Medical Synonym Lists From Medieval Provence - Bos - Text - Proof-01

P18721. 2009078. Bos. Prelims. 1st Proofs. 3-2-2011:9.29, page 1.
Medical Synonym Lists

from Medieval Provence:
Shem Tov ben Isaac of Tortosa:
Sefer ha-Shimmush. Book 28
tudes sur
le Judasme Mdival
Fondes par
Georges Vajda
Diriges par
Paul B. Fenton
Volume 37
Medical Synonym Lists

from Medieval Provence:
Shem Tov ben Isaac of Tortosa:
Sefer ha-Shimmush. Book 28
Part1: Edition and Commentary of List 1
(Hebrew Arabic Romance/Latin)
By
Gerrit Bos
LEIDEN BOSTON
2011
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

CIP data to be supplied
ISSN: 0169-815X
ISBN: 978 90 04 16764 3
Copyright 2011 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.

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2009078. Bos. 00_Prelims. 1st proofs. 3-2-2011:12.19, page -5.
CONTENTS
Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
General Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii
Source abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . viii
Hebrew abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
. General overview and preliminaries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
.. Aims and organisation of this edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
.. Transcription system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
. Medieval synonym lists in Hebrew characters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
. Shem Tovs synonym lists in the Sefer ha-Shimmush . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
.. Biographical and historical context. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
.. Background and motivation of the Sefer ha-Shimmush and
the two synonym lists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
in text just 'Background to and motivation', put this full title there also?
. How Shem Tovs synonym lists were compiled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
.. Sources for Hebrew and Arabic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
.. Sources for Romance and Latin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
.. Creation of new terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
. The vernacular element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
.. Jewish-Romance literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
.. The Old Occitan language and how it is reflected in the text 34
.. Dialectal variation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
.. Catalan, French and Latin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
.. Spelling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
. The edition and the commentary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
.. Manuscripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
.. Notes on the manuscript filiation and choice of base
manuscript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
.. Norms used in the edition and organisation of the
commentary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
vi contents
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Abbreviations of frequently cited texts and dictionaries. . . . . . . . . . . 65
Other texts cited . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
edition of sefer ha-shimmush,

book , synonym list
in text second part page 'sample pages from the paris manuscript. add here also?
Alef . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Bet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Gimmel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Dalet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
He . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Waw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Zayin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Het
. ..................................................................... 211
Tet
. ...................................................................... 241
Yod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Kaf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Lamed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Mem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
Nun. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337
Samekh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 355
Ayin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Pe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 403
Sade
. .................................................................... 431
Qof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 449
Resh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 481
Shin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 497
Tav . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 531
ABBREVIATIONS
General abbreviations
abbr. abbreviation Lat. Latin

ad loc. ad locum lit. literally
add. addidit loc. cit. loco citato
adj. adjective masc. masculine
Akk. Akkadian M. Fr. Middle French
a.o. amongst others M.l. Mishnaic language
Arab. Arabic M. Lat. Middle Latin
Aram. Aramaic Med. Lat. Medieval Latin
art. article mod. modern
bibl. biblical Mod. Fr. Modern French
bk. book Mod. Occ. Modern Occitan
c. century MS manuscript
Cat. Catalan MSS manuscripts
cf. confer n. note
ch. chapter n.d. no date
col. column Nif. Nif al
corr. correction no. number
doc. documentation O MS Oxford
ed. editor / edition O. Cat. Old Catalan
eds. editors Occ. Occitan
e.g. exempli gratia O. Fr. Old French
em. emendavit O. Sp. Old Spanish
esp. especially o.l. other language
f./ff. and the following om. omisit
fem. feminine O. Occ. Old Occitan
fol. folio P MS Paris
fols folios p./pp. page/pages
Fr. French part. participle passive
Gr. Greek pass. passive
Hebr. Hebrew Pers. Persian
ibid. ibidem pl. plural
i.e. id est R. Rabbi
imp. imperfect rabbin. rabbinic
inf. infinitive repr. reprint
It. Italian rev. revised
l. line Sept. Septuagint
viii abbreviations
sg. singular V MS Vatican

Suppl. Supplement VLat. Vulgar Latin
s.v. sub voce vol. volume
Syr. Syriac vols volumes
trad. tradition Vulg. Vulgate
transl. translation
Source abbreviations
Biblical Sources Rabbinic Sources

Am Amos b Babylonian Talmud
Chron Chronicles m Mishnah
Dan Daniel y Jerusalem Talmud
Deut Deuteronomy Gen. R. Genesis Rabbah
Ea Ezra Ex. R. Exodus Rabbah
Ec Ecclesiastes Targ. Targum
Es Esther Targ. O. Targum Onkolos
Ex Exodus Tos. Tosefta
Ez Ezekiel
Gen Genesis Tractates of the Mishnah and the
Hb Habakkuk Talmud
Hg Haggai Ab Abot
Hos Hosea Arakh Arakhin
Is Isaiah AZ Abodah Zarah
Jer Jeremiah BB Baba Batra
Jon Jonah Bekh Bekhorot
Jl Joel Ber Berakhot
Job Job Bez. Bezah
.
Js Joshua Bik Bikkurim
Ju Judges BM Baba Mezia
.
Kings Kings BQ Baba Qamma
Lam Lamentations Dem Demai
Lev Leviticus Eduy Eduyyot
Mal Malachi Erub Eruvin
Mi Micah Git Gittin
Na Nahum Hag
. Hagigah
.
Neh Nehemiah Hal
. Hallah
.
Num Numbers Hor Horayot
Ob Obadiah Hul
. Hullin
.
Prov Proverbs Kel Kelim
Ps Psalms Ker Keritot
Rt Ruth Ket Ketubbot
Sam Samuel Kil Kilayim
Song Song of Songs Kin Kinnim
Zech Zechariah Maas Ma#aserot
Zp Zephania MaasrSheni Ma#aser Sheni
contents ix
Mak Makkot Sanh Sanhedrin

Makhsh Makhshirin Shab Shabbat
Me Me#ilah Sheb Shebu#ot
Meg Megillah Shebi Shebi#it
Men Menahot. Sheq Sheqalim
Mid Middot Sot Sotah
Miqw Miqwa"ot Suk Sukkah
MQ Mo#ed Qatan Taan Ta#anit
Naz Nazir Tam Tamid
Ned Nedarim Tem Temurah
Neg Nega#im Ter Terumot
Nid Niddah Tevul Tevul Yom
Ohol Oholot Toh Tohorot
Orl Orlah Uqz Uqzin
.
Par Parah Yad Yadayim
Peah Pe"ah Yeb Yebamot
Pes Pesahim
. Yom Yoma
Qid Qiddushin Zab Zabim
RH Rosh Ha-Shanah Zeb Zebahim
.
Hebrew abbreviations

2009078. Bos. 01_Introduction. 1st proofs. 3-2-2011:12.19, page 1.
INTRODUCTION
. General overview and preliminaries
.. Aims and organisation of this edition

Volume one and two of the present three-volume publication contain
the commented critical edition of the two synonym lists featured in
book twenty-nine of the Sefer ha-Shimmush by Shem Tov ben Isaac de
Tortosa.1 The Sefer ha-Shimmush is itself a translation of the Kitab at-
tas. rf li-man #ajiza #an at-ta"lf (The Arrangement of Medical Knowledge
1 This publication is the result of two projects funded by the Deutsche Forschungs-
gemeinschaft (DFG) from to . We would like to express our thanks to the

DFG and, in addition, to Julia Zwink, Jessica Kley, Judit Mock and Richard Praeto-
rius, who helped us with our lexical research and various other aspects of this edi-
tion. Several other articles have been published as part of our research on the syn-
onym lists published in this and the following volumes and have been partially inte-
grated into this introduction, in particular (see the bibliography for a list of abbrevia-
tions): HebMedSyn, MTerMed, TermMedOc, and, in addition: G. Bos / L. Ferre / G. Men-
sching, Textos mdicos hebreos medievales con elementos romances y latinos: Edi-
cin y anlisis del Sefer ha-Shimmush y otras listas de sinnimos, in IANUA (),
pp. ; G. Bos and G. Mensching, Shem Tov Ben Isaac, Glossary of Botanical Terms,
Nos. , in Jewish Quarterly Review (), pp. ; M. Hussein, Ein Beitrag
zur Erforschung der mittelalterlichen hebrischen Fachsprache der Medizin: Die Edi-
tion des . Buches des Sefer ha-Shimmush des Shem Tov ben Isaak von Tortosa,
in A. Kuyt and G. Necker (eds), Orient als Grenzbereich? Rabbinisches und auerrab-
binisches Judentum, Wiesbaden (Abhandlungen fr die Kunde des Morgenlandes,
vol. ), pp. ; G. Bos, Medizinische Synonymliteratur in hebrischen Quellen
zwischen Rezeption und Innovation: Shem Tov Ben Isaac von Tortosa und seine ber-
setzung des Kitab al-tasrif von al-Zahrawi, in D. Boschung and S. Wittekind (eds),
Persistenz und Rezeption. Weiterverwendung, Wiederverwendung und Neuinterpretation
antiker Werke im Mittelalter, Wiesbaden : pp. ; G. Bos, The Creation and
Innovation of Medieval Hebrew medical terminology: Shem Tov Ben Isaac, Sefer ha-
Shimmush, in A. Akasoy and W. Raven (eds), Islamic Thought in the Middle Ages. Studies
in Text, Transmission and Translation, in Honour of Hans Daiber, Leiden / Boston ,
pp. ; G. Bos, Medical terminology in the Hebrew tradition: Shem Tov Ben
Isaac, Sefer ha-Shimmush, book , in Journal of Semitic Studies LV/ (), pp.
.
introduction
for One Who is Not Able to Compile a Book for Himself ) by the Andalu-
sian physician Abu l-Qasim Khalaf ibn Abbas az-Zahraw, known in
the Western world as Abulcasis. Shem Tov omitted the original Ara-
bic, Syrian, Persian, and Ibero-Romance indices in his translation and
substituted them instead with the two lists that are at issue here. The
first list, which is edited in this volume, starts with the Hebrew or Ara-
maic term, followed by the Arabic synonym, and thenin about sev-
enty percent of the entriesby the vernacular term, which is usually Old
Occitan, and / or by a Latin synonym. As will be explained in detail in
section ., this list was intended to help the reader identify and clar-
ify the Hebrew terminology used by the author in his translation of the
Kitab at-tas. rf. The second list, which is to be edited in volume two,
starts with the Old Occitan or Latin term followed by its Arabic syn-
onym and, in some cases, with its Hebrew or Aramaic equivalent, and
was intended to be used and consulted independently of the Sefer ha-
Shimmush.
The use of Romance languages was a standard procedure in Hebrew
glossaries and synonym lists of this type, as they were mainly compiled
in Southern France and on the Iberian Peninsula. The literature on
this subject has therefore usually identified these languages as Spanish,
French, and sometimes Italian.2 Our work on the synonym lists by Shem
Tov quickly showed that the Romance variety employed in this case
is Occitan, the autochthonous language of Southern France. For this
reason, a major part of the present publication will be dedicated to
this language, especially in the commentaries on the individual medico-
botanical terms.
Our critical edition is based on the three manuscripts known to con-
tain the synonym lists of the Sefer ha-Shimmush, MSS Paris, BN hb.
, Vatican Ebr. , and Oxford, Hunt Donat .3 Apart from creat-
ing a critical edition, our main aim is to provide a commentary on the
terminology found in these lists, in particular medieval Hebrew and Occ-
itan medico-botanical terminology, both of which have remained largely
unknown until now. Our edition thus makes a contribution towards an
understanding of these terminologies. One essential task has been to
clarify the meaning of the individual Hebrew and Occitan terms, which
often has to be deduced from the meaning of the corresponding, much
2Cf. HebMedSyn, in particular pp. .

3Cf. . for details. In the following, we shall use the abbreviations P (Paris), V
(Vatican) and O (Oxford) to refer to these manuscripts.
introduction
more well-known Arabic and Latin terms. It should also be noted that
a Hebrew medico-botanical terminology had not yet been established at
the time when Shem Tov was compiling these synonym lists. Thus, as will
be shown later in this introduction, the two lists we have edited here can
be viewed as an attempt to create such a terminology. We have therefore
also tried to retrieve the sources used by the author when deciding on
which Hebrew term to use.
As stated above, the first volume of this publication is dedicated to the
first synonym list (Hebrew-Arabic-Occitan / Latin) contained in the Sefer
ha-Shimmush. The second list, which is ordered according to the Occitan
or Latin terms, will be published in volume two. These two volumes will
then be supplemented by a third one containing indices for all of the
languages that appear in the edition and our commentaries.
This introduction is intended to serve as a general introduction to all
three volumes and is structured as follows. Section provides a brief
introduction to literature on medieval medico-botanical synonyms. We
then focus on the Jewish physician Shem Tov ben Isaac de Tortosa and
his Sefer ha-Shimmush (section ), paying particular attention both to
the biographical and historical contexts in which he worked as well as
to the background to and the motivation for his writing the Sefer ha-
Shimmush and compiling the two synonym lists. In section , we carry
out a detailed examination of the lexicographic practice adopted by Shem
Tov, addressing the issue of how his synonymies were established. We
then provide an overview of the most important sources used by Shem
Tov as well as the methods he employed to create his own Hebrew
medico-botanical terminology. The last part of this section summarises
the effects and influence of the terminology created by Shem Tov. Section
is dedicated to the Romance languages, with a particular focus on
Occitan. This section is to some extent aimed at scholars from outside
the field of Romance philology and provides some basic information
on Occitan, a Romance language that was of great literary importance
in the Middle Ages and is still spoken today as a minority language
in Southern France as well as in small areas of Italy and Spain. The
information provided in this section is essential for the reader to able
to follow the commentaries on the Romance medico-botanical terms.
Since the Romance terms in our synonym lists are written in Hebrew
characters rather than in the standard Latin alphabet, we also address
some of the problems arising from this fact which had to be taken into
consideration when we were identifying and interpretating the Romance
material. Section is dedicated to more technical matters. In ., we
introduction
describe the three manuscripts from which the text was obtained, while
in ., we describe the norms and procedures used in our edition and
commentary.
.. Transcription system
In the course of the following sections, the form of the synonym lists,
their origin and the lexical material used in them, which consists of a
great number of Hebrew, Arabic, Latin and Romance medico-botanical
terms, shall all be discussed extensively. We would therefore like to
begin by providing a summary of the transcription system to be used
throughout the three volumes.
Our transcription of the Hebrew, Arabic, Latin and Romance terms
which are expressed using Hebrew letters in the manuscripts mostly
follow modern, well-established transliteration standards, such as those
suggested by the Encyclopaedia Judaica (E.J.). Our decision to use a tran-
scription system based on Latin characters for the Hebrew alphabet is
motivated by the fact that the Latin, Romance and Arabic terminology is
also expressed in Hebrew characters in our manuscripts. This transcrip-
tion makes the terms in these languages accessible to both scholars of
the corresponding disciplines as well as to readers from the history of
medicine and other fields. It also enables the reader to follow our argu-
mentation for the interpretation of each term.
The transliteration aims to establish, whenever possible, a one-to-one
correspondence between Hebrew consonants and Latin based translit-
eration signs, thus maintaining the full range of interpretational content
contained in the original Hebrew character based version. This means
that our particular interpretation is not reflected in the transliteration.
For example, when a word is written with Bet, we spell it with an upper-
case B, even if our interpretation implies that its phonetic value was frica-
tive and not occlusive. We proceed in a similar way with the Hebrew con-
sonant character Shin: even if our lexical interpretation sees it as a Sin, or
as a non-palatal sibilant of Romance or Arabic, we still use an upper-case
S for the transliteration. In cases where vowel signs have been added to
the Hebrew consonant text, the vowels are transliterated using lower-case
transcription signs.
introduction
The following table illustrates our transcription system:
Hebrew Transcription
letter Name sign
Alef "
Bet B
Gimmel G
Gimmel G
Dalet D
He H
Ta" marbut.a H
Waw W
Zayin Z
Het
. H .
Tet
. T.
Yod Y
Kaf K
Lamed L
Mem M
Nun N
Samekh S
Ayin
Pe P
Sade
. S.
Qof Q
Resh R
Shin S
Taw T
The second variant of the letter Gimmel shows a diacritic (Rafe), which
the scribes used to indicate a palatal pronounciation, such as [] in
Romance and Arabic. In MS P the Arabic Ta marbut.a () is represented
change to "?
by the letter He with two diacritical points above the letter, which we have
transcribed as .
. Medieval synonym lists in Hebrew characters
It is not our intention here to provide an exhaustive discussion of

the history of medieval synonym lists.4 Broadly speaking, as MacKin-
4 The reader is referred to the following books and articles: M. Steinschneider, Zur
Literatur der Synonyma , in J.L. Pagel, Die Chirurgie des Heinrich von Mondeville, Berlin
introduction
ney5 points out, medical synonym lists form part of a sub-category of

medieval writings characterised by their alphabetical arrangement. Apart
from rare cases of general medical treatises arranged in alphabetical
order and handbooks of materia medica, the majority of such alphabeti-
cally structured medical writings comprised medical glossaries and lex-
icons. According to MacKinney,6
[t]hese appear under the titles glossaria, hermeneumata, synonyma, vocab-
ularia, index, expositio nominum, etc., and are usually characterized by
the id est formula; that is, each entry is followed by id est (or a variation
thereof) and the explanatory material. Such works are clearly distinguish-
able from concordances and pharmaceutical handbooks in that their chief
purpose was philological (i.e., the clarification of word meanings) and not
the presentation of purely medical information.
MacKinney7 distinguishes between three different phases of evolution
within the Western world: .- Latin lists of Greek terms in the early Mid-
dle Ages (glossaria, hermeneumata), .- Latin lists of Greek and Arabic
terms, due to the influence of Arabic medicine during the twelfth and
thirteenth centuries, .- polylingual lexicons, in which Latin, Arabic
and Greek terms were provided with equivalents in European vernac-
ular languages. The synonyma appear to be typical for the second phase;
they can be distinguished from the hermeneumata and early glossaria
in that they contain a larger proportion of non-herbals and of three-
to four-line descriptions.8 These lists often accompanied Latin versions
of Arabic authorities, such as the Index to the translation of ibn Snas
Kitab al-Qanun attributed to Gerald of Cremona, or were of indepen-
dent (Western) origin such as the famous Alphita.9
, pp. ; M. Steinschneider, Die hebrischen bersetzungen des Mittelalters und

die Juden als Dolmetscher, Berlin , repr. Graz ; L.C. MacKinney, Medieval Med-
ical Dictionaries and Glossaries, in J.L. Cate and E.N. Anderson (eds), Medieval and
Historiographical Essays in Honor of James Westfall Thompson, Chicago , pp.
; M. Ullmann, Die Medizin im Islam, Leiden / Kln (Handbuch der Orientalis-
tik I, Ergnzungsband VI,); G. Endress, Die Entwicklung der Fachsprache and Die
wissenschaftliche Literatur: Medizin, both published in W. Fischer (ed.), Grundriss der
Arabischen Philologie, Band III: Supplement, Wiesbaden , pp. and ;
B.M. Gutirrez Rodilla: La esforzada reelaboracin del saber. Repertorios mdicos de inters
lexicogrfico anteriores a la imprenta, San Milln de la Cogolla .
5 Op. cit., p. ff.
6 Op. cit., pp. .
7 Op. cit., p. .
8 MacKinney, op. cit., p. .
9 MacKinney, op. cit., pp. . For the Alphita, see I. Mandrin, Griechische und
griechisch vermittelte Elemente in der Synonymenliste Alphita, Bern et al. , and the
introduction
A similar tradition also existed in Arabic medical writing: one of the

ways in which the Arabs tried to solve the problems created by the
fusion of Greek, Syriac, Indian, Persian, Berber, and Ibero-Romance
plant and drug names was to establish corresponding synonyms. Thus,
all major pharmaceutical handbooks had special sections or chapters
dealing extensively with synonyms, such as in ibn al-Bayt.ars Kitab al-
Jami# and in the Kitab al-Musta#n by ibn Biklaris. In addition to the
synonym discussions that were integrated into such major works, the
Arabs also compiled stand-alone lists of synonyms compiled separately,
which can be considered a special branch of lexicographical literature
and were closely related to the Syriac Pussaq smahe.10
The Jewish synonym list tradition (including the two lists compiled
by Shem Tov) seems, in general, to fit into the typology and chronology
outlined above, whilst crucially anticipating (by the thirteenth century
already) the subsequent polylingual lexicon phase by including vernac-
ular synonyms in a systematic fashion. The practical use of these lists
should be taken into account in future research on the history of Jew-
ish synonym lists, which has yet to be carried out in a comprehensive
manner.11 During the Middle Ages, when there was no uniform system
for identifying plants and herbs, there was a genuine risk of a doctor
administering the wrong drug to a patient. This risk was particularly
acute given the fact that doctors frequently moved to and settled in dif-
ferent countries at this time, thus meaning they were often faced with
an entirely different linguistic environment. Jewish doctors in particular
were faced with this problem when, in the wake of the Berber invasions
of the Almohads and Almoravids in the eleventh and twelfth centuries,
many of them emigrated from Southern Spain to the Northern, Chris-
tian part of Spain and to Southern France. They thus moved from a soci-
ety where Jews used and understood Arabic in addition to Hebrew and
Romance to a society where their knowledge of Arabic was soon lost. This
shift in languages led to an urgent need for lexica or glossaries in which
technical-medical expressions were listed alphabetically, especially the
recent edition by A. Garca Gonzlez, Alphita. Edicin crtica y comentario, Florence .

Since our work on list one published in the present volume was completed in early ,
Garca Gonzalezs edition has not been quoted in our commentary. Instead, we used
the older edition by S. Renzi (RAlph), the Spanish version contained in the Sinonima
delos nonbres delas medeinas griegos e latynos e arauigos (abbr. Sin; the critical apparatus
mostly includes material from the Latin version) and the commentary by R. Creutz (CA).
10 Cf. M. Ullmann, Die Medizin im Islam, pp. and .
11 For what follows, cf. G. Bos, Medical terminology in the Hebrew tradition.
introduction
names of simple medicines.12 As will be shown in section , it was these

practical aspects that formed the driving force for Shem Tov to compile
the two synonym lists.
In the field of Jewish studies, the medical genre of synonym lists has
been sorely neglected by modern research in spite of the comprehensive
bibliographical surveys carried out by Moritz Steinschneider in the nine-
teenth century. Steinschneiders work highlighted the importance of this
particular genre for deciphering individual plant names in pharmaco-
logical fragments, recommending in particular the edition of the glos-
sary compiled by Shem Tov ben Isaak and the one extant in MS Florence,
Mediceo Laurenziana Or. .13 The only notable exceptions are a recent
concise survey of Hebrew medical glossaries in manuscripts by J.P. Roth-
schild that forms an appendix to an article on the manuscript tradition of
the Hebrew-Italian glossary of Maimonides Guide of the Perplexed pre-
pared by Moses of Salerno,14 and the synonym list with Catalan elements
edited by Magdalena Nom de Du (GHAT). The apparent lack of inter-
est shown by Jewish studies scholars for this particular area stands in
stark contrast to the interest that this area has enjoyed in the fields of
Latin and of Arabic studies. The latter can boast of a recent bibliograph-
ical survey by Ullmann,15 while one of its best known glossaries, namely
the one compiled by Maimonides under the title Sharh. asma" al-#uqqar,
is available both in a critical edition and in French, Hebrew, and English
translations.16
12 Definition by M. Steinschneider, Zur Literatur der Synonyma , p. (English
translation: Bos). Some of the following issues are discussed in: Shem Tov Ben Isaac,
Glossary of Botanical Terms, Nos. and in HebMedSyn .
13 Cf. M. Steinschneider, Donnolo. Pharmakologische Fragmente aus dem . Jahr-
hundert, in Virchows Archiv, vols. and (; vol. , pp. ; vol. ,

pp. ; vol. , pp. ; vol. , pp. ), vol. (), pp. ; idem,
Zur Literatur der Synonyma, pp. ; idem, Glossar zu den Synonymen Cap.
IX des Antidotarius, non-matching quotation mark
in J.L. Pagel, Chirurgie des Heinrich von Mondeville, Berlin ,
pp. ; and his Die hebrischen bersetzungen des Mittelalters und die Juden als
Dolmetscher, pp. .
14 J.P. Rothschild, Remarques sur la tradition manuscrite du glossaire hbreu-italien
du Commentaire de Mose de Salerne au Guide des gars (en appendice, note sur les
glossaires medicaux hbreux; liste de manuscrits hbreux contenant des glossaires), in
Lexiques bilingues dans les domaines philosophique et scientifique (Moyen geRenais-
sance), Actes du Colloque international organis par lcole Pratique des Hautes tudes
IVe Section et lInstitut Suprieur de Philosophie de lUniversit de Louvain (Paris,
juin ), dits par J. Hamesse et D. Jacquart, Turnhout , pp. .
15 Cf. Ullmann, Die Medizin im Islam, pp. .
16 See Me in the list of abbreviations in the bibliography for the reference.
introduction
In the course of our projects concerning this type of lists, we have

reviewed a considerable number of lists other than those by Shem Tov.17
It could be shown that most of them were composed in Southern France
or in Catalonia. In contrast, synonym lists of possible Northern French,
Spanish or Italian origin seem to be quite rare. We have also established
an initial typology of medico-botanical synonym lists written in Hebrew
characters:18
A. Lists without lexical material in Hebrew but written in the Hebrew
alphabet, such as Latin-Arabic-Romance synonym lists.
B. Lists that contain lexical material in Hebrew, but no Hebrew lem-
mata, e.g. Arabic-Hebrew-Romance-Latin lists.
C. Lists arranged according to Hebrew lemmata, with synonyms in
other languages (such as Arabic, Latin and / or Romance)
We can assume that the type A lists in particular are often transcriptions
of Arabic or Latin lists, such as the version of the Alphita that is extant in
MS Parma .19 The type B lists may, to some extent at least, have orig-
inated in a similar fashion through the addition of Hebrew synonyms,
whereas the type C lists have to be regarded as original compilations or
rearrangements according to the Hebrew lemmata. As far as Shem Tovs
lists are concerned, the first oneedited in this volume and described in
section of this introductionis a type C list. The second one is a type
B list (Occitan-Hebrew-Arabic) and will be presented and edited in the
second volume.
At this point, it cannot be said whether and to which degree Latin
and Arabic medical synonym tradition provided a model for Shem
Tov or whether he even used the Alphita or similar lists in the Latin
tradition as a source. Some of the Latin terms and a few of the Arabic-
Latin / Romance synonymies featured in Shem Tovs lists can also be
found in the Alphita. It also seems probable (maybe even highly so) that
Shem Tov possessed a copy of another well-known word list, namely the
Arabic-Latin index of the Latin translation of the Qanun by ibn Sna
compiled by Gerald of Cremona ().20 At least as far as the
Hebrew-Arabic correspondences are concerned however, it is rather the
Jewish rabbinic tradition (not including the Bible) that Shem Tov drew
17 See HebMedSyn.
18 See HebMedSyn .
19 See HebMedSyn ff.
20 See Sin for this index, in particular pp. .
introduction
upon in order to establish his synonymies. We shall return to this subject

in section , which covers the production of the two synonym lists. In
this section, it should become clear that the two lists edited by us in this
and the forthcoming volume form a quite exceptional case within the
genre of medical synonym lists: whereas most of the lists known to us
from both the Western and Jewish traditions are anonymous, Shem Tov,
on the other hand, is an individual author whose writings also provide
us with information concerning the background of his lists as well as the
methods he used to compile them.
. Shem Tovs synyonym lists in the Sefer ha-Shimmush
.. Biographical and historical context

Shem Tov ben Isaac was born in in the Catalan city of Tortosa.
He traveled to the Near East for business before, at the age of thirty,
beginning to study in Barcelona at some point after under R. Isaac
ben Meshullam. He subsequently spent some time in Montpellier, and
was later active as a physician and translator in Marseille.21 Although
Marseille had previously been an independent and sovereign city, it was
forced to recognise the sovereignty of Charles of Anjou in . In return,
Anjou provided the inhabitants with a constitution (Les Statuts de Mar-
seille), which regarded Jews and Christians as equal citizens.22 Anjou even
protected and intervened on behalf of the Jews when necessary, such as
in , when he issued a special decree against the inquisitors who were
attempting to introduce even more stringent measures against the Jews
than those that had been decided both at the Fourth Lateran Council in
21 On Shem Tov ben Isaac, his life and literary activity, see E. Renan, Les Rabbins
franais du commencement du quartorzime sicle, Paris , repr. Farnborough ,
p. ; M. Steinschneider, Die hebrischen bersetzungen des Mittelalters und die Juden
als Dolmetscher, pp. ; H. Gross, Gallia Judaica. Dictionnaire gographique de la
France daprs les sources Rabbiniques, Paris , pp. ; S. Muntner, R. Shem Tov
Ben Isaac of Tortosa about the life of the European Jewish doctor and his ethics, in Sinai
Jubilee Volume, Jerusalem , pp. ; G. Sarton, Introduction to the History of
Science, vols, New York , vol. ., pp. ; J. Shatzmiller, Jews, Medicine and
Medieval Society, Berkeley / Los Angeles / London, , pp. ; G. Bos, The Creation
and Innovation of Medieval Hebrew medical terminology, pp. .
22 Cf. A. Crmieux, Les Juifs de Marseille au Moyen Age, in Revue des tudes Juives
(), pp. and , here pp. .

introduction
and at subsequent Councils.23 The Jewish doctors in Marseille found

themselves in a particularly privileged position, enjoying as they did spe-
cial rights both with regard to their colleagues in the rest of Provence and
their fellow citizens. As Marseille suffered from frequent epidemics and
there were only few Christian physicians, they were tolerated in the city
by sheer necessity and sometimes even employed by the municipality, in
contrast to the Jewish doctors in the rest of Provence.24 It was in the city
of Marseille that Shem Tov translated az-Zahraws Kitab at-tas. rf.25 Call-
ing it Sefer ha-Shimmush, Shem Tov started his translation in the year
and completed it at an unknown date.26 In addition to the Kitab
at-tas. rf, Shem Tov also translated Abu Wald Muhammad
. ibn Rushds
Middle Commentary on Aristotles De Anima,27 Abu Bakr Muhammad .
ibn Zakariyya al-Razs medical encyclopaedia Kitab al-Mans. ur,28 and
Hippocrates Aphorisms with Palladius commentary.29
23 Cf. Gross, Gallia Judaica, p. .

24 Cf. Crmieux, Les Juifs de Marseille au Moyen Age, p. ; I. Alteras, Jewish
Physicians in Southern France during the th and th Centuries, in Jewish Quarterly
Review (/), pp. , in particular p. .
25 On the Kitab at-tasrf, see D. Jacquart and F. Micheau, La mdecine arabe et loccident
.
medival, Paris , pp. and passim.
26 The year is derived from the introduction to the translation (cf. Muntner, R.
Shem Tov Ben Isaac of Tortosa, p. , paragraph []). In the same introduction, Shem
Tov relates an incident that occurred in Marseille in the year (cf. Muntner, op. cit.,
p. , paragraph []). From this, it can be concluded that Shem Tov either wrote the
introduction after compiling the lists and that the year marks its completion, or
that he completed the work at an earlier date and then subsequently revised it, inserting
the incident mentioned above in the process. The first assumption seems to be that
of M. Steinschneider, Die hebrischen Handschriften der K. Hof- und Staatsbibliothek
in Mnchen, nd rev. enl. ed., Munich p. , no. : (). The second
assumption seems to be that of Renan, Les Rabbins franais du commencement du
quartorzime sicle, p. , who, however, draws on an unknown source to assert that
Shem Tov completed the work in and then revised it in . This is also the opinion
of Sarton, Introduction to the History of Science, p. , and Shatzmiller, Jews, Medicine and
Medieval Society, p. . Steinschneider, Die hebrischen bersetzungen des Mittelalters
und die Juden als Dolmetscher, p. , remarks that he completed the translation between
(= Muntner, R. Shem Tov Ben Isaac of Tortosa, p. ).
27 Cf. Steinschneider, Die hebrischen bersetzungen des Mittelalters und die Juden
als Dolmetscher, p. ; Averros, Middle Commentary on Aristotles De Anima. A Crit-

ical Edition of the Arabic Text with English Translation, Notes, and Introduction by
Alfred L. Ivry, Provo , pp. xxviiixxix, . n. .
28 Cf. Steinschneider, Die hebrischen bersetzungen des Mittelalters und die Juden als
Dolmetscher, pp. .
29 His commentary is no longer extant in Greek, but it has recently been rediscovered
by Hinrich Biesterfeldt and Y. Tzvi Langermann, who hope to publish a preliminary study
of Palladius commentary soon, to be followed by a full edition and analysis.
introduction
.. Background to and motivation

Shem Tovs translation of az-Zahraws Kitab at-tas. rf is especially impor-
tant, as it represents an attempt to create a new Hebrew medical termi-
nology based on the terminology of the Bible, Mishnah and Talmud, as
well as on medieval commentaries and translations.30 In some cases, he
also uses loan-translation or semantic borrowing as a method for trans-
lating terms not attested in any Hebrew source. Shem Tovs main rea-
son for translating the Kitab at-tas. rf was to provide Jews with easier
access to medical knowledge, meaning they would no longer have to
depend on non-Jewish doctors.31 With regards to his method of trans-
lation, he remarks that he uses names from the Bible, rabbinic literature
or Romance as far as possible in his translation. He uses the Arabic term
for any diseases, organs, drugs, wild and domestic animals, insects and
vermin whose names he is unable to obtain from these sources, remark-
ing that the lengthy period of exile suffered by the Jews has led to reduced
knowledge of Hebrew within their numbers.32 In order to emphasise the
intention behind his translation once more, Shem Tov extols its qualities,
remarking that it can be put to use for individuals and crowds, for the wise
and the foolish, for kings and paupers and at any time and any place. He
goes on to warn physicians emphatically against substituting one remedy
for another similar one or buying an unfamiliar remedy from a pharma-
cist, as that might lead to their receiving an entirely different remedy,
whether intentionally or not.33 Shem Tov adds that, in some countries,
those who make mistakes regarding the names of herbs, seeds and plants
30 S. Muntner (art. medicine, in E.J. :) remarks that the translation of al-
Zahraws Kitab al-tas. rf by Abraham Shem Tov [sic] is of particular importance because
he introduced a new Hebrew terminology based mainly on terms used in the Talmud.
31 Cf. Steinschneider, Die hebrischen bersetzungen des Mittelalters, p. . See
paragraphs [][] of Shem Tovs Introduction to the Sefer ha-Shimmush, edited by

Muntner in R. Shem Tov Ben Isaac of Tortosa, pp. ; the relevant passages are on
pp. . See also the Catalan translation in E. Feliu and J. Arrizabalaga, El prleg
de Semtov ben Issac, el Tortos, a la seva traducci hebrea del Tas. rf dAbu al-Zahraw,
in Tamid (), pp. , especially pp. .
32 Cf. Introduction to Sefer ha-Shimmush, paragraph [], see Muntner, op. cit., p. ;
Feliu / Arrizabalaga, op. cit., p. ; Steinschneider (op. cit., p. ) summarizes the text as
follows: Alle Krankheiten, Glieder, Mittel etc., fr welche er einen Ausdruck in der Bibel,
in der Sprache der Weisen oder in der Landessprache gefunden, habe er danach benannt,
sonst den arabischen Terminus beibehalten, da sich durch das Exil die Kenntnis der hebr.
Sprache vermindert habe.
33 Cf. Introduction to Sefer ha-Shimmush, paragraphs [], [][], see Muntner,
op. cit., p. ; Feliu / Arrizabalaga, op. cit.. p. .

two periods correct?
introduction
then also end up misleading others.34 As an example, he talks about four

different species of the same plant, one of which was called fangankust
(chaste-tree, Vitex agnus castus L.) by Persian doctors,35 meaning five
leaves, while Christians referred to it as pentaphyllon (cinquefoil, Poten-
tilla reptans L.),36 which also means five leaves.37 This was a source of
confusion for many physicians according to Shem Tov. Some physicians
thought that fangankust was a fragrant tree as large as a man (or even
large enough for a man to hide under) with fruits called agnus castus
and that pentaphyllon was a plant without a stem consisting of five leaves
growing directly from the earth. Other physicians, however, thought that
fangankust was a plant that could be used to get rid of sexual lust38 rather
than a tree, and that pentaphyllon was a plant with a stem.39
Another example of a possible mix-up of remedies is taken from
Maimonides, who warns against prescribing the wrong species of black
nightshade (Solanum nigrum L.).40 Many physicians prescribe one spe-
cies for internal diseases, and another, similar species, which can be
easily distinguished from the previous one when it has been dried and
its fruits become black, when it is still fresh, for external diseases, as it is
poisonous. If the second species is mistaken for the first one and its juice
is ingested, it causes severe suffocation, hiccups, and nausea accompanied
by yawning and vomiting of blood.41 Shem Tov also stresses how the
Feliu / Arrizabalaga, op. cit., pp. .

35 Cf. Maimonides, Sharh asma" al-#uqqar, Me (English translation: Rosner, abbr.
.
M); A. Dietrich, Dioscurides Triumphans (abbr. DT), :. The actual meaning of the
Persian term is not five leaves, but five fingers (panfi angust); cf. VL :: quinque
digiti.
36 Cf. Maimonides, Sharh asma" al-#uqqar (Me); M ; DT :.
.
Feliu / Arrizabalaga, op. cit., p. .

38 For the effect of the chaste tree as an antiaphrodisiac, cf. Ibn al-Jazzar, On Sexual
Diseases: A critical edition, English translation and introduction of Bk. of Zad al-
musafir wa-qut al-ha
. dir
. (Provisions for the Traveller and the Nourishment of the Settled).
Translation and study by Gerrit Bos, London , p. : Galen maintained that the
women of the inhabitants of Athens used to spread chaste-tree and then sleep upon it
during their high festivals so that the lust for coitus would leave them (= Galen, De simpl.
med. temp. et fac., VI, (C.G. Khn, Claudii Galeni Opera Omnia, vols, Leipzig
, repr. Hildesheim , vol. , p. ).

40 Cf. Introduction to Sefer ha-Shimmush, paragraph [], see Muntner, op. cit., pp.
; Feliu / Arrizabalaga, op. cit., p. .

41 Shem Tovs quotation is taken from Maimonides On Poisons (BMP ): To the
[substances] taken by mistake belongs the soporific type of black nightshade (Solanum
introduction
area where a species is grown can influence how it looks by quoting

Maimonides statement in the Mishneh Torah, Sefer Zera#im, which states
that a species can take on many [different] forms depending on where it
is grown and in what type of soil and that such forms of the same species
can differ from one another to such an extent that they can look like
entirely different species.42 Shem Tov invokes Maimonides once again
to remark that the opposite can also happen, namely that two different
species can look so similar to one another that they appear to be the
same. He also quotes from the same source in order to provide a range
of different examples of this, such as garden lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and
wild lettuce (Lactuca scariola), chicory (Cichorium intybus) and wild
chicory (Cichorium pumilum), garden leek (Allium porrum) and field
leek (Allium ampeloprasum), garden coriander (Coriandrum sativum)
and wild coriander (Smyrnium conatum Boiss.).43 Shem Tov concludes
his extensive quotation from Maimonides by exclaiming that if, in the
case of crops, the Torah is very strict and makes it obligatory to know
the different forms of plants and trees and their fruits because of the
prohibition of Kil"ayim (mixing together of different species), how much
more so should this be the case for remedies when human life is at stake.44
Shem Tov then gives an example of how administering the wrong drug
can have fatal consequences by relating an incident that happened around
the year in Marseille, whereby two Christian doctors gave a patient
a purgative of half a drachm of white hellebore, which led to the patient
nigrum and var.), for we often prescribe black nightshade juice among the ingredients
to be taken for diseases of the internal organs. One of its varieties that has black seeds
and that is soporific is [sometimes taken] by mistake when [the seeds] are [still] green
before they turn black. Upon drinking, it immediately causes severe dryness, hiccups and
vomiting of blood. Its treatment: hasten to let him vomit by means of the general emetics
which have been described before. Then let him vomit for the last time by means of water
and honey. Then let him drink a large quantity of water and honey. When he has digested
something of it, he should take another drink of water and honey. He should do so for
a day and a night. And then he should feed himself as usual [. . .]. Instead of dryness
Shem Tov has suffocation, which is similar to the variant reading in MS P (Paris, BN,
hb. ): and Moses ibn Tibbons Hebrew translation: (angina).
Feliu / Arrizabalaga, op. cit., p. ; Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Sefer Zera#im, Hilkhot
Kil"ayim III, .
43 Cf. Introduction to Sefer ha-Shimmush, paragraphs [][], see Muntner, op. cit.,
p. ; Feliu / Arrizabalaga, op. cit., pp. ; Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Sefer Zera#im,
Hilkhot Kil"ayim III, .

introduction
dying of suffocation.45 He adds that if it is a Jewish doctor that applies

the wrong treatment, it may not just be the life of the patient that is
endangered, but the lives of the whole Jewish community too.46 Jewish
doctors needed to take particularly care in their work, having to think
twice before treating a Christian patient, a fact borne out by the Sefer
ha-Yosher, a medical treatise composed at the end of the Middle Ages.47
To minimise the risk of confusing medicinal herbs and drugs due
to ignorance or a lack of proper terminology in the vernacular of the
time and to provide both Jewish doctors and patients with the proper
medico-botanical terminology, Shem Tov compiled a list of roots and
herbs in the language of the Bible and of the Sages, of blessed memory,
according to the interpretation most commentators agreed upon, in the
vernacular language and in Arabic, alphabetically arranged.48 This list,
which actually consists of two separate lists of synonyms, is part of book
twenty-nine of his translation of Kitab at-tas. rf. Shem Tov only modified
the first two chapters of the five chapters originally contained in the
Arabic text of book twenty-nine for his intended purpose, since, as the
author states, the Jews would neither need nor benefit from a translation
of the first two chapters, which deal with foreign or differing names for
plants in Greek, Syriac and Persian.49 In the introduction to the first list,
which is the one edited in the present volume, the author specifies the
scope of this particular list by explaining that it not only covers roots and
herbs, but also instruments, bodily parts and other items.50 With regards
45 Cf. Introduction to Sefer ha-Shimmush, paragraph [], see Muntner, op. cit.,
pp. ; Feliu / Arrizabalaga, op. cit., pp. ; Shatzmiller, Jews, Medicine and
Medieval Society, p. .
46 Introduction to Sefer ha-Shimmush, paragraph [], see Muntner, op. cit., p. ;
Feliu / Arrizabalaga, op. cit., pp. ; translation Shatzmiller, Jews, Medicine and Me-
dieval Society, pp. ; but see as well Crmieux, Les Juifs de Marseille, p. who
states that complaints were never filed against the Jewish community of Marseille as a
whole following individual misdemeanours due both to the protection the Jews enjoyed
based on the Statuts de Marseille and to the spirit of tolerance predominant in the city.
47 Cf. Shatzmiller, Jews, Medicine and Medieval Society, p. ; M. Gdemann, Ge-
schichte des Erziehungswesens und der Cultur der Juden in Italien whrend des Mittelalters,
Vienna , repr. Amsterdam (Geschichte des Erziehungswesens und der Cultur
der abendlndischen Juden whrend des Mittelalters und der neueren Zeit II), p. .
48 Introduction to Sefer ha-Shimmush, paragraph [], see Muntner, R. Shem Tov Ben
Isaac of Tortosa, p. :

.; cf. Feliu-Arrizabalaga, op. cit., p. .
49 MS Paris, BN hb. , fol. a:
.
50 MS Paris, BN hb. , ibid.: .
introduction
to the second list (see vol. two, forthcoming) he remarks: I have also
composed an explanation of the drugs and herbs in the vernacular and
Arabic so that someone who goes on a distant journey will know their
names in both languages. And I have arranged them alphabetically.51
. How Shem Tovs synonym lists were compiled
.. Sources for Hebrew and Arabic

Shem Tov consulted the work of both Sa#adya ben Yosef al-Fayyum, bet-
ter known as Sa#adya Gaon52 (), and Abu l-Wald ibn Merwan,
i.e. Jonah ibn Janah. (died after ) as sources for the proper Bibli-
cal Hebrew synonyms for Arabic terms.53 Research has shown that ibn
Janah. in turn relied heavily upon Sa#adyas biblical translations and com-
mentaries for identifying botanical terms included in the Bible.54 Shem
Tov remarks that he chose these two authors in particular because he
agreed with how they identified the relevant Hebrew and Arabic termi-
nology. Sa#adya Gaons Arabic translations and / or commentaries to the
Torah, Isaiah, Psalms, Proverbs, and Iob often provided Shem Tov with
the Hebrew equivalent required for a specific Arabic term.55 The entry
51 MS Paris, BN hb. , ibid.:
. Note that
the alphabetisation is only to one letter, as was still usual in Shem Tovs time.
52 For Sa#adya Ga"on, philosopher and exegete, poet and polemicist, legist and com-
munal leader, see H. Malter, Saadia Gaon. His life and works, Philadelphia . For a
fundamental study of the language comparisons in his linguistic works and for his Bible
translations which served as a source for subsequent scholars, see A. Maman, Compara-
tive Semitic Philology in the Middle Ages. From Sa#adiah to Ibn Barun (tenthtwelfth C.)
abbr. MCS, esp. pp. . The diffusion of Sa#adyas works in Provence was otherwise
ascertained from the Sefer Dores resumot, which quotes from Sa#adyas long commentary
on Genesis in Hebrew (cf. Y.T. Langermann, A Citation from Saadias King Commentary
to Genesis in Hebrew Translation, Alef. Historical Studies in Science & Judaism (),
pp. ).
53 For Jonah ibn Janah, the undisputed master of Sephardic linguistics who lived in
.
the first half of the eleventh century, see the article by D. Tenne in E.J. :, s.v.
ibn Janah,
. Jonah. For the language comparisons in his works see MCS .
54 Cf. LF : and E.J. :.
55 Saadya also allegedly composed a translation of the Five Scrolls and of Ezra. Of the
edition of the Five Scrolls with Sa#adyas translation by Kafih. (Jerusalem , abbr. SH),
only Esther is considered to be authentic. In our edition of Shem Tovs glossary, we have
included the edition by Kafih, . leaving the question of its authenticity open. For Saadyas
commentaries on and / or translations of the Bible see RT and M. Polliack, The
Karaite Tradition of Arabic Bible Translation. A Linguistic and Exegetical Study of Karaite
introduction
Alef provides an example of this, where the Arabic synonym

(#WSG, to be read as #awsag) is given for the Hebrew lemma ("TD).
Whereas modern literature identifies the Biblical Hebrew term either as
the European boxthorn, Lycium europaeum, or the buckthorn (such as
Rhamnus lycioides or Rhamnus palaestinus), Arabic #awsag56 is known
to have designated different kinds of lycium which were often confused.
Although we are unable to establish the intended meaning,57 the identi-
fication of both terms can be traced back to Sa#adya on Gen :, which
reads (When they came to Goren ha-Atad58). The place
name literally means boxthorns threshing floor and is translated into
Arabic as (S ) by Sa#adya.
With regard to Jonah ibn Janah,
. Shem Tov certainly used the Kitab al-
us. ul, a dictionary of Biblical Hebrew,59 as can be demonstrated by the
entry He : Hebrew (HBNYM) as well as Arabic ("BNWS
= abanus) mean ebony. The fact that the Hebrew and Arabic words
are considered synonyms goes back to ibn Janah, . who explicitely refers
to Rav Hai Gaon:
(HBNYM is al-
abanus according to the translation of Rav Hai Gaon; IJ ). We see
here that although Shem Tov consulted ibn Janah. for this Biblical term,
the ultimate source of the synonym is Hai Gaon.
In addition to the Kitab al-us. ul, Shem Tov consulted ibn Janahs
.
Kitab al- Talkhs. , a book on simple drugs, measures and weights which
provides synonyms for the drugs in Arabic, Syriac, Hebrew, Greek,
Berber Spanish, and Latin, among others.60 Unfortunately we could not
consult this text as we, conform to the general opinion, considered the
work to be lost61 Thus we could only consult secondary sources, namely, a
Translations of the Pentateuch from the Tenth and Eleventh Centuries C.E., Leiden / New
York / Cologne , pp. .
56 Unlike Hebrew, we transcribe Arabic terms with their vowels, as there is a standard
vocalisation for Arabic botanical terminology.

