytag, Georg (1830) “بلس”, in Lexicon arabico-latinum praesertim ex Djeuharii Firuzabadiique et aliorum Arabum operibus adhibitis Golii quoque et aliorum libris confectum‎^[1] (in Latin), volume 1, Halle: C. A. Schwetschke, page 152a
Guidi, Ignazio (1879) Della sede primitiva dei popoli semitici (in Italian), Rome: Tipi del Salviucci, pages 35–36
Kazimirski, Albin de Biberstein (1860) “بلس”, in Dictionnaire arabe-français contenant toutes les racines de la langue arabe, leurs dérivés, tant dans l’idiome vulgaire que dans l’idiome littéral, ainsi que les dialectes d’Alger et de Maroc‎^[2] (in French), volume 1, Paris: Maisonneuve et C^ie, page 159b
Lane, Edward William (1863-1893) “بلس”, in Arabic-English Lexicon, London: Williams & Norgate, page 248b.
Leslau, Wolf (1991) “በለስ”, in Comparative Dictionary of Geʿez (Classical Ethiopic), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, →ISBN, page 97
Piamenta, Moshe (1991) Dictionary of Post-Classical Yemeni Arabic, Leiden: Brill, →ISBN, page 38
H1103 in Strong, James (1979) Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance to the Bible
Vullers, Johann August (1855) “بلس”, in Lexicon Persico-Latinum etymologicum cum linguis maxime cognatis Sanscrita et Zendica et Pehlevica comparatum, e lexicis persice scriptis Borhâni Qâtiu, Haft Qulzum et Bahâri agam et persico-turcico Farhangi-Shuûrî confectum, adhibitis etiam Castelli, Meninski, Richardson et aliorum operibus et auctoritate scriptorum Persicorum adauctum‎^[3] (in Latin), volume I, Gießen: J. Ricker, page 258
Wahrmund, Adolf (1887) “بلس”, in Handwörterbuch der neu-arabischen und deutschen Sprache‎^[4] (in German), volume 1, Gießen: J. Ricker’sche Buchhandlung, page 250b

Burushaski

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [balas]

Noun

بَلَس (balas) ?

bird

References

Bechtholdt, Astrid (2025) “balas”, in Burushaski Hunza Dictionary (Webonary), Dallas, Texas, USA: SIL International, published 2017.

Malay

Numeral

بلس

Jawi spelling of belas.‎‎