57 The Romance synonym refers to another plant of the Rhamnaceae family.
58 The English translation is that of the Jewish Publication Society (Tanakh. A New
Translation of the Holy Scriptures according to the Traditional Hebrew Text. Philadel-
phia / New York / Jerusalem ).
59 Ed. Ad. Neubauer (= IJ).
60 See Ullmann, Die Medizin im Islam, p. ; Tenne (in E.J. :); AS .
61 However, Fabian Ks has identified a unique copy in Istanbul, MS Aya Sofya ,
fols. vv. See Fabian Ks, Die Mineralien in der arabischen Pharmakognosie. Eine
Konkordanz zur mineralischen Materia medica der klassischen arabischen Heilmit-
telkunde nebst berlieferungsgeschichtlichen Studien (Akademie der Wissenschaften
und der Literatur. Mainz. Verffentlichungen der Orientalischen Kommission). Band ,
vols. Wiesbaden , vol. , p. .
introduction
number of quotations from the Kitab al-Talkhs. made by subsequent

authors, such as al-Idrs (d. ), who was active at the court of King
Roger II of Sicily and compiled the Kitab al -jami# li-sifat astat an-nabat
wa-durub
. anwa# al-mufradat (Compendium of the Properties of Diverse
Plants and Various Kinds of Simple Drugs).62
This work has survived as an incomplete manuscript in Istanbul (Fatih
Library, no. ) and as a complete manuscript in Teheran (Kitabkhana-
i Majlis-i Sana, ). These manuscripts actually represent two dif-
ferent versions of the original text, with the Istanbul manuscript pre-
serving the synonyms for the names of plants and drugs, while the
Teheran manuscript omits them.63 An example of a quotation from
ibn Janahs
. Kitab al- Talkhs. by al-Idrs is the entry Alef : here, two
Arabic synonyms are given for Hebrew ("LMWG), namely
(MRG"N) and (BSD). The word "LMWG as a biblical term indi-
cates a precious wood unable to be clearly identified. In rabbinic lit-
erature it is identified, amongst other things, as coral. Marjan is the
Arabic equivalent for "LMWG as coral, whereas bussad is the Persian
term and is often used as a synonym, although, strictly speaking, it
refers to the root of the coral as well as to the subsoil to which it is
stuck. The identification of marjan as bussad goes back to ibn Janahs .
Kitab al- Talkhs. as quoted by al-Idrs (IJS :): :

(ibn Janah. says that the marjan is the bussad).64 Another author
whose writings served to preserve material from ibn Janahs . Kitab al-
Talkhs. is Se#adyah ibn Danan from Granada (fifteenth century), who
composed the Sefer ha-Shorashim, a dictionary of Biblical Hebrew which
draws heavily on ibn Janahs . work, explicitly quoting him no less than
times. In entry Het . , Arabic ("ZRQ) is used as a synonym
for the Hebrew lemma (H . SMLY), with the additional explana-
tion (i.e., like the sky). The Hebrew word is an adjectival
form derived from Biblical Hebrew (H . SML), which means glitter-
ing substance, amber. However, Arabic "azraq means blue, sky-coloured
(L ). The identification of both terms goes back to ibn Janah, . as can
be read in Se#adyah ibn Danan, Sefer ha-Shorashim (SID ): :
(H . SML is blue light according to Abu l-Wald [ibn
Janah]).
.
62 Facs. ed. in vols by F. Sezgin, abbreviation SID.

63 SID VIIVIII.
64 Cf. AS .
introduction
We only have Shem Tovs general reference to medieval commen-

tators when it comes to the sources he consulted to identify Arabic
synonyms with Rabbinic Hebrew or Aramaic terminology. Identifying
these medieval commentators has proven to be especially problematic.
One prominent medieval commentator to whom Shem Tov probably
had recourse was Sa#adya Ga"on, who was not only an important Bible
commentator and translator but also a prominent linguist, who dealt
extensively with the explanation of difficult terms in the Mishnah within
the genre known as Alfas. al-Mishnah, several examples of which exist
in the Genizah. These writings consist, as Brody remarks, of a series of
short glosses in Arabic on Hebrew words and expressions, according to
the order of the Mishnaic text.65 Unfortunately, these lexical explana-
tions have only survived in incomplete form and are, moreover, still in
manuscript for the most part.66 An example of a derivation that possi-
bly goes back to Sa#adyas Alfas. al-Mishnah is the entry Gimmel :67 The
Hebrew lemma (GWPNN) features in rabbinic literature and means
) fennel, Foeniculum vulgare MILL., and ) of the sebesten-tree, Cor-
dia Myxa L. The Arabic synonym (SBST"N) is sibistan or sabistan,
which designates the fruit of the sebesten-tree. The identification of the
two terms can be found in Sa#adya (SAM :).68
Another medieval commentator consulted by Shem Tov was Mai-
monides, whose commentary on the Mishnah contains a wealth of me-
dico-botanical synonym terminology.69 Maimonides relied in turn on
earlier sources, possibly Sa#adyas explanatory lists and certainly the
65 R. Brody, The Geonim of Babylonia and the Shaping of Medieval Jewish Culture, New
Haven / London , pp. . While Allony attributed these lexical explanations to

Sa#adya Ga"on, Abramson (Millon ha-Mishnah le-Rav Sa#adya Ga"on, in Leshonenu
(), pp. ) and subsequently Maman (MCS , n. ) argued that they are not
Sa#adyas at all. According to Brody (The Geonim of Babylonia, p. ), Allonys identifica-
tion was correct, as confirmed by further manuscript discoveries in the Genizah, along
with a comparison of citations in Se#adyahs name and interpretations contained in his
other works.
66 Three of the fragments were published by N. Allony (SAM). A large Geonic
fragment covering the commentary of nearly half the Mishnah is being prepared for
publication by the Institute for the Complete Israeli Talmud but has not been published
sofar.
67 As virtually all identifications featured in Sa#adyas Alfas al-Mishnah can also be
.
found in Maimonides Commentary on the Mishnah, we cannot be sure whether Shem
Tov consulted these lists directly or only indirectly via Maimonides.
68 See also Maimonides on mDemai .: :
(i.e., GWPNN is a plant similar to aneth and according to others to sebesten) (MK :).
69 Abbr. MK. For this commentary see I.M. Ta-Shma, Ha-Sifrut ha-Parshanit la-
Talmud, nd rev. ed., vols, Jerusalem , vol. , p. ff.

introduction
works of ibn Janahs, . a fact which he states explicitly in the introduc-

tion to his Glossary of Drug Names.70 As we have seen above, Shem
Tov was familiar with Maimonides commentary, clearly had access to
it and therefore consulted it as necessary. There are a few cases where
it is beyond any doubt that Shem Tov derived his terminology directly
from that of Maimonides, as he occasionally includes direct quotations
from Maimonides commentary on the Mishnah, such as in the entry
Shin for (SW#) smoothing, plastering, which reads:
(SW#, i.e.,
"LTLBYD,71 because he rubs the surface of something [to be] mended
and Targum Onkelos has for (i.e., the house shall be scraped72):
. Shem Tov explains this by means of a direct quote from
Maimonides on the mentioned Mishnah (MK :).73
The medieval commentary and responsa literature composed by the
Geonim, i.e., the heads of the Jewish academies in Babylonia, proved
to be an important source for Shem Tov with regards to the remaining
terms. These commentaries and responsa contain a wealth of botanical
material and are a valuable source of information for technical scientific
terminology in Arabic and Hebrew.74 However, with a few exceptions,75
consulting this particular source is problematic, as some texts have been
edited without proper indices, others are still in manuscript and yet
others have to be considered as lost.76 An example of a quotation from
Geonic sources is the entry Dalet , in which Aramaic (DRS. YN,
cinnamon) is explained by the Arabic synonym (DRS. YNY), to
be read as dar s. n, Chinese cinnamon, Cinnamomum ceylanicum Nees.
70 Maimonides Glossary of Drug Names (translation by Rosner, abbreviation M), p. .

71 Arabic talbd means ) forming, pressing, felting, making ones hair stick together;
) lining, covering, mending (WKAS :).
72 Lev :.
73 Other examples are: Ayin ; Qof , ; Shin ; Tav .
74 For instance, the responsa composed by Sherira and Hai Gaon contain, as S.W.
Baron (A social and religious history of the Jews, nd rev. and enl. ed., vols. , and
Index, vols. , New York , vol. , p. ) remarks, so many attempts at
correct identification of names [of plants] and their relation to the previously known
species.
75 A major exception is the Osar ha-Ge"onim, Thesaurus of the Gaonic Responsa and
.
Commentaries (LO), the momumental collection of Geonic responsa and commentaries
in the order of the Talmud tractates (to Bava Mezi#a), edited by B. Lewin.
76 An example of a text still largely in manuscript is the Kitab al-Haw, a dictionary
of Biblical and Rabbinic Hebrew written in Judaeo-Arabic and composed by Hai Gaon,
of which substantial portions have survived in the Genizah; cf. R. Brody, The Geonim of
Babylonia and the Shaping of Medieval Jewish Culture, pp. , and MCS .
introduction
The identification of these phytonyms goes back to a Geonic responsum

(cf. LO Teshuvot on Shab a, p. , where it is stated that (DRS. YN)
is a sharp and dry spice hailing from China that is called dar s. n in
Arabic).
In some cases, we were only able to retrieve the Geonic source indi-
rectly based on it having been quoted in the Arukh, a lexicon on the
Talmud and Midrashim composed by Nathan ben Jehiel . of Rome and
completed in . Most of the Arabic plant names quoted in the Arukh
are derived from Geonic sources, as Lw pointed out in his monumen-
tal Flora und Fauna der Juden.77 An example of such a quotation from
the Arukh is the entry for (DBDBNYWT) in Dalet , which
includes both the Arabic synonym (QR"SY", qarasiya cherries)
and another Arabic term, (HB . "LMLWK). The Hebrew term
features in rabbinic literature and means both lumps of dripping grapes
and overripe grapes moistened by their own juice. The term is also used
in the Middle Ages to refer to the fruit cherry, Prunus cerasus. Thus, we
find both identifications, grapes and cherries, in the Arukh (KA :), and
also the Arabic equivalent (HB . "L MLWK), habb . al-muluk
(berries of kings), which was used in Spain and the Maghreb for both
the cherry and the sebesten-tree, Cordia myxa L. (DT :; M and
).
Shem Tov consulted the work of one final author, Tanhum . ben Josef
ha-Yerushalmi, whose work also served to preserve material from earlier
sources now lost. This author was active in Jerusalem in the thirteenth
century and composed a dictionary of difficult terms occuring in Mai-
monides Mishneh Torah entitled Kitab al-murshid.78 Tanhum . consulted
a variety of sources in his lexicographical explanations of these terms,
including a range of different Geonic authors, including both Sa#adya and
Sherira, Hai, whilst taking Nathans Arukh, ibn Janahs . works and Mai-
monides commentary on the Mishnah as his main sources. An exam-
ple of a quotation preserved only by Tanhum. is Gimmel , where
(GYHWQ) is explained using Arabic (TMTY). . Hebrew GYHWQ
usually meant belching, but Rashi provides a second explanation,
77 LF :: Die arabischen Pflanzennamen des Aruch stammen mittelbar oder
unmittelbar aus gaonischen Quellen; see as well idem, entry Plants, in Jewish Ency-
clopaedia, vol. , pp. .
78 The Kitab al-murshid was edited by B. Toledano, Tel Aviv (letters Alef-
Kaf), by J. Dana, MA thesis, Jerusalem (letter Tav), and by H. Shy, Diss., Jerusalem
(letters Lamed-Tav). For a study of this dictionary and excerpts from it, see TB. An
anonymous summary of this work can be found in Qis. s. ur al-Kafi, MS Berlin .
introduction
namely to raise and stretch ones body upwards (cf. BM , n. ).

Arabic tamat. t. a (M") does, in fact, mean he stretched himself . The
identification of GYHWQ as tamat. t. a can be found in Tanhum
. ben Josef
ha-Yerushalmi (TB ), who remarks that (PYHQ), to yawn, is
an abbreviation of (PYW HQYM, to stretch ones mouth), in
the same way that (GYHQ, to belch, properly to stretch oneself
non-matching parenthesis
(= Arab. tamat. t. a) is an abbreviation of (GWYTW HQYM, to
stretch ones body).
.. Sources for Romance and Latin

Some of the sources mentioned above may also have served for finding
Romance and Latin synonyms. In many cases however, the Romance and
Latin words in question refer to fairly common names for plants, miner-
als and animals; we should also keep in mind that Shem Tov was born
in Catalonia and thus a native speaker of Catalan. We may also suppose
that once Shem Tov had established an Arabic equivalent to a Hebrew
or Aramaic term, he was usually able to translate the term into Cata-
lan and its sister language Occitan without any problem. Similarities to
other authors may therefore be coincidental: on a few occasions, namely
when the synonym is identical in Italian or Latin and Occitan / Catalan,
we find matching material in the Arukh and Shem Tovs writings, such
as for (MLB") (malva, mallow; He and KA :, :). In some
cases, it seems that the Arukh itself uses Occitan or Catalan forms, which
then appear in a similar or even identical form in Shem Tovs glossary,
for example: (PYLTR", . KA :) and (PYLTRY, . He ),
both corresponding to O. Occ. / O. Cat. pelitre (Anacyclus Pyrethrum L.)
as a synonym for Aramaic (HRZP"); (TR . TWG",
. KA :)
and (TR . TWGH,
. O. Occ. / O. Cat tartuga, Samekh ), that is tor-
toise, are used as an explanation for Hebrew (SWLTNYT), which
is equated with Arabic silahfah
. (tortoise).79
79 In other cases, the correspondences are very vague or indirect. For example, the
Hebrew word in Resh , (RGYLH), meaning portulaca, purslane, Portulaca oler-
acea L., is explained in the Arukh by means of the Latin synonym (PWRQQL"),
corresponding to porcacla, one of the many vulgar Latin derivations of portulaca that
can be found in medieval Latin medical texts (NPRA , quotes portacla, porca-
cla, and porclaca; also cf. Sin b with respect to the use of such forms in the Alphita
manuscripts). However, in this case, the Arukh might just have provided inspiration for
Shem Tov, since he used the corresponding Romance (O. Occ. or O. Cat.) variant ver-
dolaga. Similarly, the words ("PYW = Italian apio or Latin apium, KA :; for the
omission of Latin -M, see below, section .) and ("WRPYMYNTW . = Lat.
introduction
The situation is different with some highly specific synonymies, which,

strikingly, cannot be found in the Arukh but rather in Moses ibn Tib-
bons translations of Maimonides. Moses Ben Samuel ibn Tibbon was
active between and in Naples, Marseille and later in Montpel-
lier, where he settled at some time between and 80 and trans-
lated, Maimonides F tadbr al-s. ih. ha
. in under the title Al Han-
hagat ha-Beri"ut prior to Shem Tovs own translation.81 Working at the
same time as Shem Tov, he also translated al-Razs antidotarium Kitab
al-aqrabadhn al-kabr under the title Aqrabadin in , Maimonides
Commentary on Hippocrates Aphorisms in the same year or in the year
, ibn al-Jazzars medical encyclopaedia Zad al-musafir82 under the
title S. edat ha-derakhim in ,83 and ibn Snas poetical summary of the
Kitab al-Qanun in 84 entitled al-Urjuza f l-t. ibb.85 His translations of
Maimonides treatises On Poisons86 and On Hemorrhoids are not dated.87
As none of these works, with the exception of the antidotarium, is a phar-
maceutical handbook that Shem Tov would have been able to consult eas-
ily and as most of these translations were being written at the same time
when Shem Tov was translating the Kitab at-tas. rf, it seems unlikely that
Shem Tov was actually able to draw upon Moses ibn Tibbons transla-
tions. A final verdict with regard to this matter will only become possible
once these translations have been analysed with respect to their medical-
botanical terminology. Since Moses ibn Tibbon was born and worked in
auripi(g)mentum, KA :) appear as ("PY = O. Occ or O. Cat. api) and

("WRPYMNT. = O. Occ. or O. Cat. aurpi(g)men(t), O. Cat. orpiment) in Shem Tovs syn-
onym list (Kaf and Samekh ). For yet another case, see Pe .
80 For Moses ibn Tibbon and his translation activity, see J.T. Robinson and U. Melam-
med, entry Ibn Tibbon (Tibbonids), in E.J.2:, p. ; O. Fraisse, Moses

Ibn Tibbons Kommentar zum Hohelied und sein poetologisch-philosophisches Programm.
Synoptische Edition, bersetzung und Analyse. Berlin / New York (Studia Judaica.
Forschungen zur Wissenschaft des Judentums. Hrsg. von E.L. Ehrlich und G. Stemberger.
Band XXV), pp. ; G. Bos, Medical terminology in the Hebrew tradition: Moses Ben
Samuel Ibn Tibbon (forthcoming).
81 A critical edition of the Arabic text and Hebrew translations by G. Bos is forth-
coming.
82 For this encyclopaedia, see Ibn al-Jazzar, On Sexual Diseases (ed. Bos), pp. .
83 Cf. Steinschneider, Die hebrischen bersetzungen des Mittelalters und die Juden als
Dolmetscher, p. .
84 Cf. Ullmann, Die Medizin im Islam, p. .
85 Cf. Steinschneider, op. cit., p. .
86 See Steinschneider, op. cit., p. . Edition by G. Bos (abbr. BMP).
87 See Steinschneider, op. cit., p. . While Steinschneider rejected the ascription to
Moses Ibn Tibbon, there is new evidence confirming his authorship; cf. the forthcoming
critical edition of the Arabic text and Hebrew translations (abbr. BMH).
introduction
Southern France, he mostly used Occitan for vernacular synonyms and

explanations. One of the passages where Shem Tov shares fairly techni-
cal vocabulary with ibn Tibbon is Gimmel , where we find the Arabic
term (SHWG . "LM#") corresponding to sahg
. al-am#a" mean-
ing dysentery, attended by abrasion or excoriation of the colon (L ;
SN ). The Arabic term is accompanied by a Romance synonym spelt
(PWNTS . ),putwhich we identified as O. Cat. pons dysentery. In Mai-
whole word in italics?
monides On the Regimen of Health (cf. BMR II, ), we find the expression
#$%& '() (i.e., and in some cases it causes abrasion), which is translated
as by Moses ibn Tibbon, where abrasion corre-
sponds to (PWNS. ). Another case is entry Lamed : Hebrew
(LBYBH) means heart-shaped pastry, but is equated with Arabic
(" TRYH)
. and Romance (MNWDYTS). . Arabic it. riya designated a
certain food, like threads, made of flour, noodles and features in Mai-
monides On the Regimen of Health (BMR I, ) where it is translated by
Moses ibn Tibbon using the same Romance term (MNWDYT. S. ).
This Romance term represents the plural of O. Occ. menudet, meaning
fairly fine, fairly small, but could also mean a kind of dough in certain
situations. With respect to plant names, many Occitan terms commonly
used in Shem Tovs writings can be found in the S. edat ha-derakhim.88
Although these are again mostly common words familiar to any Occitan
speaker, the mutual occurrence of the more technical vocabulary men-
tioned above does not seem coincidental. Instead of indicating a direct
relationship between the two translators, however, it seems more likely
that Shem Tov and ibn Tibbon shared some common sources. These may
have included existing synonym lists, such as several anonymous syn-
onym lists that we have already been able to identify as containing Old
Occitan terms.89 Although they are of a later date (fourteenth-fifteenth
century), it seems probable that they are copies of earlier lists. The rela-
88 This text is currently being edited and analysed in a project funded by the DFG run
by Gerrit Bos, Guido Mensching and Julia Zwink. The results obtained so far show that
the vast majority of the Arabic terminology that appears in the Zad al-musafir was not
actually translated into Hebrew but rather into Romance and occasionally Latin, also see
section ..
89 These lists are discussed in HebMedSyn, in particular: MS Mich. Add , fols. v
r and MS Parma Bibl. Palat. , the latter list contains both Occitan and Catalan
vocabulary. See A. Neubauer, Catalogue of the Hebrew Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library
and in the College Libraries of Oxford, Oxford , n ; I.B. De Rossi, Mss Codices
change to small d?
Hebraici Biblioth. I.B. de-Rossi accurate ab eodem descripti et illustrati, vols, Parma, ,
n ; B. Richler, Hebrew Manuscripts in the Biblioteca Palatina in Parma. Catalogue.
Palaeographical and codicological descriptions: Malachi Beit-Ari, Jerusalem , n
introduction
tionship between these lists and the works of Shem Tov and ibn Tibbon
cannot be properly determined before the lists in questions receive full
critical attention.
As far as Latin terminology is concerned, Shem Tov might have
had access to various Latin treatises and translations which were in
circulation at the time he was writing. However, it is not possible to
determine which exact sources these might have been, because the Latin
terminology in question was that used by the Salernitan School and
elsewhere at the time. This kind of terminology was transmitted via Latin
synonym lists. The most famous of these, the Alphita, may already have
existed when Shem Tov was writing90 and actually existed in a Hebrew
version (although the known copy dates from the fourteenth century).91
Although this might be coincidental, some of Shem Tovs Latin terms
can be found in the Alphita, such as (BLSMYTH, . balsamita,
Alef ), ("QWLWS QWNSYLYS, oculus consulis, Alef ),
(K"MYDRYWS, camedreos, Bet ), (GWRGRYSMW,
gargarismum, Gimmel ), (BL"WSTY", . balaustia, Nun ).
Since the Alphita only contains a small number of Arabisms, it was
not a valuable source of Latin-Arabic equivalences. A better candidate
for this purpose was the Latin translation of ibn Snas Kitab al-Qanun
traditionally attributed to Gerard of Cremona (c. ). This trans-
lation contains an index consisting of a glossary of mostly Latinised
Arabic terms arranged alphabetically, thus providing Arabic-Latin cor-
respondences. Thus nux indica is, for example, identified as nargil (Sin
:; i.e., the Arabic nargl, coconut), while the same correspon-
dence can be found in entry Alef ( : N"RGYL,
o.l. NWZ "YNDY"H), where the Latin term was translated into O. Occ as
*nos (or notz) india.92 A fairly striking parallel between the index to the
Latin translation of the Kitab al-Qanun and Shem Tovs glossaries can be
found in entry Ayin , which details the identification of Arabic
. G) as a word spelt (Q"BSY"). Although the Arabic term is
(SYTR
90 Cf. Garca Gonzlez, op. cit., p. , who fixes the terminus post quem at the end of
the twelfth century.
91 Cf. HebMedSyn . The Hebrew version of the Alphita can be found in a
fourteenth century manuscript (Parma Bibl. Palat. , fols. rv; cf. De Rossi, op.
cit., n , Richler, op. cit., n ; both authors had not identified this list). It cannot
be said at the moment whether it is a copy of a version that might have been available
to Shem Tov. Strikingly, this version of the Alphita is also of Southern French origin and
includes many adaptations of the Latin terminology to O. Occ..
92 Any simple and compound terms that cannot be found in the two periods correct?
existing Romance or
Latin sources are marked with an asterisk both here and in the commentary itself.
introduction
easy to interpret as st. arag (peppergrass, cress, Lepidium latifolium L.),

the supposed Latin correspondence is unclear; the identification of both
can, however, be found in the index as Setaragi, i. capsia (cf. Sin b).93
As for Romance, it is difficult to show that any medical writings in
Occitan or Catalan served as sources for Shem Tov. The first author who
wrote medical works in Romance (Catalan) was Ramon Llull (
),94 with another series of works from the same period, i.e., the last
quarter of the thirteenth century, being attributed to Arnau de Vilanova
(). The famous Occitan encylopedic poem Breviari dAmor
by Matfre Ermengau dates from the same period and contains, as has
been repeatedly pointed out by P. Ricketts,95 a great deal of medico-
botanical terminology. Old Occitan medical translations and writings
are mostly documented from the fourteenth century onwards. There
are some exceptions, however, such as an Occitan translation of Roger
of Parmas Surgery in verse form from around ,96 which has some
vocabulary in common with Shem Tovs synonym lists, such as festula
fistula, suppurating wound (vv. , , among others; cf.
PYSTWL"
. in Gimmel ), cranc crab, cancer (v. , cf. QRNQ in
Sade
. ), enguent ointment (v. , cf. "YNGNT, . Resh ), and caus
viva calcium oxide which has not been in contact with water (v. ,
cf. Q"LS WYW", Samekh , representing the variant calz
viva). These do, however, represent common terms likely to have been
familiar to Shem Tov or which may have been taken from other sources.97
With respect to Hebrew sources that contain Occitan words, Shem Tov
93 See entries Gimmel , Het . , Mem , Pe , Qof , Resh for further examples.
94 Cf. his Comenaments de medicina (around ), see K.-H. Rntgen, Geschichte
der technischen und naturwissenschaftlichen Fachsprachen in der Romania: Iberische
Halbinsel, in G. Ernst / M.D. Glegen / C. Schmitt / W. Schweickard (eds), Romanische
Sprachgeschichte. Ein internationales Handbuch zur Geschichte der romanischen Sprachen,
vol. II, Berlin / New York , pp. ; L. Cifuentes i Comamala, La cincia en
catal a lEdat Mitjana i el Renaixement, a. ed., revisada i ampliada, Barcelona ,
pp. , .
95 P. Ricketts, Plantes et recettes mdicales dans le Breviari dAmor de Matfre Ermen-
gaud de Bziers, Mlanges pour Robert Lafont, Montpellier, , pp. ; idem, Le

lexique des plantes mdicinales en occitan mdival, M.S. Corradini Bozzi and B. Per-
in (eds.), Atti del convegno Il linguaggio scientifico e tecnico (medico, botanico, far-
maceutico e nautico) fra Medioevo e Rinascimento, Pisa novembre , Pisa ,
pp. .
96 First studied by A. Thomas, La chirurgie de Roger de Parme en vers provenaux.
Notice sur un ms. de la Bibliothque de Bologne, Romania (), pp. and ;

A. Thomas, La versification de la chirurgie provenale de Raimon dAvignon, Romania
(), pp. .
97 Such as Daude de Pradas treatise on falconry (cf. A.H. Schutz, The romance of
introduction
may have been familiar with the Hebrew translation of the Medieval
Latin medical poem commonly known as Macer Floridus.98 Some terms
used by Shem Tov in his synomyn lists do, in fact, appear there: Cf.
() ("Y(Q)TRY
. S. Y"H, MF )() ("YQTRYSY"H,
. Yod
) for Latin or Romance ictericia icterus; (SL MWNT"NW,
.
MF ) (SYLMWNT"NWM, . Kaf ) for Latin sil montanum
mountain cumin; (PWDRG", MF ) (PWDGR", Pe )
for Romance podagra, gout in the feet.
.. Creation of new terms

Some of the terms featured in the list compiled by Shem Tov cannot be
retrieved from either biblical or rabbinic literature, nor from the standard
lexica or medical and botanical literature. In such cases, it seems that
Tov resorted to semantic borrowing. An example of this is (HWG) .
in Het
. , which means (to make a) circle in the Bible (e.g. Job :)
. b). The Arabic synonym (DW"R) is
and rabbinic literature (bHag
duwar, meaning circle, and, as a medical term, vertigo, giddiness in the
head. This meaning also features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms99
(XV, ) as () () (al- duwar wal-sadar, vertigo and dizziness).
Similar cases can be found, e.g. in Nun and Shin , but these are
quite rare. More frequently, we find what appear to be genuine loan-
translations of compound terms. An example of such a botanical term
is (LSWN HS. PWR) in Lamed , literally meaning sparrows
tongue. Arabic (LS"N "L S. PWR) is lisan al-#us. fur, with the
same literal meaning, but which is used to designate the fruit of the ash-
tree, Fraxinus excelsior L.100 This is the earliest record of this Hebrew
term, at least as far as we currently know. It subsequently features in
the Hebrew translations of Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, )
Daude de Pradas, called Dels Auzels Cassadors, Columbus Ohio ), but also from the
troubadour literature, in which many plant names appear.
98 Only a fragmentary copy of this translation from the beginning of the fifteenth
century still exists, but it seems that the original (full?) translation was made around .
Cf. MF .
99 See BMMa, BMMb.
100 In many cases, we find this type of correspondences in different languages, e.g.
for the term in question herelingua avis in Latin, which may itself have been a loan-
translation from Arabic. It cannot be definitively ascertained as to whether Arabic, Latin
or another language was the direct model for this kind of correspondence (often cross
linguistically well established metaphors). Our considerations are thus to be viewed in
light of this reservation.
introduction
by Zerahyah . ben Isaac ben She"altiel Hen . and Nathan ha-Me"ati, who
use the same Hebrew term (LSWN HS. PWR) for Arabic lisan
al-#us. fur. Shem Tov did not just use the method of loan-translation in
the field of botany and pharmaceutics101 but also in that of pathology,
such as in the following case: (B#LT HS. D) in Bet literally
means something like possessor of the side, which is similar to the literal
meaning of the Arabic term indicated by Shem Tov, (DT
"LGNB, dat al-ganb) but which is also used to designate costal pleurisy.
This medical meaning is confirmed by the Romance-Latin synonym
plevesin non vera, which designates the same disease. The Hebrew term
neither features in Ben-Yehuda,102 nor in Even-Shoshan.103 Nathan ha-
Me"ati uses this term in his Hebrew translation of Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (VI, ), while his colleague Zerahyah . Ben Isaac Ben She"altiel
Hen
. uses the term ( HWLY
. H S
. D, illness of the side).
The creation of a new special terminology is especially striking with
respect to different kinds of inflammations or tumors. Most of these
appear in combination with the Hebrew term (S. MH), . which al-
ready features in rabbinic literature with the special meaning of morbid
growth, swelling, ulcer. We thus find (S. MH . BYN
HS. L#WT) in Sade . as an alternative term for the Arabic term dat al-
ganb (costal pleurisy) just mentioned, in contrast to (S. MH .
BTRP
. S") in Sade
. for Arabic sau s
. a (the real pleurisy, as confirmed
by the Romance equivalent plevesin vera). Other examples are
(S. MH . HMWH, . Sade
. ) for Arabic sirsam (phrenitis);
(S. MH . BLWBN H#YN, Sade . ) for Arabic zurqa (glaucoma);
(S. MH . "DMDM, Sade
. ) for Arabic falgamun (inflamed tumor);
(S. MH . GDWL W#MWQ, Sade
. ) for Arabic mahba" (an ulcer
affecting the flesh, not the bones or tendons); (SMH
. .
BS. PRWN H", Sade . ) for Arabic dahis . (whitlow); (S. MH .
MTHT . HL SW, Sade
. ) for Arabic dafda#
. (ranula), and finally:
(S. MHYM . DQYM BKL H#WR, Sade . ) for Arabic butur
(pimples; small pustules).
The method of creating new terms, in particular by literal translation,
can sometimes also be observed with respect to the Romance terms,
some of which cannot be found either in existing Occitan or Catalan
documentation. An interesting example is (P"YRY "YGNS
101 See Sade for another case of a botanical term.

.
102 Millon ha-Lashon ha-Ivrit, abbr. BM.
103 Ha-Millon he-hadash, abbr. EM.
.
introduction
PYL, Alef , MS P), which, despite being somewhat corrupt in all three
manuscripts, can be identified without any doubt as the O. Occ. or O. Cat.
expression peire enans fil(h) / paire enans fill literally meaning father
before son. This phrase is an inverted translation of the Latin term fil-
ius ante patrem, which is a kind of extended version of the plant name
antipater, the meaning of which is difficult to determine (see our com-
mentary to entry Alef on this matter). Another example is
(NWZ "YNDY"H, nos india) for coconut in Alef , which has been mod-
eled after Arabic gawz hind or its Hebrew or Latin equivalent ( ,
"GWZ HWDY, nux indica). In particular, it seems that Shem Tov attempts
to apply the Latin or Arabic binary nomenclature in a systematic way
when it is necessary to distinguish between a wild and a domestic vari-
ant, such as in the use of the adjectives *monta mountainous, salva(t)je
wild and fer wild in (PWWLYYG MWNT", . *pol(i)eg monta)
in Yod , modelled after Arabic fudang gabal (possibly meaning catnip),

(QRDYYLS SLW" GYS, cardel(h)s salvajes), wild chicory
in Ayin , literally field endives, according to the Arabic model hindaba"
barr, (K"RWY SLB" GY, carvi salva(t)ge) in Ayin for bas-
tard cumin, coined after Arabic karawiya gabal (Ayin ),104 and
(LYTWG" . P"R", laytuga fera, wild lettuce) for Arabic hass barr
(Het
. ). Shem Tov uses the epithet *ortolan for the domestic variety,
which is not documented anywhere else in the language as an adjective:
() (SPR"N "WRTWL"N,. *safran ortolan garden safflower)
in Het
. .
The occurrence of these Hebrew and Romance terms in the list raises
the question of their originality. Are they the product of translation activ-
ity undertaken by earlier translators, translators working during the same
period or medical authors whose works Shem Tov had access to or was
he the first one to coin these new terms in order to fill the the gaps in
the Hebrew (and partially Occitan) technical lexicon? Answering this
question involves establishing which Hebrew translators were working
before Shem Tov or at the same time to ascertain whether he might have
been able to consult their translations of medical works, and pharma-
ceutical ones in particular, for their medical-pharmaceutical terminol-
ogy. The only major translator who meets this criterion is Moses Ben
Samuel ibn Tibbon, who was already mentioned in section ., where
we also expressed reservations about a direct connection to Shem Tovs
104 As well as the Hebrew (QYRBS HRYM).

introduction
work. Two other major thirteenth century translators of medical works

from Arabic into Hebrew, namely Nathan ha-Me"ati105 and Zerahyah . ben
Isaac ben She"altiel Hen, 106 mentioned above, were both active in Rome
.
after Shem Tov, as Nathan worked between and and Zerahyah .
between and . Therefore, the occurrence of a similar botani-
cal terminology in their translations of Maimonides Medical Aphorisms
(see above) can be ascribed to the influence of Shem Tov on their transla-
tion work, unless they drew on other, hitherto unknown sources. As we
already mentioned, the question of whether Shem Tov consulted other
synonym lists compiled by earlier authors cannot be answered defini-
tively, as most of these lists are undated and unpublished, with research
into such lists still in its infancy. Initial selective investigations into some
of the lists in question point to a negative answer to this question, at
least with regard to Hebrew. The same applies for Arabic compendia con-
taining alphabetical lists of plants with synonyms in different languages,
amongst them Hebrew, such as al-Idrss Kitab al -jami# li-sifat astat
an-nabat. Research on this compendium showed that the novel Hebrew
terminology used by Shem Tov does not feature in this medical com-
pendium. The final sources that could have been consulted by Shem Tov
are original medical compositions in Hebrew with synonym terminology
compiled at an earlier date than his glossary. The only surviving exam-
ples of such compositions are the Sefer Asaph, also called Sefer Refu"ot,
a book known in Southern Italy in the tenth century which was reed-
ited (or possibly even rewritten) by the Southern Italian doctor Shabbetai
Donnolo107 and the Sefer ha-Yakar, also called Sefer Merkahot, . which was
105 For Nathan ha-Me"ati (of Cento), see H. Vogelstein and P. Rieger, Geschichte
der Juden in Rom, vols, Berlin , vol. , pp. , M. Steinschneider,

Die hebrischen bersetzungen des Mittelalters und die Juden als Dolmetscher, p. ;
G. Freudenthal, Les sciences dans les communauts juives mdivales de Provence: Leur
appropriation, leur rle, in Revue des tudes juives (), pp. , pp. .
106 On Zerahyah see Vogelstein-Rieger, op. cit., vol. , pp. , ; Stein-
.
schneider, op. cit., p. ; A. Ravitzky, Mishnato shel R. Zerahyah
. b. Isaac b. She"altiel Hen
.
(Doct. diss.), Jerusalem , pp. ; G. Bos, Aristotles De Anima. Translated into
Hebrew by Zerahyah . ben Isaac ben She"altiel Hen.
. A Critical Edition with an Introduc-
tion & Index, Leiden , pp. ; Freudenthal, op. cit., pp. .
107 Cf. Shatzmiller, Jews, Medicine and Medieval Society, p. . For a recent discussion
of the academic work contained in this book, see E. Lieber, Asaf s Book of Medicines: A
Hebrew Encyclopaedia of Greek and Jewish Medicine, possibly compiled in Byzantium
according to an Indian model, in J. Scarborough (ed.), Symposium on Byzantine Medicine,
Cambridge Mass., (Dumbarton Oaks Papers, ), pp. . For the materia
medica in the Sefer Asaph see especially L. Venetianer, Asaf Judaeus. Der aelteste
medizinische Schriftsteller in hebraeischer Sprache, abbr. AV.
introduction
also written by Shabbetai Donnolo ().108 However, after consult-

ing these works whilst editing Shem Tovs first list, it became clear to us
that the terminology featured in them is very different from that used by
Shem Tov.
In summary, Shem Tov Ben Isaac mainly employed two procedures to
create a Hebrew medical terminology. He consulted the works of Sa#adya
Gaon, Jonah ibn Janah"
. and the Geonim on the one hand in order to find
Hebrew-Aramaic equivalents to the Arabic terms in question, whilst, on
the other hand, he was compelled to employ new terminology created
via loan-translation or semantic borrowing due to gaps in the existing
Hebrew medical-botanical lexicon. As far as we know at the moment,
several of these terms are attested for the first time in Shem Tovs list,
having been coined by him from Arabic and subsequently adopted by
other translators such as Nathan ha-Me"ati and Zerahyah . ben Isaac ben
She"altiel Hen. 109
.
. The vernacular element
.. Jewish-Romance literature
It is commonly known that the use of Hebrew characters for non-
Hebrew purposes is not exceptional. There are many texts that were tran-
scribed into Hebrew from a range of Romance languages such as Spanish,
108 Cf. Shatzmiller, op. cit.; H.J. Zimmels, Science, in C. Roth (ed.), The Dark Ages. Jews
in Christian Europe , New Brunswick (The World History of the Jewish
People. Second Series: Medieval Period. Volume Two), chapter XII: Aspects of Jewish
Culture, pp. . The Sefer ha-Mirkahot . was edited by S. Muntner, in R. Shabbetai
Donnolo. Kitvei ha-Refu"ah, Jerusalem , pp. . For a new edition see L. Ferre,
Donnolos Sefer ha-yaqar: New Edition with English Translation, Sabbetay Donnolo.
Scienza e cultura ebraica nellItalia del secolo X. A cura di Giancarlo Lacerenza, Naples
(Universit degli Studi di Napoli LOrientale, Dipartimento di Studi Asiatici, Series
Minor LXVI), pp. .
109 Some of these terms are: ("GWDWT BSR, ganglions, Alef );
italic S correct?
(B#LT HS. D, pleurisy, Bet ); (HTPT
. HSTN, dribbling of urine = strangury,
He ); (HM#DT HM#M, Dysenteria spuria, He ); (ZNB H#YN,
the exterior angle of the eye, Zayin ); (HWG,
. vertigo, Het . ); (HLY .
. ); (LPYTT H#S. B, strained nerves, Lamed );
H"PR, ophthalmia, Het
(MZRQ, syringe, Mem ); (#WQS. HHW . TM, . end, extremity of the nose =
the wing of the nose, Ayin ); (PRGWD, curtain = diaphragm, Pe );
(RPPWT, twitching, palpitation, Resh ); (SRPT HSTN, dysuria, Shin );
(SYPH, dentifrice, Shin ).
introduction
Catalan, Occitan, Italian and French, particularly texts from the Middle
Ages.110 An important distinction has to be made between the Judeo-
Spanish that became commonplace in the diaspora following the expul-
sion of the Jews from Spain and the medieval documentation of Romance
languages in Hebrew characters in Spain and in other Romance speaking
territories. Whereas Judeo-Spanish, which underwent a clear historical
development, can be classified as a special group of Spanish varieties or
even as a language of its own, the medieval manifestations of Romance
in Hebrew characters largely correspond to the Romance languages and
dialects as they were spoken by both Jews and Christians at that time. This
is in accordance with the fact that the idea of special Jewish-Romance
varieties originally posed by Blondheim111 cannot be maintained from a
modern point of view, as has been shown, for example, by Banitt,112 and,
for Spanish in particular, by Minervini.113 As far as O. Occ. is concerned,
the same has been shown by Aslanov,114 who also notes that we have
to distinguish between the Shuadit or Judeo-Comtadine (spoken until
nearly the end of the twentieth century in the modern French departe-
ment of Vaucluse), a real Judeo-Romance variety which developed later,
and such medieval texts.115
110 Cf. J. Kramer and S. Kowallik, Einfhrung in die hebrische Schrift, Hamburg,
, p. XIV; M. Sala, Die romanischen Judensprachen, in LRL , pp. , see

p. for a detailed discussion; H.V. Sephiha, Problmatique du judo-espagnol, in
Bulletin de la Socit de Linguistique de Paris (), pp. ; W. Busse, Zur
Problematik des Judenspanischen, in Neue Romania (), pp. . For Catalan,
see, e.g., the Cants de noces (J. Riera i Sans, Cants de noces dels jueus catalans, Barcelona
). For Old Spanish, see L. Minervini, Testi giudeospagnoli medievali (Castiglia e
Aragona), vols, Naples . French texts in Hebrew characters are less common; cf. the
overviews in J. Zwink, Etude lexicographique du trait anonyme Fevres: une compilation
mdicale en ancien franais, crite en caractres hbraques, in Panace@ VII / (),
pp. and G. Bos / G. Mensching / J. Zwink, A late medieval Hebrew-French
glossary of biblical animal names, in Romance Philology (), pp. . Also
cf. BF.
111 D.S. Blondheim, Les parlers judo-romans et la Vetus Latina. Etude sur les rapports
entre les traductions bibliques en langue romane des Juifs au Moyen Age et les anciennes
versions, Paris .
112 M. Banitt, Une langue fantme: le judo-franais, in Revue de Linguistique Romane
(), pp. ; also cf. Sala, op. cit., p. .

113 Op. cit.
114 ShK .
115 [. . . E]n Provence, avant que les Juifs ne soient reclus dans leurs carrires, la langue
parl par les Juifs ne devait gure diffrer de celles qui tait en usage chez les Gentils
(ShK ).
introduction
Examples of important O. Occ. texts transmitted in the Hebrew alpha-

bet include a fragment of the Esther Poem and a collection of prayers
(Rituel),116 with both texts written entirely in Hebrew characters.
Whereas the latter represents a rather literal word-by-word translation
from Hebrew, the Esther Poem reflects the O. Occ. language of the time
perfectly. Other poetic texts in which Hebrew and Occitan are combined
also exist, as well as short passages, single words and numerous glosses
in Hebrew texts.117 On the lexicographic side, important documents are
the Sarsot ha-Kesef (ShK) by Joseph Caspi, a dictionary of Hebrew word
roots with their Occitan correspondences, and a similar, older work by
David Kimhi. 118 The reader is referred to Aslanovs seminal edition of
.
the Sarsot ha-Kesef for more extensive documentation and discussion of
Hebrew-Occitan literature.
O. Occ. medical texts and terms in Hebrew characters have not tra-
ditionally received any research attention, to some extent because the
Romance language in such texts had not even been identified as Occi-
tan.119 Several synonym lists as well as medical prose texts that contain
O. Occ. glosses have been identified within the context of various projects
by the authors of this edition.120 One example of the latter is the Hebrew
fragment of the Latin-versed Macer Floridus (MF), from which we were
able to isolate around O. Occ. words. A great deal more material can be
found in Moses ibn Tibbons translation of ibn al-Jazzars Zad al-musafir
116 A. Neubauer and P. Meyer, Le roman provenal dEsther par Crescas de Caylar,
mdecin juif du XIV sicle, in Romania (), pp. ; S.M. Silberstein, The
Provenal Esther poem written in Hebrew Characters c. by Crescas de Caylar, Critical
Edition, PhD Diss., Philadelphia ; M. Lazar, La traduction hbraco-provenale du
Rituel (Manuscrit indit du XVe sicle), in Mlanges de langue et littrature du Moyen
ge et de la Renaissance offerts Jean Frappier, vols, Geneva , vol. , pp.
.
117 M. Lazar, pithalames bilingues hbraco-romans dans deux manuscrits du XV
sicle, in I. Cluzel and F. Pirot (eds), Mlanges de philologie romane ddis la mmoire de
Jean Butire, vols, Lige , vol. , pp. ; M. Schwab, Un acte de vente hbreu
du XIVe sicle, in Revue des tudes Juives (), pp. ; idem, Livre de Comptes
de Mardoch Joseph (manuscrit hbro-provenal), in Notes et extraits des manuscrits
de la Bibliothque Nationale et dautres bibliothques (), pp. ; A. Thomas,
Gloses provenales de source juive, in Ann. du Midi (), pp. ; G. Vajda,
Quelques mots propos du manuscrit hbreu de la Bibliothque Nationale de
Paris, in Revue des tudes Juives (), pp. .
118 D. Kimhi, Sefer ha-Shorashim, ed. J.H. Biesenthal and F. Lebrecht, Berlin , repr.
.
Jerusalem .
119 See Bos / Mensching, Shem Tov Ben Isaac, Glossary of Botanical Terms, Nos.
and HebMedSyn; outside the field of medicine, ShK .

120 See HebMedSyn.
introduction
wa-qut al-hadir
. (Provisions for the Traveller and the Nourishment for
the Sedentary), book VII, chapters , where the translator mostly uses
Occitan rather than Hebrew for translating Arabic terms.121
In our text, as in other Hebrew texts with Romance elements, the
Romance languages are usually referred to as (La#az). This word122
was already used in the Mishnah to designate barbarous, i.e., non-
Hebrew languages, and for Greek in particular. In the Middle Ages, the
term La#az also began to be used to refer to Romance languages. An early
documentation of this extended meaning to refer to a Romance language
can be found in Rashi, who used the term La#az to designate the French
dialect of the Southern Champagne.123
.. The Old Occitan language and how it is reflected in the text

In this and the following four subsections, we focus on the Romance
material found in the synonym list edited in this volume. We shall see
that the three manuscripts sometimes show different dialectal forms of
Occitan and, to a varying degree, some elements from Catalan. Since
the exact filiation of the three manuscripts (cf. section .) remains
rather obscure, we are unable to ascertain definitively which elements
stem originally from Shem Tov and which represent changes introduced
by later copyists. In addition, we do not even know which Romance
linguistic variety Shem Tov employed in his lists. Due to the relatively
small proportion of words clearly identifiable as Catalan (cf. section .),
it seems probable that Shem Tov, who compiled the list in Southern
France, used Occitan and not his native language Catalan. Since the Sefer
ha-Shimmush was written during Shem Tovs stay in Marseille, it may also
be conjectured that he used the Provenal dialect. This would conform
to a small number of Provenal characteristics that can be found in all
121 There are some other publications of medical texts in Hebrew that contain Catalan
material. See GHAT, OLD and PJP, as well as L. Ferre / M. McVaugh (eds), The Tabula
Antidotarii of Armengaud Blaise and its Hebrew Translation, Philadelphia (=
Transactions of the American Philosophical Society vol. ,); L. Ferre, La terminologa
mdica en las versiones hebreas de textos latinos, in Miscelnea de estudios rabes y
hebraicos (), pp. ; C. Caballero-Navas, The Book of Womens Love and
Jewish Medical Literature on Women. Sefer Ahavat Nashim, London .
122 Cf. the occurrence of the root in the Bible (Ps :) where it has the meaning
to talk in an unintellegible language.

123 Cf. Bos / Mensching / Zwink, op. cit. For a detailed discussion of the history, mean-
ing and connotations of this term, cf. ShK and M. Banitt, art. La"az, in E.J.
: ff. In our edition, we translate La#az as other language (abbr. o.l.)
introduction
manuscripts (cf. section .). On the other hand, the time he previously
spent in Montpellier, which is in the Eastern Languedocian dialect
zone, could also explain some occasional Languedocian features in his
writings. Such considerations must, however, be treated as conjecture for
the time being; we are only able to analyse the evidence provided by the
three manuscripts in the following.
Among the linguistic varieties that had arisen from Vulgar Latin by the
end of the first millennium ad, those spoken in France have traditionally
been divided into two major groups: the so-called ol-varieties in the
North and the oc-varieties in the South. This nomenclature, which has
its origin in the Middle Ages, stems from the particles meaning yes
in the respective varieties. In a simplified manner, it can be said that
the Northern varieties are representatives of the langue de ol or French,
whereas the Southern varieties correspond to a different language, the
langue doc or Occitan. The latter has survived until today as a minority
language in Southern France, but was a prestigious and highly influential
literary language during the Middle Ages, especially via the poetry of the
troubadours. The need to differentiate between Old Occitan (c.
) and Middle Occitan (c. )124 is not generally accepted; we
shall follow the Dictionnaire de lOccitan Mdieval (DOM) by referring
to the Occitan language during the Middle Ages as Old Occitan. This
issue is not of relevance for Shem Tov himself, since his glossaries
were compiled in the thirteenth century. However, the manuscripts
that we are editing here stem from the fourteenth century (cf. .),
and thus probably from the beginning of the so-called Middle Occitan
period.
Roughly speaking, the Occitan territory comprises the modern polit-
ical regions of Aquitaine, Limousin, Midi-Pyrnes, Provence-Alpes-
Cte dAzur, and parts of the regions of Auvergne, Rhne-Alpes and
Languedoc Roussillon.125 It seems that the Occitan linguistic territory
was roughly the same in the Middle Ages, maybe extending slightly
further to the North to reach the River Loire.126 Occitan has always
consisted of various dialects, whereas the literary language used in the
124 Cf. POc and P. Bec, La langue occitane, Paris (Que sais-je? n ), p. .
125 Catalan is spoken in the historical Roussillon part. Outside the boundaries of
modern France, Occitan is spoken in the North-Western corner of Catalonia in Spain
and in some valleys in Piemont and Liguria, Italy.
126 Cf. Bec, op. cit., p. ; G. Kremnitz, Das Okzitanische: Sprachgeschichte und Soziolo-
gie, Tbingen , p. ; POc .

introduction
poetry of the troubadours in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries appears

fairly uniform.127 In other domains, such as the language used in legal
documents, Romance philology scholars have been able to distinguish
between different regionally determined writing traditions (scriptae).128
For our purposes, such issues are largely irrelevant for two reasons: firstly,
the question of scriptae or koin formation has never been addressed
for medical texts,129 and, secondly, Hebrew-Romance writing traditions
developed separately from scriptae based on the Latin alphabet and thus
have to be studied within the Sephardic writing traditions. We shall
return to the issue of which dialects are reflected in our manuscripts
below. In the following, we briefly sketch some of the characteristics of
O. Occ., which are illustrated using examples from our text. This section
is intended to enable readers from outside the field of Romance philology
to follow our argumentation. The main purpose of this section is thus
to illustrate why the Romance vocabulary in our synonym list has to be
considered as Occitan.
Determining the status of Occitan as either a Gallo-Romance or an
Ibero-Romance language is both difficult and highly controversial. It
resembles Catalan more than French with respect to numerous features,
particularly in the Middle Ages. Some features, on the other hand,
may equally justify grouping Occitan together with French, such as the
two case inflection common to both Old French and O. Occ., which
differentiated between a nominative or rectus and an oblique case.
These oblique forms began to be generalised over the course of time,
and we can suppose that this case system was already instable at the
time when Shem Tov was working130 and had vanished altogether by the
fourteenth century when the copies of our manuscripts were made. Since
the old nominative singular forms are in many cases homophonous with
127 The literary language has traditionally been considered as a koin. Cf. M.-D. Gle-
gen and M. Pfister, Okzitanische Koine. La koin occitane, in LRL vol. ,, pp.
.
128 Cf. the articles nos. in LRL ,: M.-D. Glegen and M. Pfister, Okzi-
tanische Scriptaformen I. Limousin, Prigord, pp. ; A. Lodge, Okzitanische

Scriptaformen II. Auvergne, pp. ; M.-D. Glegen and J. West, Okzitanis-
che Scriptaformen III. Provence, Dauphinois, pp. ; J. West, Okzitanische
Scriptaformen IV. Languedoc, pp. ; J. Allires Okzitanische Scriptaformen V.
Gascogne, Barn, pp. .
129 The language used in Occitan medical texts has been studied by M.S. Corradini
Bozzi (CB); it appears that they are written in individual dialects (partially reflecting those
of the copyists).
130 POc .
introduction
the oblique plural forms, they cannot be identified in a text such as ours,
where the words occur in isolation without any syntactic context.131
There are several clear sound shift phenomena that separate Occitan
from French, or, more precisely, the ol-varieties of Northern France,132
which can also be seen more or less clearly in Shem Tovs synonym lists.
We shall only mention a few here:
() The voiceless stops of Latin in intervocalic position, which had
become voiced in Western Proto-Romance,133 vanished in French in the
case of -T- and -C- (VITA > vie, AMICA > amie), whereas -P- became
a fricative (RIPA > rive).134 The Western Proto-Romance voiced stops
are preserved in Occitan (as in Ibero-Romance) (RIPA > riba, VITA >
vida, AMICA > amiga). In our text, we find (RWDH) for garden
rue (Pe ), which could represent Occitan ruda (< lat. RUTA), but not
French rue with the loss of the intervocalic stop. Similarly, Western Proto-
Romance /g/ from Latin /k/ is preserved in (NWGYR), noguer, wal-
nut tree (Alef ) and (LYTWG"),
. laytuga, lettuce (Het
. , ),
in contrast to French noyer and laitue (< Latin LACTUCA, Vulgar Latin
*nucarium). () In French, stressed Latin E and O became diphthongised
in open syllables, but remained intact in Occitan (note that it is usually
diphthongs that are represented in our text, cf. section .). Therefore,
(PLWR, Sade. and Pe ) or (MYL, Kaf , MSS O and V)
should be read as Occitan flor and mel and not as Old French miel and
flour. () In French, as in almost all Romance languages, the Latin diph-
thong AU was monophthongised, usually to o, while in Occitan the diph-
thong remained au, as in Lat. AURUM > Occ. aur (in contrast to or in
French).135 Thus, in Gimmel , we find (DWR, MS P) and
(DBR, MS O, V) with the meaning of gold, which most probably repre-
sents Occ. daur.136
131 For some words in our text, a rectus reading may be more or less probable, for
example Q(")WLS, cauls, cabbage (Kaf ). However, in all cases, these kinds of forms
can be read as the plural form. In most cases, the plural hypothesis can be confirmed by
the Arabic and Hebrew synonyms.
132 Cf. A.C. Di Girolamo / C. Lee, Avviamento alla filologia provenzale, Rome ,
p. .
133 All Romance varieties except for Central and Southern Italian and Romanian.
134 Only originally voiced intervocalic plosives disappeared in Occitan and Catalan
(e.g., SUDOREM > suor).

135 Catalan generally behaves like French in this respect, but note that the variant aur
existed alongside or in the case at issue.

136 At least word-initially, ("W) could represent either au or o, but the alterna-
tive spelling ("B) unequivocously represents au, e.g., in ("BRPWMYNT, .

introduction
Like French, Occitan belongs to the Western Romance language

group,137 which can be easily distinguished from the Eastern group (Cen-
tral and Southern Italian and Romanian) based on the voicing of stops
that described in () above, which is absent from the latter (i.e., the
stops remain voiceless). This criterion as well as, to some extent at least,
the one mentioned in () also apply to other members of the West-
ern group. However, Occitan behaves differently from most other West-
ern Romance languages. For example, all varieties of the Iberian Penin-
sula with the exception of Catalan, which will be discussed below, have
retained the vowel that developed from the Latin ending -um, usually
/o/. Thus, from Latin APIUM, FRISCUM, OLEUM, and PINUM we
obtain Spanish apio, fresco, olio and pino, which contrast with Occi-
tan api, fresc, oli and pin. The latter are represented exactly in our syn-
onym lists as ("PY, Kaf ), (PRYSQ, Tet ), ("WLY,
Shin , , ) and (PYN, Alef ). This feature is shared by Cata-
lan, as are most of the other characteristics mentioned above for Occ-
itan. In fact, many of the Romance elements in our synonym lists can
be interpreted either as Occitan or as Catalan, and in some cases, it is
only these two languages that would even come into consideration. For
example, the variant brufol for buffalo, clearly represented in Mem
as (BRWPWL), cannot be found in any other Romance language,
with Occitan and Catalan being the only two Romance languages that
demonstrate a parasitic r in this word, which is derived from Late Latin
bufalus.
The question of whether the Romance material in Shem Tovs synonym
lists is Catalan rather than Occitan or whether it contains at least some
elements of Catalan is an important one, because, although Shem Tov
worked in the Occitan-speaking city of Marseille, he was born in Tor-
tosa, meaning his native language was Catalan. The problem is that these
two languages share many more properties than those just mentioned
and were even more similar in the Middle Ages than they are today.
It is often relatively easy to differentiate between the two languages in
texts written in Latin characters, as they each employ different spelling
conventions. Thus, the last syllable of the word for chestnut contains a
Samekh ) for O. Occ. aurpiment (MS V) alongside () ("WRPWM(Y)NT) . in the

other manuscripts. See . for further discussion.
137 The Western Romance territory extends roughly to the North and the West of a
line connecting the Italian cities of La Spezia and Rimini up to the Portuguese Atlantic
coast.
introduction
palatal n ([]) in both languages but was typically spelled castanha in

Occitan and castanya in Catalan.138 However, the Hebrew spelling fol-
lows the pronunciation instead, so that forms such as (QSTNY").
or (QST"NYY",
. Ayin ) are unable to provide any help when
it comes to distinguishing between the two languages. There are, how-
ever, some differences that do indicate that the language of our text is,
for the most part at least, Occitan and not Catalan:139 () The [dz] sound,
which is derived from (Vulgar) Latin intervocalic [k], was lost in Catalan
but preserved in Occitan,140 such as in O. Occ. cozen(t) versus O. Cat.
coent for cooking. Taking into account the fact that the sound repre-
sented by the letter z in Occitan is often represented by Dalet (see sec-
tion . below), the variant (QWDYNT) . in Bet cannot be inter-
preted as Catalan but rather exclusively as Occitan. () Similarly, Latin
intervocalic -d- was lost in Catalan in most cases, but was often pre-
served in Occitan, hence coda versus coa tail.141 Our manuscripts uni-
formly show the Occitan form, (QWD") (Zayin ). () Conversely,
for the Latin LEGUMEN, the -g- was lost in Occitan (lium) but pre-
served in Catalan (llegum); the former is reflected in the plural forms (e.g.
LYWMNS) in our text (Zayin ). () As we have seen above, diph-
thongs derived from stressed Latin E and O are absent from Occitan, with
diphthongs developing in other cases however, primarily when these
vowels were open and followed by a Yod.142 Thus, from Latin BISCOC-
TUM, where the nexus [kt] changed into [jt] in Proto-Western Romance,
we get bescueit in Occitan. In Catalan, this vowel was reduced to i,143
so that the corresponding result is bescuit. Our text shows the Occitan
138 Note, however, that there were many different spelling variants for the sound [] in
both languages.
139 Some distinguishing properties are only apparent because they are the result of later
developments. Thus, e.g., the shift of word final /ts/ to the semivowel [w] is not reflected
in texts from before the fifteenth century, although the sound shift is supposed to have
happened earlier (cf. our commentary to entry Alef ). Thus, NWS or NWZ in
Alef and reflects O. Occ. notz or nos, nut but also an early O. Cat. form, in contrast
to the modern nou.
140 Cf. MollGram , POc .
141 Cf. MollGram , POc . When it is not lost, it was usually transformed to
[z]. For the word in question, coa is documented both for Occ. and Cat., whereas Occ.
also had the forms coda and coza (RL :a; FEW :b). Since, as stated above,
intervocalic Dalet often represents [z] (also cf. .), the form could also represent
coza, which would still be exclusively Occitan.
142 POc .
143 Cf. MollGram , for the general monophtongation rule in Catalan.
introduction
variant, () (B(Y)SQWYYT, . Kaf ); note that the diphthong is rep-

resented by YY.144 () Another example where O. Occ. demonstrates
a diphthong where O. Cat. has a monophthong instead is provided by
words whose suffixes stem from Latin -ARIUS, which appears as -ier in
O. Occ. and -er in Cat.,145 such as fornier vs. forner baker, where the
diphthong is clearly visible in all three manuscripts (, PWRNYYR,
Pe ).146 () One particular characteristic of Occitan is the so-called
n-mobile, a single N in Latin that became final through loss of the
last syllable.147 This n was lost in many Occitan dialects as it was in
Catalan;148 in writing, it was sometimes included and sometimes omit-
ted in O. Occ., at least in Latin script based writing traditions.149 In our
synonym list, the n-mobile is always almost spelt out, such as in ()
(DR(")GWN, dragon, dragon, Dalet ), which thus represents O. Occ.
dragon dragon and not O. Cat. drago. We shall return to the n-mobile
in section ..
Apart from these such uniform results of sound shift phenomena,
the two languages can sometimes be distinguished due to differences in
their respective vocabularies. Thus, for example, the verb esterilhar to
stretch (, " STRYLY"R
. in Gimmel ) does not seem to exist in
any other Romance language apart from Occitan and is thus absent from
Catalan too. A similar case is ("NWN") in Dalet , which represents
O. Occ. an(n)on(n)a, wheat, cereal, a word which does not seem to have
existed in O. Cat., as is the case with malviscle marshmallow (,
MLWYSQLY, Het . ). Sometimes, irregular sound shift phenomena or
different Vulgar Latin traditions led to different results in both languages.
Some examples are:
144 Also see the feminine participle form (QWYYT") . cooked in Dalet , repre-
senting Occitan cueita but not Catalan cuita.
145 Cf. MollGram , POc .
146 In other cases, we find diverging forms in the different manuscripts. E.g., in Bet ,
the spelling of the somewhat corrupt form ("DYYGYYR) reflects the ending -ier
of O. Occ., aiguier drain for water, whereas MS P has ("YGYR). In the latter case, we
are, of course, unable to tell whether the Catalan variant aiguer is meant or whether the
diphthong was just not represented.
147 POc . This is different from the Latin NT, which produced a stable n, also cf. POc
.
148 According to A. Griera i Gaja, Gramtica histrica del catal antic, Barcelona ,
p. , and MollGram , the -n appears sporadically in Catalan texts written no later than
the thirteenth century.
149 Cf. POc loc. cit.
introduction
O. Occ aisens or eisens for absinth vs. O. Cat. donzell, see

("YSNS) / () ("Y(Y)SNS. ) in Alef . The Catalan variant
(DWNZYL) can be found in a MS from the Iberian Peninsula.150
The form nerta for myrtle is exclusively Occitan, whereas murta
is both Occitan and Catalan. All three manuscripts contain nerta
(, NYRTH . / , NYRT" . in Alef ).
O. Occ. limas(s)a vs. O. Cat. llimac (snail, slug), see (LMS") /
(LYMS. ") in Het . .
O. Occ. sorba for fruit of the service tree. Catalan has forms with e
instead of o, serba / serva. The variant with o can be seen particularly
well in the plural form () (SWRB(")S, Ayin ).
O. Occ. romeze / ronse, (RWMZY) in Qof , vs. O. Cat. ro-
meguera, blackberry, which appears in Hebrew transcription as
(RWMGYRH) in a synonym list of Catalan origin (GHAT).
O. Occ. ili iris; O. Cat. has forms with l- or ll-, such as lliri. Our text
contains the Occ. variant: ("YLY) (Shin ).
O. Occ. gip, (GYP) in Gimmel , gypsum. O. Cat. had forms
ending in -s, such as gibs, giss, among others.
()()() (P(Y)L(")NY(Y)") in Alef seems to be O. Occ. pe-
lonha or a non-documented O. Occ. form *pelanha (cf. Mod. Occ.
pelagno), whereas only pelaina is documented for Catalan.
Examples of this type are clearly more frequent than counterexamples,
i.e., typically Catalan forms, of which there seem to be very few. We
will discuss this matter further in section . once the issue of dialectal
variation within Occitan has been addressed.
.. Dialectal variation
Occitan is divided into several dialects, the exact characteristics of which
we are unable to discuss in any great detail here. Determining the dialect
or dialects of the three manuscripts in an exact manner is equally not our
primary concern here. Such a task is not an easy one anyway, since not
all the features necessary for determining the provenance of an O. Occ.
text are reflected in the Hebrew graphic system. We shall, nevertheless,
attempt to address at least some aspects of this issue.
A major distinction is usually made between Northern and Southern
varieties. One characteristic property of the former is that velar plosives
150 Cf. HebMedSyn .

introduction
before [a] became palatalised, see examples such as chastel, brancha, plaja
compared to castel, branca, plaga in the South.151 Since our manuscripts
contain no trace of this palatalisation, we can restrict our discussion
to the Southern varieties, namely Languedocian, which covers the area
between the rivers Garonne and Rhne, and Provenal, which comprises
the ancient county of Provence, the county of Venaissin and the cities of
Avignon, Marseille, and Nice.152 We can narrow down the territory fur-
ther based on the occurrence of the n-mobile (cf. .), which regularly
appears spelt out in our text, cf. (BRWN, brun, brown, dark, Gim-
. ), (TLWN,
mel , Tet . talon, heel, Qof ), (PYN, pin, pine-
tree, Alef ), () (DR(")GWN, dragon, dragon, Dalet ), (P"N,
pan, bread, Lamed ), () (SPR"N "WRTWL(")N,. *safran
ortolan, garden safflower, in Het ). 153 This feature, which is common
.
to all three manuscripts, indicates that they stem from a zone where the
final n had not disappeared. Such a feature is typical of the zone east of
the Rhne and around Nmes,154 which leads us to exclude the Langue-
docian territory and restrict the language primarily to the Provenal
dialect, excluding the Western part of the Rhodanien subdialect. It is
worth noting that another list of Hebrew-Romance glosses, the Sarsot
ha-Kesef by Joseph Caspi (ShK, see .), which was identified as being
essentially Rhodanien by its editor Cyril Aslanov, consequently omits the
n-mobile.155 The Provenal dialect zone east of the Rhne to where the
Romance variety used in our synonym list can be localised also corre-
sponds to the main region in which the word nerta for myrtle (cf. .)
is found. According to Von Wartburg, this form actually originated in
Marseille and spread in a mostly Northern direction along the Rhne
and towards the East.156 Although all this would seem to tie in with the
151 According to Di Girolamo / Lee, op. cit., pp. .

152 Ibidem.
153 There is only one striking exception, namely (PWWLYYG MWNT",
.
pol(i)eg mont) in Yod .
154 Cf. R. Sampson, Nasal Vowel Evolution in Romance. Oxford / New York , p. ;
K. Kutscha, Das sogenannte n-mobile im Alt- und Neuprovenzalischen, Halle (Saale)

(= Romanistische Arbeiten ).
155 ShK, p. . The editor remarks that the situation is similar in the case of the Esther
poem (cf. Neubauer and Meyer, op. cit.; Silberstein, op. cit.)
156 Cf. W. v. Wartburg, Von Sprache Und Mensch. Gesammelte Aufstze. Bern ,
pp. ; FEW :b; G. Mensching and G. Bos, Une liste de synonymes mdico-
botaniques en caractres hbraques avec des lments occitans et catalans A. Rieger
(ed.), Actes du neuvime Congrs International de lAIEO, Aix-la-Chapelle, aot
, Aachen, in press.
introduction
fact that Shem Tov wrote the synonym lists in Marseille and was there-
fore likely to have used the local linguistic variety in doing so, the picture
is not actually as uniform as it might seem at first glance. For example,
the word QWGWRL", cogorla, for pumpkin used in Dalet is an
Eastern Languedocian157 word. The -it- resulting from Latin -CT- men-
tioned in . is also typically found in the Languedoc variety,158 whereas
in Provenal it is palatalised to form [t] (usually spelled ch). Our syn-
onym list contains the -it- forms, aside from a few exceptions in one of
the manuscripts.159
In addition to the features already discussed, which are common
to all three manuscripts, we also find differences that are specific to
each individual manuscript, which can most likely be put down to the
different linguistic varieties used by the copyists. It thus appears that V
and P contain some more typically Languedocian elements. Thus,
(L" SYRT,
. for lizard), which is used in manuscript V in Kaf , has
to be interpreted as lazert, a variant type (including forms without -t)
that can be classified as Western Provenal and Eastern Languedocian,
encompassing the Montpellier variety, whereas manuscript P shows the
variant (LDBYRT). . If our interpretation is correct, this variant
represents an incorrect spelling of lauzert, which has been documented
in an Old Languedocian text from the fifteenth century; judging from its
modern distribution, it seems to be an essentially Western Languedocian
and Gascon form.160 However, some other forms in this manuscript
which might be interpreted as Gascon161 could also be Catalan: see for
example the variants (" SQRBT), . escaravat beetle (Het. ) and
(PRYSGS), pressex, peeches in Pe .
MS O is the only manuscript whose origin we know about (cf. ..):
it was copied in Trets (Provence), which is located on the border of the
modern departments of Var and Bouches du Rhne between Mount
157 And Northern Occitan, Auvergnat in particular, but for the reasons already men-
tioned we do not consider this here.
158 Cf. M.R. Harris, The Occitan Translations of John XII and XIIIXVII from a Four-
teenth-Century Franciscan Codex, Philadelphia , pp. .

159 E.g., (QWYYT", cueita, cooked) in Dalet , () (LY(Y)TWG", leituga,
. .
. , () (B(Y)SQWYYT,
lettuce), in Het . bescueit, biscuit) in Kaf , ()()
(PY(Y)T"(
. S), faita(s)) in Mem . The situation is rather more complicated, since the -it-
forms also existed in the koin, although the koin was not a point of reference for the
Jewish authors and scribes.
160 Another possibility is that (LDBYRT) represents the modern Gascon variant
.
ladert.
161 ALF maps and .
introduction
Sainte-Victoire and the Monts Aurliens. This localisation can, in fact,

be confirmed by some specific dialectal features of the manuscript: the
variant (L"YNBYRT; . for lizard, Kaf ) is clearly identifiable
as lambert, documented in a text from Provence from the fifteenth
century (FEW :a); in modern times, it can still be found in a territory
South of the Loire River, while similar forms can be found all over the
Provenal dialect area.162 We sometimes find typical palatalised results
of Latin -CT- in the same manuscript, which would also indicate a
Provenal provenance for this manuscript: (QWNTR"YYG,
. Nun
), representing contrach rather than the Languedocian style ()
(QWNTR(")YY
. T,
. contrait) in the other two manuscripts; the same pala-
talisation phenomenon can be observed in (" SQR"BYG, Het . ),
probably to be read escaravaig (pronounced [eskaraat]), beetle.
.. Catalan, French and Latin

In spite of the clear Occitan character of the Romance material in Shem
Tovs synonym lists, some Catalan elements can still be found. In Ayin ,
we find (SLZY), which corresponds to O. Cat. salze, willlow (< Lat.
SALICEM). O. Occ. shows the Galloromance shift from l to u after back
vowels and thus has forms such as sauz(e). The same phenomenon can
also be found in () (P(")NYQ"LD, Ayin , MSS P and O), repre-
senting Catalan panicalt for Eryngium campestre L.; note, however, that
MS V contains the Occitan form panicaut spelt (P"NYQ"BDT). .
Another example is (BWRGS) for warts in Yod , manuscript P,
which seems to be the plural of the Catalan variant borruga very frequent
in the Pyrenees, whereas the other MSS have () (BRG(")S), allowing
an Occitan reading berrugas; two possible further Catalan variants in the
same manuscript (escaravat and pressex) have already been discussed in
section ..
Latin word initial L changed to a palatal [] in Catalan, but remained
[l] in Occitan (see also section . below). There are only two cases in
which the Catalan forms are clearly shown, both of which are exclusive to
MS O. One is (LYYTW"RY),
. reflecting O. Cat. lletuari, electuary
in Nun , MS O, while the other is (LYNDYS) for plates of
162Cf. MTerMed and M. Pfister, Review of Maria Sofia Corradini / Blanca Perin
(edd.), Giornate di Studio di Lessicografia Romanza. Il linguaggio scientifico e tecnico
(medico, botanico, farmaceutico e nautico) fra Medioevo e Rinascimento, Pisa, , in
ZrP , pp. .
introduction
metal in Pe , which also shows the Catalan plural ending -es, thus
corresponding to O. Cat. llandes. A final clear example found in all three
manuscripts is Catalan anprssecs, peaches, ("NPRYSGS, Alef
), which is clearly visible in MS P, with the other MSS showing corrupt
or undocumented variants.163
Finding a suitable interpretation for these elements is not easy. The
only cases for which all three manuscripts have Catalan forms are those
mentioned for Ayin and Alef , salze and anprssecs. It might be that
these represent Catalanisms introduced accidentally by Shem Tov from
his mother tongue into the glossary that he had conceived as essentially
Occitan. All other cases are restricted to manuscripts P and O. Are these
Catalan relicts from Shem Tovs original manuscript that the copyist of
MS V substituted for the Occitan variants? Or were they introduced
by the copyists of MSS P and O from a shared ancestor manuscript of
both?164 Note that, since the evidence presented in section . suggests
that manuscript P was copied in the Western Languedocian zone, the
copyist might have come from a place adjacent to the Catalan speaking
territories, or from Catalonia itself. In MS O however, which quite clearly
belongs to the Provenal dialect area, the Catalan features can hardly be
explained by the mother tongue of the copyist. These questions cannot
ultimately be answered in any definitive manner. It also should be kept
in mind that both languages were in close contact with one another and
frequently show mutual influences, particularly in scientific texts.165
Unlike many O. Occ. medical texts, the manuscripts exhibit extremely
few influences from French, or possibly none at all. Most of the elements
which could possibly be interpreted as French are found in MS V. In
Bet , ("YYBYR) resembles Old or Middle French aiver, big vase
for serving water at table rather than the Occitan forms of the other
two manuscripts. In Qof , (BLYG"N), resembling Middle French
blingne, egg-plant, is an addition of MS V; the other MSS show no
Romance synonyms in this entry. Finally, in Mem , both MSS V and P
contain an unusual form () (P(Y)RYWS), which resembles O. Fr.
parevis for paradise; MS O has a variant that can be clearly read as
O. Occ. or O. Cat. paradis.
163 Some other cases of possible Catalan words or variants, such as those mentioned in
Lamed and Ayin , are less clear.

164 See section . for evidence against a common ancestor manuscript of both P and
O (excluding V).
165 For the field of medicine, cf. CB.
introduction
A considerable part of the non-Hebrew and non-Arabic synonyms are

Latin instead of Romance, although these elements are rarely labeled as
(LTYN),
. being instead usually classified as , La#az in the same
way as the Romance words (cf. .). This is probably due to the fact that
the O. Occ. medico-botanical language itself had adopted a great num-
ber of Latin terms in their original form, such as camedreos (mostly des-
ignating different types of germander, or blacta bizancia (operculum of
diverse shells),166 which can be found in O. Occ. medico-botanical texts.
These often appear in the genitive case, such as feniculi, xilobalsami, or
papaveris,167 a fact that can be explained by the high frequency of the gen-
itivus quantitatis in Latin recipe literature.168 We can assume that these
and other words were already in established use in O. Occ. medical con-
texts at the time Shem Tov was writing; see section . for some more
specific vocabulary and its possible sources. As the main characteristics
of Latin medico-botanical terms in Hebrew texts have already been stud-
ied by Lola Ferre,169 we shall not go into any great detail on this issue.
We therefore only mention some of the details relevant to understand-
ing the text. Firstly, as we already pointed out on another occasion,170 the
ending -um is often represented in abbreviated form as - (-W). Some
examples are: (QRPWBLSMW, carpobalsamum, fruit of the
balsam tree, Gimmel ), (GWRGRYSMW, gargarismum, gar-
gling, Gimmel ), (SNMWMW, cinnamumum, cinnamon, Dalet
and Sade
. ). A second property worthy of mention is the fact that a hia-
tus is sometimes marked by using the letter Alef between the two vowels,
e.g. in ("LQTYRY"WM)
. for elacterium juice from the squirt-
ing cucumber in Samekh .
166 See (K"MYDRYWS, Bet ), ("BL"QTY. BZ"NTY, . Sade

. ).
167 From f(o)eniculum fennel, xylobalsamum wood of the balsam tree, and papaver
poppy. Cf. (PNYQWLY, Zayin ), (SYLW BLSMY, Ayin ),
(P"P"WYRYS, Pe , MS V).
168 Note that, in compound terms with such genitive forms, there is not always agree-
ment between the two forms. See, e.g. (PYTRW . SLYNY MSD-
WNYKWM, petroselini macedonicum) in Kaf and (PWLY"WM MWNT"NY, .
polium montani) in Samekh .
169 See, among others, L. Ferre, La terminologa mdica en las versiones hebreas de
textos latinos.
170 MF .
introduction
.. Spelling
In the following, we provide an outline of the spelling system used for
Romance and Latin in the synonym lists of the Sefer ha-Shimmush. It
is largely identical to the one reconstructed by Neubauer and Meyer171
for the Esther Poem and the one described in great detail by Aslanov
for the Sarsot ha-Kesef (ShK),172 to which the reader is referred for more
information.
The original text in the three manuscripts was unvocalised. All vocal-
isations which do occasionally appear and are represented in the critical
apparatus are later additions. Romance and Latin vowels are frequently
presented by means of matres lectionis, where Yod represents i and e, Waw
stands for o and u, and Alef for a. In the final position, the vowel a can be
represented either by Alef or by He or by combining both. The marking
of vowels is far from uniform across the three manuscripts, which can be
seen in examples such as lana carpenada plucked wool, represented in
Sade
. as (LN" QRPYN" TH, . MS P), (LNH
QRPYN"DH, MS O) and (LN" Q"RPYN"DH, MS V).
As is the case here, MS V often shows the tendency to maximally spell
out the vowels. As for Yod, which usually represents i or e, some of the
spellings which deviate from this norm might be explained by the fact
that the result of Latin U was most probably pronounced [y] in O. Occ.
as it is today (note that this is not the case for Catalan).173 Thus, the word
for plum was probably pronounced [pryna] in O. Occ., usually spelt
quotation mark correct here?
pruna in Latin characters. MSS P and V show the spelling (PRYN")
in Alef , but (PRWNS, pl.) in Alef . Like Latin, the Hebrew
alphabet also has no grapheme for the sound [y], which might there-
fore have led to the author or two of the copyists feeling that Yod would
be a better representation of this sound.174 Another case is (LYPY",
MS P) vs. (LWPYY", MSS O and V) for lupia, epidermal cist (Alef
).
171 Op. cit., pp. .

172 ShK .
173 Cf. POc : The change of /u/ to [y] must have begun after the eigth century,
when Occitan and Catalan started to become distinct, since this change did not occur in
Catalan. Some scholars hold that it was completed by the tenth or eleventh century, while
others claim that it was not completed until the thirteenth.
174 Cf. ShK , for similar cases. As mentioned in POc , the same alternation
between u and i can be found in O. Occ. words in Latin script, such as onchira and onchura
seasoning and cominal and comunal common.
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Diphthongs and triphthongs are often represented, for example:175

[aw] as ("W) or ("B) or (B): (BL"WSTY", . Nun ,
MS P), (BLBSTY", . MS V), balaustia blossom of the wild
pomegranate tree; (QBQYLY", cauquilha, shell, Nun ,
MS O); ("BRPWMYNT, . Samekh , aurpiment, MS V);
[je] as (YY): (NWGYYR), nogier, walnut tree (Alef , MSS
O and V); (PWRNYYR), fornier, baker (Pe );
[wei] as (WYY): () (B(Y)SQWYYT, . bescueit, biscuit, Kaf
).
All of the Hebrew consonants are regularly used for transcribing Ro-
mance, except for the letters Het, . Ayin, Kaf and Taw. The first two are
completely absent because the Romance languages in question as well as
Latin do not contain the equivalent sounds. The sounds [k] and [t] appear
as Qof and Tet . with a very high level of consistency, while a tendency to
use Kaf in some Latin words can also be oberved. Pe is used for [p] and
[f], cf. (PYN, pin, pine-tree, Alef ) versus (PWQ, foc, fire, Alef
, MS O). The letter Gimmel represents both [g] and the palatal affricate
[]; a diacritic (rafe) is often used in the latter case,176 which we represent
as and transcribe as G. Thus, O. Occ. gip, pronounced [ip], is spelt ,
(GYP, Gimmel ). The same representation is used for words for which
this sound is written using j in Latin script, see (MGWR"NH),
probably O. Occ. majorana in Shin . This grapheme can also represent a
voiceless fricative [t]. As already observed by Neubauer / Meyer (p. )
and Aslanov (ShK ), this sound appears as - (-YYG) in word final
position, as in (QWNTR"YYG,. Nun ), contrach. Apart from
its usage to denote a plosive, the letter Bet can also be used to represent
the Latin or Occitan v, usually pronounced as a bilabilal fricative [] in
Occitan, e.g. (LNG" BWBYN", lenga / linga bovina, bugloss,
Lamed ). Alternatively, the fricative sound could also be spelled with
Waw, cf. (WYW", viva), the feminine form of the adjective living, in
Gimmel , MS P, alongside the plural form (WYBS), in MS O.
In Occitan and Catalan, the phoneme /s/ is usually unvoiced in word
initial and final positions as well as in contact with most consonants.
/s/ usually appears as Shin in such environments, as can be seen in
many of the examples already introduced, such as () (SWRB(")S,
175 See Neubauer / Meyer, op. cit., p. , and ShK , for other diphthongs and
examples from other texts.

176 Cf. Neubauer / Meyer, op. cit., p. ; ShK .
introduction
sorbas Ayin ); () (Q(")WLS, cauls, Kaf , MSS P, O);

(QST"NYY",
. castanha / castanya, Ayin , MS V); (" STRYLY"R,
.
esterilhar, Gimmel , MS P). /s/ is sometimes written using Sade . in word
final position in manuscripts O and V, but usually only following Mem,
Nun, Lamed, or Tav: cf. ("LS. , alhs / alls, garlic, plural, Bet , MS O);
(QDYLS. , cadel(l)s, little dogs, Gimmel , MSS O and V);177
(QWLWMS. , coloms, pidgeons, MS O in Dalet ); (QWDWNS. ,
. , MSS V and O); (BLYT. S. , blets, blites, Yod
codons, quinces, Het
, MSS O, V);178 (BWLYT. S. , bolets, mushrooms, Kaf , MS O; Pe
, MSS O and V); (MNWDYT. S. , menudets, kind of pastry, pl.,
Lamed , MS O). MS P often has Samekh for the latter cases, i.e. after
179
. see (BWLYTS,
final Tet, . bolets, Kaf ).
The Occitan and Catalan /s/ is voiced when intervocalic and can, as
such, occasionally be found as Zayin, cf. (" STPYZQR",
. O. Occ.
estafizagra for lice-bane, Sade
. ). The same letter can also represent the
affricates [dz] or [ts], cf. (SLZY for sal(t)ze willow in Ayin ),
(BRZYL for brazil or brezil(h), brazil wood, in Alef ) or (NWZ
for notz, nut, in Alef , MS P, and Alef , MS V). It therefore usually
represents spellings with z in Latin script, independently of its position
in the word.180 Intervocalic [z] and [dz] are frequently represented by
Dalet, however:181 O. Occ. cozent (lit.: cooking) is spelt (QWDYNT, .
Bet ); O. Occ. mesel / mezel leprous: (MYDYL, Gimmel );
O. Occ. / O. Cat. brasas, pl., living embers of coal: (BR"DS,
Gimmel , MS O). The letter Samekh almost regulary represents the
sound that originated from Latin C before e and i and was then simplified
from [ts] to [s] during the thirteenth century; these words were therefore
also spelt with s(s) as well as c or in Latin characters: /
(SYBH / SYB") for ceba or seba (Bet ,); () (WYS(")) for vea or
ves(s)a, Vicia sativa (Kaf ); ()() (SYR(YY)R(")S) for cire(i)ras
cherries (Dalet , MSS P and O).182 Samekh also represents Latin C
177 See He and Lamed for further examples: budel(l)s, armol(h)s.

178 MS P has BLYDZ without final devoicing instead of BLYT. S..
179 For other examples, see the spellings of brotz (Lamed ) and menudets (Lamed ).
Note that, in these cases, Latin based Romance script allowed the spelling -(t)z alongside
-ts.
180 Also cf. ("BL"QTY BZ"NTY, Sade ) a drug prepared from the
. . .
opercula of gastropods, called in Latin blatta Bisancia, but found as blacta bizancia in
O. Occ. texts.
181 This was already observed by Neubauer / Meyer, op. cit., p. . See ShK for a
more extensive discussion.

182 Other Romance examples are () ("Q(")SY, acacia, Alef , ), and the
introduction
before e and i: (SNMWMW) for cinnamumum (Dalet );

(KRWSY) for croci saffron, nominative plural or genitive singular, (Kaf
, MS P) (SYPRWM) for cyperum, root of a type of rush (Samekh
). Note that MSS O and V sometimes have Sade: . see the variants
(S. RYYRS, Dalet , MS V) and (QRWS. Y, Kaf , MSS O
and V) for the words cireiras and croci mentioned above; also cf.
(LYMS. ", MS V), alongside (LMS", MSS P, O) for limas(s)a, slug
(Het
. ).
Romance intervocalic -d- is sometimes written using Tet. . Some exam-
ples are (LYQYTH) . for liquida liquid (fem. adj.) ( . );
Het
(QRMYT"), . caramida, magnetic stone (Alef ); (QRPYN" TH), .
carpenada, picked into pieces (Sade . ), MS P.
As the result of their historical development, both Occitan and Cata-
lan show final devoicing of voiced obstruents after the loss of final vow-
els. The original Western Romance voiced obstruent still shows up in
the feminine form, see, for example, O. Occ. word pairs such as lop / loba
wolf or lonc / longa long. Our manuscripts often do reflect final devoic-
ing (e.g. (LWP) in Zayin and (LWNQ) in Pe , MSS V, O,
but not across the board: see examples such as (LWNG) in Pe , MS
P, and () (P(")NYQ"LD) for Cat. panicalt, Eryngium campestre
(Samekh , MSS P and O). MS V shows the O. Occ. variant panicaut
for the latter case and represents the final consonant as Tet . (
P"NYQ"BT). . Another example is the O. Occ. adjective rosat, written as
() (RWS(")D) in P and O and (RWS" T) . in V (Kaf , ).
As far as Latin based manuscripts are concerned, the most typical
spellings in modern times for palatal n and l, pronounced [] and []
respectively, are ny and ll in Catalan and nh and lh in Occitan, although
many alternative spellings are documented in the Middle Ages,183 includ-
ing the simple spelling with l and n respectively. Like Latin, the Hebrew
alphabet also had no characters for these sounds, meaning we cannot
be sure whether [] and [] are always treated as distinct from their
non-palatal versions. In some cases, in fact, no special marking seems
variants belonging to Latin or Romance centonica in Bet . See also Het . and Lamed
: (QS. YD", cassida, defluxion of the eyes), Ayin : O. Occ. *lentilhassa or O. Cat
lentillassa, prob. duck weed, water lentil: (LYNTYLY"SH),
. MS P, similarly with
Samekh in O, whereas V has Shin. Note that the spelling with Samekh is also visible in
final position for the result of Latin C before e and i: see (Q(")LS, calz/cal, chalk)
in Samekh and also the representation of laz, latz or the O. Cat. lla, loop, in Ayin ,
as well as the variant (NWS for notz, nut), in Alef , MS V.
183 See Shin and Bet and for examples.
introduction
to have been used, such as (PYNWNS) for O. Occ. pinhons pine-

cone kernels (Gimmel , MS O), (WYRMYLWN), vermelhon a
type of (cosmetic) paint (Samekh , MS O); and (BWNYT. S), bon-
hetas / bonyetas, cake(s)), Samekh , MS V. If, however, the Yod is not
interpreted as a vowel in these cases, it could be regarded as a device for
transcribing the palatal sounds. It thus seems the letter Yod is used most
frequently as a means of distinguishing between palatal and non-palatal
sounds for these letters. Thus, palatal n is represented as (NY) in
(PNYS), pinhas / pinyas, pine cones (Alef ) or (PYLNY"), O. Occ.
*pelanha bark, in Alef (MS P). The last example shows (NYY)
in MSS O and V, () (PYL(")NYY"), also cf. (PWG"NYY",
foganha / foganya, kitchen, fireplace, Bet , O).184 An example of palatal
n in word final position is (" STNYY)
. for O. Occ estanh or O. Cat.
estany, pond, lake (Lamed ), where MS O shows an isolated example
of the sequence (YNY): (" ST"YNY).
. Palatal l is represented as
(LY), e.g. in (" STRYLY"R),
. esterilhar, to stretch (Gimmel
) or (QWQYLYH, Nun , MS P) / (QBQYLY", MS O),
cauquilha, shell. Here, too, MSS O and V often use two Yods, (LYY),
such as in (WYRMYLYYWN) for vermelhon in MS V, see above,
Samekh , MS V; also cf. (BWTYLYY"). for botelha bottle (Sade
.
, MS V), and (P"LYY") for palha / palla, straw (Taw , MSS O,
V). Final [] is often spelled (YYL), as in (QRYST"YYL), .
representing O. Occ. crestalh or O. Cat. crestall, crystal, glass (Shin ,
MS O) or ()(P(Y)NWYYL), fenolh / fenoll, fennel), Shin , MS
O, although it should be noted that the the spelling one might exspect
(LYY) can also be found: () (P(Y)NWLYY, MSS P and V). A single
Yod only appears rarely, as is the case for ("YL) alh / all, garlic (Bet ,
MS P; as opposed to "YYL in MSS O and V). The word for garlic
shows particularly a broad range of different spellings, such as ("LYY)
in Shin , MS P, ("YLY, ibidem, MS V), ("LY, Bet , MS P),
("L, ibidem, MS O).185
Finally, it is worth mentioning that we often find an epenthetic vowel
(identical to the vowel of the stem) inserted between a sequence of a stop
and a liquid, such as (PWRWNS) for prunas plums (Alef ,
184 When followed by e or i, the second Y in the spelling (NYY) may also indicate
the vowel, as in (BWNYYT. S, Samekh , MS P) and (BWNYYT", . ibidem,

MS V), representing O. Occ. bonheta(s), O. Cat. bonyeta(s). Note, that in this case, MS O
has only one Yod, making the interpretation more difficult: (BWNYT . S).
185 Unless the variants with final (Y)Y represent the Latin genitive singular (alii).
introduction
MS O), (BWRWN) for brun brown, dark (Gimmel , MS V, Tet

.
, MS O), (PWLWR) for flor (Pe , MSS V, O).
. The edition and the commentary
.. Manuscripts
The following subsections provide a brief description of the three manu-
scripts that form the basis of our edition. A complete codicological and
paleographic description of the manuscripts is, of course, beyond the
scope of our edition. We therefore simply mention the main information
contained in the relevant catalogues and additional descriptions before
adding some important observations of our own,186 without aiming for
completeness in the process.
... MS Paris, BN hb. (P)

The manuscript is briefly mentioned in the catalogue by Zotenberg,187
which indicates the fourteenth century as the date of the copy. This
manuscript is composed of a large vellum (calfskin parchment) codex
containing books to 188 of the Sefer ha-Shimmush. Each page has
two columns normally consisting of lines. The size of the letters varies,
meaning that to letters are written per line, which corresponds
to five to ten words. The text in question, i.e., the first synonym list
which we are editing here, can be found under the title Book
on fols. aa.189 The text begins with the author explaining his
186 We would like to thank Julia Zwink for her help with describing the manuscripts.
We have employed the palaeographical identification method for Hebrew manuscripts
developed by Malachi Beit-Ari as a point of reference and orientation for our observa-
tions. M. Beit-Ari, The Makings of the Medieval Hebrew Book. Studies in Palaeography
and Codicology, Jerusalem , pp. .
187 H. Zotenberg, Catalogues des manuscrits hbreux et samaritains de la BN, Paris ,
p. .
188 The Bibliothque Nationale in Paris also has book and the beginning of book (MS
hb. ) in its keeping, as well as books to , which were separated from another
copy (on paper, MS hb. ).
189 The pagination appears on the recto of each folio in the upper left corner of the page.
It is written in Arabic numerals and was apparently added by a later hand, possibly when
the codex was bound, since the characteristics and the size of the pen used for writing
differ from the main Hebrew text.
introduction
reasons for compiling this kind of synonym list (cf. section .). This is
followed by the synonym list itself, which consists of different sections
for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet presented in alphabetical order.
The list is written as a continuous text, i.e., the terms are not presented
separately according to language in a table or columns, but they are
written consecutively with one word following another. The start of a new
entry (i.e., a sequence of HebrewArabicRomance / Latin synonyms)
is marked by a single point above the line.
There is an even margin on both the left and right hand side of the
text.190 We can observe two different techniques that were used to obtain
this margin, which are also sometimes combined: when there was not
enough space at the end of a line to write the next word in its entirety,
the copyist often filled the line by writing just the first few letters of the
word, which was then written again ab initio at the start of the next line,
with the first letters thus being repeated. This practice was common in
all regions where Hebrew manuscripts were produced.191 However, only
the first two letters of the next word were written in this way in MS P, in
contrast to other manuscripts. When this procedure was not sufficient for
maintaining the even margin, the scribe simply left an empty space before
the last word or the anticipating letter(s) described above, a method also
popular among Hebrew copyists.
The extant folios of the Sefer ha-Shimmush in MS P were obviously
produced by one hand (except for the vocalisation; cf. below). The main
body of the text is written in a Sephardic semi-cursive script, with the
headings indicating the beginning of the next letter section written in red
ink in a larger book hand in bold with serifs. Striking similarities to other
Sephardic manuscripts dating from approximately the same time can be
seen concerning the script style of the main body of text.192 The letters
190 Cf. M. Beit-Ari, Hebrew Codicology, Paris , p. . Hebrew scribes would make
use of different methods in order to achieve this aim and avoid leaving a ragged margin
at the end of the written line. The expanding of one of the letters of the last word in a
line was very common, but was only really feasible when writing in a square script (cf.
Beit-Ari, loc. cit.), which is not the case here, where we have a semi-cursive (cf. below).
Another possibility was the insertion of graphical fillers (mostly letters or parts of letters)
at the end of the line (cf. Beit-Ari, loc. cit.); this practice was not used either by the scribe
of the Paris MS.
191 Cf. Beit-Ari, Hebrew Codicology, p. .
192 The letters used for the headings show some striking characteristic features: Gimmel
resembles Nun; only a small part of the vertical right downstroke protrudes over the lower
cross to allow the two letters to be distinguished from one another. He and Het . are also
quite similar: the left downstroke of He comes very close to the upper cross, so that only a
introduction
of the Paris MS, which are also decorated with serifs, are comparable
to the ones used in a manuscript from Villaln (from ), which is
reproduced in Yardenis book of Hebrew script.193 The script style used in
this manuscript is a Sephardic semi-cursive script, the so-called rabbinic
style or Rashi script.194 It has a rounded appearance due to the curved
strokes (especially in the case of Bet, Lamed, and Mem). Alef has a sort of
roof instead of the former diagonal stroke195 and is only distinguishable
from Het
. by the small, thin extra stroke on the top of the letter; its left
downstroke ends under the line. The left stroke of Gimmel begins at the
bottom of the long right downstroke and becomes a horizontal line. It has
a long left downstroke that ends under the line. The top of the vertical
stroke of Lamed starts very high up, often protruding over the bottom
of the line above; the curved stroke resembles a concave, reclined bowl.
The medial stroke of Shin becomes a nearly horizontal line, beginning
slightly below the top of the left downstroke.
The strong similarities between the semi-cursive Sephardic script style
of the text in the Paris MS and the style of the manuscript from Villaln
described by Yardeni196 suggest that the two manuscripts originate from
the same region and epoch, namely the medieval Sephardic area. The rel-
evant catalogue at the Bibliothque Nationale dates the copy to the four-
teenth century. This corresponds perfectly to the characteristic features
of the square, semi-cursive script style of the letters, which Yardeni sees
as typical for that epoch (thirteenthfifteenth century).197
tiny space separates the two lines, leading to a very close resemblance between the He and
the Het.
. Yod resembles a right angle inclined to its reverse. The top of medial Mem and Pe
appear very convex; the left stroke of medial Mem leans sharply backwards. Final Mem
resembles Samekh. The space between the upper cross of Qof and its left downstroke
is very small, meaning that they almost touch each other. All these characteristics can
also be found in two manuscripts from Toledo, dating from and , which are
both reproduced and described by Yardeni (A. Yardeni, Book of Hebrew Script: History,
Palaeography, Script Style, Calligraphy, and Design, Jerusalem ), pp. . These
manuscripts are classified by Yardeni as written in a typical Sephardi book hand of the
thirteenth century
193 Op. cit., p. .
194 Because it served as the model for the letter-types used in Rashis commentary to
the Bible and Talmud was printed in (ibidem, p. ).

195 Ibidem, p. .
196 Op. cit., pp. .
197 A specific feature of this manuscript is a ligature representing the nexus of Alef and
Lamed, which shows the long vertical downstroke of Lamed and the two right crosses of
Alef beginning at the bottom of the vertical line. The ligature appears only at the begin-
ning of a synonym and mainly in Arabic words, where it is used as the definite article. We
also find it in Hebrew words (e.g., entry Alef ), but never in Romance / Latin ones.
introduction
Some of the entries for Hebrew, Arabic and Romance / Latin words
appear in partially vocalised form. It seems that the vocalisation was
either added at a later date by the same scribe ormore probablyby
another hand. This assertation is based on the fact that the vocalisations
appear only sporadically and that the pen used for making the punctua-
tion marks had a smaller diameter. It might well be that the punctuation
marks were made by a reader or corrector, who wanted to make reading
the manuscript easier by indicating the vowel quality of these entries.198
In summary, we can state that the Paris manuscript was written by one
scribe in a medieval Sephardic script style and was thus produced in all
probability in Spain or Southern France. Based on the catalogue, we can
also confirm when MS P was actually created: the fourteenth century. The
punctuation, occasional notes in the margin and the pagination were all
added by other hands.
... MS Vatican Ebr. (V)

Richler describes the manuscript as a parchment codex containing
folios of . . cm in dimension, which are written on both sides
within a type area of . . cm. The folios are bound in quaternions.199
The manuscript contains two different paginations, both of which were
added by other hands at a later date in the upper left hand corner. The
paginations are written in (carbon) pencil, in contrast to the main text,
which is written in ink, and differ from each other in their character-
istic script style. They both indicate folios (not pages), with the upper
pagination always one number higher than the second pagination sys-
tem beneath it. Following Richler,200 we use the lower pagination as our
point of reference.
The synonym list appears on fols. aa. Following a richly
decorated panel containing the title and an indication that the section
for Alef begins here, the text then begins directly with the synonyms; the
explanatory introduction is missing. The terms are arranged in a kind of
table, i.e., every entry fills one horizontal line, with the Arabic, Hebrew
and Romance / Latin synonyms arranged in the vertical columns. Each
198 Some notes were made in the margin on fols. b, a, a, a b, and a,
which were penned by different later hands.

199 B. Richler, Hebrew Manuscripts in the Vatican Library. Palaeographical and codico-
logical descriptions by M. Beit-Ari, Vatican , p. .

200 Loc. cit.
introduction
page nearly always contains lines, except for the pages where a new
letter section begins. On these pages, the scribe painted an ornamented
panel with the relevant title, which is often additionally decorated with
figures of birds, animals and hybrid creatures.
The text margin is even on the right hand but not on the left hand side,
which is due to the method of representing the synonyms in columns:
the words in a particular language are organised in such a way that they
always start at the same point, one below the other. The copyist of the
Vatican MS therefore did not follow the ideal of a uniform left margin
(cf. above), deciding instead in favour of a clearer text arrangement.201
When the synonyms of one entry are too long or when there are several
variants, which is often the case for the Romance / Latin synonyms, the
text either continues into the left margin at the end of the line in a vertical,
upward way (if only a few words are concerned), or, in the case of a longer
passage, is continued on the line below.
The pages of the codex are ruled using barely visible pencil lines,
which mark the lines as well as the text margin on the right and the left
hand side. The horizontal ruled lines do not extend beyond the vertical
margin lines, and the margin lines do not extend beyond the horizontal
lines, resulting in a kind of ruled rectangle on each page. This type of
medieval ruling scheme has been categorised by Dukan202 as type C, sub-
category c).203 Dukan observes that this kind of pattern is characteristic
of manuscripts originating in the Sephardic region.204
The script style of the MS V is uniform and shows that the text was
produced by a single scribe. The titles indicating the beginning of a new
letter section are incorporated into the main text like in MS P (cf. above).
These titles are written, just like the ones in the Paris manuscript, in a
square book hand, which can be characterized, following Yardeni,205 as a
typical medieval Sephardic script style.206
201 In some cases, the scribe makes expands the final letter, if one entry perfectly fits
one line (e.g., entry Gimmel ).
202 M. Dukan, La rglure des manuscrits hbreux au Moyen-Age, Paris , p. .
203 Type C-c) has rectrices courtes, verticals courtes, cf. ibidem.
204 Of some manuscripts which demonstrate this ruling schema, were written
in the Sephardic region (cf. Dukan, op. cit., p. ).

205 Op. cit., pp. ff.
206 The following letters support this observation: the left leg of Gimmel is long and
nearly horizontal; it starts shortly above the bottom of the vertical downstroke. There is
a striking resemblance to the one in MS P (cf. above). Lamed has a kind of flag at the
top, whose mast (Yardeni, op. cit., pp. ), i.e., the vertical stroke, curves to the left.
The base-stroke of Sade
. is short and drifts in a downwards slant to the left.
introduction
Concerning the main body of text, the script style can also be clearly
characterised as a medieval Sephardic semi-cursive or rabbinic script
(cf. ..). Similarities to the script in the Paris MS and the example
manuscript presented in Yardeni207 are clearly visible and can be exempli-
fied by looking at the following letters: Alef resembles Het,. like in MS P,
i.e., the former diagonal stroke has become horizontal and is bent down
at the right end; the small right stroke is perched like a thin flag on top
of it. Gimmel has the same form as in MS P, i.e., the former diagonal left
base stroke has become horizontal and lies on the baseline. Medial Mem
shows no base stroke; its right downstroke is curved only slightly to the
left. Final Pe has a striking additional vertical stroke on the left side of the
top. There is a certain amount of space left between the roof and the left
downstroke of Taw; the left downstroke itself is very long and bent to the
left at the end.
Summarising the results of the analysis of the ruling schema and the
characteristics of the script styles, we can state that the features of MS V
correspond to the typical features of Sephardic manuscripts from the
Middle Ages in the same way as those in MS P do (cf. ..). The dating
established by Richler (fourteenth century)208 can also be confirmed by
the observations we have made here.
Notes in the margin can be found on fols. a, a, a, a, a,
b, and a. Since they show the same characteristics with respect to
the script style and the thickness of the writing pen as the main body of
the text, it is probable that they were added by the same scribe, probably
while revising the text.
The Vatican manuscript lacks several entries featured in the Paris
manuscript, but also contains some additional ones (cf. .). In a few
cases, these relate to explanatory terms probably added by the copyist.
... MS Oxford, Hunt Donat (O)

The Oxford manuscript is mentioned in Neubauers Catalogue and in
Beit-Aris and Mays Supplement.209 It is a watermarked paper manu-
script copied in the year in a Sephardic cursive script by Asher ben
207 Op. cit., p. .

208 Cf. Richler, loc. cit.
209 Op. cit. and M. Beit-Ari / R.A. May, Catalogue of the Hebrew Manuscripts in
the Bodleian Library: Supplement of Addenda and Corrigenda to Vol. (A. Neubauers
Catalogue), Oxford .
introduction
Abraham ha-Kohen in the city of Trets (Provence). The colophon is erro-

neous concerning the date of compilation, omitting the notation for ,
which means the Jewish date should be read as [] = (and
not ). This mistake was noted and corrected in the Addenda and Cor-
rigenda to Neubauers catalogue.210 As is generally known, watermarks
are attested only since (Bologna) and, in addition, the colophon
says that the copy was completed on Thursday the th of Shevat; this
date actually fell on a Thursday in (cf. loc. cit.).
The folios of the manuscript, which contains books seven to twenty-
Nine of the Sefer ha-Shimmush, have been numbered twice, by folio
on the upper left-hand corner and by page in the middle of the upper
margin. Book twenty-nine features on fols. v to fol. r of the
manuscript, which corresponds to pages to . Following Neubauer,
we also refer to the pagination by folios.
The type area is arranged in two columns each containing or
lines. The synonym list entries start at the top of fol. r. The beginning
of a new letter is indicated by a kind of a centered title, which, in contrast
to the MSS P and V, is neither highlighted by means of another typeface
nor by the use of ornaments. The script is probably the same as the one
used for the main text and is only slightly bigger. On fols. r, r, v,
r, r, r, v, r, and v, the title is repeated by means of a
heading line on the top of a column.
The terms are presented in a similar way to MS V, i.e., in a sort of
table. Here too, one line is filled by one entry, and the Arabic, Hebrew
and Romance / Latin synonyms are organised one below the other respec-
tively. As a result, the ideal of an even left text margin was not fol-
lowed, just like in MS V. The copyist used different methods for very long
entries, which were mostly due to several variants of a synonym existing.
Firstly, he tried to scale down the size of the letters (e.g., fol. r, col-
umn b, line ). Secondly and most frequently, the alternative synonyms
are interlined in a smaller character size directly under the main syn-
onym, often introduced by , or (e.g., entry Bet ). Thirdly, in the case
of a very long entry or several alternative Romance or Latin synonyms,
the Romance / Latin part of one entry is continued in an interline in a
smaller character size.
The text is written by a single hand in a medieval Sephardic cursive
script. It bears many resemblances to the Sephardic cursives from the
210 Cf. Beit-Ari / May, op. cit., p. .

introduction
twelfth to fifteenth century presented and described by Yardeni (e.g.,

the manuscript from Qala#at Aiyub dating from ).211 The script
shows extreme cursive forms with conjoint and merged letter strokes.
The appearance of the characters, which are written with a thin calamus,
is very regular and rhythmical,212 and might show the influence of
Arabic calligraphy (cf. loc. cit.). Some striking characteristic lineaments
of the letters, which can also be observed in the Qala#at Aiyub manuscript
mentioned above, are presented in what follows.
The three strokes of Alef have been merged into a continously cam-
bered single stroke, which somewhat resembles the shape of a right curly
brace. It also consists of one single curled stroke, which is the result of
the merger of the three strokes, which look like a sickle open to the
left side. The right downstroke of Het . becomes shorter and inflected
to the left; it is joined to the horizontal roof by a single curved line.
The basic stroke of Tet . has risen and merged with the right stroke to
form a sort of horseshoe open at the top and is, so to speak, added to
the left vertical stroke. Lamed consists of two strokes: a long vertical
stroke which meets a slightly curved stroke sloping from top right to
down left in the centre. The former horn of medial Mem is pressed
down to the right, so to speak, but is still recognisable as a loop in con-
trast to the Qala#at Aiyub manuscript, where this part of the letter has
been nearly reduced to a single stroke. Final Mem has become a circle.
The roof , the right downstroke, and the basic stroke of Samekh have
been merged into one loop, joined to the left downstroke, which pro-
trudes from the letter like a pillar; the whole letter is reminiscent of a
Latin P. Medial Pe is a long curved downstroke with a short vertical left
stroke. The right arm of Sade
. is not made to slope down to the left, but
rather joins the top of the left arm in the form of a concave line. The form
of Shin resembles the ones in MSS P and V: the middle stroke joins the
left vertical downstroke at the top; the right dowstroke forms an oblique
base.
The similarities between the script of MS O and the exemplary scripts
in Yardeni unambiguously point to the MS being a clear example of a typ-
ical medieval Sephardic cursive. However, in contrast to the calligraphic
character described by Yardeni213 for the Qala#at Aiyub manuscript, the
script in MS O has rather the appearance of a vademecum, intended for
211 Op. cit., pp. .

212 Op. cit., p. .
213 Op. cit., p. .
introduction
everyday use. This impression is augmented by its lack of ornament, the

headlines and the table-like representation, which also gives it a scien-
tific character. Hence, the cursive script used in the text was not used for
calligraphic purposes but rather for practical reasons due to the fact that
it can be written quickly.
.. Notes on the manuscript filiation

and choice of base manuscript
In this section, we shall make some observations on the possible manu-
script filiation. These observations cannot be regarded as definitive and
will have to be reconsidered on the evidence of the second synonym lists
(forthcoming), and, ultimately, on the critical edition of the Sefer ha-
Shimmush itself.
To begin with, it can be observed that MS P represents the most
complete version of the list: all the entries contained in MSS V and O
can also be found in P, with the exception of two entries unique to MS
O.214 In addition, both MS O and MS V lack around twenty to twenty-five
entries each:
First of all, there is a series of entries present in P but omitted both in
O and V: Bet (BHRMG, last entry of Bet), He (
HDRQWN, penultimate entry of He), Het . (HPYPH), . Het
.
( HLYPWT. TRDYN), Lamed ( L#WNYN
YMYYM), Sade . (S. PHT) . and Resh ( RMWN
HRYM, last entry of Resh), Schin ( SS MSZR), Shin
(SBR"). All of these are repetitions of entries already included in
the respective alphabetic sections,215 usually in slightly modified form.
We can sometimes reconstruct the reasons for these repetitions. For
example, the Romance synonym was left out in entry Lamed , leading to
the whole entry being repeated in complete form as Lamed . In Resh ,
the Arabic term is misspelt. It seems the copyist noticed this and therefore
rewrote the entry correctly, thus forming Resh . It therefore seems that
these entries are either additions to MS P or a corresponding thread of
filiation.
214 One entry (SWS, liquorice) is added after Shin , and another one after Shin
put W also in italics?
(SZPYN).
215 Bet , He , Het , Het , Lamed , Sade , Resh , Shin , Shin .
. .
introduction
MS V lacks entries that are present in P and O.216 Most of these

seem to be accidental omissions of entries which we may suppose to
have belonged to the original version compiled by Shem Tov, since they
contain vocabulary that can be retrieved in the sources mentioned in
section ., such as the Arukh or Maimonides.217 One exception is the
entry Bet ( BRY DTUMY, cloves of garlic), which represents
the plural of Bet . Note that it is unusual that an entry is repeated for
the plural forms within the text as a whole. Another case is Yod (
YW#ZR NHRYY water mint), in which the Hebrew lemma seems
to designate water mint, although the Romance term is not equivalent
to this meaning; note also that there is no Arabic equivalent included in
this entry. The preceding entry, Yod (YW#ZR kind of mint),
partially repeats Yod . Similarly, Alef ( "GWZ HWDYY,
last entry of Alef) is a repetition of Alef . It may well be that these
entries do not originally stem from Shem Tov and thus may be additions
originally made to an ancestor manuscript of P and O. An alternative
hypothesis is that they could have belonged to a common ancestor of all
three manuscripts and were omitted either accidentally or consciously by
the copyist of MS V, as they show some incongruities compared with the
rest of the text.218
MS O lacks entries that are present in P and V.219 Here too, some
seem to be accidental omissions of substantial entries, i.e., entries that are
based on standard sources. In three cases, however, the last entry of an
alphabetical section is missing, namely in Ayin (#DL), Resh
( RWH 220
. W#YM), and Tet (TRY). . In the latter case,
the entry is repeated from Tet , where, however, the Romance synonym
(PRYSQ, fresc) is missing both in V and in P. One explanation
216 Alef , , ; Bet , ; Gimmel ; Het

. ; Yod , ; Kaf , ; Ayin ; Qof ,
, ; Shin ; Tav .
217 Qof : the Arabic synonym is that of , which means that entries Qof , and
the beginning of Qof were omitted by error. These entries therefore cannot be additions
of P and O and must have belonged to an ancestor manuscript of all three copies.
218 Note that in Yod it is said that there are six varieties of mint. However, only two of
them are mentioned. It is thus probable that the original entry was much longer, naming
other mint varieties. The copyist of a later version may have copied only part of Yod by
mistake, becoming aware of his error when revising the manuscript and leading him to
add the missing remainded later, thus giving rise to entries and .
219 Bet , Zayin , Het , Tet , Lamed , Ayin , Qof , , Resh , Shin ,
.
, Shin .
220 As mentioned above, Resh , the last entry of Resh in our edition, was added in
MS P.
introduction
for this might be that the copyist of MS O had already added the
Romance synonym to Tet and thus saw no need to copy Tet . Another
hypothesis would, of course, be that V and P had a common ancestor
which corrected the incomplete entry Tet by adding the complete entry
at the end of the manuscript. As for the other two, Ayin and Resh ,
it should be noted that these are regular entries that can be retrieved in
relevant sources, and the fact that both are at the end of an alphabetic
section is rather difficult to explain as accidental. This is supported by
the observation that the last four entries in the Shin section (,
SRSYM; , SBR; , SPWLY H" S. TWMK";. ,
SHR . HWR)
. are missing in O. With the exception of Shin ,
probably an addition of P (see above), the most reasonable explanation
is that these entries were present in a common ancestor of MSS V and P
but not in the version from which MS O was copied.221
The idea that MSS V and P belong to a common tradition different
from that of MS O is corroborated by some observations that concern
the internal structure of the entries and the lexical material itself:
Gimmel : (GYR MTPY, . non extinct) is incomplete in
MSS P and V; the original entry is supposed to be
(KBRYT GYR MTPY, . non extinct sulphur), as in O.
The Arabic translation of Hebrew (GYHR) . in Gimmel
corresponds to ahmar
. red in MS O and (probably by error) asmar
brown in MSS P and V.
. , MSS P and V add the (correct) variant (HLMYT)
In Het .
to the lemma (HLMY).
.
In Alef , P and V have (B"RS. MS. RYM, in the land of
Egypt), but O has (HMS. RYM, the Egyptians).
In Alef , the Romance synonym in P and V is pentafilon, whereas
it is agnus castus in O.
In Gimmel , (GR#YNY "YLN "BRHM) the kernels
of the fruits of the chaste tree or Abrahams tree, all manuscripts
display the Romance-Latin synonym grana de agnus castus. It seems
221 This might not hold for three other cases: Qof ( QTRY HRSYH, the
. . .
penultimate entry of Qof) is a repetition of Qof . In Bet (BLH) there is no
Romance synonym and the Arabic synonym is a homograph of the Hebrew one; it is
possible that MS O consciously skipped this entry because it seemed self-evident to the
copyist. Lamed (LPWTY), the penultimate entry of Lamed, is a short entry
without Romance that could not be retrieved in the sources, and, in addition, resembles
the entry in Lamed to some extent.
introduction
that this entry is an elaboration on Alef , where the plant name

("YLN "BRHM) is first introduced. Here, however, only
MS O shows the Latin agnus castus, whereas P and V have forms
corresponding to the Latin pentaphyllon. It can be supposed that
agnus castus was the original synonym in Alef , which was
changed in the tradition of P and V without adapting the entry
Gimmel correspondingly.
P and V sometimes show deviant Romance forms. Thus, in entry
Pe , MS O has (BLYYS), identified as O. Occ. or O. Cat.
balays for a kind of ruby, but MSS P and V show (BLS),
which seems to be an error. Another example is Tet. , where MS
O shows the plural of the O. Occ. plant name gieissa, spelled as
(G"YYS" S), whereas P and V have strange, undocumented
forms beginning with Lamed. In the same entry, O has the expected
Arabic equivalent, ("LGLB"N), corresponding to al-ulubba
n, whereas P and V skip some letters ("LB"N). For similar
cases, see Dalet and Shin .
Although in some of these cases MS O has the more correct and probably
original forms, there are also many cases in which O is more corrupt than
P and V;222 it also lacks a certain number of entries in addition. The same
is also true of MS V, as we have seen. MS V has also some deficiencies223
and many additions, which were added at the end of some entries, usually
after the Romance or Latin synonym.224 We therefore decided that our
edition should be based on MS P.225
222 E.g., wrong Arabic word or spelling form: in Alef , , , Het , , Mem ;
.
deviant or defective Hebrew form: Het . , Kaf . The lemma of Mem is missing, so
that Mem and were contracted to form one entry, Qof and show a similar
contraction; Samekh is mutilated (i.e. it only consists of the Hebrew lemma), Samekh
idem; Samekh , Ayin : the Arabic synonym is defective. Resh : the Hebrew
Lemma is mising; Shin : the Arabic synonym is missing.
223 E.g.: The Romance synonym of Het (mosclars fish hooks) is erroneously added
.
to the preceding entry. Yod : the Arabic synonym is missing. In Kaf , Mem and Pe
the Hebrew Lemma is missing. The lemma of Shin is missing and, since entry Shin
is missing, too, the entry was contracted with Shin .
224 Cf., e.g., Alef , , Bet , , , , Gimmel , , Dalet . These additional
explanations sometimes concern additional Biblical or Rabbinic Hebrew synonyms,

references to the Bible, or additional references to relevant sources. It thus seems that
MS V was copied by an expert, who usually tried to add well founded information.
225 Despite the fact that MS P also contains many deficiencies: e.g.: In Mem , the
Arabic synonym is missing; in Samekh , the Romance synonym (sene) was erroneously
added to the following entry; in Qof the Romance synonym is missing.
introduction
.. Norms used in the edition and

organisation of the commentary
The edition and the commentary are presented in integrated form, i.e.
each entry is edited and subsequently commented upon. Each entry
begins with an entry number added by us followed by its edition. We
usually follow manuscript P and list all divergences contained in the
other two manuscripts in the critical apparatus.226 We only changed
words or phrases from P based on either conjecture or material from
MSS O and V on a few occasions and in very clear cases of error or
corruption, which are then mentioned in the critical apparatus. In some
cases, manuscript P has vowelised forms, where the vowel signs were,
however, added by a later hand. In this case, we copied the respective
strings without vowels and reproduced the vowelised form in the critical
apparatus. We use standard conventions for the critical apparatus; see
the list of general abbreviations at the beginning of this volume for the
abbreviations used. After editing each line, it is translated into English;
both the lemmas as well as the synonyms are transliterated here by means
of the transliteration system presented in section . that has been in use
throughout this introduction.
We then proceed to the commentary, which is dedicated to the expla-
nation of the Hebrew and / or Aramaic, Arabic and Romance and / or
Latin words and phrases, which are mostly medico-botanical terms.
These were retrieved in the relevant dictionaries and additional sources,
such as rabbinic literature as well as medico-botanical texts of the lan-
guages involved; see section of this introduction for the main sources
used.
As for Hebrew, Aramaic and Arabic, our aim is not only to document
the lexical material but also to see where a correspondence between
a Hebrew / Aramaic and Arabic term is established elsewhere in the
literature (cf. . above). For the Romance and Latin terms, apart from
establishing their meaning, one of the main goals of the commentary
is to identify the language (cf. ...) they belong to. We have also
considered their identification with Hebrew and Arabic terms as far as
such could be found.
226 In order to prevent the pages from becoming too complicated, occasional footnotes
to the commentary that offer additional information or introduce literature not previ-
ously quoted follow the same numbering as the critical apparatus.
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2009078. Bos. 02_Glossary1. 1st proofs. 3-2-2011:12.19, page 86.
EDITION OF SEFER HA-SHIMMUSH,

BOOK 28, SYNONYM LIST 1
SAMPLE PAGES FROM THE PARIS MANUSCRIPT

shem tov, glossary

sample pages from the paris manuscript

shem tov, glossary

ALEF1
. 5 4 3 2
"HLWT or "HLYM, Arab. #NBR, o.l. "NBR" or "YSPRM" DYBL"NH
Hebrew "HLWT or "HLYM means aloe wood, Aloexyllon Agallochum

and Aquilaria Agallocha, both from India, and features in the Bible, e.g.
Ps : (KB ; CD :; KA :; BM f.; AEY :; FE ff.;
FO ; KT :; LF : ff.).
Arabic #anbar can mean: ) ambergris,6 ) saffron,7 ) wars8 and
) al-hagar
. al-#anbar: Ambrastein (ambergris stone) (RS, no. and
p. f.).
For the identification of "HLYM as #anbar, cf. Sa#adya on Prov :
(SM ): (I have sprinkled my bed with myrrh,
aloes, and cinnamon): ; Ibn Janah.
(IJ ): * +,-
- (this [term] is explained as sandalwood), and the
gloss in MS Rouen no. : ./ 0,) (according to others it is: #anbar);9
David b. Abraham al-Fas (SF :).10
1 Entries have been adapted from G. Bos and G. Mensching, Shem Tov Ben
Isaac, Glossary of Botanical Terms, Nos. , in Jewish Quarterly Review XCII (),
pp. .
2 : O
3 : V
4 : O V
5 : O, om. V
6 L cites various origins for #anbar as ambergris as given in the earlier literature:
It issues from a source in the sea: a fish, marine beast, or a vegetable in the bottom of the
sea; cf. IBF . It is now generally considered to be a morbid secretion of the sperm
whale intestine, which is fragrant when heated.
7 L ibid.
8 The yellow powder obtained from Memecylon tinctorium Willd. or Flemingia
rhodocarpa Bak. (SP ).

9 For the glosses in MS Rouen, cf. the extensive discussion in A. Maman, Comparative
Semitic Philology in the Middle Ages. From Sa#adiah to Ibn Barun (thth C.).
Translated into English by David Lyons, Leiden , pp. .
10 For David b. Abraham al-Fas (th century) and his Kitab Jami# al-Alfaz see
.
Maman, Comparative Semitic Philology in the Middle Ages, pp. . As Maman
demonstrated, al-Fas consulted the biblical translations and commentaries of his pre-
decessors, including B. Nahawendi, Daniel Qumisi, J. Qirqisani, Salmon b. Yeruhim, . and
Sa#adya (ibid., pp. ).
shem tov, glossary
The Latin, O. Occ. or O. Cat. ambra/anbra (MLWB :; DuC :c;

FEW :; RL :b; DCVB :a; DECLC :b; RPA , ,
; AdV , ) means, just like the Arabic equivalent, ambergris.
In O. Cat., the form was rather ambre (DCVB loc. cit.; DECLC loc. cit.),
documented since the th c., which would also be a possible reading.
The term esperma de balena is documented for Cat. (DCVB :b;
DECLC :a). A corresponding O. Occ. term could not be found in the
dictionaries, but may well have existed, see the O. Occ. esperma sperm
(RL :ab), and balena whale (RL :a). It designates the waxy
substance obtained from the oil in the head of the sperm whale, known
as spermaceti. Nevertheless, as is the case here, it was used in the sense
of ambergris, like in the Alphita (see Sin :; CA ). Since ambergris
is found floating on the ocean or cast ashore, it was thought to be the
gum of a submarine tree (gummi cuiusdam arboris sub mari nascentis,
Alphita, loc. cit.). Also cf. O. Sp. anbra/alanbar (de balena) (Sin b;
DETEMA :b), and O. Fr. esperme de baleine (FEW :b).
For the identification of Lat./O. Cat. ambra as Arabic #anbar, cf. AdV
, .
. 12 11
"ZWB, Arab. S. #TR, o.l. MWNYGTH .
Biblical Hebrew "ZWB means hyssop, not Hyssopus officinalis L., which
does not grow in Palestine, but probably Origanum maru L., or Majorana
syriaca L. (KB ; CD :; KA : f.; BM ; AEY :; DAS :;
FH ; FM ; FO ff.; FZ ff.; KT :; LF : ff.).
Arabic s. a#tar means origan, Origanum (DT :; M ). The Arabic
s. a#tar features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (e.g. XX, ) and is
translated by N as: and by Z as: / / ("ZWB,
i.e. "WRGNW/"WRYGNW).
For the identification of "ZWB as .sa#tar see Sa#adya on Ex ::
(Take a bunch of hyssop): (S ; cf. RO );
IJ : : 123 (4 (a bunch of hyssop); and SF :. However,
Sa#adya on Ps : has: (ST ); cf. Ibn Barun (WB ): 56& (see as
well, ibid. n. , pp. ).
We could not identify the vernacular term MWNYGTH . in MS P,
at least with respect to Catalan or Occitan. For other Romance lan-
11 : V passim
12 : O V
alef
guages, we found the Italian monegheta with the meaning Centaurea

cyanus L. (PFlor ). This form is characterised as ancient by Pen-
zig; cf. also the modern forms moneghette (Lombardian, Valtellina) and
muneghetta (Ligurian, Genua) with the same meaning. Similar Italian
dialect forms (Lombardian, Como) are moneghett (PFlor ) and mon-
eghett salvadegh, meaning Convallaria majalis L. and Polygonatum an-
ceps Moench. (PFlor ) respectively. MSS O and V suggest the Cata-
lan reading mongeta (DCVB :), which means various types
of Phaseolus and also Anagyris foetida and would thus totally diverge
from the meaning of the Hebrew and Arabic synonyms as is the case
for the Italian forms mentioned above. Since MS V adds the synonym
"WRYGNWM, i.e. the Latin origanum oregano (Origanum heracleoti-
cum Reichb. or Origanum vulgare L.), marjoram (Origanum marjo-
rana) (NPRA ), we might also suppose that the vernacular term is
a corrupt form of Lat. or Romance majorana (see entry Shin ). This
hypothesis is not very probable either though, because, firstly, all three
manuscripts are fairly uniform with respect to this word, and, secondly,
we find the same word with the same synonym in list (entry Mem ).
. 14 13
"WG, Arab. SWM"Q, o.l. SM"Q
The Mishnaic term "WG means sumac, Rhus coriaria L. (JD ; LW :;

KA :, : f.; BM ; AEY :; DAS :, ; FM ; FZ f.;
KT :, :; LF : ff.).
Arabic summaq is derived from Aramaic summaqa red (SDA ;
LF :; LA f.:) and also means sumac, Rhus coriaria L. and Var.,
or its berry, Anacardiaceae (L ; D :; DT :; M ; DAS :,
; LF : ff.; cf. as well Samekh no. below). The term features in
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ; XXII, ) and is transcribed
by N and Z as: or .
For the identification of both terms, cf. Alfaz. al-Mishnah (SAM
:),15 Arukh (KA :). In his commentary on mPeah ., Mai-
monides identifies as: (og = Syrian sumac) (MK :).
13 : P V
14 : O V
15 While Allony attributed these lexical explanations to Sa"adya Ga"on, Abramson
(Millon ha-Mishnah le-Rav Sa"adya Ga"on, Leshonenu (): and subse-

quently Maman (MCS , n. ) argued that they are not Sa"adyas at all. According to
shem tov, glossary
For the term indicated as vernacular, the Alphita (Sin , n. )

uses M. Lat. sumac as a synonym to anagodam (maybe Ferula assa
foetida, see Sin b, or Rhus coriaria, see CA ). In O. Occ., sumac(h)
or simac, Rhus coriaria, is documented since the th c. (DAO :;
FEW :b; RL :b; PSW :b; CB , , ; RPA ); in
O. Cat. (sumac(h)) since the th c. (DECLC :b; AdV , , ).
For the identification of Lat. sumac/O. Cat. sumach as Arabic summaq,
cf. AdV , .
. 18 17 16
"MYT", Arab. N#N#, o.l. MNT" .
Hebrew "MYT" means ammi, Ammi visnaga, and features in Rabbinic

literature, e.g. in bShab a (JD ; KA :, :; AEY :; LA
ff.:; LF : ff.).
Arabic na#na# means peppermint (DT :; M ; DAS : f.; cf.
as well Dalet no. ).
For the identification of both terms, cf. R. Hananel19 on bShab a:
: ; cf. Rashi (ibid.): , : :
(in a similar way concerning "MYTH; later on (see bShab a),
the text explains what "MYTH is, namely ninya, minta). Since the proper
Semitic form is n or n, it is easy to understand how this form
was taken to be an assimilated form of and then assumed to be
identical to ; i.e., mint (cf. LA ff.:).20
MNT". is Latin or Romance menta mint (O. Occ. or O. Cat; see, among
others, NPRA ; FEW :ab; DECLC :a).
For the identification of Lat./O. Cat. menta as Arabic na#na#, cf. AdV
, .
Brody (The Geonim of Babylonia and the Shaping of Medieval Jewish Culture, New Haven
, p. ), Allonys identification was correct, as confirmed by further manuscript
discoveries in the Genizah, along with a comparison of citations in Se"adyahs name and
interpretations contained in his other works.
16 : VO
17 : O (cf. entry )
18 : VO
19 For R. Hananel (/) and his commentary on the Talmud see I.M. Ta-
Shma. Ha-Sifrut ha-Parshanit la-Talmud. vols. nd rev. ed. Jerusalem , vol. ,

pp. .
20 See as well I. Loew, Mlanges de Lexicographie Rabbinique, Revue des tudes Juives
(): , no. (pp. ).

alef
. 21
"S", Arab. "S, o.l. NYRTH
.
Aramaic "S" means myrtle, Myrtus communis L., and features in Rab-
binic literature, e.g. in bBB b (JD ; LW :; SDA ; KA :,
:; KT :, ; LF : ff.). Its Hebrew equivalent is (KB ;
JD ; LW :; KA :; AEY :; FO ; FM ; IJS :;
KT :, ; LF ibid.).
Arabic as, which is possibly a loan translation from the Aramaic
(FF ), also means myrtle (DT :; M ).
Sa#adya on Is : translates with as:
(I will plant cedars in the wilderness, acacias and myrtles and
oleasters): (S ); see
as well IJ , SF :. The Arabic as also features in Maimonides
Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ) and is translated by N and Z as: . For
the identification of as rayhan,
. see as well Ayin no. .
NYRTH . is O. Occ. nerta for myrtle (FEW :bb). This form
with n- seems exclusively Occitan, the Cat. forms being murta or murtra
(DCVB :a; DECLC :a). For the use of nerta and murta in other
Hebrew-Romance synonym lists, see HebMedSyn .
. 24 23 22
"YRWS, Arab. SYSNBR, o.l. BLSMYTH .
Hebrew "YRWS is the Mishnaic term for iris, Iris pallida L. (JD ;
LW :; KA :, :; AEY :; DAS :; FM ; FZ ff.;
LF : f.).
Arabic sisanbar is a corruption of sawsan barr (wild lily; cf. DT :;
LF :). For their identification, cf. Maimonides on mKil .: :
(iris is sisanbar which is the kind of
mint which has broad leaves) (MK :; cf. LF :). For Arabic sawsan,
cf. Shin no. below.
It seems that SYSNBR has been misinterpreted as a Romance form
of Lat. sisymbrium25 for a type of mint, probably Menta silvestris or
21 : VO
22 : om. V
23 : O
24 : O
25 For the Latin word (< Greek ); see Sin , n. ; , n. ; :; .
shem tov, glossary
Menta aquatica, cf. NPRA ; CA (e.g. O. Occ. sisanbra, O. Cat.

sisimbri, M. Fr. sisimbre, see CB ; DECLC :a; FEW :b). This
confusion is due to the fact that the second term indicated as vernacular,
BLSMYTH,. i.e. Lat. balsamita,26 also designated a type of mintit is
used as a synonym for xisimbrium (NPRA ; Sin :; CA ).
This confusion is not an isolated case, since the Arukh (KA :) also
explains "RWS as SYSYMBR##W (It. sisimbro). According to the Arukh,
sisimbrio is a corruption of sawsan barr in correspondence with our
hypothesis.
. 29 28 27
"GWZ HWDYY, Arab. N"RGYL, o.l. NWZ "YNDY"H
Hebrew "GWZ HWDYY means coconut, Cocus nucifera L. (BM , s.v.

; LF : f.).
Arabic gawz hind or the more common nargl also means coconut
(cf. M and LF : f.). Arabic gawz hind features, e.g., in the Hebrew
translation of Ibn Snas K. al-Qanun by Zerahyah. Hen,
. where it is
translated as: . 30
The vernacular term corresponds to O. Occ. *nos (or notz) india

Indian nut; for nos/notz, see RL :a; CB ; cf. also entry Alef
; cf. the M. Lat. nux indica (Sin , n. ), O. Sp. nuez indica o
nuez de India (Sin :; :; :; a). In the dictionaries we
consulted, the adjective indi is only documented with the meaning
violet (as a derivation of the noun indi for indigo, see RL :b and
DECLC :b), but it is attested in other compound expressions like
mirabolans indis with the meaning Indian (cf. entry He in our edition).
For the identification of this term and the Arabic synonym commented
upon above, see the entry Nuez indica e nuez de Yndia, nara(n)gil in
Sin :, probably taken from the index to the Latin translation of
Ibn Snas Qanun. The corresponding Cat. term is nou dIndia coconut
(DECLC :a), documented since .
26Sisymbrium (and its variant sinsybrium) is used as a synonym for balsamita in the
Alphita (Sin :; CA ). In the Alphita, this term is also used for other types of
mint (prob. Menta sylvestris and Menta rotundifolia). According to CA , Balsamita
hortulana = sisimbrium = Chrysanthemum Balsamita.
27 : V
28 : O V
29 : om. OP
30 MS Oxford, Opp. Add. fol. (cat. Neubauer ), fol. a.
alef
. 32 31
"BN R#P, Arab. H . GR ZND, o.l. PYR" PWG
Hebrew R#P, plur. R#PYM, means ) flint and ) glazed tile, and
features in Rabbinic literature, for instance, in yBer VII, b, where it is
stated that the Lord made him (Adam) find two flints which he struck
against each other to produce fire (JD ; LW : f.; KA :;
BM ; KT :, ).
Arabic hagar
. az-zand (= *az-zinad?) is, according to D :, s.v. hagar
.
az-zinad (?): pierre briquet, silex (flint) (cf. al-Idrs (IJS :):
hagar
. an-nar: . . . wa-huwa hagar
. az-zinad) (cf. MS O). The term zand
actually means A piece of stick, or wood, for producing fire (L ).
Maimonides on mMen . (MK :) explains the term as:
(cf. L s.v. 7
: A kind of stones, which have holes and upon which
a fire is lighted and kept up until they are thoroughly burnt [ . . . ]; baked
bricks).
The vernacular term according to MS P and MS O, i.e. PYR" PWG or
PYYR" PWQ respectively, could be read as O. Occ. *peira fug for flint
stone (cf. O. Occ. peira stone, FEW :b and foc/fug fire, FEW :a).
Cf. the modern dialect forms quoted in FEW :b and TrFel :c,
e.g., peirafuec in a dialect of the Alpes in the Dauphin, and in DFO
:b, peiro-fioc. For O. Occ., the FEW documents the form peyrafuga
silex dont on peut tirer des tincelles avec un morceau dacier (i.e., silex
which serves for producing sparks with a piece of steel, documented in
the th c.), commenting that the word seems to have been misspelt
(FEW :a, n. ). MS V only includes the first element, *peira. We can
exclude a Cat. variant here, which would be pedra de foc (DECLC :b;
DCVB :b).
31 : O V
32 : O V add. V
shem tov, glossary
. 34 33
36 35
" S. TRWBLYN,
. Arab. QS. M QRYS, o.l. PNY" S MYNWDS, these are the black
seeds inside the pine cones
Hebrew " S. TRWBYL/"S

. TRWBYL,
. plur. " S. TRWBLYN/"S
. TRWBLYN,
. from
Greek (KG :; LS ) means pine cone and features in
Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mAZ . (JD ; LW :; KA :, :;
FM ; FT ; LF : ff., f.).
Arabic qadm . qurays means the seeds in the cones of Pinus picea
(DT :; FrA ).
For the identification, cf. Maimonides on mAZ . (MK :):
: (pine cone, namely, the
seed of the pine which is also called qadm . qurays) (cf. LF : f.).
PNY" S MYNWDS is the plural of O. Occ. *pinha menuda/O. Cat.
*pinya menuda. O. Occ. pinha / O. Cat. pinya is a pine cone (RL :a
b; DAO :; CB ; DECLC :b); menut (fem.: menuda) means
small (RL :a; DECLC :a), so *pinhas menudas should be inter-
preted here as small pine fruits, i.e. the seeds, as opposed to the big ones,
namely the pine cones. For the usual names of the pine seeds, see Gim-
mel . The variant used in MS V, PYYRS (peiras, see entry Alef ), with
the meaning seeds could not be found in our Occ. and Cat. sources, but
note that pierre in Mod. Fr. is also used to refer to a small hard object
similar to the seeds of cherries and the like (cf. FEW :b) and M. Fr.
pierrette as seed or stone which can be found in certain fruits (cf. FEW
loc. cit.). Also cf. entry Alef .
. 38 37
"SPYDN", Arab. "SPYD" G, o.l. BLNQYT.
Aramaic "SPYDN", read "SPYDK", is white lead and features as

or in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bGit b,39 where it forms one of
33 : V
34 : O V add. V
35 : V
36 :, om. O V
37 : om. V
38 : O
39 See Meyer S. Feldblum, Dikdukei Soferim. Tractate Gittin. Annotated variant read-
alef
the ingredients for a compound remedy for anal worms (JD ; LW :;

SDA ; KA :, :; GS ; Low XXXVII; PB ).
Arabic isfidag also means white lead (L ; D :; GS , f.).
For the identification of "SPYDK" as isfidag, cf. LO Teshuvot on bGit
b, p. . R. Hananel explains the term as: = =)
()86, cf. LO Liqqut. ei Perush R. Hananel
. on bGit b, p. ;
see as well Arukh (KA :). The th century physician, alchemist and
Kabbalist Hayyim
. Vital calls this mineral: (fol. a, no. )40
or (BLNQYTY) 41
. (fol. a, no. ).
O. Occ. blan(c)quet (RPA , , ; CB , , , ) is
cruse, i.e. white lead; O. Cat. idem (DECLC :a; AdV ).
For the identification of Romance blanquet as the Arabic isfidag, see
AdV .
. 43 42
"STYS,
. Arab. NYL, o.l."YNDY
Hebrew "STYS,
. from Greek (LS ; KG :) means woad, Isatis
tinctoria L., and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKil . (JD ;
LW :; KA : f., :; AEY :; DAS :; FH ; FM ;
FZ f.; KT :, ; LF : ff.).
Arabic nl means Indigo tinctoria L.; cf. DT :: The translators
did not find an equivalent for sat. s. And so it happened that the early
Arab writers confused the of Dioscurides, glastum of Plinius, Isatis
tinctoria L., woad, Cruciferae, with the of Dioscurides, indicum
of Plinius, Arabic nl, Indigo tinctoria L., Indigo, Indigoferae, see as well
DT :; M , ; DAS :, , f.; IJS :.
For the identification of "STYS . as nl, cf. Alfaz. al-Mishnah (SAM
:); Arukh (KA :); Maimonides on mKil . translates as:
(an-nlag) (MK :),44 a variant for (an-nl); NZ fol. a
reads: ("STYS, . Talmudic, in
Arabic nl and in o.l. indigo).
ings culled from Mss. and Genizah fragments and Talmudic commentaries from ce
to ce, New York .
40 Cf. Gerrit Bos, Hayyim Vitals Practical Kabbalah and Alchemy: a th century
.
Book of Secrets, Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy, vol. (): , p. .
41 Ibid. p. .
42 : V
43 : VO
44 See as well his commentaries on mShebi . (MK :); and mShab . (MK :).
shem tov, glossary
The Romance form "YNDY is the usual O. Occ. or O. Cat. term indi for
indigo (RL :ba; DECLC :bb).
. 47 46 45
"YBR"T"; Arab. "BHL, o.l. GYNBRY
Aramaic "YBR"T" or BRT" means juniper, Juniperus drupacea Labill.,

Juniperus Excelsa L., and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bBB b
( :) (JD ; LW :; SD ; KA : f., :; FEB ff.;
FM ; FO f.; LF : ff.); the Hebrew equivalent is . See as well
Bet no. .
Arabic abhal means savin, Juniperus sabina L. (L ; D :;
DT :; M ).
For the identification of abhal as "YBR"T", cf. HTG :
("BR"T" comes from HBRWS and is in Arabic al-
abhal); see as well ibid. . According to al-Idrs (IJS :), 09 is called
;
and <)
in Syriac.
O. Occ. and O. Cat. ginebre is Juniperus communis (PSW :b
a; DECLC :bb). The variant used in MS V, GYNYYBRY,
seems to represent a diphthongised form that could not be found in our
O. Occ. and O. Cat. sources. But note that DAO : gives a Mod. Occ.
(Languedocien) jhinibr and that similar forms are frequent in other
Romance languages (e.g. O. Fr. geneivre, Fr. genivre, cf. FEW :b;
Aragonese hinieblo, jiniebro, cf. DECLC :b).
. 49 48
"LH, Arab. BTMH,
. o.l. PYN
Hebrew "LH means terebinth, Pistacia terebinthus L., and features in

the Bible (e.g. Gen :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. mShebi . (KB ;
CD :; JD ; LW :; KA :; AEY :; DAS :; FEB ff.;
FM ; FO ff.; FZ f.; LF : ff.).
Arabic but. m(a) also refers to the terebinth (DT :; M ).
45 : V
46 : V
47 : O V
48 : O V
49 : add. V
alef
For the identification of "LH as but. m(a), cf. Sa#adya on Gen : (S ):

(and Jacob buried them under
the terebinth that was near Shechem):
; see as well IJ , and SID f.:. The Arabic term is a loan
translation from Aramaic, cf. Targum Onkelos (ibid.):
.50 (cf. FF ; MS. V).
O. Occ. pin / O. Cat. pi(n) is pine tree (RL :a; DECLC :b).
. 52 51
"LMWG, Arab. MRG"N or BSD, o.l. QWRYL
Hebrew "LMWG, plur. "LMGYM, indicates a precious wood not specified

any more closely [ . . . ] trad. sandal-wood and features in the Bible (in the
plur. only), e.g. in Song :, and in Rabbinic literature, e.g. bShab b
(KB ; CD :; JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ; FEB ff.;
FO ; LF : ff.). In Rabbinic literature, it is identified, amongst other
things, as coral. For instance, in bRH a it is stated: :
("LMWGYN is KSYT", i.e., coral; cf. LW :: eig. was vom Meere
bedeckt ist: ) Koralle (actually something which is covered by the sea:
) coral); see as well FZ ; LF :; SB :).
Margan is the Arabic equivalent to "LMWG for the meaning coral (E.I.2
: f., s.v. mardjan (A. Dietrich)). Bussad is the Persian term and is
often used as a synonym although, strictly speaking, it is the root of the
coral as well as the subsoil to which it is attached; see Dietrich, ibid.;
VL :, s.v. bussad/busad, bissad/bisad; LF :; SP .
For the identification of "LMWG as margan, cf. the Geonic commen-
tary on Tohorot (EG ), and Maimonides on mKel . (MK :)
(cf. LF :). NZ fol. a reads:
("LMWGYM, in Arabic margan, o.l. QWR"LLY). For the identification
of margan as bussad, cf. Ibn Janahs. K. at-Talkhs. as quoted by al-Idrs
(IJS :; cf. AS ); see as well ShT , no. .
The vernacular form QWRYL/QWR"YYL seems to reflect the O. Occ.
cora(i)l(l/h) or O. Cat. corayl alongside corall coral (RL :a; FEW
:ab; CB , ; DCVB :a; DECLCL :b). The Cat.
50 See A. Berliner, Targum Onkelos. Herausgegeben und erlutert. vols. Berlin ,

vol. , p. .
51 : VO
52 : VO
shem tov, glossary
coral(l) could also designate various types of plants: Cotyledon orbicu-

lata, Crassula arborescens and Crassula coccinea (DCVB loc. cit.). As a
plant name, in O. Occ., only coral is documented, which designates the
oak tree and its wood (DAO :; RL :a; PSW :a), but does not
match the form in our text, although this meaning resembles that of the
Hebrew lemma.
The Cat. coral is identified as busad wa huwa #uruq al-margan (AdV
).
. 54 53
"GWZ MQY", Arab. GWZ "LQY, o.l. NWS BWMYQ"
Hebrew "GWZ MQY" is vomic nut, Nux vomica, Strychnos nux vomica
(BM , s.v. ; LF : f.), and was possibly coined by Shem
Tov after the Arabic gawz al-qay". Subsequently, we find the term as
(cf. BM , but no source reference) and attributed to ha-RZ
(= Zerahyah
. Hen)
. in a marginal note to the term (NWZY
BWMTY) . in Moses ibn Tibbons Hebrew translation of Maimonides On
the Regimen of Health (cf. BMR II, ).
Gawz al-qay" is the Arabic equivalent (DT :; M ).
The Hebrew transcription NWS represents O. Occ. notz (see entry
Alef ), so most probably the whole expression represents an O. Occ.
*nos/notz vomica. This term was modelled after the Medieval Lat. term,
nux vomica vomic nut, according to the Alphita (see Sin :; CA ),
where it is identified as nux indica (Cocos nucifera L.). Cf. the O. Fr.
noiz vomice, M. and Mod. Fr. noix vomique (FEW :ab), O. Sp.
nuez bomica (Sin loc. cit.). We might be tempted to exclude Catalan here,
which would be nou rather than notz or nos (DECLC :a), but note
that the development from word final /ts/ to the semivowel -u can only
be found in writing from the th c. onwards, although the sound shift
is supposed to have happened earlier (cf. BadGram f.; MollGram
; TermMedOc ). For vmic, vmica causing vomiting, documented
since , cf. DECLC (:a).
53 : O V
54 : V
alef
. 56 55
"RY H"RS. , Arab. M"ZRYWN, o.l. LWRYWLH
Hebrew "RY H"RS. , lit., lion of the earth, designates Daphne mezereum
L. and Var. The Hebrew term is not attested in secondary literature (cf.
BM , n. ) and was possibly coined by Shem Tov as a loan translation
of the Arabic =(> %& which is, in turn, a loan translation (via Syriac?,
punctuation correct?
cf. LA f.:) of the Greek (LS ; DT :, esp. n. ; cf.
al-Idrs (IJS :): =( % ,
2 . . . ?(67).
Mazaryun is the standard Arabic term for the same plant (cf. DT :;
M ). It features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms
(XXI, ) and is translated by N as: (LBRY"WLH) and by Z as:
(Mazaryun, i.e. L"WRY"WL").
Laureola is Lat. or O. Occ. (see the quotations from N and Z above
and Sin :: Anabula, i. mezerion, i. laureola; RPA ; cf. also
Sin :, :, a; CA ). In NPRA , it is pointed out that
laureola/lauriola was used as nom des plantes dont la feuille a plus ou
moins la forme de celle du Laurier (i.e., name for plants whose leaves
more or less have the form of those of the laurel), e. g. Daphne oledes L.,
Daphne oleaefolia L., Daphne gnidium L., among others. For O. Cat., see
the quotation given in DCVB :a: Pllules de riubrber que segons
Rasis sn de laureola (i.e., Rhubarb pills that, according to ar-Raz, are
made of laureola, Cauliach Coll., ll. ii, d. a, c. ).
For the identification of Lat. or Romance laureola as Arabic mazaryun,
see AdV and GHAT :. Cf. as well al-Idrs (ibidem): . . . ?(67
?( @AB
-) (M"ZRYWN . . . and in French LWRYWLH).
. 60 59 58 57

"PSYQYM", Arab. SW"K, and this is the bark of the walnut tree, o.l.
PYLNY" D"RBRY DYNWGYR
"PSYQYM", a corruption of either or everything wo-

ven from palm leaves, or (cord) (KG :) means a (rope)
55 : O V
56 : O W V
57 : O
58 : O V
59 : om. OV
60 : O eD V"aYA ! P "
V
shem tov, glossary
twisted of palm leaves or cocoa nut fibres (JD ; LW :; KA :,

:; LA :). The term features in bErub a: R. Assi ruled: One
must measure only with a rope of "PSYQYM". What is "PSYQYM"?
R. Abba replied: NRGYL". What is NRGYL"?R. Jacob replied: A palm-
tree which has only one bast.61
Arabic siwak means A tooth-stick; a piece of stick with which the teeth
are rubbed . . . [commonly] a piece of stick of the [kind of tree called]
arak (Salvadora Persica L.) (L ; D :; DT :, s.v. But. iryun
()).62
We do not know how "PSYQYM" and siwak came to be identified; Lw
(LF :) remarks that he does not know the Aramaic name of Salvadora
persica, Arabic arak.
O. Occ. *pelanha darbre/albre de nog(u)(i)er lit. means bark of the wal-
nut tree. See RL :b pelalha pelure, corc (peel, bark); PSW :b
pelonha with the same meaning, and a Mod. Languedocian form pelagno
(TrFel :b) with the change from final -a to -o typical for Mod. Occ.
This form presupposes the existence of an O. Occ. *pelanha, which is
exactly what we find here. For nog(u)er walnut tree, see FEW :b, and,
for the variant with the diphthong (noguier), see CB , . In O. Occ.
and O. Cat., we find both arbre (MS O) and albre (MSS P and V) for tree
(DAO :; FEW :a; RL :b; DECLC :ab; DCVB :b).
We can exclude Cat. here which would be *pelaina darbre de noguer. Cf.
for pelaina DCVB :a; DECLC :a; for noguer see DCVB :a;
DECLC :a. Cf. also the introduction.
. 68 67 66 65 64 63

"B TRM
. HBN, Arab. M"HYZHRH, o.l. P"YRY "YGNS PYL or "NTYP
. TRY
.
and Latin "QWLWS QWNSYLYS
"B TRM
. HBN: This term, lit. meaning the father before the son, is
neither attested in the current dictionaries nor in secondary literature.
61All our quotations from the Talmud are derived from The Soncino Talmud.
62See as well Gerrit Bos, The miswak, an aspect of dental care in Islam, Medical
History, ,, :.
63 : O
64 : O V
65 : O V
66 : O V
67 : V, om. O
68 : V"! P
alef
It is possible that it was coined by Shem Tov after the Romance *peire
enans fil(h) or *paire enans fill mentioned below.
Mahzahra is not Arabic but rather Persian; cf. VL : f.: n.c.
cortex radicis plantae valde niger, iecori piscis similis et pisces necans;
SC : A poisonous yellow-flowering milk-grass which, thrown into
water, intoxicates the fish and brings them to the surface. Its Arabic
equivalent is mahzahrag and refers to the seed of Anamirta cocculus
Wight et Arnott (Menispermaceae); cf. SP ; ID :; a synonym is C%
D' (fish poison). According to Lw (LF :), there are no Hebrew
or Aramaic equivalents.
The third synonym of the vernacular variants corresponds to Lat.
oculus consulis; cf. the entry in Sin :, based on the Alphita (cf.
CA , Oculus Christi est herba, et oculus consulis est altera herba
similis illi), where the meaning Bachminze (i.e. Menta aquatica) is
given. The second synonym, "NTYP . TRY,
. according to MS P, could be
identified as a form belonging to the Lat. antipater (either the accusative
antipatre(m) or a form which is corrupt or was adapted to Romance,
such as *antipatre). M. Lat. antipater figures in MLWB :a with the
meaning species plantae. The identification of oculus consulis as antipater
is frequent, but the exact meaning is very difficult to determine. In
addition to the meanings given above, FAntNic indicates Anthemis
tinctoria L., Potentilla erecta (L.) Raeusch. and Bellis perennis L. In other
texts quoted there, antipater is also documented as filius ante patrem, cf.
Mattheo Silvatico, quoted in FAntNic (ibid.): Oculus consulis est herba
dicta filius ante patrem vel oculus Christi. This quotation is particularly
interesting because it gives us an indication regarding the interpretation
of the first vernacular synonym, P"YYRY "YNY" S. PYL according to MS
O, which could not be retrieved elsewhere. Following MTerMed, this
expression has to be read as O. Occ. *peire enans fil(h) or O. Cat. *paire
enans fill, thus representing an inversion of the Lat. term filius ante
patrem; for peire/ pa(i)re father cf. RL :b and DECLC :b; for
enan(s), enant before, in front of RL :a and DECLC :a; for
fil(h)(s)/ fill son RL :a and DECLC :b. A form which could be
represented by "YGNS (MS P) was not found. In CB , we find the term
payre e filh, interpreted as melliloto, but it is not clear if this term bears
any relation to our term. MS V gives the variant PYYRY "NNS. QYPYL,
which is difficult to interpret; it might be that the author wanted to emend
the preposition enans by substituting it with the conjunction enans que
before (RL :ba; DECLC loc. cit.).
shem tov, glossary
. 73 72 71 70 69
75 74
" HW,
. Arab. QRT,. o.l. PRYN" SLW"DYGD", from its plant acacia is pre-
pared in the land of Egypt; o.l. "Q"SY"
" HW
. means sedge, marsh plant and features in the Bible, e.g. in Gen
: (KB f.; CD : (reed); BM ; DAS :; FO ; LF
: f.).
Arabic qurt. means Alexandrian trefoil, Trifolium alexandrinum (M
; LF :; SP ).
The identification of " HW. as qurt. goes back to Sa#adya on Gen ::
(and they (i.e. the seven cows) grazed in the reed grass):
(S ). Ibn Janah. remarks that the ahl at-tafsr (commentators,
i.e., Sa#adya) identify " HW. with qurt. and that it is a plant similar to
lucerne (rat. ba; cf. ID :), with larger leaves (IJ ); cf. LF :.
Its Persian name is, as he says, (EF (sibdir). According to Maimonides
(M ), it is the well-known plant in Egypt that one gives to beasts of
burden in Egypt as fodder.
The vernacular term literally means wild plum PRYN" (MSS P and
V) and the variant PWRN" (MS O) belong to O. Occ. and O. Cat. pruna
plum (PSW :a; RL :b; FEW :ab; DECLC :b; cf.
entry Alef ). As for PRYN", it should be noted that Romance forms
with -e- or -i- can be sporadically found, e.g., Franco-Provenal pren
(Grenoble), prne (Vernot), [prme] (ALF, point ); Alsatian [prn]
(ALF, points and ) or Wallonian [prn] (FEW loc. cit.); cf. also
the Catalan derivations prinons/prinoyer (DECLC :ab). The form
PWRN" is a metathetic variant. Such forms of pruna are not unusual in
the Gallo-Romance area; cf. the Lyonnais form porna and similar forms
quoted in FEW (:a, e. g. perne, Amognes (Bourgogne), or peurne,
Verdun (Lorraine)).
SLWDYG" (MS V) might be a spontaneous Romanisation of the Lat.
adjective silvatica wild. The variant in MS P seems to be a blend between
this term and salva(t)ja in a spelling *salvadja, the hereditary form
69 : V passim
70 : O
71 : V add. V
72 : om. O
73 : O
74 : VO
75 : V
alef
of Lat. SILVATICA(M) and the usual term for wild (see for O. Occ.
salva(t)g(u)e, salva(t)je DAO :; RL :a; PSW :b and for
O. Cat. salvatge DECLC :b; DCVB :a; also cf. the entries Ayin
and Qof ).
"Q"SY" represents the Lat. acacia (< Gr. , NPRA ; DuC :a:
acacia succus prunellarum agrestium), which is not hereditary in any
Romance language (FEW :b), but existed almost everywhere as a
loan word, at least since the late Middle Ages: In O. Occ., we have acassia
acacia (DAO :; RL :a) and acacia, acassia, acrassia, accatie,
ahacatia suc de prunelles vertes (i.e. juice of unripe plums) (DAO :,
which corrects the meaning given in RL and DAO :). In O./M. Fr. we
find acacie (FEW :a), late O. Sp. acacia/acassia/acasia/acasya among
others with the same meaning (th c.) (DETEMA :bc). According
to Rolland (also quoted in DAO, loc. cit.), the juice of the cassia or oriental
acacia (being rare and expensive) was replaced in the Middle Ages by the
juice of unripe plums for pharmaceutical use (cf. RFlor :).
MS V adds a third synonym, *spina Aegyptiaca, which corresponds to
Lat. spina Aegyptia mimosa (of the genus Acacia Willd.) (NPRA ).
The whole expression could not be found, but see (for the adjective
Aegyptiacus, -a, -um) ThLL (:) and MLWB (:, faba Aegyptiaca).
We might also suppose a Romance equivalent (an Occ. or Cat. form could
not be found, but see O. Sp. espina egipciaca attested in DETEMA :c).
. 77 76
"BN HSW"BT, Arab. H . GR "LMGNYTS,. o.l. QRMYT" .
"BN HSW"BT is the loadstone, magnetite or magnetic iron ore (Fe3O4)

(JD ; LW :; KA :; BM ). The Hebrew term features in Rabbinic
literature, a.o. in the context of the story of Jeroboams sin of the Golden
Calf. It is stated (bSanh b, bSot a) that Elisha hung a loadstone above
the Golden Calf, thus suspending it between heaven and earth. The term
then becomes common in medieval literature; cf. LFa ff.
Arabic hagar
. al-magnt. is or al-magnat. is (from Greek ; cf.
LS ) refers to the same mineral (E.I.2 : ff., s.v. Magnat. s (E. Wie-
demann)). The Arabic term features as in a Geonic Responsum to
bHag
. b (LO Teshuvot onHag . b, p. ).
76 : O
77 : VO
shem tov, glossary
For the identification of hagar

. al-magnt. is or al-magnat. is as Hebrew
"BN HSW"BT, cf. ShM f. and the Hebrew translations of Dalala al-
ha"irn
. (Guide of the Perplexed) : (following LFa ). For other
identifications of the Hebrew and the Arabic term, cf. LFa .
The vernacular term QRMYT" . must be the O. Occ. or O. Cat. caramida
for magnetic stone (FEW :a), taken from the Greek
(derived from pipe); other Romance languages preserve the
intervocalic -l-: for example, O. Fr. calemite or calmite (FEW :a).
According to the works that we consulted, the form caramita (which we
seem to have here, as indicated by the Hebrew T) . is documented only
once in O. Occ. (RL :a), where it was emended into caramida by
Levy because of the rhyme with falhida (PSW :a). Note that there
are other cases in our text in which the Romance intervocalic -d- is
transcribed using the Hebrew T. (cf. entry Het . " STWRQ LYQYTH, . in
Latin and Romance, the second word must be read as liquida; also cf. the
introduction).
. 79 78
"SPRGWS, Arab. HLYWN, o.l. "SP"RGWS
"SPRGWS comes from Greek (KG : f.; LS ). While

the Greek term can refer to the asparagus (Asparagus officinalis and
Asparagus acutifolius) itself, to the edible shoots thereof and to the edible
shoots of any plant, in Rabbinic literature, the term only refers to the
stalk or shoots of kale, Brassica oleracea, var. Acephala (KA : f., :,
; FM ; FZ f., ; KT :; LF : ff.; LP : the correct
differentiation of asparagus as the tender roots of cabbage, not asparagus,
goes back to the Geonim).
Arabic hilyawn from Greek (= marsh-
asparagus), means asparagus, Asparagus officinalis L., and Asparagus
acutifolius L. (DT :) and features, for instance, in Maimonides Med-
ical Aphorisms (XX, ; XXI, ) and is translated by N as: /
(" SPRGY /" SPRGY) and by Z as: / ("YSPRGY/" SP"RG); cf.
as well BMA .
Sa#adya allegedly called the asparagus (= Arab. G
H%; cf. D
:: asparagus in the dialect of the Maghreb; see as well DT : n. )
(HTG f.). Rav Hai Gaon remarks that "SPRGWS is a sort of cabbage
78 : V
79 : O V
alef
and that it also refers to the wine in which it was prepared and which
was drunk every morning (LO Teshuvot on bPes b, p. ; cf as well
WG f.). R. Samuel Ben Me"ir adds that it was taken as a remedy every
morning on an empty stomach (cf. Rashbam on bPes b). Maimonides
on mNed . remarks that "SPRGWS means, in general, the water in
which vegetables are cooked, and, in this particular case, kale water
(MK :).
"SP"RGWS (or the variant " SPRGWS in the Vatican MS) represents
the Lat. asparagus (NPRA ) or Romance variants derived from it; as
a Romance word, it can be interpreted either as O. Sp. plural espar(r)agos
(DETEMA :ab), or the O. Cat. plural axparagox documented in
Majorca in the early th c. (DCECH :a). The form " SPRGY in the
Oxford MS can be interpreted either as the Lat. plural or genitive singular
asparagi (that appears as esperagi in RPA ), the O. Occ. asperge
(documented since ), esperge, esparge (cf. DAO :; FEW :b)
or the O. Fr. esparge (FEW :a). Also cf. TermMedOc .
. 82 81 80
"QQY", Arab. "Q"QY", o.l. "Q"SY"
Aramaic "QQY" from Greek (KG :; LS ), refers to the

Arabic gum won from the acacia tree (Acacia nilotica or Acacia senegal)
and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bGit b as "QYQ" (variants:
"QWQY", "QQY"), where it is stated: for anal worms one make a dressing
of acacia, aloe juice, white lead, silver dross, an amulet-full of phyllon
and the excrement of doves and apply it to the affected part (cf. JD ;
LW :; SDA ; KA : f., :; FEB ; FO ; LF :). The
regular Hebrew term for the acacia tree is the Biblical (see FEB ff.;
FO ; LF :).
For the Arabic equivalent aqaqiya (DT :; M ) to the Aramaic
"QQY", cf. the Geonic Responsum to the Talmudic passage quoted:
("QQY": thus it is called in Babylonia); see LO Teshuvot
on bGit b, p. . The Arabic equivalent for the Hebrew is sant. (cf.
Sa#adyas commentary on Isaiah : (DS )).
For the vernacular term see entry Alef .
For the identification of Lat./O. Cat. acacia as Arabic aqaqiya, cf.
AdV , .
80 : O
81 : V
82 : V add. V
shem tov, glossary
. 84 83
"YLWW", Arab. S. BR, o.l. "LW"N
The Aramaic term "YLWW", also "LWW" is aloe, Aloe vulgaris (JD ;
LW :; SDA ; KA :, :; AEY :; LA :; LF : f.).
The term features in Rabbinic literature, for instance, in the recipe for
anal worms in bGit b previously mentioned (cf. Alef no. above).
Arabic s. abir refers to the inspissated juice of the leaves of different aloe
species, above all Aloe vera L., and Aloe Perryi Bak. (DT :; M ).
Aramaic "YLWW" is identified as Arabic s. abir in the Book of Medicines
attributed to Asaf: (s. abir is "LWY) (AV :)85 and features
in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXII, ) where it is translated by N
and Z as: ("LW"YN); cf. as well BMA .
The form "LW"Y in the Oxford MS transcribes the M. Lat. aloe (< Gr.
, LS b) meaning, among others, Aloe vera L., Aquilaria L. or its
juice (MLWB :; NPRA ). The Lat. word was also used in various
Romance languages: in O. Occ. and O. Cat. we find aloe(n) (CB ;
RL :b; FEW :b; RM , , ; RPA , , ; RMA ;
DECLC :a; AdV , , , ). The form with -n (represented
by the variants features in the MSS P and V) was taken from the Greek-
Latin accusative (cf. MLWB loc. cit.), which, according to FEW loc. cit.,
entered the Romance languages via Ecclesiastical Latin.
Also cf. entry Qof .
. 88 87 86
"BN HYHWDY, Arab. HGR . "LYHWD, o.l. L"PYS MGN" TY . S
"BN HYHWDY designates the so called Jews stone, which is generally

assumed to refer to the calcified spines of the sea-urchin. It was calcified
spines of the Cidaris glandaria species in particular, found in Palestine
in the middle Cretaceous period, that were brought to Europe by the
83 : V
84 : O V add. V
85 Cf. A. Melzer, Asaph the Physician. The Man and his Book. A Historical-Philological
Study of the Medical Treatise, The Book of Drugs (Diss.) University of Wisconsin ,
p. , l. (commentary, p. a.l.). However, it is possible that the Arabic term is a
gloss (cf. E. Lieber, Asaf s Book of Medicines, Symposium on Byzantine Medicine, ed.
J. Scarborough (Dumbarton Oaks Papers )), Washington , p. .
86 : V
87 : om. P
88 : V
alef
crusaders and called Jews stones or melons from the Carmel. They
were then pulverized and the powder was administered with milk, wine
or honeywater to those suffering from kidney stones, bleedings and
wounds.89 The Hebrew term features for the first time in medieval
literature (BM ). For instance, in Pseudo Ibn Ezras Sefer ha-Nisyonot it
is recommended in a recipe good for amnesia: Said Dioscurides: if you
take the stone called lapis judaicus, which has streaks [on its surface], and
hang it on him, this will help him to regain his memory.90
Arabic hagar
. al-yahud or hagar
. yahud has the same meaning (cf.
M ; IBF ; IJS :; StH ). The term features in Maimonides
Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ) and is translated by Z as: .
L"PYS MGN" TY. S (and LPYS MGNYT. S according to MS V) is the Latin
term lapis magnetis magnetic stone; see, e.g., Sin , n. : Lapis
manetis, i. lapis aymant (cf. entry Alef ). This term corresponds to the
Gr. ! Magnesian stone (LS b), instead of the Latin
lapis magnes (GH :).
. 91
"BS, Arab. MSMS, o.l. "NPRYSGS
"BS is a Rabbinic term referring to ) wild grapes, a species of grape

of inferior quality (only featured in the plural "BSYN = biblical Hebrew
B"WSYM; cf. JD ; LW :; KA :; BM ; LF :) and ) quince,
Cydonia vulgaris ("BS is HBW. S); cf. FZ f.; LF :.
Arabic mismis (apricot, Prunus armeniaca; cf. DT :) is probably a
corruption of mays (cf. FL :: species uvarum passarum; L : a
species of grape-vine . . . , a kind of raisins; LA :).
Maimonides on mMaas . remarks that stands for and
that it is a kind of inferior grape (MK :). Sa#adya (cf. DS ) explains
the term in Isaiah : as (= darnel, Lolium temulentum); in a
similar way IJ .
The vernacular reading of MS P corresponds to the Valencian Catalan
form anprssecs peaches, which can be found in the works of Arnau
de Vilanova (cf. DECLC :ab). According to the editor of AdVCat.
89 See DW :; Yom-Tov Levinski, Avanim t.ovot u-margaliot, Yeda-#Am

(), p. .
90 See Sefer Hanisyonot. The Book of Medical Experiences attributed to Abraham ibn
Ezra. Edited, translated and commented by J.O. Leibowitz and S. Marcus, Jerusalem ,
pp. .
91 : O V
shem tov, glossary
, this form has to be interpreted as antipersica, which he takes to

be a kind of peach (also cf. Old Gascon avantprsec meaning a kind of
little precocious peach, mentioned in DAO :). The Lat. antipersica
appears in the Alphita (Sin , n. ), where it is used as a synonym
for words refering to oranges. The lemma in the Alphita is cochima,
and, according to CA , cochinus is mentioned as a blend of peaches
and plums in the Aphorisms of the Salernitan author Urso. However,
we find it more probable that an- corresponds to the Arabic definite
article (with an assimilation: *al-prssec > amprssec), which is typical
for the areas in which Arabic was originally spoken, while it is lacking
in the rest of the Occitan and Catalan territories (see TermMedOc
f.). The usual Catalan word is prssec (st documentation: , see
DECLC loc. cit.; see ibidem for more variants), whereas, for O. Occ., we
find perseg(u)a, persegue, pres(s)ega, pres(s)egues, pressex, among others
(DAO :; RMM ; RM ; RMA ; CB ). For the variants
of the MSS O and V, provisional readings such as *anprsegues and
*aspesseges respectively, may be suggested.
. 94 93 92
" SWN, Arab. " HR
. S, o.l. " SPRY
Hebrew or Aramaic " SWN from " SN means hard and is a variant of
" SYN (JD ; LW :; SDA ; KA :). The term features in a
botanical context in bShab a where (hard carobs) are
discussed.
Arabic ahras
. is the equivalent of Hebrew " SWN (L ).
The vernacular term " SPRY is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. adjective aspre,
derived from Lat. asper with the meaning rough, hard (RL :b;
DECLC :a). Cf. also " SPRY as a gloss of Hebrew #az strong in ShK .
. 95
"NQH, Arab. WRL
The meaning of the Biblical term "NQH, featured in Lev : in a list of

unclean reptiles, is uncertain; cf. KB : unclean animal: Sept.
92 : e P V
93 : O
94 : V"t" P
95 : (?) add. O V
alef
and Vulg. sorex shrew, Pesh. " amaqta lizard; Bodenheimer, Animal
and Man f.: gecko, Hemidactilus turcicus.96 Cf. as well FA ;
FAB f.; LFa .
Arabic waral is varan, Varanus niloticus (DT :; M ; StS ).
For the identification of "NQH as waral, cf. Sa#adya on Lev : (S )
and IJ . Ibn Janah. adds: IJ KL M/ NO ) (it is something of the
nature of the lizard); cf. MS O: (dabb-lizard).
. See as well SF :.
. 99 98 97
"NYS. Y PSTN, Arab. QM" T;
. i.e., the flax that has been treated
Hebrew "NYS. Y PSTN are bundles of flax; cf. JD ; LW :; KA

: f., :; BM . The term features in Rabbinic literature, such as
in mBM ., for instance, where it is stated that if one finds bundles of
flax they belong to the finder and do not have to be announced publicly
in order that the owner may claim them.
The Arabic term qimat. is the equivalent of the Hebrew term (L )
and features, amongst others, in documents from the Cairo Genizah; cf.
DRD : (lit.: bandage) a variety of flax.
. 101 100
"LWNYM, Arab. S. NWBR, o.l. PNY"S
Hebrew "LWN, plur. "LWNYM can refer to different kinds of big trees,
amongst them: oak (= "allon), or terebinth (= "elon or "elah); cf. KB f.,
; AEY : f.; DAS :; FEB ff., ff.; FM ,; FO ff.,
ff.; FZ f.; LF : f. In Rabbinic literature, we also find the term
but. mim for "elonim to refer to terebinths (cf. Alef no. ; FO , n. ;
FZ ).
Arabic s. anawbar means pine or pine cone (DT :; M ). The
term features in medieval medical literature, for instance, in Maimonides
On Asthma (IV, ; XII, ; cf. BMA and ) and is translated by Samuel
Benveniste as: / (PRY HPNYYS/PYNS).
96 F.S. Bodenheimer, Animal and Man in Bible Lands, Leiden .

97 : V
98 : O V
99 : V
100 : VO
101 : O V V1
shem tov, glossary
We are not certain how the Hebrew and Arabic terms came to be iden-
tified with one another. However, according to Kaleb Afendopolo (?-
)a Karaite author who composed a list of plant names as part
of a supplement to Elijah Bashyazis Adderet Eliyahu, and one of whose
sources was Maimonidesbut. mim can be identical to bot. nim and this
term can also indicate pine cones (" z. t. rwblyn), which are called s. anawbar
by the physicians (cf. LF :, :, n. ; Alef no. ). Maimonides
remarks (M ) that habba
. hadra"
. is the fruit of the terebinth (but. m)
and that in the vernacular of al-Andalus it is called bna rushtiqa i.e.,
pino rustico, which, in reality, designates wild pine, Pinus silvestris (cf.
Rosner ad loc.). Cf. as well Shin no. below.
The vernacular term PNY" S (MS P) must be the O. Occ. pinhas or
O. Cat. pinyas (for the meaning and further references, cf. entry Alef ).
The variant in V seems to be corrupt and is emended in a marginal gloss
(V1) to PYNYWNS, i.e. O. Occ. or O. Cat. pinhons/ pinyons pine seeds,
cf. entry Gimmel . In the variant in O, the Alef and Yod seem to be
inverted due to an error made by the copyist and may be interpreted as
the Cat. plural form pinyes.
. 103 102
"YLN "BRHM, Arab. PNGNKST, o.l. PNT"PYLWN.
Hebrew "YLN "BRHM means chaste tree, Vitex agnus castus (LF : f.:
/ ). The Hebrew term "YLN "BRHM as featured in this
entry is the only Hebrew reference we could find and was possibly coined
by Shem Tov.
Arabic PNGNKST from Persian al-fangankust (cf. pang angust VL
:) is the Arabic equivalent; cf. DT :; M . In colloquial speech,
the tree is called sagarat Ibrahm, cf. Gimmel no. (DT :, esp. n. ).
The vernacular term PNT"PYLWN/PYN
. TH
. PYLWN in the Paris and
Vatican MSS is the Latin pentaphyllon (< Greek ), mean-
ing Potentilla reptans L. or Delphinium staphisagria L., see NPRA ;
GH :. This word was also used in Romance medico-botanical ter-
minology, see the O. Occ. or O. Cat. pentafilon, interpreted as Potentilla
reptans in DAO :; also cf. CB , among others, and DCVB :a.
As to the meaning chaste tree indicated by the Hebrew lemma, it can be
102 : O V
103 : O V
alef
noted that MLWB : gives a quotation from Albertus Magnus (ani-

mal. :), in which the respective terms are identified: agnus, quod
alio nomine pentafylon sive quinque folia vocatur. In fact, pentaphyl-
lon was substituted in MS O by "QNWS QSTW . S, i.e. agnus castus, mean-
ing Vitex agnus castus according to NPRA and MLWB loc. cit.; also
cf. CA . For the interpretation of the epitheton castus, see ibid. and the
following passage from Albertus Magnus (veget. :): Vocatur agnus
castus eo, quod folia et succus et flores eius efficacia sunt in inducenda
castitate. Cf. also entry Gimmel .
. 105 104
"PSNTYN, similarly in Arabic, o.l. "YSNS
"PSNTYN (from Greek !; cf. KG : and LS ) is the Ara-

maic Rabbinic term for absinth, Artemisia absinthium (JD ; LW
:; SDA ; KA :, : f.; KT :, ; LF :), and fea-
tures, e.g. in bAZ a where it is stated in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi
that bitter wine, i.e. wine mixed with absinth (), is not prohibited
when left uncovered. The Biblical Hebrew term is (cf. KB ; LF
: ff.).
For the Arabic equivalent afsantn, cf. DT :; M . The Arabic term
features, e.g. in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (IX, ; cf. BMMb )
where it is transcribed by N as: , and translated by Z as: .
("YSYNS. W).
Biblical Hebrew is translated both by Sa#adya (Proverbs :; cf.
SM ) and Ibn Janah. (IJ f.) as #alqam, a term also used for squirting
cucumber (Ecballium elaterium; cf. DT :) and bitter Cucurbitae in
general (cf. M ).
The vernacular term "YSNS (or "YSYNS. /"YYSYNS. in the Oxford and
Vatican MSS) must be read as O. Occ. aisens (DAO :; PSW :a) or
eisens (DAO loc. cit.; CB ) with the meaning absinth (FEW :a).
Note that the usual Catalan word is donzell (DECLC :ab). See
HebMedSyn (, , ).
104 : O V
105 : O V
shem tov, glossary
. 106
"DRT, Arab. KS", o.l. PLS. "DH
Hebrew "DRT means ) splendor, ) robe (KB ; CD :: majesty,

cloak; DAS :, , , ff., ; KT :). In the latter sense,
it features, amongst others, in Gen : where Esau is described as
emerging red like a hairy mantle all over at his birth: (as
a hairy mantle all over).
Arabic kisa" is the equivalent of Hebrew "DRT (WKAS : f.).
For the identification of "DRT as kisa" cf. Sa#adya on the biblical passage
mentioned (S ). See as well IJ .
The vernacular term must be the O. Occ. or O. Cat. peliseta/pellisseta
petite pelisse (i.e., little coat with a pelt lining, FEW :a), verbrmter
Mantel (i.e., garnished coat, PSW :b; DCVB :a), a diminutive
form stemming from Lat. PELLICEUS made of pelt (FEW loc. cit.).
For the confusion between -t- and -d- in our text, cf. the introduction
and also the entries Alef and Het . . Another possibility would be
to interpret this word as the Cat. feminine form pellissada (masculine:
pellissat) (DECLC :b; DCVB :b), which is used in the context
of wool: Llana pellissada: llana que fa pellissa (i.e., llana pellissada: felted
wool) (DCVB loc. cit.).
. 109 108 107

110
" SLG, Arab. " SN"N, i.e. a plant which is dried, thoroughly pulverized and
turned into a powder with which the hands are washed to remove the
dirt from them
" SLG is a Hebrew Rabbinic term used to refer to the ashes of plants
containing alkali, which were very popular as a washing-powder (JD ;
LW :, ; KA : f., :; BM f.; KT :, ). Foremost
amongst these plants was , Russian thistle, Salsola kali
(FM ; LF :).
106 : O
107 : V
108 : V
109 : om. V
110 : V
alef
Arabic usnan is the Arabic equivalent (cf. DT :, n. : der Walker-

soda, dem Salzkraut, mit dem man sich die Hnde wscht) (salt-wort
(kali) used for washing the hands).
Maimonides renders the Hebrew term " SLG with (as. -s. abun)
in his commentaries on mShab . and mNid .. In bShab a Samuel
remarks on the term " SLG: I asked all seafarers and they told me that it
is called shunana; it is found in the cavity wherein the pearl lies and it is
scraped out with an iron nail.111 The Aramaic featured in this text
has the same root as the Arabic usnan and the Persian usnan or isnan
(VL :: herba quaedam qua vestes et supellectilem et manus quoque
post coenam lavant, ar. P dicta; SC : The herb alkali, and the ashes
which are made from it, with which they wash clothes and the hands after
eating).
For the explanation of the term " SLG, cf. the Geonic Commentary on
Tohorot (EG f): . . . . . .
.
. 114 113 112

" SKR#, Arab. B"QS, o.l. BRZYL
Aramaic " SKR# means box, Buxus sempervirens (JD ; LW : f.;

KA : f., :; BM ; AEY :; FEB ff.; FM ; KT :).
The term features as in the Targum on Is : as a translation
for Hebrew . And in mYom . it is stated that the two lots for the
Day of Atonement may be prepared from box-wood.
Arabic baqs from Greek (LS ) is the Arabic equivalent
(DT :, n. ; ID :). See as well Bet .
The identification of " SKR# as baqs features in the Arukh (KA :),
Ibn Janah. (IJ ) and in Maimonides commentary on the Mishnah
mentioned (cf. MK :), where he remarks that is
(" SKR# is baqs wood); see as well EG and LP .
The vernacular form BRZYL (MSS P and O) is the O. Occ. brazil
(DAO :; RMA ), brezil bois de teinture (i.e. wood used for
111 See as well H. Kroner, Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Medizin des XII. Jahrhunderts an
der Hand zweier medizinischer Abhandlungen des Maimonides auf Grund von unedierten
Handschriften dargestellt und kritisch beleuchtet, Oberdorf. Bopfingen , pp. ,
n. .
112 : Uk" P V
113 : O
114 : V
shem tov, glossary
dyeing, FEW :a)/brezilh meaning brazil wood (RL :a), or the

O. Cat. brasill, idem (documented since , cf. DECLC :a). The
word probably refers to the same wood as the one mentioned in MLWB,
brasilium or brasile (:), where as its meaning wood of the tree
Caesalpina Sappan L. (brazil wood) is given.
Instead of brazil, MS V has another plant name, O. Occ./O. Cat.
sandil, sandel (FEW :b; RMA ; CB among others; DECLC
:a; DCVB :a; AdV among others) which means sandal-
wood (plants of the genus Santalum) or powder made of the sandal-
wood, which is used in medicine.
. 115
"BYB, Arab. PRYK
"BYB is a Biblical Hebrew term for the ears (of corn) already ripe, but still
soft, to be eaten either crushed or roasted (KB ; cf. as well CD :;
DAS :, ff.; FH ).
Fark is the Arabic equivalent (D :: bl qui nest pas encore mr
(corn which is not yet ripe)).
For the identification of "BYB as fark, cf. Sa#adyas translation of Ex
: (S ): (Now the flax and barley
were ruined, for the barley was in the ear):
. Ibn Janah. (IJ ), quoting the Hebrew term as
it features in Lev :: (new ears parched with fire), also
translates it with fark and remarks in the name of Rav Hai Gaon that it
is the ripened ear.
. 117 116
" S. TB",
. Arab. DWKN; the Sages called it DWKN" as it is stated: and the
Levites on their platform
" S. TB"
. is a Rabbinic term meaning, according to JD : a surrounding,
attachment, whence ) balcony, colonnade, portico, and ) something to
recline on; couch, seat; cf. as well LW :; KA :, :; KT :.
115 : V
116 : P V
117 : O :
V
alef
Arabic dukkan from Aramaic DWKN" (FF ) means, according to

L : A shop or kind of wide bench [ . . . ] generally built against a
wall [ . . . ]. Aramaic DWKN" means platform (SDA ; cf. JD ;
LW : f.).
The Rabbinic quotation hails from bMeg a where it is stated that
Priests at their Temple service, Levites on their platform, lay Israelites at
their stationall desist from their service in order to come and hear the
reading of the Megilla (Book of Esther).
. as dukkan, cf. Arukh ::
For the identification of S. TB"
.
. 118
"GN, Arab. "G"NH
Hebrew "GN (aggan) is a large and deep bowl (KB ; CD :; SD ,

SDA , Aram. ; KA :; BM f.; BKH and index; KT :).
Arabic iggana means urn, amphora, washing-tub, cf. L ; HaF .
For the identification of "GN as iggana, cf. Sa#adya (S ) on Ex ::
(Moses took one part of the blood and put
it in basins): (S ). Ibn Janah.
(IJ ) gives the same explanation for the term featuring in Song ::

'K BQ DR : (your navel is like a round goblet); see
as well IQR :; SF :; WB , , n. .
. 120 119
"GWDWT BSR; Arab. SL#, o.l. LWPYY"
The term (lit. bundles of flesh) could not be retrieved in the

secondary literature, but was possibly coined by Shem Tov for the Arabic
sil#atun, plur. sil#un which is, according to L : A ganglion or an
excrescence of flesh. The Modern Hebrew term for ganglion is &Y
(EM :).
The vernacular term LWPYY", according to the MSS V and O, must
be the M. Latin lupia epidermal cyst (DuC :a) or the O. Cat. llu-
pia, bump that is due to a painless tumor, mostly in the face or on the
head, documented since the th c. (DCVB :a; DECLC :b, which
118 : V
119 : O
120 : P
shem tov, glossary
mentions it as a learned word first documented in the th c.). For the

graphical representation in the Hebrew spelling of the word initial palatal
l-, see the introduction. The word is not documented for O. Occ., but the
FEW :a gives the Mod. Occ. variants lupia and lupi(e), so that we
might hypothesise that a form such as *lupia also existed in O. Occ. and
that this is the first documentation (for Occ. as well as for Cat.). Also cf.
M. Fr. loupie and M./Mod. Fr. loupe in the same meaning (FEW loc. cit.).
L(l)upia stems from *lopp- (probably Germanic for lopping thing), an
etymon of a word family that was not documented in the Gallo-Romance
area before the th c., and which appears first in French and later in Occ-
itan (cf. FEW :a). The spelling -YY" instead of -Y" seems to be cor-
rupt. The first -Y- in the variant of the MS P (LYPY") might either repre-
sent the sound [y] (see the introduction) or has to be regarded as an error.
.
"BWB SL QNH, Arab. "NBWB
"BWB SL QNH is a Rabbinic term for reed-pipe (JD ; LW :; KA : f.;

KT :). Thus, it is stated in mArakh . that the pipes used for the
Temple service had to be made of reed rather than bronze because of
their sweet sound. According to Maimonides in his commentary on the
Mishnah mentioned "BWB is the tube of the reed-pipe:
(MK :).
Arabic unbub is the equivalent of "BWB, cf. L f.
For the identification, cf. Rav Hai Gaon, K. al-Haw
. (AK ):
.
. 124 123 122 121

"DR", Arab. #NZRWT, o.l. "NGLWT. or SRQH QWLH QS. BH
Aramaic "DR" is a plant of unknown identity (JD ; LW :; SD ;

SDA ; KA :, :; FEB , n. ; LA :, :). It is identified in
Rabbinic literature as ) (bSanh b; printed editions read: "DR"):
The wood from which Noahs ark was constructed, perhaps cypress
(CD :); ) / (bRH a): the term is a transcription of
121 : O V
122 : O P
123 : O
124 : om. OV
alef
(cedar) (cf. KG :); cf. SB : n. : Whether , which

Rab needs for the explanation, is cedrus with the elision of /k/, seems
to be doubtful. (cf. LW :); according to SDA , this hypothesis
should be rejected since the phonetic change k > " is unknown in Jewish
Babylonian Aramaic; and ) (yKet VII, d): an unknown species
of tree from the Lebanon, or conifer (KB ). In bGit b "dr" juice or
its leaves in beer are recommended for fever. In bBez. b "dr" is identified
as "dr and it is stated: A field in which there is an adar can neither be
robbed nor forcibly purchased and its fruits are protected. According to
the well-known commentator R. Solomon Ben Isaac (Rashi) a.l. it is a
kind of vermicide.
Arabic #anzarut from Persian #anzarut or #angarut (cf. VL :), is
sarcocol, a resinous gum derived from a Persian umbelliferous plant,
Astragalus sarcocolla Dym. (DT :; M ).
The vernacular term "NG(Y)LWT, . according to MSS O and V, cor-
responds to O. Occ./O. Cat. angelot (CB ; DECLC :b), derived
from the Arabic word featuring here, with the meaning substance used
for producing make-up (PSW :b). Corradini quotes the passage:
sarcecoll(am), que es dit a(n)gelot (i.e., sarcecoll(am) which is called
a(n)gelot, CB ). The variant in P is corrupt with the Yod at the wrong
place.
The second vernacular term corresponds to Lat. or Romance sarco-
col(l)a in the variant sarcacolla (MSS P and V) or sercacolla (MS O),
documented, e.g., in O. Occ. as sarcaquolla (RPA ); also cf. O. Sp.
sarcacola in Sin : and the O. Cat. variant used in MS V, sercacolla
(AdV ), a variant of sarcocol(l)a. For O. Occ. and O. Cat. sarcocolla, see
RMA and DECLC :b respectively. For Latin, see LLMA b and
NPRA where the meaning agrimonia is given; GH : with the
meaning Persian gum. The Lat./Romance term was borrowed from Gr.
. The last word given in MS P, QS. BH, could not be identified.
. 126 125
"RGMN, Arab. "RGW"N, they say that this is wool dyed with L"Q"
"RGMN is wool dyed with red purple (KB ; CD :; JD ;

LW :; SD ; KA :; BM ; DAS :, , ff., ). It features
125 : O V
126 : O
V
shem tov, glossary
in the Bible, e.g. Ex :, and in Rabbinic literature, e.g. bSanh a and

mKel ..
The Arabic equivalent is urguwan and means redness or a certain red
dye (L ).
For the identification of "RGMN as urguwan, cf. Sa#adya on Ex ::
(blue, purple, and crimson yarns, fine
linen, goats hair): (S ); see as
well IJ ; IQR :, s.v. ; SF :.
L"Q" is a transcription of Lat. or Romance lac(c)a; cf. DuC :a species
resinae; LLMA b gum, lacquer; also cf. the following Alphita pas-
sage: Lacca dicitur guma de qua urina humana fit carminium, orobo,
orobonis idem (Sin , n. ). According to the sources used by CA ,
lacca is lacca globulata, little balls made of laquer from the red brazil
wood or from Coccionelle (Cochineal). For O. Cat. lac(c)a, lacha and
O. Occ. laca meaning Cartenia lacca, see DECLC :a; DCVB :a;
FEW :a; DAO :a; RL :b; RPA . The DAO loc. cit. and the
FEW loc. cit. add the explication: Matire rsineuse recolte sur certains
arbres, dun rouge brun, qui sert [ . . . ] fabriquer une teinture (i.e., red
brown resinous substance extracted from certain trees, which serves for
fabricating a dye).
. 127
"SPST", Arab. PS. PS. H, o.l. MDG"L
Aramaic "SPST" is horse fodder (JD ; LW :; SDA ; AEY

:), possibly from Persian aspast (cf. VL :; but cf. Akkadian
aspasta: an edible garden plant); it is identified in Rabbinic literature
(e.g. bSanh a; bJeb b; bAZ b) as lucern, Medicago sativa L.; cf.
LF :: The Talmudic passages, however, specifically refer to lucern
(see as well KA :, :; BM ).
Fis. fis. a or fas. fas. a is the Arabic equivalent, which is used for dry lucern
in particular (DT :; see as well ID :; M ).
For the identification as (low growth, corn in its earliest stage
used instead of grass, cf. JD ) in MS V see Rashi on bAZ b:
; see as well LA :.
The vernacular form MDG"L/MDGL (MSS P and V) represents some
variant of Lat. MEDICA, whose name stems from the fact that it was a
127 : O V
alef
species of clover imported from Media (via Greece, where it has been
attested since bc, cf. FEW :a). As the Lat. word (NPRA ),
the Romance forms appear with the meaning Medicago sativa. According
to the FEW, non of the Romance languages inherited this word directly
from Latin, but rather via a Vulgar Latin variant MELICA that is docu-
mented for Medieval Latin (> Sp. mielga, Cat. melca or melga, It. melica,
among many others, see DCECH :ba; DECLC :ab). But in
the Gallo-Romance area we find learned variants of the original form
MEDICA, introduced from the th century onwards, according to the
FEW (e.g. the M. Fr. medique). Interestingly, a form very similar to the
variants that appears in our text (medical) can be found in the northern
French department of Orne (FEW, loc. cit.; cf. ALF , point ). The
FEW remarks that this form is to be explained by assuming that local
botanists changed the original word through popular etymology, in the
form of a contamination with MEDICALIS. A similar hypothesis may
be made for our forms. The Latin accusative form MEDICALEM could
have given rise to a popular form *metgal or a learned form *medegal in
O. Occ., just as the Latin MEDICARI, to heal, was turned into O. Occ.
metgar (FEW :a) or medegar (RL :a). The variant used in MS
O might represent a diphthongised form, which remains unexplained
and could be an error.
. 128
"QLBYSWT, Arab. QTN .
The Hebrew term "QLBYSWT, variants QLYBWST" and QLYBWST,

means coccyx or femur and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in
bShab a (JD ; LW :; KA :, :; Low LXXVII; PB ).
According to Katzenelson,129 it is the Os innominatum. Krauss (KG
:) derives the term from Greek (cf. LS ). Lw remarks
in his notes to Krauss (a.l.) that this etymology is incorrect and refers to
Brll (Forschungen, Ben Chan. , p. ) for a derivation from -
(cf. LS ). Dalman130 explains the term as hailing from the Greek
% (cf. LS , ).
128 : O
129 I.L. Katzenelson, Ha-Talmudwe-Hokhmat ha-Refu"ah, Berlin , p. .
.
130 Cf. G. Dalman, Aramisch-neuhebrisches Handwrterbuch, Gttingen , re-
print Hildesheim , p. .
shem tov, glossary
Arabic qat. an means loins (DKT ; FAL :). The Arabic

equivalent for coccyx is #us. #us. (DKT ).
It is probable that Shem Tovs incorrect entry can be traced back to
a confusion regarding the two terms in his translation of Bk. ; cf. MS
Paris, fol. a: (!) ;
cf. SpLA ,: ST,Q) UQ V2*2 - MK M/ ,Q) (and one or two big
cauterisations over the lumbar region above the coccyx).
. 132 131
" TD,
. Arab. #WSG, o.l. "RNS
The Biblical Hebrew term " TD . (cf. KB ; CD :), also featuring

in Rabbinic literature (e.g. bSot a; mShebi .) (cf. JD ; LW :),
is identified as ) European buckthorn, Lycium europaeum, and )
Rhamnus lycioides or Rhamnus palaestinus (AEY:; DAS :;
FEB ff.; FM ; FO ; LF : ff.).
Arabic #awsag is used for different kinds of lycium which were often
confused with one another, such as Lycium halimifolium Miller and Var.,
Lycium europaeum L. and Var., Lycium afrum L. and Var. (DT :;
M ; DAS :, ; ID :).
For the identification of " TD
. as #awsag, cf. Sa#adya on Gen ::
(When they came to Goren ha-Atad):
(S ), and Ibn Janah. (IJ ). See as well SF :.
The vernacular term "RNS must be the plural of O. Occ. or O. Cat.
arn with the meaning Christs thorn (RPA ), thorny bush, Paliurus
australis (since , DECLC :a, plur. arns, :b). MS O suggests
arnas as a possible reading, which could not be confirmed as a plant name
in the sources we consulted.
. 134 133
"LGBYS, Arab. "LTLG and "LN"D
"LGBYS means hail and features as in Ez :, ; :

(KB ; JD ; CD :; BM ; DAS : f.) in the sense of hail-
stones. bBer b explains as follows:
131 : O V
132 : O
133 : O
134 : VO
alef
(stones which come to a standstill because of a man and fall down

because of a man). Ibn Janah. (IJ ) explains as: 0,L W.
(large hailstones), and similarly David b. Abraham al-Fas (SF :):
.
Arabic talg means snow or cold applied to water (L ) and Arabic
na"ad means aqua e terra emanans (water emerging from the earth)
(FL :).
. 138 137 136 135

"SPLNYT, Arab. LS. WQ and this is anything which adheres to the limb it
is put onto
Hebrew "SPLNYT, from Greek (KG :; LS ), features in

Rabbinic literature (e.g. bShab a, b) as plaster, rag or compress
(JD f.; LW :; KA :, :; KT :; Low XXXVII; PB ).
Arabic las. uq means sticking, adhering, clinging, devoted, attached;
sticking plaster (WKAS : f.; D :; FAQ f.).
Maimonides explains "SPLNYT as marham (salve) in his commen-
tary to mShab . and mKel .. Rashi explains the term as (plas-
ter, compress, bandage) in his commentary to bShaba; see as well
EG .
. 139
"BN SMYR, Arab. HGR. "LM"S, o.l. "DYM"N
Hebrew "BN SMYR features in the Bible and in Rabbinic literature and is
identified as diamond (KB f.; JD ; LW :; KA :, :;
BM f.; LFa ff.).
Arabic hagar
. al-mas also means diamond (L ; RS ; cf. as well
Resh no. below).
For the identification of "BN SMYR as hagar
. al-mas, cf. Sa#adya (frag-
140
ment from the Genizah, T-S. ):
135 : P V
136 : VO
137 : V
138 : O [] V
139 : V
140Published by S. Schechter, Saadyana. Geniza Fragments of Writings of R. Sa#adya
Gaon and others, Cambridge , p. .
shem tov, glossary
(SMYR is explained by R. Sa#adya as mas) (= WG ); Ibn Janah. (IJ ):

. Cf. as well SF :.
The vernacular term "DYM"N is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. adiman(t)
(DAO :; FEW :b; FEW :a; DECLC :b) with the O. Occ.
variant aziman, for diamond or hard metal. Since the Hebrew letter
Dalet may represent the Romance sound /z/ or /dz/ (cf. the introduction
as well as the entries Bet and Gimmel ), both readings are possible.
. 142 141
" SKWL HKWPR, Arab. NQWD "LHN .
Hebrew " SKWL means bunch or cluster (JD ; LW :; KA :,

:; BM ) and Hebrew KWPR features in the Bible and Rabbinic
literature and refers to the cyprus flower, Lawsonia alba L., also called
henna plant (KB ; JD ; LW : f.; BM ; AEY :;
FEB ff.; FM ; FO ; LA f.:; LF : ff.). " SKWL HKWPR
features in the Bible (Song :) and refers to the berry on the henna
bush (KB ibid.).
Arabic #unqud means cluster, bunch of grapes; raceme (HaF ;
L ) and al-hinna"
. means henna, Lawsonia alba L. (DT :; M ;
DAS :; ID :).
For the identification of " SKWL HKWPR as unqud al-hinna
. , cf. Sa#ad-
ya on Song : (SH ): and Ibn Janah. (IJ ). See as
well SF :.
. 143
"GWZ HWDYY, Arab. NRGYL
For the Hebrew and Arabic term, cf. Alef no. .
. 146 145 144

"PWNYN HSWPYN, Arab. "LHM . S. "L"MLS
The Hebrew term "PWNYN features in Rabbinic literature and is identi-

fied as chick-peas, Cicer arietinum L. (DAS :; FM ; LF : ff.).
141 : V
142 : om. V
143 : om. V
144 : V
145 : O V
146 : V
alef
The term "PWNYN HSWPYN means smooth chick-peas (JD :

smooth beans (without incision); FH ) and features, for instance,
in mKil .. The Arabic term himma
. s. or himmi
. s. also means chick-peas,
Cicer arietinum L. (DT :; DAS :, f., , s.v. hummu . s. ;
ID :). al-himma
. s
. or al- himmi
. s
. al-amla s
. means smooth chick-peas
(L ).
The identification can be found in Maimonides commentary to the
Mishnah mentioned (MK :).
. 148 147
"PWNYN GMLWNYN, Arab. "LHM . S. "LKBYR
The Hebrew term "PWNYN GMLWNYN features in the Mishnah, for

instance, in mShebi . and mKil ., and means large-sized chick-peas
(FH , ; LF :).
Arabic al-himma
. s. or al-himmi
. s. al-kabr also means large-sized chick-
peas.
The identification goes back to Maimonides commentary to mShebi
. (MK :).
. 149
"PYL, i.e. the fruits which ripen late
"PYL means late fruits (KB ; JD ; LW :; BM ; DAS :;

FH ) and features in the Bible, for instance, Ex :, and in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. bMQ a.
The explanation of the term is similar to that given by Maimonides
(MK :) on mShebi .: :
("PYL, i.e. the fruits that remained from the past Shemittah
year).
147 : P V
148 : add. V
149 : O
V
shem tov, glossary
. 152 151 150

"GSYM, o.l. PRWNS, Arab. "YG" S. which is #YN BQR
Hebrew "GS, plur. "GSYM, features in Rabbinic literature (e.g. yKil I, a)

and is identified as pear, Pirus communis L. (JD ; LW :; KA : f.,
:; BM f.; AEY :; FE ff.; FM ; KT :; LF : ff.).
According to Fleischer (see LW :), the Hebrew term "GS means plum
in Semitic dialects other than Syriac. In Rabbinic literature, "GSYM is also
written as #WGSYM, which leads Lw to assume that the term is of a non-
Hebrew origin (LF :).
Arabic iggas. is plum, Prunus domestica L. In Syria iggas. means pear.
(DT :; M , ; ID :, :).
For the identification of "GSYM as iggas. cf. Sa#adya (SAM :),
and Maimonides commentary to mKil . (MK :). In his Glossary of
Drug Names, Maimonides remarks that the inhabitants of Spain call iggas.
by the name #uyun al-baqar eyes of cattle (M ; cf. al-Idrs (IJS :):

K ,/ +,' 72) (common people call it #uyun al-baqar).
The vernacular term PRWNS is the plural of Romance pruna or similar
for plums (for the references, see entry Alef ). The synonym that
appears in the Oxford MS represents a variant with an epenthetic Waw
(*purunas); for this phenomenon, cf. the introduction.
150 : O
151 : VO
152 : O V
BET
. 3 2 1
BSM, Arab. QRNPL, o.l. GRWPLY
Hebrew features in the Bible in the sense of ) balsam tree (Bal-

samodendrium opobalsamum), ) balsam oil, and ) perfume (KB
; CD :; BM ). In Rabbinic literature, or features in
the sense of spice, perfume (JD ; LW :, f.; SD ; KA :,
:; LF :).
Arabic qaranful is clove, Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb. or Caryophyl-
lus aromaticus L. The Arabic term is borrowed from Greek
(LS ; DT :; ID :; LF : ff.).
Sa#adya on Is : (S ) translates (BSM) as: I,I fragrant sub-
stance, perfume (L ); see as well Ibn Janah. (IJ ). In his commen-
tary on mUqz ., Maimonides explains the Hebrew as all
kinds of fragrant plants, such as: qirfa (Cortex cinnamoni cassiae), qaran-
ful, and others (cf. MK :). The th century liturgical commentator
Abudarham identifies as qaranful in his commentary on a poem by
Ibn Gabirol: [BWSM, which is called QRNPL in
Arabic] (cf. LF :).
In correspondance with the Arabic term, the vernacular term
GRWPLY (MS P)/GYRWPLY (MSS V and O) is the O. Occ. or O. Cat.
girofle (FEW :b; CB , among others; RMA ; RPA , among
others; RMM ; DECLC :b) for clove (< Fr. girofle < VLat. GAR-
IOFULU < Gr. , documented since in Cat., with the
variants girofre and girofe DECLC loc. cit.).
For the identification of O. Cat. giroffle as Arabic qaranful, cf. AdV ;
GHAT :.
1 : P
2 : V
3 : VO
shem tov, glossary
. 5 4
BTNYM,
. Arab. BLWT, . o.l. GL"NS
The Hebrew term BTNH, . plur. BTNYM,

. features in the Bible (Gen
:) and in Rabbinic literature (e.g. mShebi .) and means pista-
chio, Pistacia vera L. (KB ; CD :; LW :; SD ; KA : f.,
:; AEY :; FE ff.; FM ; FO f.; FZ f.; LA ff.:;
LF : ff.).
Arabic ballut. designates the oak and its fruit, the acorn, Quercus ilex
L. (DT :; M ; DAS :, n. , ; :, , ; ID :). It
is derived from the Aramaic ballut. a oak or acorn (FF ; LF :;
SD ).
Sa#adya (S ) on Gen : translates the Hebrew BTNH . with Arabic
but. m fruit of the terebinth tree (L ; DT :; DAS : f.). In
his commentary on mShebi . (MK :), Maimonides identifies the
Hebrew term (BWTNH) . as (pistachio) and reads the
Hebrew as " alla oak, and not as "ela terebinth, and translates
the term accordingly as: . As to the identification of BTNYM . as
ballut. , it is possible that this transposition of the trees is connected to the
transposition of their fruit as featured in our text.
According to Kaleb Afendopolo (?-) but. mim can be identical
with bot. nim and this term can also indicate pine cones (" z. t. rwblyn) which
are called s. anawbar by the physicians (cf. LF :; :, n. ; Glossary,
no. ; cf. as well Alef no. above).
The vernacular term is Lat. glans acorn (LLMA a; ThLL :)
or, more probably, the plural of O. Occ. glan(t) (DAO :; FEW :a;
RL :a; PSW :b; CB ) or O. Cat. glan (which is documented
since the end of the th c.; DECLC :a), also with the meaning
acorn.
. 7 6
BS. L SDH, Arab. " SQYL or #NS. L or BS. L "LP"R, o.l. " SKYLH or SYBH
MRYNH
The term , lit. field onion could not be retrieved in secondary

literature; it was possibly coined by Shem Tov for Arabic "isql.
4 : V
5 : VO
6 : VO
7 : O V
bet
Arabic "isql or #uns. ul or bas. al al-fa"r is squill, Scilla maritima L.

or Urginea maritima Bach. (L ; DT :; DAS :, , ;
ID :; :). "Isql is the Arabic transcription of the Greek
squill (LS ), and the Arabic name bas. al al-fa"r signifies onion of
rat, as the bulb of the squill was used as a rat poison (M ; DT :).
Arabic #uns. ul features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XVII, ; XXI,
, ) as 0*2 0 (squill vinegar) and is translated by N as:
(HWM . S. " SQYTL"),
. and by Z as: /
.
The vernacular term " SQILH (MS P) is the O. Occ. (e)squil(l)(a), for
scille officinale (Urginea maritima (L.) Baker/Scillla maritima L., see
DAO :; DAO Suppl. :; RL :a; RPA ). The O. Cat. equiva-
lent is esquila (DCVB :a, DECLC :), for which the DCVB indi-
cates the meaning ceba, i.e. onion, which does not appear to be exact,
as the quotation cited there (see below with respect to ceba marina)
shows. MSS V and O suggest a reading *esquitla; this seems to reflect
Catalan spelling conventions (cf. BadGram ), where -tl(l)- could
represent the palatal sound [] otherwise spelt ll in Catalan and lh
in Occitan, like in the homonymous word esquitlla (i.e. bone frag-
ment).
O. Cat. esquilla is identified as Arabic "isql in AdV . For an
identification between Arab. #uns. ul and the O. Cat. term " SQYTLL", . which
reflects the same form as in MSS V and O, cf. GHAT :.
The second vernacular term given in our text is the O. Occ. or O. Cat.
seba (ceba) marina with the meaning sea onion, squill (RL loc. cit.; DAO
loc. cit.), which is identified as or at least related to the first term in the
following passages: (O. Occ.) sqill so es seba marina (i.e. squill that
is seba marina) (RPA ); Et a confortar lauzidor es lesquila bona e
fina quom nomma ceba marina (i. e. and for curing the ears, the squill,
which is called ceba marina, is good and fine, Brev. damor, fol. , quoted
in RL loc. cit.); (O. Cat.) Prenetz lesquila blanca, o s ceba marina
(i.e. take the white squill which is ceba marina, Medic. Part. , quoted
in DCVB loc.cit). According to NPRA (), the scilla alba (with white
membranes) is a subspecies of the Scilla maritima.
For the identification of O. Cat. seba/ceba marina as Arabic #uns. ul cf.
AdV . Arabic "isql is identified as O. Cat. SYB" MRYN" in GHAT :.
shem tov, glossary
. 11 10 9 8
BS. L KWPRY, Arab. BS. L HRYP,
. o.l. SYBH QWDYNT.
The Hebrew term BS. L KWPRY features in Rabbinic literature, for exam-
ple, in mTer ., mNed . or bNed b, a, where it is identified as
wild onion, village onion, as opposed to onions of
the city dwellers (cf. JD ; LW : f.), and in yShebi II, a, where it
features as the translation of the Mishnaic onions which
dont produce seeds (cf. mShebi .; KA :, :). Lw (LF :)
does not identify the Hebrew term BS. L KWPRY as wild or village onion
but rather as Cypriot onions (cf. as well SD ) and refers to Pliny, who
described the Cypriot onions as very strong and pungent.
Arabic bas. al hirrf
. means a strong onion, burning and biting to the
tongue (L ).
Maimonides on mTer . (MK :) qualifies city onions as large and
village onions as small.
The vernacular term SYBH/SYB" QWDYNT. seems to be a literal trans-
lation of the Arabic expression given in our text and is not documented
in this combination in our sources: the first element ceba/seba (see above,
entry Bet ) means onion (FEW :a; RL :a; CB ), the
second one is the O. Occ. present participle cozen(t) (for the forma-
tion of participles in O. Occ., cf. POc ) of the verb cozer (a variant
of the more usual coire, < Lat. COCERE) meaningbesides to cook
tre dsagrable (to be disagreeable) (FEW :a) and causer une
douleur picante (to cause a stinging pain), see RL (:a), where a quo-
tation with a present participle is given: El desiriers cozens e doloiros
(i.e., the sharp and painful desire, B. de Ventadour: Bels Monruels).
The latter sense seems to be present in our case. For the Hebrew letter
Dalet representing the Romance sound /z/, cf. the introduction. Since
the Cat. variant is only documented with the typical loss of intervo-
calic voiced -s- (< -c-) (MollGram )coent for excessivament picant
(excessively hot/ spicy, see DECLC :b)we can exclude this lan-
guage here.
8 : V
9 : V
10 : VO
11 : add. V
bet
. 13 12
BWRYT, Arab. BWRQ or NTRWN, . o.l. SLNYTRY
.
The Hebrew term BWRYT features in the Bible (Jer :; Mal :)

and in Rabbinic literature (e.g. mNid .; mShab .; bNid a; bShab
a) and means alkaline salt extracted from soap-plants; lye, potash,
Mesembrianthemum cristallinum (KB ; CD :; JD ; LW :;
KA : f., :; BM ; DAS :; :; FO ff.; FZ f.;
LF : ff.; Low XXXIX; KT :).
Arabic bawraq or buraq means borax and is derived from the Persian
bawrah or burah (VL :). According to al-Idrs (IJS :), it is called
nt. run in Greek. Maimonides states that bawraq is a type of natron,
Arabic nat. run (M ); see as well Goltz (GS ff.), who remarks that the
nitrum of Dioscurides and Galen was identified as bawraq. For bawraq,
cf. as well A. Dietrich, in EI2 XII Suppl. f.
Maimonides comments on the afore-mentioned Mishnaic references
that (BWRYT) refers to Arabic gasul soap, and Ibn Janah. com-
ments on Jer :: , : (i.e. in Arabic
usnan kali or glasswort, a plant used for washing; cf. DT :; M ).
Rashi on bKer a explains (BWRYT) as soap.
The vernacular term SLNYTRY/ . S"LNYTRY
. is the O. Occ. or O. Cat.
word salnitre (DAO ; CB ; DECLC :a; DCVB :a) or the
Latin sal nitri (for sal, salt, see DuC :a; for nitrum, natural soda,
DuC :c; GH : gives sal nitrum with the meaning sodium
carbonate); for its use in O. Occ. texts, see RMA (). The meaning is
natural soda (FEW :b), potassium nitrate (DCVB, l.c.). In O. Cat.,
the word is documented since .
Lat. sal nitrum (nitri)/O. Cat. salnitre is identified as Arabic bawraq in
AdV , , and the GHAT : identifies the Romance (O. Cat.)
term as Arab. nat. run.
. 15 14
BNWT SQMH, Arab. GMYZ, that is figs of the field
The Hebrew term BNWT SQMH features in Rabbinic literature (e.g.

mDem . or bBer b) and is identified as the fruit of Ficus
12 : O V
13 : O
14 : O V
15 : V
shem tov, glossary
Sycomorus L. (JD ; LW :; KA :, :; FE ; FM ;
FZ ; LF : ff.).
Arabic gummayz is sycamore, Ficus Sycomorus L. (DT :; DAS
:, , , ).
For the identification of BNWT SQMH as gummayz, cf. Sa#adya (SAM
:); Maimonides on mDem .: , =
(BNWT SQMH = gummayz, it is also called wild figs) (MK :).
. 18 17 16
BWTNH,
. that is "YLN HPSTQYM
Hebrew BWTNH,
. plur. BTNYM
. means pistachio, Pistacia vera L. Mai-
monides on mShebi . (MK :) identifies the Hebrew term as
(pistachio); cf. the explanations and references in Bet no. .
. 21 20 19
BYS. H TR"MY
. T",
. Arab. NYMBRST, i.e. half cooked
The Hebrew term features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bNed b, as

and is explained there as referring to an egg boiled down
so many times that it is small enough to be swallowed and pass through
the body unchanged. If such an egg is consumed by a patient, it attracts
the sickening matter and can be used by a physician for diagnosis.
(cf. JD ; LW :; PB ). In yNed VI, c it features as
and is explained as , i.e. &, an egg that can be
supped up (LS ). In mNed ., it features as and is
explained by Maimonides (MK :) as an egg cooked in hot water
which has not been allowed to coagulate, and is called by
physicians. According to Krauss (KG :; see as well LW :)
is derived from trembling, moderately boiled (LS ), while
Kohut (KA :) derives from softness (LS ; cf.
Low XL: soft-boiled egg).
16 : O
17 : O
18 : V
19 : O V
20 : O V
21 : V
bet
Arabic NYMBRST or NYMRST is derived from the Persian Y

C,B
and means ovum semicoctum, half-cooked egg (VL :; D :;
EG ; IJ ; KZ ).22
For the identification of BYS. H TR"MY
. T"
. as NYMBRST, cf. Maimoni-
des commentary on mNed . stated above (MK :).
. 23
BHRMG, Arab. SYH, . o.l. SNTWNY"
.
BHRMG is Bactrian willow (Salix Caprea L.?). The term is probably a

transcription of Arabic bahramig (for the different interpretations of this
plant name, cf. MS ff.:); Persian bahramih (VL :).
Arabic sh. is a general name for all Artemisia species, possibly referring
to Artemisia maritima (wormwood) in particular, cf. DT :.
One Latin word for wormwood, already used by Pliny, is santon-
icum, that also appears as santonica herba in Latin and as centonica in
M. Lat. (NPRA ; DuC :a; FEW :ab). From this word,
some learned and inherited forms still exist in Romance, although they
are essentially restricted to the Gallo-Romance territory (cf. FEW loc.
cit.). Consequently, we could not find any O. Cat. documentation (see
DECLC :b for a modern variant taken directly from Latin, maybe in
the th c.). But in O. Occ., we find forms like centonica and sentonica
for Artemisia absinthium (besides the more usual aisens, ausens, ensens)
and the like (DAO :; see also entry Alef ). The form found
in our text matches the Old Gascon variant sentonia, which is quoted
in the DAO (:) with the meaning Santolina Chamaecyparissus. It
is unclear from where the authors of the DAO took this meaning, but
it seems likely that it was taken from the FEW :a. However, the
FEW remarks that both wormwood and Santolina belong to the family
of Anthemideae, so that the name santonica was also applied to the latter
already in the late Middle Ages. For the M. Latin centonica, the meaning
Artemisia abrotanum is confirmed by the Alphita tradition (see Sin b;
Creutz ).
22 Cf. H.G. Kircher, Ibn al-Quff, Die Einfachen Heilmittel aus dem Handbuch
der Chirurgie des Ibn al-Quff (Diss.), Bonn , no. : Das beste Ei (d.i. das
bekmmlichste) ist dasjenige, das man weichgekocht (nmbirisht) verzehrt, und zwar
bringt man Wasser zum Sieden, gibt das Ei hinein, zhlt bis dreihundert und nimmt es
herausdann ist es nmbirisht (i.e. the best [that is, most digestible] egg is one that is
soft boiled [nmbirisht], which is done by bringing water to a boil, putting in the egg,
counting to three hundred, and taking it out againthen it is nmbirisht).
23 : V
shem tov, glossary
. 26 25 24
BR" DTWM", Arab. SN TWM, o.l. DRN" D"YL
Aramaic BR" DTWM", featuring in bShab b and bTaan a, means

clove of garlic, as Rashi on bTaan a explains: : :
(for garlic, Allium sativum L. see SDA ; DAS :;
LF : ff.).
Arabic sinn tum is clove of garlic (L ). In Geonic sources we find
the explanation habb at-tum (SDA ).
.
O. Occ. *darna dalh or O. Cat. *derna dall (clove of garlic) was not
found in this combination in our sources. For the O. Occ. alh (var. all,
aill, ayll, aylh among others)/O. Cat. all (var. ayl, all), meaning Allium
sativum L., see DAO :; FEW :a; RL :a; DECLC :a;
DCVB :. Occ. darno tranche dorange, de noix etc (i.e. slice of
orange, of nut and others, see DAO :), tranche de poisson (i.e.
slice of fish, seeFEW :a) is only documented for modern dialects.
Similarly, for Cat., derna tros, boc en qu es parteixen fruits i altres coses
(i.e., piece, morsel, in which fruits and other things are divided) is not
documented before and is not very common (cf. DECLC :a;
DCVB :a). According to FEW loc. cit., the word was borrowed
from Breton, arguing that the basic meaning was slice of fish, and that
the word was not found in Gallo-Romance sources before the th c.
(Northern France) and even later in Southern France (th c.). Thus, we
are dealing here with a first documentation, so that the etymology of the
FEW has probably to be rejected. It seems to be more plausible to us,
that, as Coromines proposes, the word derives from a Gaulish etymon
*DARNOM (plur. DARNA). Thus, given the ancient documentation in
our text, it might turn out in future research that the word was borrowed
in the Occ./Cat. area and spread from there to the north, contrary to
the FEW argumentation. The clove of garlic was normally called in
O. Occ. dolsa (daill), cabossa (dalh), testa (dailh) (RL :a; DAO :),
in O. Cat. dent dall (DCVB :b).
O. Cat. all is identified as Arabic tum in AdV .

24 : O
25 : O V
26 : VO add. V
bet
. 28 27
BRY DTUMY, Arab. "SN"N TWM, o.l. DRNS D"LYS
Aram. BRY DTUMY is a plural of the previous item, just like Arabic
asnan tum. We could not retrieve the plural form in current literature.

Likewise, the vernacular term is the same as in entry Bet and
features here with both nouns in their plural form.
. 29
BYS. Y KYNYM, Arab. S. YB"N
Hebrew BYS. Y KYNYM means nits or a species of vermin called lice-

nits (JD ; LW :; KA :, :) and features in bShab b
and bAZ b.
Arabic s. i"ban or vulgarly pronounced s. ban is the equivalent of the
Hebrew term (L ).
For the identification of BYS. Y KYNYM as s. i"ban, cf. LO Perushim on
bShab b, p. : .
. 31 30
BRDLS, Arab. PHD, o.l. LWPRT.
Hebrew BRDLS, from Greek leopard (LS ; KG :;

LR ) means cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus (JD ; LW : f.; KA
:, :; EM ; BAL ; FAB f.), and features in Rabbinic
literature, where it is identified as three different animals: polecat (cf.
Rashi on bPes b), hyena (cf. bBQ b) and panther (cf. bBQ b;
bBM a) (cf. LZ ).
Arabic fahd is lynx (L ; JAD : ff.) and also means cheetah
in Modern Arabic (W ; cf. as well BK ; KSZ :, :, f.:,
f.:; StS ).
Maimonides on mBQ . identifies BRDLS as , Arabic dab#, .
hyena (MK :; L ).
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. laupart or the O. Cat. leupart
(documented since Llull) for leopard (FEW :a; DECLC :b).
27 : om. V
28 : O
29 : V
30 : V
31 : V
shem tov, glossary
. 34 33 32
BYB, Arab. BLW#H or MZ"B, o.l. "YGYR
The Hebrew term BYB features in Rabbinic literature (e.g. mErub .;

mAZ .; bErub a; bBQ a, a; bAZ b) and means conduit, pipe,
gutter or canal (CD :; JD ; LW :; SD ; KA :, :;
BKH , , ; KT :, ).
Arabic ballu#a means a sink-hole or perforation, into which water
descends (L ) and Arabic mzab means a water-spout, a pipe or
other channel that spouts forth water (L ).
For the identification of BYB as ballu#a, cf. Ibn Janah. (IJ f.): /LQ
ZA [ ) ( is a hollow place like ballu#a), and Maimonides
on mErubv . (MK :): : (a canal which
the water runs through).
The vernacular term represents the O. Occ. aiguier drain for dirty
water (FEW :a)/Cat. aiguer trough with water that the potter
needs to moisten his hands, kind of tin tankard that serves to scoop
water (DCVB :a), derived from the Lat. AQUARIUS. Note that the
Occ. ending -ier35 (with the diphthong [je]) is well represented in MS
O by -YYR, whereas the beginning of the variant in MS O seems to be
corrupt or to reflect some non-documented dialectal variants (which
would be analogous to similar forms with initial id-/ed- documented for
Francoprovenal: edir, idye. r big vase for serving water at table, FEW
loc. cit.). The variant in MS P, with a single Yod in the ending, might
suggest a Cat. reading, since the diphthong [je] tends to be represented by
-YY- in our MSS. The synonym of the Vatican MS possibly corresponds
to the O./M. Fr. aiver, eauvier with the meaning big vase for serving water
at table (FEW loc. cit.). Lastly, it might be worth while mentioning that
the meaning of the Arabic word ballu#ah (see above) is closely matched by
one of the meanings of the O. Occ. feminine word aiguiera, namely sink
((FEW :a) DCVB loc. cit., meaning II.)a word that is attested
also in Cat. (aiguiera) in the same meaning.
32 : V
33 : V
34 : O V add. V
35 The ending -ier was the regular result of the Latin suffix -ARIUS in Occ. (see
GHP ff.).
bet
. 37 36
BTWLT QRQ#, i.e. hard soil never worked on
The term BTWLT QRQ" designates virgin soil and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in bNid b (JD ; LW : f.; KA :; BM ), where
it is explained as: (as long as it is not tilled). Next to
we find: , for instance in Tos. Shebi ..38
. 40 39
BTY GHYNY,
. that is, low houses.
Aramaic BTY GHYNY. means houses with low ceilings (JD , s.v. ;
LW :; SDA : low rooms; KA :, :) and features in bShab
a in the context that it is not forbidden to cover a lamp on Shabbat so
that the sparks do not set the beams of the house on fire, especially in
BTY GHYNY,
. that is, houses with low ceilings.
. 42 41
B#LT HS. D, Arab. D"T "LGNB, o.l. PLBSYN NWN WYYR"
B#LT HS. D was possibly coined by Shem Tov as a Hebrew loan translation
of the Arabic dat al-ganb, and does not feature in the standard Hebrew
dictionaries.
Arabic dat al-ganb means pleurisy, Pleuritis costalis (L ; IR ,
Rippenfellentzndung; cf. as well Sade no. below). The
; SN : .
term features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (VI, ; cf. BMMb ),
where it is translated by N as: and by Z as: .
The vernacular term PLBSYN NWN WYYR" in the Vatican MS
(PLWYSYN NWN WYR" in the Oxford MS) must be interpreted as
*plevesin non vera. With the addition non vera the author seems to sug-
gest that the illness treated here is not the real pleuresy in contrast to
the one that figures in Sade
. and Shin . This combination is not
36 : O
37 : V
38 See Tosefta Zera#im, ed. S. Lieberman, New York , p. , and his commentary
(Tosefta Ki-fsut. ah), p. .
39 : om. V
40 : O
41 : VO
42 : O P
shem tov, glossary
documented in our sources, but see e.g. the analogous expression pleure-
sa no verdadera in the O. Sp. version of Bernard de Gordons Lilium
medicinae (LM II:): La [pleuresa] no verdadera se produce en los
msculos o en la carne de las costillas en el exterior o en las costillas
falsas que estn debajo del diafragma [ . . . ] o bien es de ventosidad
(i.e., the false [pleurisy] arises in the muscles. or in the external flesh
of the ribs or in the false ribs which are beneath the diaphragm [ . . . ],
in other words, it is a result of flatulences). The first element is the
O. Occ. plevesin (FEW :a, variants: plevezin, plevesim). The FEW
remarks, that the ending -in in O. Occ. is a result of the change of the
Greek ending -' (') in -inum in Late Lat. (FEW :b). The
variant of the Paris MS belongs to the Lat., O. Occ. or O. Cat. form
pleuresis pleurisy (DuC :b; LLMA b; CB ; DCVB :a;
DECLC :a, documented in O. Cat. since the end of the th c.). The
following two elements in the MSS O and V must be read as Latin non
vera with the meaning not real. The variant of the Paris MS (PLBRSYN
YWWYR") might transcribe *pleuresin vera; for this term, cf. the entries
Sade
. and Shin . We might assume, for *pleuresin, an adaptation of
pleuresis according to the O. Occ. model discussed above (plevesin). Less
probably, it might be that the Nun in PLBRSYN belonged to the following
word in the MS which P is based upon; in this case, the following Yod
might be corrupt for Waw and Waw for Nun, so that we get the reading
*pleurisie non vera, where pleurisie would, however, be O. Fr. (pleursy in
M. and Mod. Fr.), however (FEW loc. cit.).
.
BWLMWS, Arab. S"
Aramaic BWLMWS, from Greek = (LS ; KG

:; LR ), means ravenous hunger, bulimy, esp. faintness from
fasting (JD ; LW :; SDA ; KA :, :; Low XXXIX). It
features, e.g. in mYom . and bYom a.
Arabic gas = gasy means syncope, fainting (cf. L f.; SN ).
Arabic gasy features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (e.g. III, ; IV,
; VI, ; VII, , , , ; cf. BMMa , and BMMb , , ,
ff., ), where it translated as: // both by N and Z. In
his commentary on mYom ., Maimonides explains as a sort of
epilepsy () (MK :).
bet
. 43
BW#H, Arab. DBYLH, o.l. PWSTYM".
Aramaic BW#H means swelling or abcess (JD s.v. ; LW :;

SDA ; KA :, :; BM ) or bulla or blister on the lung or
outside the body (Low XXXIX) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g.
bSanh b, bHul
. b.
Arabic dubayla means an abcess (L ; SN ). It features in
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXIII, a) and is transcribed by both
N and Z as: .
The vernacular term PWSTYM"
. is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. postema
with the meaning abcess (CB , , , among others; RM ;
DECLC :a, documented in Catalan since the end of the th c.).
. 44
BWRM" DGLL", Arab. BR"M MN H . GR
Aramaic BWRM" DGLL" means stone pot (SDA ; KA :, ,

:) and features in the plural BWRMY DGLLY in bPes b.
Arabic burma, plur. biram, is a cooking-pot of stone, or a cooking-
pot in a general sense, of copper, iron, etc. (L ; cf. DRD : earth-
enware pot); and biram min hagar
. means cooking pots of stone. Cf. as
well Pe no. below.
The identification of the two terms can be found in medieval Halakhic
literature. For instance, Zedekiah ben Abraham Anav (th century)
states in the Sefer Shibbolei ha-Leket: his words (i.e. ha-Rif = Isaac Alfasi)
prove that are stone vessels which are the same as our ,
and in Arabic is called (sic).45
. 46
BLH, Arab. BLH
Hebrew BLH means to be used up, to be worn out and features in the
Bible, e.g. Deut : (KB ; CD :; BM ).
43 : V
44 : O V
45 Zedekiah ben Abraham, Anav, Sefer Shibbolei ha-Leket ha-Shalem, ed. by S. Buber,
Wilna , p. .
46 : V
shem tov, glossary
Arabic BLH is Arabic bala, read: baliya, which has the same meaning
as the Hebrew (cf. L f.).
For the identification of the two terms, cf. Sa#adya on the biblical verse
mentioned:
(I led you through the wilderness forty years; the
clothes on your back did not wear out, nor did the sandals on your feet):

(S ); IJ , n. (gloss MS R). See as well IQR :; SF :;
WB .
. 48 47
BYS. H, Arab. HM"H
.
Hebrew BYS. H means waterlogged ground, marsh (KB ; CD :;

BM ) and features in the Bible, e.g. Job :.
Arabic ham"a
. has a similar meaning (L : black mud).
For the identification, cf. Ibn Janah. (IJ ): ) \'] ^UHT- 7)
+L_7. Sa#adya on Job : (SJ ) translates as: (mud, mire),
and David b. Abraham al-Fas (SF :) as: (water oozing from the
ground).
. 50 49
BYT HMWQD, Arab. MTBKH, . o.l. PWG"NYH
The Hebrew term MWQD means a fireplace and BYT HMWQD gener-
ally a room where fire is maintained and specifically the room in the tem-
ple in which a fire is continuously maintained, from where fire was taken
daily for the altar, and where the priests warmed themselves and features
in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShab . (JD ; LW :; KA : f.;
DAS :,, ).
Arabic mat. baha means a place of cooking or a place in which cooking
is performed (L ; cf. as well DAS :, , , , ).
The vernacular term PWG"NYH (according to the MS P) represents
the O. Occ. foganha/fuganha kitchen (PSW :ab) or the O. Cat.
foganya fireplace (DCVB :a; DECLC :a). The latter is, according
47 : om. O
48 : V
49 : O V
50 : O V
bet
to DECLC loc. cit., a typical variant of the dialects of the Balears and
the Empord, (an area close to the Occitan speaking territory). Other
documented forms of this word are O. Occ. fogaynha (FEW :a;
RL :a) and the more common O. Cat. variant fogaina (DECLC loc.
cit.; DCVB loc. cit.). These forms do not seem to be represented by the
Hebrew spelling showing only one Alef that hardly can stand for the
diphthong /ai/. For the Romance term also cf. TermMedOc f.
. 51
BYYTWT, Arab. "HLYH, that means being raised in houses
The Hebrew term BYYTWT means domestic animals, i.e. those that
pass the night in the town (JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ;
DAS :; KT :) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mBez.
. or bBez. a.
Arabic ahliy means a domestic beast that keeps to the dwelling of its
owner (L f.).
. 53 52
BYBRYM, Arab. BRG "LHM"M.
Hebrew BYBR, plur. BYBRYM, from Greek = Latin vivarium

(KG : f.), means an enclosure in which live game, fish and also wild
beasts are kept (JD ; LW :; SDA f.; KA : f.; DAS :;
KT : f.) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mBez. ..
Arabic burg al-hamam
. means a pigeon-turret or a lodging place
of pigeons (L ; DAS : ff.). In his commentary on mShab .,
Maimonides explains the Hebrew term BYBR as a place where birds and
animals are kept (MK :).
. 55 54
BRWS, Arab. BQS, o.l. BWYYS
Hebrew BRWS refers to Juniper, Juniperus drupacea Labill., Juniperus

Excelsa L., and features in the Bible (e.g. Is :) and in Rabbinic literature
51 : V
52 : V
53 : O V
54 : V
55 : P [] add. V
shem tov, glossary
(e.g. bRH a) (KB; AEY :; DAS :, ; FEB ff.; FM ;

FO ff.; FZ f.; LF : ff.).
Arabic baqs means the box-tree, Buxus sempervirens L. (see Alef
). Hebrew BRWS is normally translated into Arabic as: or
(cf. RO ; SE ; IJ : , gloss MS Rouen (n. ): ;). +B 0,)
which is the Aramaic (FA ); but cf. SF :: :
(BRWSYM is cedar; cf. DT :). The Hebrew equivalent to Arabic
baqs is , and the Aramaic one is ; cf. Alef ; see as well Alef
.
The vernacular term BWYYS (according to MS O) is the O. Occ. or
O. Cat. boys for Buxus sempervirens (DECLC :b; RL :b; CB ).
In O. Cat. it is documented for the first time in the th c. (DECLC,
l.c.).
. 56
BYT HS. W"R, Arab. TWQ
. "LTWB, o.l. QBS. "NH
BYT HS. W"R means neck opening or jugulum and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in bShab a (LW :; KA :, :; BM ; KT :,
).
Arabic t. awq at-tawb means neck opening of a garment (DAS :,
).
A Geonic Responsum (GGS , l. , and ) explains the term as:
(= Persian juruban for collar).
The vernacular term in the Paris MS corresponds to the O. Occ./O. Cat.
capsana (Cat. variant: capana), collar (FEW :b; DECLC :a
b; DCVB :b). The forms in MSS P and O represent the variant cau-
sana, mentioned in PSW :a alongside capsana, where the meaning
halter; a ring that holds the hunting bird is given. For other meanings,
cf. DCVB loc. cit..
. 58 57
BLWYY, Arab. HLQ"N

The Hebrew term BLWYY or BLWY features in the Bible (e.g. Jer :)
and Rabbinic literature (e.g. mKel .; bSukk b) in the plural only
56 : O V add. V
57 : V
58 : VO
bet
and means rags of old clothes (KB ; CD :; JD ; LW :;

BM ; cf. Bet no. ).
Arabic hulqan/halaqat, sing. halaq/halaqa, means old and worn out
garments or pieces of cloth (L ).

For the identification, cf. IQR :: (Jer :):
. Sa#adya on Is :: (And
theninstead of perfume, there shall be rot; and instead of an apron, a
rope): , has Arabic
halaqat for Hebrew NQPH (S ; cf. RO ).

. 60 59
BWKN", Arab. PHR, o.l. PYSTWN .
Aramaic BWKN" or BWK"N", from Akk. bukanu (cf. from Greek ,

spiral trumpet, horn, LS ; KG :; SB :), features in Rabbinic
literature (e.g. bShab b or bBQ b) and means pestle, rib (JD ;
LW :; SD ; SDA ; KA : f.; KT :; LF :).
Arabic fihr means a stone such as fills the hand or a stone of the size
of that with which one crushes walnuts and the like, or simply a stone
(L ; cf. HaF : stone-pestle).
A Geonic Responsum (ATG ) explains the term as Arabic:
(pestle of a mortar).
PYSTWN,
. the vernacular term according to the Paris and Oxford MSS
is documented in M. Fr. as piston, pestle (FEW :ab), but most
probably corresponds to a non-documented O. Cat./O. Occ. *pisto(n),
which is attested for Cat. only since (pist, see DECLC :a;
DCVB :b) and for Occ. in Mistral (pistou(n), see TrFel :b).
DECLC loc. cit. indicates that the Cat. word was borrowed via Fr. piston
from the It. pistone (the etymon is lat. PISTARE to pound; cf. FEW
loc. cit.). The usual word to designate the pestle in O. Occ. was pestel
(FEW :b; PSW :b), stemming from lat. PISTILLUM, which has
the same meaning (cf. FEW loc. cit.). The variant of the Vatican MS seems
to be corrupt without the -t-.
59 : O
60 : V
shem tov, glossary
. 63 62 61
BTNYM
. SL "RS. , Arab. BLWT. "L"RD, . this is "LKM"DRYWS, o.l.
K"MYDRYWS
The Hebrew term (BTNYM . SL "RS. ) could not be retrieved in

Hebrew literature (for ; cf. Bet no. above) and was possibly coined
by Shem Tov for Arabic ballut. al-ard..
Arabic ballut. al-ard. literally means oak of the earth from Greek
(LS ) via Syr. ballut. ar#a (cf. BLS ) and designates, just
like the Arabic transcription of , that is kamadaryus or the
older form hamadaryus, three different plants: . Teucrium chamaedrys
flavum L. and . Stachys officinalis L. and Var. (DT :;
L.; . Teucrium
M ).
The term featuring as vernacular, K"MYDRYWS according to MS
P, must be the Lat. camedreos/camidrios/camidreos/camidreus meaning
Teucrium chamaedrys L., Teucrium lucidum L., Veronica Chamaedrys L.
and Stachys officinalis L., which is documented, among others, in the
Alphita (see Sin ab, also for the derivation of camedreos from the
Greek word mentioned above; MLWB :; NPRA ; ThLL :;
CA ). This term appears in O. Occ. medical texts in the variant camed-
ereos (RPA ; RMA ) and in a Hebrew text written in Southern
France as Q"MDRY"WS/QMDRY"WS (PJP ). For O. Cat., it is docu-
mented in GHAT : where it is transcribed as QMDYRY"WS. The
common word used in Lat. was chamaedry(o)s, chamaedryis, transcribed
from the Greek (MLWB loc. cit; NPRA loc. cit.; ThLL :, where a quo-
tation of Scribonius Largus, , is given: quae herba similis
quercus folia habet), but the Hebrew spelling of all three variants rather
suggests one of the forms mentioned above. With respect to the final part
of the word, the variants used in MSS V and O present an Alef that indi-
cates the hiatus.
. 64
BHRMG, o.l. SNTWNYH.
Cf. Bet no. .
61 : VO
62 : O, om. V
63 : O V
64 : om. OV
GIMMEL
. 2 1
GYHWQ, i.e belching, Arab. TMTY, . o.l. " STRYLY"R
.
The Hebrew term GYHWQ means belching (LW :; KA :,

:; BM ) and features in bBer a. Rashi gives a second expla-
nation: ( that is to say that he
raises and stretches his body upwards) (cf. BM n. ).
Arabic tamat. t. a (M") means he stretched himself (L ). In
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXIV, ), the Arabic M" )& I`_ (he
yawned or stretched himself) is translated by N as: and by Z
as: .
For the identification of GYHWQ as tamat. t. a, cf. Tanhum
. Ben Joseph
Ha-Yerushalmi (TB ), s.v. : ghnen () ist gekrzt aus
, ebenso wie , rlpsen, eig. sich recken (), aus .
Cf. as well ShM f. A Geonic explanation of is: (laughing,
jesting) (LO Liqqut. ei Ge"onim on bBer b, p. ).
The vernacular term " STRYLY"R
. (MSS P and O) is the O. Occ. esteril-
har, to stretch (out), to loll (FEW :a; PSW :b). According to
FEW loc. cit., the word seems to be absent from Cat., as well as from the
other Romance languages.
. 5 4 3
GRYSYN, Arab. PYS"R or another kind of cereal
Hebrew GRYS, plur. GRYSYN, is a Rabbinic term which lit. means split,
broken and which is used in particular in the sense of pounded, broken
bean, or grain of pearl barley, or geris, i.e. a certain measure (JD ;
LW :; KA : f., :; FA ; KT :). Plur. GRYSYN is used in
particular in the sense of a dish of pounded grains (JD ), or groats
1 : om. OV
2 : V
3 : O V
4 : VO
5 : V add. V
shem tov, glossary
or porridge made from marsh beans, Vicia Faba L. (LF : ff., but cf.
DAS :).
Arabic faysar means, according to D :, s.v.(*,: fves cuites avec
du beurre et du lait (beans cooked with butter and milk). Dalman
(DAS :) states that marsh beans (Vicia faba L.) that have been
pounded (magrus), cleaned from their pods and cooked with groats of
wheat, are called bs. ar.
Maimonides on mPeah . explains the Hebrew term as:
(the term for beans once they have been
pounded and cleaned from their peels) (MK :).
. 7 6
GWPNN, Arab. SBST"N, o.l. SBST"N
The Hebrew term GWPNN features in Rabbinic literature (e.g. mDem

.) and means ) fennel, Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (FM ) and
) sebesten, i.e. the fruit of the sebesten tree, Cordia Myxa L. (AEY
:; DAS :; FZ f.; LF : f.; :).
Arabic sibistan or sabistan is the Arabic form of the Persian sag-pistan
(VL :) and means sebesten, i.e. the fruit of the sebesten tree, Cordia
Myxa L. (M ; ID :).
For the identification of the two terms, cf. Sa#adya (SAM :); see
as well Maimonides on mDem .: :
(a plant similar to aneth and, according to others, to sebesten)
(MK :).
The vernacular form SBST"N (MS P) represents M. Lat./Romance
sebesten/sebestin. For M. Lat. it is documented in the Alphita (see Sin
,; CA ) and in the Latin version of the index of Ibn Snas
Kitab al-Qanun (see Sin , n. ); also cf. AdOr and Sin b.
For Romance it is documented, e.g., in Cat. (sebesten, Cordia Myxa L.,
although very late, , see DECLC :a) and in O./M. Fr. (sebestin),
M./Mod. Fr. sebesten (FEW :b), as well as in similar Spanish
(DCECH :ab) and Old Francoprovenal forms (sebasten, see AdOr
). We could not find any documentation for O. Occ., but see the Mod.
Occ. form sebest(e) without final -n, attested in DFO :a.
6 : O V
7 : O V
gimmel
. 8
GRGRY #S. Y QTP,
. Arab. HB . BLS"N, o.l. QRPWBLSMW
Hebrew GRGRY #S. Y QTP . means the berries, i.e. fruits of the balsam tree,
Commiphora opobalsamum, and features, for instance, in mShebi .
(JD ; LW :; KA :, :; AEY :; FM ; LF ::
storax, cf. as well Qof no. and Ayin no. below).
Arabic habb
. balasan means the fruit of the balm tree (balm of Gilead),
Commiphora opobalsamum (L ; DT :; ID :; LA :;
LF :; D :: les droguistes entendent sous ce terme le fruit du
bachm; mais probablement il sagit de la liqueur qui decoule du bachm
[With this term the druggists mean the fruit of the bachm but it is
probably the moisture which flows from the bachm]) (cf. L ); cf.
MS ff.:; see as well Ayin no. , Qof no. and Shin no. below.
For the identification of QTP
. as balasan, cf. Maimonides commentary
on the Mishnah cited above (MK :): :
(QTP
. is without doubt the balsam tree). Cf. as well LF :.
The vernacular form QRPWBLSMW (MSS V and O) may repre-
sent the Latin carpobalsamum, which designates the fruit of the bal-
sam tree, Commiphora opobalsamum Engl. (NPRA ; MLWB :b).
For the use of Waw for rendering the Latin ending -um, see the intro-
duction. The form might also correspond to the O. Sp. carpobalsamo
(DETEMA :a; DCECH :b), but we consider it more probable
that it represents the Latin word. The variant in MS P (Q"PRWBLSMW)
shows a (probably accidental) metathesis (capro- instead of carpo-). Car-
pobalsami is documented for O. Occ. in RPA .
. 14 13 12 11 10 9
GR#YNY "YLN "BRHM, Arab. HB . "LPNGNKST, o.l. GR"NH D"NWS
Q" STW
. S
The Hebrew term GR#YNY "YLN "BRHM means the kernels of the fruit
of the chaste tree or Abrahams tree, Vitex agnus castus L. (cf. Alef no.
above).
8 : P
9 : om. V
10 : om. O
11 : O
12 : O
13 : O
14 : O
shem tov, glossary
Arabic habb
. al-fangankust has the same meaning (cf. Alef no.
above).
The vernacular term is a mixed Lat./Romance form (GR"NH D"NWS
Q" STW
. S, according to MS P) and should be read grana danus castus,
with anus standing for agnus (see Sin : and : for this spelling).
The reduction of -gn- to -n- is frequent in Medieval Latin; the velar
sound appears, however, in MS O as a Qof. For agnus castus, see entry
Alef . The first element represents the plural of Lat. granum kernel
(DuC :b, no. ) or O. Occ./O. Cat. grana grain, seed (RL :b;
DECLC :b).
. 17 16 15
GRGRY "STYS,. Arab. HB. "LNYL, o.l. GR"NH DY"YNDY
For Hebrew GRGRY and Arabic habb, . cf. Gimmel no. above, and for
Hebrew "STYS
. and Arabic nl, cf. Alef no. above.
The vernacular term must be identified as O. Occ. *grana de indi/dindi
for kernels of indigo. O. Occ. indi or endi means indigo according to
RL :b; O. Cat. indi has the same meaning (documented since ,
cf. DECLC :b) also cf. entry Alef ; for grana, see entry Gimmel .
The expression as a whole is not documented in our sources.
. 19 18
GL#YNYN, these are the GPT of everything which has GPT
The Hebrew term GL#YNYN means kernels or stones (BM ), while

GPT means Trester, der Rckstand von zerrissenen Schalen und zer-
malmten Kernen (residue of torn husks and crushed kernels) (cf. LW
:, f.: , gemeinarabisch aH; KA :, :; KT :, :;
Bustan, Muh . t. : ^b/ 2 T?4 cB aH, gift are the olive ker-
. t. al-muh
nels after they have been squeezed). The text seems to be corrupt, and
should possibly be read as: (GPT are
the [crushed] kernels of everything which has kernels); cf. the Geonic
15 : O V
16 : O
17 : O V
18 : O
19 : add. V
gimmel
Commentary on Tohorot (EG ): . See as well

Gimmel no. .
Maimonides on mShab . (MK :) explains as:
(the residue of the olives once the oil has been
extracted).
. 20
G#S, Arab. GS", o.l. RWT.
The Hebrew term G#S features in the Bible, for example in Ps : or

Job :, in the sense of to rise and fall loudly, quake, shake, and in
Rabbinic literature with the additional meaning to belch, cough, sneeze
(KB ; CD :; JD f.; BM ).
Arabic gasa"a means to belch or to eructate (L ; KZ ) and
features, for instance, in Maimonides On Asthma (V, ) and is trans-
lated by Samuel Benveniste as: and by Joshua Shatibi as: (cf.
BMA ).
The vernacular form RWT. must be read as O. Occ or O. Cat. rot belch,
sigh (RL :a; PSW :a; DECLC :a).
. 22 21
GHH, Arab. SHNH .
The Hebrew term GHH means face or look (BM ; CD :; KB :

healing) and features, e.g. in Prov :.
Arabic sahna
. means aspect, appearance or external state or condition
(L ; cf. as well IR : countenance).
For the identification see Sa#adya (SM ) on Prov ::
(a joyful heart makes for good health, despondency
dries up the bones): ,
; see as well IJ who prefers the explanation of countenance
to that of healing (cf. ; Hos :); and IQR :.
20 : VO
21 : V
22 : VO
shem tov, glossary
. 25 24 23
GYBSS, Arab. GBS, o.l. GYP
Hebrew = , from Greek gypsum (LS ; KG :;

LR ), means plastering material, gypsum and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in mKel . (JD ; LW :; KA :, :, s.v. ;
KT :, : s.v. ).
Arabic gibs means gypsum (L ; GS , ; cf. as well Het . no. ).
The Arukh (KA :) identifies Hebrew as Arabic: , and
Maimonides on mKel . Hebrew as Arabic: (MK :).
The Geonic Commentary on Tohorot (EG ) explains the Hebrew term
as: (cf. as well KA :; for Arabic isfidag, cf. Alef no. above).
The vernacular term GYP (MS P) is O. Occ. gip for gypsum (PSW
:a); a Catalan reading is not possible here, since all documented
forms end with a sibilant (O. Cat. guix, var.: algeps, ges, gis. s. , gibs, DECLC
:b).
. 29 28 27 26
GPRYT HY, . Arab. GYR MTPY, . o.l. SWLPRY WYB
Hebrew GPRYT means sulphur and features in the Bible (e.g. Gen
:; Deut :) and Rabbinic literature (e.g. bKet b; bSot b)
(KB ; JD ; BM ). GPRYT HY . refers to sulphur that has not
been in the fire or natural sulphur and is not attested in secondary
literature, but seems to be coined after the Latin sulphur vivum (see
below). That is how the Hebrew term features in the Sefer Keritut by
Hillel Ben Samuel of Verona, i.e. the Hebrew translation of Bruno of
Longobardos Cyrurgia magna which Hillel completed in the year .30
Arabic gayr mut. fa" should be emended into kibrt gayr mut. fa" (cf. MS
O) which is not attested in secondary literature either but is an equivalent
to Greek !' (, i.e. the kind of sulphur which was qualified as
23 : P V
24 : O V
25 : VO
26 : add. O
27 : VO
28 : add. V
29 : O P
30See Gerrit Bos: Medical Terminology in the Hebrew Tradition: Hillel Ben Samuel of
gimmel
the best by Dioscurides (DW :; cf. DB :: Schwefel . . . der noch

nicht im Feuer gewesen ist [Sulfur . . . that has not yet been in the fire];
LS : native sulphur) and which was called by Pliny: sulphur vivum
(Natural History XXXV, ), cf. GS ). For Arabic kibrt see E.I.2
: ff., s.v. al-kibrt (M. Ullmann). Maimonides On Poisons (BMP )
calls this kind of sulphur: ( 7 B? d eE a?.[ (sulphur untouched
by fire). Moses Ibn Tibbon translates the term as:
.
The vernacular expression SWLPRY WYB must be read as O. Occ.
or O. Cat. solfre viu or similar (for O. Occ. cf. DAO :, where the
meaning natural sulphur is given). The O. Occ. solfre with the variants
sulpre, solpre (RL :a) and sofre (PSW :b), O. Cat. sofre, variants
solfre, sfre (first documentation in ; cf. DECLC :ba) is
sulphur; for O. Occ. viu, vieu living, cf. RL :a; PSW :b; for
O. Cat. viu with the same meaning, cf. DCVB :a; DECLC :b.
Our term, solfre viu, thus means living sulphur, as opposed to solfre mort,
literally dead sulphur (PSW :ab). The second word in the variant
in P is an error and represents either the adjective ver true, cf. entry
Samekh for the same type of error, or ver(t) green. In both cases, this
would represent a mistake made by the copyist. Levy translates the term
that appears here as natrlicher Schwefel (i.e. natural sulphur), leaving
the meaning of solfre mort with a question mark (PSW :ab). Other
forms that appear in the PSW are sulpre/solpre vieu, solpre viau, sofre biu,
all from the th c.. The term is also documented in RMM as solpre
viu; Brunel reads its meaning as soufre de Sicile (i.e., sulphur from Sicily)
(RMM ). For O. Cat., sofre viu is mentioned in DCVB :b. The
Romance term seems to be modelled upon the Latin sulphur vivum, cf.
the above quotation from Pliny and the following passage in the Alphita:
Vzifur, nomen est minii. Vzifur fit secundum Avicennam de silphure
viuo et argento viuo per combustionem, et inde potest elici sulphur
vivum, et multum assimilatur sinopide, quia durius est (Sin , n. ).
. 31
GYRDN is someone whose head hair has been pulled out
GRDN or GRDN" means ) weaver, ) scabby, afflicted with an itch

(JD ; LW :; SDA ; KA : f., :). The term features in
31 : V
shem tov, glossary
the plur. in bKet b and is explained by Rashi as follows:

(i.e., someone whose head hair has been pulled out).
An even closer parallel to Shem Tovs explanation features in the
Arukh (KA :): .
See Gimmel below.
. 33 32
. Arab. " HMR,
GYHR, . o.l. BRWN
The Hebrew term GYHR . or GYHWR . means red-spotted in the face

(JD ; LW :; KA : f., :; BM ) and features, for example,
in mBekh ..
Arabic ahmar
. means red (L ).
For the identification of GYHR . as ahmar,
. cf. Maimonides on the
Mishnah mentioned: : (MK :).
The vernacular term BRWN (MSS P and O) is the O. Occ. brun
for brun, sombre, bis, triste (brown, dark, drab, sad, RL :a; FEW
:b). As to the colour, cf. the definition of O. Fr. brun given in the
FEW: qui est dune couleur sombre, entre le roux et le noir (i.e. of a
dark colour, between a fox-coloured red and black). The synonym used
in MS V (BWRWN) includes an epenthetic Waw (see the introduction).
This word cannot be Cat., where the -n was lost in the th c. (GriGram
; DECLC :a: bru, first documentation at the end of the th c.).
. 34
GRGWRYM, Arab. GR"GYR, o.l. GWRGRYSMW
Hebrew , plur. , a noun derived from the verb mean-

ing to gargle (JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ), features in
medieval medical literature, e.g. in Nathan ha-Me"atis Hebrew transla-
tion of Ibn Snas K. al-Qanun (cf. BM ).
Arabic garagah, plur. garagr has the same meaning as the Hebrew
term (L ; D :). Arabic garagr features in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (III, , ; cf. BMMa , ), where it is translated by N as:
, while Z uses: .
32 : VP
33 : V
34 : O V
gimmel
Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned explains as follows:

( [GRGR] derives from [GRGRT]
and that is the larynx) (MK :).
The vernacular form GWRGRYSMW (MS P) is the Lat. gargarismum
(ThLL :; for the spelling with Waw as the second letter, see
below), which existed alongside gargarismus (liquoris ore hausti repetita
ad guttur revocatio, DuC :b). For the non-representation of the final
-m in Lat. words, see the introduction. Also cf. the following quotation:
Aplofeumatismus dicitur omne illud quod per os aut per nasum. [ . . . ]
trahit fleuma a capite, siue fit per gargarismum, siue per masticationem,
siue per fricationem [ . . . ] (Alphita, see Sin :; CA ). Reading
GWRGRYSMW as O. Sp. gargarismo for gargling (DETEMA :a)
does not seem probable to us. The variant used in MS V (GRGRYSMY)
may either represent the genitive of the Lat. word or the O. Occ./O. Cat.
gargarisme (CB , ; DECLC :a), with the variant guargarisme
(O. Cat., DECLC loc. cit.), and the variant of the Oxford MS seem to be
used in a plural form of the Romance term gargarismesthe Alef must
be an error. The Cat. variant quoted may have influenced the spelling of
the variant in MS P and might thus be responsable for the spelling with
GW-.
. 36 35
GWDLWT, Arab. S. P"YH . MN DHB, o.l. LNDS D"WR
The Hebrew term (GWDLWT) could not be identified in the

context of the Arabic and Romance synonyms which both refer to plates
of gold. Note, however, that in Tet . no. we find the Hebrew term
with the same meaning.
Arabic s. afa"ih. is the plural of s. afha,
. meaning wide, or broad stone;
plank, or board (L ; cf. Tet . no. ); Arabic s. afa"ih. min dahab means
plates of gold (cf. Tet no. ).
.
The term indicated as vernacular should be read as landas daur plates
of gold. The first element is the Late Lat., O. Occ. landa or O. Cat.
l(l)anda, based on a syncopated form of Lat. LAMINA (FEW :a;
PSW :b; DuC :c; DCVB :a; DECLC :a). The mean-
ing is metalic blade (DCVB loc. cit.). As for landas daur, this term
was interpreted as exclusively Occitan in TermMedOc because of the
35 : A P
36 : O A c P V add. V
shem tov, glossary
preservation of the Latin diphthong AU- in aur gold (Catalan: or). Note,
however, that the Occitan form aur (DAO :; RL a; FEW
:b) existed as a loan word in Old Catalan, see DECLC :a;
DCVB :a. In fact, our term is documented as the diminutive landates
daur in a Catalan text from as landetes daur (DECLC :a).
The usual Cat. form was llauna, an older term for (small) plates of any
metal (DECLC loc. cit.), but Corominas considers the variant llanda as
a perfect synonym for llauna, which is mostly used in Valencia and the
Balearic islands. For O. Occ., landa is scarcely documented and appears
only in PSW :ba, where it was not yet fully understood. Levy
speculates on the meaning iron ring, and, in metaphorical use, vio-
lence. But Levy already noted the following entry in DuC :c: landa
pro lamina vel banda. Since the Arabic term in our text means plates
of gold, our term definitely represents the Occitan or Catalan transla-
tion of the Latin term lamina aurea, see Alphita: bracteos interpretatur
lamina, unde bractea crisea, i. lamina aurea (Sin , n. ; CA ).
The variant of the Vatican MS shows the singular used in our expres-
sion.
. 37
GLGL, Arab. LWLB, o.l. TWRN.
The Hebrew term GLGL has the primary meaning of wheel (KB ;
JD ; LW :; SD ), but also features in Rabbinic literature
meaning screw or winch (cf. KT :).
Arabic lawlab means, besides other things, screw, spiral, whorl
(WKAS :; L f.; D : f.; FrA ).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adyas translation of Is ::
(It is cereal that is crushed.
For even if he threshes it thoroughly, and the wheel of his sledge and his
horses overwhelm it, he does not crush it):
(DS ; RO ;
DAS :).
The vernacular term TWRN
. should be read as O. Occ. or O. Cat. torn.
According to FEW :ba, in Gallo-Romance, this noun designates
various tools which are characterised by turning around their own axis.
As examples, the FEW lists, among others, the main shaft of the water
37 : add. V
gimmel
well, in which the water is lifted with the help of a rope, the spinning
wheel, a bobbin, and the turners lathe. From there, still following FEW,
the designation was transferred to encompass tools and other items that
turn around their own axis. For Cat., see DECLC :a: torn instrument
of the turner (< Lat. TORNUS < Gr. ), first documented both as an
instrument and as a turning movement (th c.). For another occurence
of torn, see entry Mem .
. 41 40 39 38
GRYDWT HM#YM WH#YS. WR, Arab. SHWG . "L"M# ", o.l. PWNTS
.
Hebrew (GRYDWT HM#YM WH#YS. WR) means

intestinal abrasion and constipation; is not attested in
secondary literature, only features in EM as a modern term;
for cf. BM .
Arabic sahg
. al-am#a" (cf. MS O) means dysentery, attended by abra-
sion or excoriation of the colon (L ; SN ). Arabic #$% features
in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (VI, ; cf. BMMb ), where it is
translated as: (HPSYT) . by N and as: (HWLYD PWNT) .
by Z. In Maimonides On the Regimen of Health (cf. BMR II, ), we find
the expression #$%& f() (and in some cases it causes abrasion), which
is translated as: (PWNS. ) by Moses ibn Tibbon,
and, in Maimonides On Asthma (XIII,; cf. BMA ), f,g/ A$% #$B)
(and he suffered from severe dysentery) is translated as: (PWNS. )
by Samuel Benveniste.
The vernacular term, which also features in N, Z and Moses ibn
Tibbon, is the Cat. pons dysentery (DECLC :a; DCVB :a),
stemming from Lat. PONDUS (FEW :b). The word is attested
in Cat. since (cf. DECLC loc. cit.); we might thus have a first
documentation here. It seems to be absent from Occ., but note that it is
documented for It.: mal dei pondi/mal del pondo with the same meaning
(FEW :a; REW ).
38 : emendation editor MSS

39 : VO
40 : V
41 : O V
shem tov, glossary
. 43 42
GDMWT, Arab. GD"M, o.l. MDYL
The Hebrew term GDMWT means leprosy and is attested in medieval

medical literature translated from Arabic (BM ). As all the examples
adduced by Ben Yehuda were given subsequent to Shem Tov, it is possible
that the term was coined by him.
Arabic gudam means elephantiasis, a type of leprosy (L ; SN ).

The term features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (II,
; III, ; cf. BMMa ) and is translated by N as: or
and by Z as: , the common biblical term for leprosy.
The vernacular term MDYL is identical with O. Occ. mesel/mezel or
O. Cat. mesell for leprous (CB , ; cf. ibid. the noun mezeleria for
leprosy there), derived from Lat. MISELLUS for unfortunate, miserable
(DECLC :bb). The O. Cat. form is documented for the first time
in (DECLC loc. cit.). For the transcription of the O. Occ. voiced s by
Hebrew Dalet, cf. the introduction. The variant of the Vatican MS with
the loss of the initial Mem seems to be corrupt.
. 45 44
GRGTNY, Arab. N" S. WR, o.l. PYSTWL".
The Hebrew term GRGTNY or GRGWTNY, from Greek !

(wicker-basket, creel; LS ; KG :; LR ) originally meant
a wicker or net work in the wine or oil press and has a secondary
meaning to designate the scarry and lifeless surface of a healed up
wound, eschar (JD ; LW :; KA :, :; PB , ; cf.
Low XLV: keloidosis).
Arabic nasur or nas. ur means fistula (D :; SN ). The Arabic
term features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XV,
,) where it is transcribed as: by N, and translated as:
(PYSTWL")
. by Z.
The vernacular term PYSTWL" . must be read as Lat. (ThLL :;
DuC :a), O. Occ./O. Cat. fistula (FEW :b; RPA ; DECLC
:b), or O. Occ. fistola/festola/festula (RL :b; CB ; RMA ,
42 : VO
43 : B" PO V add. V
44 : V
45 : V
gimmel
, , ) with the meaning fistular, suppurating wound (FEW

loc. cit.).
. 47 46 [ ]
GR#YNH [SL RWTB],
. Arab. NW"H "LTMR "LRTB .
Hebrew GR#YNH or GL#YNH SL RWTB . means the stones of fresh

dates (for GR#YNH see Gimmel no. above) and has a parallel in the
Arabic nawat at-tamr ar-rat. b (D : f.). The identification goes back to
Maimonides commentary on mUqz . (MK :); see as well FE .
. 49 48
GPT is the peat from olive peels or poppy seed.
For the quotation cf. the Arukh (KA :):

(following bShab b). See as well Gimmel no. .
. 50
GNWH, . Arab. BHR, o.l. GWYYS
GNWH . is the verbal infinitive of the Hebrew verb GNH,

. which features
in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bRH b/a and bBQ a, and means )
to sigh heavily under an attack of angina pectoris and ) to cough and
spit blood (JD ; LW :; KA : f., :; BM ).
Arabic buhr designates the state of being out of breath (L ).
The vernacular term GWYYS could not be identified. It is possible
that it is the plural of Romance derivations of Lat. GAUDIUM, as we
found O. Occ. and O. Cat. words that more or less match the form given
in the MSS, e.g., O. Occ. joia, gaug (FEW :b,b) and O. Cat. goig
(DECLC :b) with the meaning pleasure. However, this does not
seem not very probable to us, since its meaning differs completely from
the one indicated by the Hebrew and Arabic synonyms, unless we dare
to interpret it as meaning crow.
46 : V
47 : add. V
48 : O
49 : add. V
50 : add. V
shem tov, glossary
. 53 52 51
GHLYM
. LWH. SWT, Arab. GMR HY, . o.l. BRS" WYW"
Hebrew GHLYM . LWH . SWT features in Rabbinic literature (bPes a;

bBer b) and means burning, living or flickering coals as opposed to
, which are coals whose flames have died down and are no
longer flickering (JD ; LW :; BM ; KT :).
Arabic gamr hayy. means a live or burning coal (L ).
For the identification of Hebrew GHLYM . as Arabic gamr, cf. Sa#adya
on Lev :: (and he shall take a
panful of glowing coals scooped from the altar):
(S ); see as well IJ , gloss MS Rouen (n. ):
(
h,'; SF :.
The vernacular term BRS" WYW" (MS V) should be read as O. Occ./
O. Cat. brasa viva for living embers of coal (RL :b; PSW :a;
DCVB :b, where the plural vives brases lit. coals is mentioned). The
first element is Romance brasa (for O. Occ. see RL :a; for O. Cat. see
DECLC :a, where it is stated that brasa is a word of unknown origin
common to Western Romance languages). The variant of the Oxford MS
includes the Dalet that represents the sound /z/ (see the introduction).
The second element is the feminine of the adjective in the entry Gimmel
.
. 56 55 54
GWRY HKLBYM, Arab. "GR" "LKL"B, o.l. QDYLS
Hebrew GWRY HKLBYM means whelps of dogs (KB ; CD :;

JD ; LW :; SD ; KA : f., :; BM ).
Arabic agra" al-kilab has the same meaning (L ).
For the identification of GWRYM as agra", cf. Sa#adya on Lamentations
:: (Even jackals offer the breast and suckle
their young):
(SH ); see as well IJ .
51 : VO
52 : om. O add. V
53 : O U" P
54 : O
55 : VO
56 : VO !cK P
gimmel
In conformity with the Hebrew and Arabic synonyms, the vernacular

word is the plural of O. Occ. cadel little dog (FEW ,:b, < Lat.
CATELLUS, puppy) or the O. Cat. equivalent cadell (DECLC :b),
documented since the th c., and thus conforms with the Hebrew and
Arabic synonyms.
. 58 57
GRDN, Arab. "QR#, o.l. RSQS
GRDN or GRDN" means ) weaver, ) scabby, afflicted with an itch; )

someone whose head hair has been pulled out (cf. Gimmel above).
Arabic aqra# means scabby or someone afflicted with scabs (D :),
or bald (HaF ).
The vernacular word is the O. Occ. rascas scabby (RL :b), scabby
head (PSW :a), O. Cat. rascs scabby (DECLC :a, an older
variant is raschatz, th c.). See the quotation in PSW loc. cit.: Le sucx
de fumeterra val a rascas guerir de son mal (i.e. the juice of fumus terrae
is good for healing someone with a scabby head from his illness) (Brev.
dam. ). The morphological basis of this word is O. Occ./O. Cat.
rasca scab (RL :b), scabies (DCVB :b; DECLC :b), which
is represented in the Vatican MS (RSQH); see the quotation from Tres.
Pobr. given in DCVB loc. cit.; Val lo ros del vi plvora feyt e posat
sobre la rasca munda-la ab oli (i.e. if one makes a powder of the tartar of
wine it is good, and if one puts it on the scab with oil it cleanses it). The
variant in the Oxford MS seems to be corrupt.
. 60 59
GRGRY "LWNYM, Arab. HB . "LS. NWBR, o.l. PNYWLS
For Hebrew GRGRY and Arabic habb, . cf. Gimmel no. and above, for
Hebrew "LWNYM and Arabic s. anawbar, cf. Alef no. above.
The vernacular term of the Paris and Vatican MSS, P(Y)NYWLS, is
the plural of O. Occ. pinhol for kernel of the pine cone (PSW :b),
O. Cat. pinyol (idem, DECLC :a). The term featuring in the Oxford
57 : VO
58 : O V
59 : O []V
60 : O V
shem tov, glossary
MS, PYNWNS, must be read pinhons/ pinyons, with the same meaning as
pinhols, documented for O. Occ. in RPA (more usual though without
n-mobile, pinhos, cf. RPA , CB , among others); for O. Cat. see
DECLC :a; DCVB :b, piny, plural pinyons). See also ShK ,
where PYNYWNS is a gloss of Hebrew bot. nim for pignons.
For the identification of the Romance (O. Cat.) PYNGWNS as Arab.
. "LS. NWBR, see GHAT :. The identification of the same Arabic
HB
term as the corresponding Latin term can be found in the index of the
Latin translation of Ibn Snas K. al-Qanun, see Sin : and notes
and .
.
GRH, Arab. TRQWH, o.l. "WRQ"
The Hebrew term GRH is the general name for the part of the body which
extends from the neck to the chest (JD ; LW :; KA :, :;
BM ; EM ) and features in Rabbinic literature (e.g. in mYom .;
mTam .; bYom b).
Arabic tarquwa designates the collar-bone (L ; DKT , , :
clavicule: FAL :). The Arabic term features in Maimonides
Medical Aphorisms (VI, ,; VII,; XII, ; XV, ; cf. BMMb
and ), and is transcribed by N as: and translated by Z with the
vernacular / (QTWL"/Q
. TYWL").
. In his commentary to the
Mishnaic passages mentioned, the Hebrew term is left untranslated by
Maimonides.
The vernacular term has to be read as orca, which is documented in
O. Occ. only with the meaning jug (< lat. ORCA barrel, cf. FEW :a).
But, as the FEW states, on the basis of some modern variants of this word,
the meaning was extended to shoulders, because of the vaulted form
of a jug; cf. the northern Mod. Occ. variants of Coubon (Haute-Loire)
uortsa shoulder, Velay (Haute-Loire). ourcho, Limagne (Puy-de-Dme)
ourchu camel-backed (FEW :ba). It seems that the Sefer ha-
Shimmush represents the first known documentation of this meaning for
O. Occ.
gimmel
. 62 61
GYDYM NHYM, . Arab. "WRDH
Hebrew GYDYM NHYM, . lit. veins that are restful, could not be re-
trieved in secondary literature. Most probably, it reflects Shem Tovs
endeavor to create a novel Hebrew medical terminology, in this case
for the Arabic #uruq gayr dafiqa
. (vessels that do not pulsate), i.e. veins,
a term that was common in medieval medical literature, together with
awrida. The term on its own, however, in the sense of vessel, vein
can also be found subsequently, such as in the translations of Zerahyah .
Hen
. for the Arabic #irq (vein) (cf. Maimonides Medical Aphorisms,
e.g. III, (BMMa )) and wi#a (receptacle, vessel) (cf. Maimonides
Medical Aphorisms, e.g. VI, (BMMb )). In addition to , we find
(cf. Maimonides Medical Aphorisms, e.g. III, , where #irq is
translated as: by N) and (cf. Maimonides Medical Aphorisms,
e.g. VIII, (BMMb ), where awrda is translated as: / by
N and Z).
Arabic ward, plur. awrida, means vein, especially vena cava and vena
jugularis (DKT ; FAL :; cf. as well L ).
. 64 63
GMLWNYN SWPYN, Arab. KBYR "MLS
For both terms, cf. Alef no. and .
. 66 65
GBHT,
. Arab. S. L#, o.l. QLWYN
Hebrew (GBHT) . means baldness (of the forehead) as opposed to

baldness [of the pate] (cf. KB ; CD :; JD ; LW :)
and features in the Bible (e.g. Lev :) and Rabbinic literature (e.g.
mNeg .).
Arabic s. ala# has the same meaning as GBHT
. (L ).
61 : V
62 : O V
63 : V
64 : O
65 : O
66 : O (= Lev :) add. V
shem tov, glossary
For the identification of GBHT. as s. ala#, cf. Sa#adya (S ) on Lev

:: (But if a white affection
streaked with red appears on the bald part in the front or at the back
of the head): ; cf. as well
IJ ; SF :.
The vernacular term QLWYN might be a non-documented O. Occ.
word like *calvin derived from O. Occ. calv (FEW :a; RL :a),
O. Cat. calb (DECLC :a; DCVB :b) bald. Suffixed variants of
calv/calb without visible changes in meaning or word class are quite usual
in the languages in question, see O. Occ. calvut baldheaded (FEW loc.
cit., RL :b, PSW :a), O. Cat. calbut (DECLC :b; DCVB
loc. cit.), O. Occ. calvet (RL loc. cit.). But the suffix -in was used for
making adjectives from nouns (e.g., aur gold, aurin golden), which
meant generally indicating resemblance (cf. WfP ), so we might
suppose a derivation from a noun such as calba (baldhead, Cat., DCVB
: b).
. 69 68 67
GYD HB"SLYQ is the inner vein of three veins of the arm, which people
used to bleed from
The Hebrew term B"SLYQ, meaning basilic vein (from Arabic i,L3; cf.
DKT , ; FAL :; KZ ) is not attested in secondary sources,
but features in Masie (MD ) as: / / .
B"SLYQ features in medieval Hebrew medical literature, for instance, in
the Hebrew translations of Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XII, ,
, , ) by N as: /, and by Z as: /
/.
Shem Tovs explanation bears some similarity to that featuring in
Moses ibn Tibbons Hebrew translation of Maimonides On Hemorrhoids:
(cf. BMH II, ).
67 : V
68 : O, om. V
69 : V
gimmel
. 72 71 70
GYD HS. "PN is the vein visible on [the hollow of] the knee in the knee
joint
GYD HS. "PN (from Arabic: -*

2; cf. KZ ; cf. as well DKT
index) means the saphenous vein. The term features in medieval He-
brew medical literature, for instance in the Hebrew translations of Mai-
monides Medical Aphorisms (XII, ), by N as: , and by
Z as: . The term features in Masie (MD ) as: .
70 : O V
71 : V1
72 : add. V
DALET
. 3 2 1
DRS. YN, Arab. D"R S. YNY, o.l. SNMWMW
Aramaic DRS. YN means cinnamon (JD ; LW :; SDA ; KA

:, :) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bShab a.
Arabic dar s. n means Chinese cinnamon, Cinnamomum ceylan-
icum Nees. (DT :; M ). The Arabic term is derived from Middle
Iranian *dar-cen, *dar i cen(k) (SDA ).
The Geonim identify the Hebrew term as Arabic dar s. n (cf. LO
Teshuvot on Shab a, p. ; BT :; FEB f.; KA :; LF :;
cf. as well Sade
. no. ).
The vernacular term SNMWMW (MS P) is Latin cinnamumu(m),
cinnamon (for the missing -m and the Waw representing the Lat. ending
-um, see the introduction) or Cat. cinamomo with the same meaning
(DECLC :a), with the late first documentation () to be kept in
mind here, although the modern dialectal form sirimmo (Tall, Boi) in
the Pyrenees would indicate that the forms ending on -o are old. For
O. Occ. and O. Cat., we were able to find cinamomi (see entry Sade . ),
which appears in the Vatican and Oxford MSS (an interpretation as the
Lat. genitive singular is also possible).
The second word in the Vatican MS, QNYLH, has to be read as
O. Occ. or O. Cat. canela (RL :a; CB , among others; RMA ;
DECLC :a; AdV ), canella (RL loc. cit.; CB , among others;
RMA ; RPA , among others; DECLC loc. cit.), O. Occ. canelha
(CB , ; RMM f., , ), or O. Cat. canyela (DECLC loc.
cit.) with the meaning cinnamon.
Lat. cinamomum/O. Cat. canela is identified as Arabic dar s. n in
AdV , .
1 : O
2 : V
3 : VO add. V
shem tov, glossary
. 5 4
DM HTNYN, Arab. DM "L"KWYN, o.l. SNGY DYDRGWN
Hebrew DM HTNYN meaning dragons blood, is not mentioned in

secondary literature. The term features in medieval Hebrew medical
literature as a loan translation of Arabic dam at-tinnn (see below), for
instance, in the anonymous Sefer Ahavat Nashim (ed. Caballero-Navas,
, , ) which was, according to the editor, written at an unknown
date but certainly not earlier than the second half of the th century,6
and in the anonymous Sefer Zikhron ha-Holiyim
. ha-Howim bi-Khlei ha-
Herayon (ed. Barkai, History, p. ), which was, according to the editor,
possibly written in the second half of the th century or at the beginning
of the th (Barkai, ibid., p. f.).7
Arabic dam al-ahawayn, lit. the blood of the two brothers, is a

red resin derived from diverse Liliacea; in the Orient, the Dracaena
Draco Willd. and, in the West, the dragon tree (Dracaena Draco L.).
It is also known by the name dam at-tinnn or dam at-tu#ban dragon
blood (DT :; M ; LF : ff.). Arabic dam al-ahawayn
add s?
features,

for instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms(XXI, ), and was trans-
lated both by N and Z as: .
The vernacular forms SNGY/S(")NQ D(Y)DR(")GWN must be identi-
fied as the O. Occ. term sanc de drag(u)on (FEW :a; DAO :;
CB ; RMM , ); variants are sanch de drago (CB ) and sang
de draguo(n) (RMA ; RPA , ), with the meaning rsine dun
rouge fonc, qui est fourni par diffrents vgtaux exotiques, en par-
ticulier par le rotang (calamus draco), et quon emploie en mdecine
comme astringent (i.e., dark red resin, produced by different exotic
plants, in particular by the Calamus Draco and used in medicine as
astringent, DAO loc. cit.). Also see the identical O. Cat. sanch/sang de
drago, documented in the th c. (DCVB :a). For the identifica-
tion of O. Cat. sanch de drag as Arabic dam al-ahawayn, cf. AdV ,
.
4 : O V
5 : O
V
6
C. Caballero-Navas, The Book of Womens Love and Jewish Medical Literature on
Women. Sefer Ahavat Nashim, London .
7 R. Barkai, A History of Jewish Gynaecological Texts in the Middle Ages, Leiden .
dalet
. 10 9 8
DWD"YM, Arab. YBRWH . or LP" H,
. o.l. MDR"GWLH
Hebrew DWD"YM features in the Bible (e.g. Gen :; Song :)

and is identified as mandrake, Atropa mandragora or Mandragora offic-
inarum L. (KB ; CD :; AEY :; DAS :, ; FO f.;
LF : ff.).
Arabic yabruh. is derived from Aramaic (cf. FA f.; SD )
and refers either to the mandrake plant; Mandragora officinarum L. and
Var. or to its anthropomorphic root, while Arabic luffah. means either the
plant or its fruits (DT :; M ; DAS : ff.).
For the identification of Hebrew DWD"YM as Arabic luffah, . cf. Sa#adya
on Song : (SH):
(the mandrakes yield their fragrance, at our doors are all
choice fruits; both freshly picked and long-stored have I kept, my beloved,
for you):
; cf. IJ ; SF :. The identification
of luffah. as yabruh. features in Ibn Janahs
. K. at-Talkhs. as quoted by al-
Idrs (IJS :; cf. AS ).
The vernacular term MDR"GWLH (MS P) or MDRYGWL" (MS V)
must be read as the O. Occ. mandragolha (PSW :b; FEW :b) or
the O. Cat. mandragola, Mandragora officinarum L. (DECLC :b),
having lost the -n- like in a French form documented in the th c.,
madregole (FEW :b). The synonym of the Oxford MS (MNDRY-
GYL") includes the -n-; the second Yod in this variant does indeed seem
to be corrupt for a Waw. Von Wartburg dates the O. Occ. form in the th
c. (FEW :b); the O. Cat. form is documented for the first time in the
th c. in a Ramon Llull text (DECLC :b). For the identification of
Arab yabruh as O. Cat. MNDRGWLH, cf. GHAT ;. The O. Occ.
and O. Cat.forms with the ending -ora (CB , , ; DAO ,;
PSW :b; RL :b; RPA ) seem to be later (in theth c., see
DECLC :b and FEW :b). The form ending on -ora is identified
as Arabic luffah. (see above), cf. AdV , .
8 : add. V
9 : V
10 : O V
shem tov, glossary
. 12 11
DLW#YM, Arab. QR#, o.l. QWGWRL"
Hebrew DL#T, plur. DLW#YM, means pumpkin, Cucurbita pepo L.

(KA :, :; BM ; AEY :; DAS : f.; LA :;
cf. FH ; FM and LF : ff.: Lagenaria vulgaris Ser.) and features
in Rabbinic literature (e.g. mKil ., mUqz .).
Arabic qar#, from Aramaic (FF f.; LA :), also means
pumpkin, Cucurbita pepo L., Cucurbita maxima Duch. and Lagenaria
vulgaris Ser. (DT :; M ; DAS : f.; LA :).
For the identification, cf. the Geonic Commentary on mUqz .:
(stalk of a
pumpkin: A pumpkin has a kind of wooden stalk; the meaning of the
Arabic qara# in Aramaic is ) (EG ). The Hebrew term DL#T is also
common as a translation of the Arabic qar# in medieval medical literature
such as, for instance, in the Hebrew translations of Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms VII, (cf. BMMb ) and IX, (cf. BMMb ), by N
and Z.
The vernacular form QWGWRL" (MS V) represents the O. Occ. cogorla
(pumpkin, FEW :b), whereas the synonym used in the Paris MS,
QWGWRLS (or QWGWRL" S in the Oxford MS), is its plural, cogorlas.
The word is probably derived from Lat. *CUCURBULA (from CUCUR-
BITA, with the suffix -ULA instead of -ITA). According to the FEW,
forms derived from this etymon can be found in various parts of France,
corresponding to the linguistic variants of Lorraine, Franco-Provenal,
Auvernian, and Languedocian. DAO : documents cogorla in RM and
RPA with the supposed meaning being pumpkin (RM ; RPA ; cf.
also RMA ); see also Corradini Bozzi: cogorlla, idem (CB ) and,
in addition, cogorla salvatge, bryony, in RPA (DAO :; RPA ).
These examples and the additional evidence in our text have led us to
revise Coromines opinion that cogorla is an uncertain and badly doc-
umented word (DECLC :ba). With respect to Modern Occi-
tan, the surviving forms [kugurla], [kugurlo] and the like seem to be
quotation mark correct
quotation
here? mark correct here?
restricted to parts of the modern departments of Hrault, Gard, Lozre,
Ardche, H.-Loire, and Puy-De-D. (see ALF, map ).13 Also see DFO
11 : O
12 :
O P
13 In the departments of Loire, Rhne, Ain and Isre we find reduced forms like
[kurlo], [kurla].
quotation mark
quotation
correct mark
here? correct here?
dalet
(:a, courgourlo, classified as Languedocian). The form does not exist

in Catalan; it is missing in the DCVB. See also Coromines (DECLC loc.
cit.), who only quotes Occitan forms, including kugrla (Aniane), the
toponym La Corgolire (in the Cevennes, at Valarauga, Gard), which fig-
ures as Cogorlieuyras in and ; see ZA LXI.
. 16 15 14
DL#T YWNYT WMS. RYT, Arab. DL"#, o.l. MLWN SR"SNYQY
Hebrew DL#T YWNYT WMS. RYT means the Greek and Egyptian pump-
kin. Both varieties feature in the Mishnah (mKil ., ., .) and, e.g. in
yKil I, a, where, according to Rabbi Nehemiah, the Egyptian pumpkin
is identical to the Aramaic variety (FM ; LF :).
Arabic dulla# is watermelon, Citrullus vulgaris Schrad. (M ).
The identification of Hebrew DL#T YWNYT WMS. RYT as Arabic dulla#
[mis. r] goes back to Maimonides commentary on mKil . and .:
: (MK :).
The vernacular term MLWN SR"SNYQY (MS P) must be read as *me-
lon sarracenici, an expression which is not documented in our sources.
The first element is O. Occ. melon (DAO :; RPA ) for melon. The
second element seems to belong to the Lat. adjective SARACENICUS,
saracenic; it does not match any known O. Occ. or O. Cat. form (for
O. Occ. sarrazin, sarrazinal, sarrazines and sarrazinesc, see PSW :b;
for O. Cat. sarra, -ina and sarraci, -ina, see DCVB :a).
. 18 17
DMLTYQYWN,
. Arab. PR"YN, o.l. PLYSYYRS
The term DMLTYQYWN . is a corruption of Hebrew

(DLMTYQYN),
. plur. of (DLMTYQY),
. from Greek
or (LS ; KG :; LR ; cf. KA : f.). It features in
mKil . and is explained in the Jerusalem Talmud (ad locum) as:
(= from Greek tunic; KG :; LN ; SMCB ).
Krauss (KT :) explains as a kind of tunic, which appeared
14 : O V
15 : P1
16 : O V add. V
17 : O V
18 : O V
shem tov, glossary
at a later time instead of the stole. Jastrow (JD ) explains the term as
a long undergarment of Dalmatian wool and Levy speaks of wollene
Priestergewnder (woollen cassocks) (LW :; cf. BLS : vestis dia-
coni); Sperber (SMCB, and esp. ) concludes that it is a garment
called after the country it hails from, i.e. ; see as well KA :,
: f.; SB : f. See as well Het
. no. .
Arabic PR"YN is probably a plur. formed from fira", plur. of farwun,
which designates a certain thing that is worn, a furred garment, a skin
or wool, a kind of garment, well known, lined with the skins of various
species of animals, worn for preservation from the cold (L ).
Maimonides comments on the Mishnah mentioned:
(Bera cloaks and Brun-
disian cloaks and Dalmatian undergarments and felt shoesone may not
wear them until they have been examined) that although the exact mean-
ing of all these terms has not been established, it is clear that we are deal-
ing with items of wool used to cover the legs and thighs (
,
) (MK :).
The vernacular term must be a derivation of O. Occ. pelis(s)a, furry
coat (FEW :b; RL :a), like pelisiera or *peliseira. O. Occ. pelisiera
is documented to mean female dealer in skins in WfP , and
FEW :a. Note that, according to WfP , a special meaning that
these words [i.e., O. Occ. words in -iera] take is that of an article
of clothing, so that we could suppose here, in accordance with the
meanings of the Hebrew and Arabic synonyms, a (non-documented)
meaning such as a kind of furry garment. Also cf. the O. Occ. derivations
pel(l)is(s)a(i)ria, furriers trade (RL loc. cit.; PSW :b) and peliseta,
little coat with pelt lining (see entry Alef ).
Also cf. entry Het
. .
. 20 19
DNDNH, Arab. N#N#, o.l. MNT" .
Hebrew DNDNH means mint, Ceterach officinarum Willd., and fea-

tures in Rabbinic literature, for instance in mShebi . (JD ; LW :;
KA :, :; AEY :; DAS :; FM ).
19 : AA P
20 : VO P
dalet
Na#na# is the generic Arabic name for different species of mint, e.g.
Mentha piperita Smith., Mentha sativa L., Mentha aquatica L. (DT :;
M ; DAS :, , n. , ; cf. as well Alef no. ).
The identification of DNDNH as na#na# goes back to Maimonides
commentary on the Mishnah mentioned above (MK :).
The vernacular term MYNT" . is the Lat. or Romance menta for mint
(DAO :; RM , among others; RL :a; PSW :b;
CB , among others; DECLC :ab; DETEMA :ab). Cf. Alef
no. .
For the identification of O. Cat. menta as Arabic na#na#, cf. AdV ,
and GHAT :.
. 22 21
DBDBNYWT, Arab. QR"SY" e.g. HB . "LMLWK, o.l. SYRRS
The Hebrew term DBDBNYWT features in Rabbinic literature, for in-

stance in mAZ . or bAZ b, and means lumps of dripping grapes
(JD ; LW :; KA :, :; cf. LF :: overripe grapes moistened
by their own juice; cf. as well FE ). In the Middle Ages the term is also
used to designate the cherry fruit, Prunus cerasus; cf. the Arukh (KA :):
(see as well FE ff.; LF :).
Arabic qarasiya, from Greek (LS ), designates the cherry
fruit, Prunus avium L. and Var. or Prunus mahaleb L. and Var. The name
habb
. al-muluk (berries of kings) was used in Spain and the Maghrib
for both the cherry and the fruit of the sebesten tree (Cordia myxa
L.) (DT :; M , ; DAS :). Arabic qarasiya features e.g. in
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XX, ; XXI, ) and is translated by
N as: , and transcribed by Z as: .
Maimonides on mAZ . (MK :) explains as:
(honey combs). For the identification of DBDBNYWT as habb .
al-muluk, cf. the mentioned quotation from the Arukh.
The vernacular word SYRRS (MS P)/SRYYR" S (MS O)/S. RYYR" S
(MS V) must be read as the plural of O. Occ. cireira (DAO :;
RL :b; PSW :b) or, for the variant of P, the Cat. cirera (DECLC
:b) used in the meaning cherry.
GHAT :, : identifies Arabic qarasiya and habb
. al-muluk as
O. Cat. SRYR"S.
21 : V
22 : O V
shem tov, glossary
. 24 23
DYS", Arab. HRYSH, o.l. "NWN" QWYYT" .
Aramaic DYS" or DYYS" means a dish of pounded grain, grits or:

coarsely pounded wheat or barley eaten alone or mixed with honey
(JD ; LW :; SDA ; KA :, :) and features in Rabbinic
literature, for instance, in bBez. b, b or bShab b.
Arabic harsa means grain or wheat, bruised, brayed or pounded
or designates in particular a kind of thick pottage, prepared of cooked
wheat and cooked flesh-meats much pounded together (L ; RAP ,
, f., , ) and features in different medical tractates of Mai-
monides such as On Hemorrhoids; cf. BMH II, ; cf. as well KZ ), On
the Regimen of Health; cf. BMR I, ) and Maimonides On Asthma (III,
; cf. BMA ).
The identification of DYS" as harsa goes back to R. Hananel
. on bBer
b: :
(about simple unpounded grain everybody
agrees that [one says]: Who creates various kinds of food: is
simple pounded grain, without honey and in Arabic harsa) (LO Perush
R. Hananel
. on bBer b, p. ); see as well the Arukh (KA :).
The vernacular term "NWN" QWYYT" . must be identified as O. Occ.
*an(n)on(n)a cueita, literally meaning cooked cereal, wheat. The whole
expression is not documented in our sources; for an(n)on(n)a, cf. DAO
:, :; FEW :a; RL :b. The second element is *cueita,
the feminine form of the participle *cueit, which is documented, e.g.,
in biscueit (RL :b). Von Wartburg remarks that an(n)on(n)a is
especially attested for the South of France (FEW :b). The word does
not seem to exist in Cat.
. 27 26 25
DSN HS. MR, Arab. ZWP" "LS. WP, o.l. "YSNWSRWNTWM .
Hebrew DSN HS. MR grease of wool is possibly a loan translation of

Arabic dasam as. -s. uf grease of wool, which designates, according to
23 : VO
24 : VO
25 : V
26 : O
27 : O V
dalet
Maimonides Glossary of Drug Names (M ), Arabic zufa rat. b grease

of wool.
Arabic zufa designates ) hyssop, Hyssopus officinalis L. and Var.,
Greek * (LS ) and ) grease of wool, Greek
(LS ). The confusion about this term hails from the fact that the
Arabs, and before them the Syrians, transcribed the two Greek words
in the same manner. In Arabic, the different meanings are generally dis-
tinguished, by the adjective reading zufa rat. b (moist zufa) for
and zufa yabis (dry zufa) for * (DT :, :; LA :).
In our text, the Arabic term zufa designates the grease of wool or lanoline
as is indicated by as. -s. uf, which possibly has to be read as: as. -s. uf ad-dahin
(the fatty wool); cf. Maimonides, Medical Aphorisms XXIII, : II
-)4
j% Z* Z* (Lanoline is the fatty wool, not the filthy
wool). Cf. as well Sade
. no. below.
The term indicated as vernacular seems to be a corruption of a medie-
val Latin term that appears in the Alphita, as ysopum cerotum or ysopus
cerotis (Sin , n. ), which is the dirt of the sheep wool extracted by
decoction (see Sin b and CA ). All variants of our text seem to
reflect a reading *cerontum in the second part of the term. Also cf. entry
Sade
. .
. 28
DRDNY, Arab. LT"T, o.l. GYNGYBS
DRDNY is probably Persian dardan meaning fragments derived from

the Persian verb dardan (VL :).
Arabic litat, plur. of lita, means gums (WKAS : ff.).

The vernacular term used in the Paris MS GYNGYBS (or GYNGYB" S
in the MSS O and V) must be interpreted as the plural of O. Occ.
gengiva gums (FEW :b; RL :b), whereas, for O. Cat., only the
variants gen(n)iva, genyiva without -g- are documented (DECLC :b;
DCVB :a).
. 29
DPWS, Arab. Q"LB, o.l. PWRM"
Hebrew DPWS, next to TPWS

. in Mishnaic Hebrew, from Greek
(LS ; KG :; LR ) means frame, mould (JD ; LW :;
28 : VO ? add. V
29 : O V
shem tov, glossary
KA :; BM ; BKH Index; KT :, :, ; see as well Mem

) and features, e.g. in mMen .. The term also features in medieval
medical literature as a translation of Arabic qalab, e.g. in the Hebrew
translation of Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XV, ) by N, whereas
Z has .
Arabic qalab means a model according to which the like thereof is
made, or proportioned; a mould into which metals are poured (L ;
see as well Mem no. ).
For the identification of DPWS as qalab, cf. Sa#adya, SAM :;
see as well Maimonides on the Mishnah cited above: :
(MK :).
The vernacular term PWRM" must be read as Latin or Romance forma,
which means, in general, form, shape (FEW :b). In O. Occ. it could
also have the special meaning cheese, loaf (FEW :a; PSW :b)
and later (Mistral) forme, modle, moule de fromage (i.e., form, model,
cheese mould, PSW :a). Also see ShK, , PWRMH, gloss of the
Hebrew s. elem for form, image.
. 32 31 30
DBYWNYM, Arab. DRQ "LHM"M, . o.l. PMT"
. DYQWLWMS
Hebrew DBYWNYM means excrement (JD ) or pigeon droppings

(KB ; KA : f., : f.; BM ) and features in Kings : (K"ri)
and bMeg b.
Arabic darq al-hamam
. means dung of pigeons (L ).
For theidentification of DBYWNYM as darq al-hamam,
. cf. IJ .
The vernacular term PMT" DYQWLWM S (MS P) must be interpreted
.
as O. Occ. femta de coloms for pigeon droppings. The first element is
femta (CB ), a feminine variant of fem, femp, (RL :a; PSW :b)
with the meaning fiente, excrment (i.e., droppings, excrement; RL loc.
cit.), and the second element is the plural of colom for pigeon (FEW
:b). This term is documented in our sources, although not exactly
in the form that we have here (see the masculine variant fems de columps
(RMA ), and the feminine fenda dels colons (CB )).
30 : O V
31 : VO
32 : O V add. V
dalet
. 34 33
DYKH GRYSWT, Arab. DQ" GRYS"
Hebrew DYKH GRYSWT means to pound pearl barley or grits (JD ,

; LW :; KA :, :, :; cf. Gimmel no. ). DYKH fea-
tures in the Bible, e.g. Ps : in the sense of to crush (KB )
and, in Rabbinic literature, it is only attested as the verbal substan-
tive: meaning pounding, derived from (cf. JD ; LW :;
KA :).
The Arabic probably has to be read as: daqqa garsan, i.e., to pound
grits (L , ); cf. as well D :: piler grossirement. Cf. as well
DAS : and MT .
. 37 36 35
DWT, Arab. S. HRYG, o.l. BRQYL
Hebrew DWT or HDWT . means a subterranean masoned store-room,

cistern, cellar (JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ; KT ::
Korngrube (corn-pit)) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mBB
. or mKel ..
Arabic s. ihrg means watering-trough or tank or cistern (L ).
For the identification of HDWT
. as s. ihrg, cf. the Geonic Commentary
on Tohorot (EG ), and Maimonides on mKel . (MK :).
The vernacular term BRQYL may be interpreted as the O. Occ. broc,
pot, small jug (RL :b) with the diminutive suffix -el; cf. the parallel
form brocat (big jug, PSW :b) with the augmentative suffix -at. For
these suffixes, see GHP ; WfP , . Another form is
O. Occ. broquer, pot, small jug (RL loc. cit.).
. 38
DWKYPT, Arab. HDHWD
Hebrew DWKYPT designates the bird hoopoe, Upupa epops (KB ;

CD :; SD ; KA :; BM f.; LZ ff.), and features in the
33 : V
34 : O V ? add. V
35 : O
36 : VO
37 : add. V
38 : O
shem tov, glossary
Bible (Lev :; Deut :) and Rabbinic literature (e.g. bHul

. a; bGit
b).
Arabic hudhud has the same meaning (L f.; BK ; KSZ :;
StS ; see as well Venzlaff, Al-Hudhud).39
For the identification of DWKYPT as hudhud, cf. Sa#adya (S ) on
Deut :: (the stork, any variety
of heron, the hoopoe, and the bat):
; see as well IJ .
. 41 40
DRDY", Arab. DWRDY, o.l. PYG"L
Aramaic DWRD", plur. DRDY", means sediment, lees, dregs (JD ;

SDA ) or yeast (LW :; KA :) and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in bAZ a or bTaan a.
Arabic durd has the same meaning (L ).
For the identification of DRDY" as durd, cf. LO Perushim on bTaan
b, p. : ,[]
() (DWRDY", SDY" [SDRY"], SMRYM they all mean the same and in
Arabic it is called D(W)RDY) (cf. as well SDA ).
PYG"L (MS P)/PGL"RH (MS O)/PYGL"RH (MS V) are O. Occ. words
related to the Latin FAEX (RL :b; FEW :) or the derivation
FAECULA tartar, yeast. See the O. Occ. fec/fetz, lie, sdiment, matire
fcale (i.e., sediment (of wine), faecal material), e.g. fetz de vi, sedi-
ment of wine, and O. Cat. feu solatge (DECLC :). FAECULA could
have produced an O. Occ (semi-learned) form *fegula/*fegola. In this case
the term used in the Paris MS would be corrupt and should be read
as PYGL",42 although it is strange for these MSS that /o/ or /u/ is not
expressed. The variants used in the MSS O and V could not be inter-
preted.
39 H. Venzlaff, Al-Hudhud. Eine Untersuchung zur kulturgeschichtlichen Bedeutung des
Wiedehopf im Islam, Frankfurt a. Main .

40 : O V
41 : O V add. V
42 Note, however, that this word (originally belonging to medical language according
to the FEW) has usually not produced any hereditary forms. Another possibility would
be to hypothesize an O. Occ. *fegal from the adjective FAECALEM.
dalet
. 44 43
DQL, Arab. NKL i.e. the palm tree, o.l. DYYTLYR
.
Hebrew DQL means palm tree, Phoenix dactylifera L. and Var. (JD ;
LW :; KA : f., :; DAS :; FM ; LF : f.), and
features, e.g. in mPeah ..
Arabic nahl or nahla also means palm tree (D :; DT :;
DAS :, , ).
For the identification of DQL as nahl, cf. Maimonides commentary on
the Mishnah cited above (MK :).
The vernacular form DYYTLYR . (MS P and V) must be O. Occ.
*daitiler for palm tree, which is not documented in our sources. We
only find the O. Occ. name of the fruit, datil (DAO :; FEW :b;
RL :a; PSW :b; RM ; CB , ). In O. Cat., we find
the name of the fruit, dtil, and the name of the tree derived from
it by the suffix -er, datiler, featured in Ramon Llull (th century, see
DECLC :a). The Romance words for the fruit are learned words from
Lat. DACTYLUS (FEW :b); by contrast, the form in our text shows
the regular development of Lat. -CT- to a diphthong with offglide Yod in
the intermediate stage of the development of the velars in syllable final
position before -t: DACTYLU(M) > O. Occ.*daitil.
. 45
DLDWL, Arab. DBWL, o.l. RPYSY
In Rabbinic Hebrew, DLDWL originally means the hanging-down of a

piece which is partly detached from the body, especially, the part hanging
down (LW :; KA : f.), and then a wart with a thin neck (JD )
or a tumor of the skin, wart (Low XLVI) and features in Rabbinic
. a. It is derived from the verb
literature, e.g. in mNeg . or bHul
which means to reduce, weaken or: to loosen, detach (JD f.), but
cf. SDA ; s.v. (): to become degenerated, diminished.
Arabic dubul indicates the disease called wasting or marasmus
(L f.). In Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (III, , ,; X, , ;
XIX, ; XXII, ; cf. BMMa , , ), it is rendered a.o. as: or
by N and as: or (RYSPYS. Y) by Z.
43 : V
44 : O !A P
45 : O V
shem tov, glossary
For the identification of DLDWL as dubul, cf. the Geonic Commentary

on Tohorot (EG ): ) .
(. Epstein has emended the
text in such a way that is an explanation of , which conforms
with Ibn Janah; . IJ (see as well Krauss, KA :), and is contrary to
Kohut, KA :, n. .
The vernacular term could not be identified. It might be related to
the O. Occ. despezar (RL :b; PSW :b) to tear to pieces, to
dismember (see the meaning of the Hebrew word; also cf. the O. Fr.
despeceiz destroyed part, piece, FEW :b) or to the Latin RECIDERE
or a Romance derivation thereof (e.g., O. Occ. rescis torn into pieces,
res(s)is / ressitz weak, miserable (FEW :a).
. 46
D"H, Arab. HD"
.
Hebrew D"H, which features in the Bible (e.g. Lev :) and Rabbinic lit-
erature (e.g. bHul
. b), designates the bird kite, Milvus milvus (KB ;
CD :; JD ; BAL ; BH :; FAB ), which is, according
to Jewish law, prohibited as food.
Arabic hid"a
. has the same meaning (L f.; BK , ; JAD : ff.;
KSZ :, :; StS ).
For the identification of D"H as hid"a,
. cf. Sa#adya (S ) on Lev ::
(the kite, and different species of falcons):
; see as well Ibn Janah. (IJ ).
46 : O V
HE
. 3 2 1
HRNY, Arab. KBYZ, o.l. MLB"
Aramaic HRN" or "RN", plur. HRNY or "RWNY/ "R"NY refers to a plant of

uncertain identity. According to the Geonic tradition, it is identical with
the plant called \ (malva) mallow (JD ; SDA : malva
(leaves); KA :, :; LA ff.:; LF :) and features, e.g. in
bShab b.
Arabic hubbayz, a variant of hubbaza, is malva or mallow, Malva
silvestris L. and Var. (L ; DT :;
M ; DAS :, : f.: Malva
rotundifolia, Malva parviflora).
The vernacular term MLB" (MS P) is the Lat. or the Romance (most
probably O. Occ. or O. Cat.) malva (NPRA ; Sin :; DAO :;
RL :a; FEW :a; CB among others; RMA , ; RPA ;
RM , , ; DECLC :a) with the meaning mallow. Vari-
ants like *malvia suggested by the Oxford and Vatican MSS could not
be found in our sources, but we suppose the influence of malvi, doc-
umented for O. Occ. for the meaning Althaea officinalis (DAO :),
which looks similar to the mallow (cf. its etymology MALVA + HIBIS-
CUS > *malva"biscu > late Lat. malaviscum > Romance malvi(s), see
FEW :a; DECLC loc. cit.). Also cf. Mod. Cat. malv (DECLC :b;
DCVB :b).
For the identification of Arabic hubbaza as O. Cat. malva, cf. GHAT

: and AdV , , for the identification as malv ibid.
. 5 4
HRZP", Arab. #"QR QRH",. o.l. PLYTRY
.
Aramaic HRZP", also HRZYP", HRZYPW, featured in Rabbinic literature,

namely in bPes a means a bitter herb (JD ; SDA ); according to
1 : V
2 : O
3 : O V
4 : V
5 : O V
shem tov, glossary
LW : it is a poisonous herb, fatal for cattle (cf. Rashi on bPes a).

Kohut (KA :) identifies the term as: Saint Johns wort, Hypericum
perforatum L.
Arabic aqirqarha
. is Anacyclus Pyrethrum L., pyrethrum (DT :;
M ; LF : f.). The Arabic name is derived from Aram. #qqar qarha .
naked root (LA :). The term features in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (XXI, ), where it is translated by both N and Z with the
vernacular (PLYTRY),
. the common Hebrew term in medieval
medical literature.
The Arukh (KA :) renders HRZP" as vernacular
(PYLTR").
.
The vernacular form PLYTRY . must be the O. Occ. or O. Cat. pelitre
(FEW :a; PSW :a; DAO :; CB ; RM ; RMM ;
DECLC :b; DCVB :a) with the meaning Bertram, Mutterkraut
(pellitory, feverfew; PSW :a), Anacyclus pyrethrum (DAO :).
For the identification of Arab. #aqirqarha
. as O. Cat. pelitre, cf. AdV ,
; also cf. GHAT :, where we find the corrupt Arab. form #Q"R
QRHH.
.
. 6
HRDWPNY, Arab. DPL", o.l. LWRDMWNY
Hebrew HRDWPNY or HRDPNY, next to Aramaic HRDWP", from

Greek & (LS ; KG :; LR ) means oleander, Ner-
ium Oleander L. (LW :; SDA ; KA :; :; DAS :;
FEB ff.; FM ; FZ f.; LA f.:; LF : ff.) and features in
Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bPes a or mHul. ..
Arabic difla has the same meaning (DT :; M ; DAS :).
For the identification, cf. by Samuel ha-Nagid:7
[ . . . ] (HRDWPN in Mishnaic
language HRDWPNY [ . . . ] it is called ad-difla).8 Maimonides comments
on the Mishnah mentioned that it is a herb which kills an animal when it
eats from it, but that it is not harmful for human beings, just like chicken
dropping (MK :).
6 : D V
7 On Samuel ha-Nagid (), cf. I. Ta-Shma, Ha-Sifrut ha-Parshanit la-Talmud,
vol. , second rev. ed. Jerusalem , pp. .

8 J. Mann, A portion of the work by Samuel Ibn Nagdela of Granada,
in: idem, Texts and Studies in Jewish History and Literature, vol. , Cincinnati ,
, p. .
he
The vernacular term is corrupt, and actually contains two words.

The first three letters correspond to O. Occ. laur, O. Cat. llaur laurel
(DAO :; CB , among others; DECLC :bb). It should
be recalled that some of the plant names for Nerium Oleander contain
an element meaning laurel in several languages, e.g. Lat. laurorosa
(NPRA ), laurier-rose (FEW :b) in French and lauzier/laurier/
lauri-roso in Occ. (DAO :), in Italian lauro roseo or lauro indiano,
among others (PFlor ). The string beginning with Dalet is a variant
that belongs to the Greek , which often appears with a parasitic
m in Medieval Latin (e.g. in the Alphita, cf. Sin , notes , and
). Also see the Hebrew version of the Alphita (HebMedSyn ),
where daphnococci laurel berries is spelled DMNY QWQTY. .
. 10 9
HYTYH, Arab. "NGD"N, o.l. PWLYD" GH P" TYDH .
Hebrew HYTYH or more correctly HTYH, TYH or TY"H designates )

either the plant crowfoot, Ranunculus, or its root (JD ; BM ;
LF : ff.), or ) the root of Ferula asa foetida L. (FM ; LF : ff.;
cf. as well KA :, :).
Arabic angudan or angudan, from Persian angudan (VL :,),
refers to Ferula asa foetida (DT :) and, according to Maimonides
Glossary of Drug Names, the leaves of asafetida (M = IJS :; cf.
MS V and ID :). See as well Ayin .
For the identification of as angudan, cf. Maimonides on mUqz .
(MK :); see as well EG .
The vernacular PWYYL" D" S" PYTYD" . (according to MS O) is the
O. Occ. fuelha dasafetida (leave of asafetida). We could not find any
form corresponding to asafetida that could possibly be transcribed into
Hebrew with Gimmel as is the case in MS P (so that this spelling is
most probably an error). For asafetida, cf. Het . no. . The first element
is O. Occ. fuelha (var. fuella, fueilla, foilla, fuoilla) leave (DAO :
; FEW :b) in MS O, whereas P and V reflect the form folh or
fuelh, O. Occ. for leave (see for example RL :a; DAO :; FEW
ibid.). These two variants might also represent the masculine Catalan full
(DECLC :b; DCVB :b).
9 : VO add. V
10 : O V
shem tov, glossary
. 11
HBNYM, Arab. "BNWS, o.l.YYWNWS
Hebrew HBNYM, featured in the Bible (Ez :), means ebony, Dios-
pyros mespiliformis (KB ; CD :; FEB ff.; FO f.; LF
: f.).
Arabic abanus has the same meaning (DT :). The identification
. K. al-us. ul:
goes back to Rav Hai Gaon as transmitted by Ibn Janah,

(HBNYM is al-abanus according to the
translation by Rav Hai Gaon) (IJ ). See as well MCS :.
The vernacular YYWNWS must be the Lat. ebenus (Sin :; FEW
:a) that was also used in O. Cat. texts (ebenus, ebenu, DECLC
:b; DCVB :b) for ebony. In O. Occ., we find the following
forms: avenuz (or similar variants), via Arabic transmission (FEW
:a; PSW :b; DAO :) and ebana, ebene, ebeni, forms directly
derived from Lat. (RL :b; DAO :). The spelling with YY- in MS
P and with G- in MSS O and V as well as the Yod in the last syllable
in these MSS remain unexplained. A similar variant appears as O. Cat.
GYBYNWS in GHAT :, where it is identified as Arab. abanus.
. 13 12
HLYLQYM KRKWMYYM, Arab. HLYLG " S. PR, o.l. MYR" BWL"NY
STRYNY
.
Hebrew HLYLQ/HLYLG KRKWMY, plur. HLYLQYM/HLYLGYM KRK-

WMYYM means yellow myrobalan and features in medieval medical
literature, for instance, in the Hebrew translation of Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (XXI, ), and is translated by N as: whereas Z
has: (MYRWBLNY S. YTRYNY).
. The term as a gen-
eral term for myrobalan is attested for the first time in the geonic com-
pendium Halakhot Gedolot (ed. Hildesheimer,14 p. ; cf. as well LP ).
Arabic hallag as. far means Terminalia citrina Roxb., Hara nut (D
:; M ; ID :; SP ). Hallag is the Arabic form of the Persian
name halla (VL :). It indicates several kinds of myrobolans, mostly
11 : VO
12 : O V
13 : O V
14 J. Hildesheimer (ed.), Halachoth Gedoloth nach dem Text der Handschrift der
Vaticana, vols. Berlin .
he
the fruits of Terminalia Chebula Retz. (Combretaceae), black chebulic

myrobalans (cf. below no. ). The yellow kind is sometimes given a
separate name, namely Terminalia citrina Roxb.. According to Meyerhof-
Sobhy (MS f.:), most modern botanists consider this a stage in the
growth of the chebulic myrobolans.
The vernacular form used in the Paris MS, MYR" BWL"NY STRYNY, .
must be identified as the Lat. plural mirabolani citrini, literally yellow
myrobalans (Sin b; AdV :; in Hebrew transcription MYRB-
WLNY SYTRYNY,. see PJP ). For the first element mirabolanus or
myrobalanus (< gr. ), cf. DuC :c; ThLL :). The
variants that appear in the Oxford and Vatican MSS represent mirabolans
citrins/ setrins, which is attested in O. Cat. (DCVB :a), but might also
be O. Occ. (for mirabolans, see CB ; cf. the attested form mirabolha
setrin in RMM ). For the identification of Lat. mirabolani citrini/
O. Cat. mirabolans citrins/sitrins as Arabic hallag as. far, see AdV ,
.
. 17 16 15
HLYLQYM KBWLYYM, Arab. HLYLG K"BWLY, o.l. MYR" BWL"NY
K"BWLS
Hebrew HLYLQ/HLYLG KBWLY, plur. HLYLQYM/ HLYLGYM KBW-

LYYM means Chebulic myrobalan and features in medieval medical
literature, for instance, in the Hebrew translation of Maimonides Medi-
cal Aphorisms (XXI, ). It is translated by N as: , whereas Z
has: (MYRWBLYNY K"BWLY). For Hebrew , cf.
He no. above.
Arabic hallag kabul is Terminalia Chebula Retz. (D :; M ;
ID :; SP , cf. He no. ).
The vernacular term used in the Paris MS, MYR" BWL"NY K"BWLS, is
a mixed form: the Lat. plural mirabolani with the epitheton in Romance
(see the O. Cat. plural quebol(l)s), whereas the synonym used in the
Vatican MS is completely Romance: MYRBWLNS Q"BWLS (mirabolans
quebolls, literally Chebulic myrobalans, DCVB :a). Cf. the Romance
term in Hebrew spelling, MYR"BWL"NS KYBWLS, in PJP . In AdV
, the O. Cat. form mirabolans kbols is identified as Arab. hallag
15 : V, om. O
16 : V, om. O
17 : V, om. O
shem tov, glossary
kabul. The corresponding Lat. term is mirabolani kebuli (Sin b). Also
cf. entry He .
. 20 19 18
HLYLQYM HWDYYM, Arab. HLYLG HNDY, o.l. MYR" BWL"NY
"YNDYS
The Hebrew term HLYLQYM HWDYYM means Indian Myrobalans

and features in medieval medical literature, for instance, in the Hebrew
translation of Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ) and is translated
by N as: , whereas Z has: (MYRWBLYNY
"YNDYS).
Arabic hallag hind is Terminalia horrida Stend. (D :; ID :;
SP ). According to Meyerhof-Sobhy (MS :), one kind of myro-
balans is called Indian when their fruits reach the size of a grape.
The vernacular MYR"BWL"NY "YNDYS (MS P) is a mixed form, com-
posed of the Lat. plural mirabolani and the O. Occ./O. Cat. plural indis
(Indian). It corresponds to the Lat. mirabolani indi, literally Indian
myrobalans (Sin b). The synonym in V is O. Occ. or O. Cat. mirabol-
ans indis (cf. the documented mirabolans indi/ indichs in CB ; DCVB
:a). The form features in an O. Cat. text: Mirabolans indis[M]ira-
bolans indis sn semblants [a] kbols (i.e., Indian myrobalansIndian
myrobalans are similar to Chebulic myrobalans, AdV ; for its iden-
tification as Arab. hallag hind, cf. ibid. , ). For the O. Cat. term
in Hebrew spelling, also cf. GHAT :, MYRBW## "YNDYQS, and the
Romance expression in PJP , MYR"BWL"NS "YNDYQS.
. 21
HZLH, Arab. NZLH, o.l. R"BM"S
Hebrew HZLH, from the root NZL to flow, traditionally means drip-
ping, pouring out or shedding (EM ; cf. as well BM ), but in
medieval medical literature it assumes the meaning catarrh through
semantic borrowing from the Arabic nazla; cf. MD .
18 : V, om. O
19 : V, om. O
20 : V, om. O
21 : P V
he
Arabic nazla means catarrh (D :; cf. as well IR , , ,

; KZ ; SN : nazalat catarrhus). The Arabic term features, e.g.
in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (III, ; VI, ; VIII, ; IX, ; XIII,
; XVI, ; XIX, ; cf. BMMa and BMMb , , ), and is translated
by N as: , , and by Z as: \ or (RYWM").
The vernacular term used in the Oxford MS, R"BM"S, and also the Vat-
ican variant RBMS correspond to the O. Occ. raums/ reumas/ reumatz
cold (the illness) (FEW :a; PSW :b; CB , among others).
The spelling used in the Paris MS with -WB- suggests the diphthong -ou-
instead of -au-. The phenomenon au > ou as mentioned by Corradini
Bozzi (CB ) can occasionally be found in one of the MSS examined
there, both in tonic and pretonic position; also cf. the Mod. Occ. variant
rooums (FEW :b). In Cat., we only find the modern variant reums
documented for the Roussillon area (DECLC :b; DCVB :b).
. 24 23 22
HDRQWN, Arab. QWLNG, o.l. QWLWN
Hebrew HDRQWN or HDRWQN, from Greek + (LS ; KG

:: +; LN ; LR ), means dropsy (JD ; LW :,
; KA :, : f.; Low XLVII) and features in Rabbinic literature,
for instance, in bShab a.
Arabic qawlang or quling, from Greek , (LS ) means
colic (L ; SN ). The regular Arabic parallel to the Hebrew
term is NKT% (cf. LO Teshuvot on bShab a, p. ; D :;
HTG , ; KZ ). A Hebrew parallel to Arabic QWLNG is QWLNG
(Maimonides Medical Aphorisms VIII, (BMMb ); translation N)
or QWLWN (ibid., translation Z). For the identification, cf. ShM :
. (because it brings
on HDRQWN (cf. bBer a). Some say it is dropsy, others say it is
colic).
The vernacular term QWLWN is Lat. or Romance colon with the
meaning colon (ThLL :; MLWB : and, e.g., O. Occ. FEW
:a; O. Cat. DECLC :a; DCVB :a). The Romance term is
a loan word of Medieval medical Lat. which in Fr., for example, went
through a semantic shift to arrive at the meaning colic (FEW :).
22 : V
23 : O V
24 : add. O
shem tov, glossary
The meaning of the Arabic and Hebrew terms suggests a similar semantic
shift in O. Occ./O. Cat.
A further confirmation of this shift is the second synonym given in
the Oxford MS, the M. Lat. c(h)olica, (bilious) colic (MLWB :;
MLLM b). Colica also existed as a learned word in Romance lan-
guages, e.g., in O. Cat. documented since (DECLC :a; DCVB
:b), but also in O. Occ. (see CB ). RL mentions it only as an adjec-
tive (colic, -a, concerning colic, e.g. in a quotation of Eluc. de las propr.,
fol. : colica passio, see RL :a).
. 25
HM#DT HM#YM, Arab. ZLQ "L"M#"
Hebrew HM#DT HM#YM, which is not attested in secondary literature,

was possibly coined by Shem Tov as a Hebrew loan translation of the
Arabic zalaq al-am#a" Dysenteria spuria (KZ ; SN ; cf. BM ).
The Arabic term features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXII, ;
XXIII, , , , ), and is translated by N as: /
, and by Z as: / . Moses Ibn
Tibbon translates the Arabic as: in Maimonides On the
Regimen on Health; cf. BMR IV, .
.
HTPT
. HSTN, Arab. TQTYR
. "LBWL
Hebrew HTPT. HSTN, which is not attested in secondary literature, is

possibly a loan translation coined by Shem Tov after the Arab. taqt. r
al-bawl dribbling of urine (L ; cf. IR : strangury; SN :
Harnverhaltung (retention of urine)).
. 28 27 26
HDR KNTH, Arab. DW"RH, o.l. BWDYLS
Hebrew HDR KNTH or Aramaic HDR" DKNT" (cf. MS V) means Me-

senteron, the old term for embryonic mid gut (JD ; SDA ;
25 : O V
26 : O V
27 : O V
28 : V
he
KA :; :; Low XLVII) and features in Rabbinic literature in bHul .

b and a.
Arabic duwwara or dawwara is a round part or portion, what winds,
or what has, or assumes, a coiled, or circular form, of the guts, or
intestines, of a sheep or goat (L ; cf. FL :: Pars ventris in ove
quae intestina comprehendit (That part of the stomach of a sheep which
encompasses the intestines). For the identification, cf. ShM :

(
because it is turned and twisted; [its construction is similar to:] the basis
of the twist which is the same as the twisted basis, and, similarly, it is
called duwwara /dawwara in Arabic with the meaning turning around
each other).
The vernacular term is the plural of the O. Occ. or O. Cat. budel(l)
derived from Lat. BOTELLUS with the meaning intestine (FEW :a;
DECLC :b; RL :b). In O. Cat., we find the first documentation
in the Doctrina Pueril by Ramon Llull (about ): Per menjar e beure
complex hom los budels [ . . . ] (i.e., by eating and drinking man fills
his intestines, DECLC :b). In the O. Occ. texts edited by Corradini
Bozzi, we find two different types of budels: budel cular for rectum
(CB as a synonym of longahon) and budel gran or maior for colon
(CB ; CB ).
. 32 31 30 29
HPWK H" S. TWMK",
. Arab. THW# "LM#DH "W TQLBH"
Hebrew HPWK H" S. TWMK"

. literally means upsetting the stomach. We
could not find any attestations for this term.
Arabic tahawwu# al-ma#ida aw taqallubha means to have an upset
stomach and to vomit (L ; SN ). The Arabic tahawwu# features
in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXIII, ) and is translated by N as:
and by Z as: .
29 : O V
30 : O V
31 : VO
32 : V
shem tov, glossary
. 35 34 33
HST, Arab. K"BWS, o.l. MSQ"
Hebrew HST is probably a corruption of (HST), . which is a non-

attested alternative form for the more common Hebrew (SYWT) . or
Aramaic (SYWT"), . which means fright, panic, nightmare (JD ;
LW :; SDA : fright, type of demon; KA :, :; BM ).
The term features in Rabbinic literature, for instance, in bYom b in:
(he saw something frightening in his dream; i.e. had a
nightmare). Note, however, how the physician Nathan b. Jo"el Falaquera
(late th century) uses the term instead of in the Sefer Zori.
ha-Guf,36 MS Oxford, Bodleian, Hunt. Don. (Uri ), cat. Neubauer
, fol. b: (cf. BM ,
n. ). One wonders whether it was confused with the term , which
features in bYom b a few lines earlier than the term .
Arabic kabus means incubus or nightmare, what comes upon a man
in the night, preventing his moving while it lasts; forerunner of epilepsy
(L ; WKAS :; SN ).
For the identification, cf. the quotation from the Sefer Zori
. ha-Guf.
The vernacular word corresponds to the Lat. or O. Occ. masca witch
(FEW :a). The meaning nightmare, suggested by the Hebrew
and Arabic synonyms, can be found both in Lat. (masca, DuC :b;
ThLL :), and in Mod. Occ. dialects: myso nightmare (Pietraporzio,
Piemont), stre cauc pr il masco to have a nightmare (FEW :b),
mascos nightmare (DFO :a), so it must have existed in O. Occ. too,
as our text shows. Also cf. Southern Pietmontese mske with the same
meaning (FEW loc. cit.).
. 37
HZYH, Arab. HDY"N
Hebrew HZYH means absurdity, folly, error (EP ; KTP :: Phan-

tasiegebilde, Torheit; Irrtum; BM ).
33 : P
34 : O
35 : O V
36 For Nathan Falaquera and his medical compendium, cf. G. Bos and R. Fontaine,
Medico-philosophical controversies in Nathan b. Jo"el Falaquera Sefer Zori
. ha-Guf ,
Jewish Quarterly Review, vol. XC, JulyOctober :.
37 : V
he
Arabic hadayan means delirium, raving (SN ; Dols, Majnun

The term features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical
;38 FrA ).
Aphorisms (XXIII,a), and is translated both by N and Z as: .
For the identification of HZYH as hadayan cf. Samuel Ibn Tibbon
.39
(ca. ), Perush ha-Millim ha-Zarot,
. 41 40
HTBWSSWT, Arab. KD"B, . and it is derived from wallowing in your
blood (Ez :)
Hebrew HTBWSSWT is derived from BWS to trample, to tread down

and means to be trodden down, to be trampled (KB ; CD :). It
features in Ez :, as .
. from IJ means to be coloured, to be dyed (L ).
Arabic hidab

The Hebrew and Arabic terms are identified in SID ::
:.
. 43 42
HTP
. HT. HMQWM, Arab. TNTYL . "LMWD#
.
Hebrew HTP . HH . is a verbal noun meaning moistening (BM ;

EM ), and has, in a medical context, the special meaning of applying
a fomentation. HTP . HT
. HMQWM thus means applying a fomentation
to a place [of the body].
Arabic tant. l means to moisten (D :), and in a medical context
to apply a fomentation. TNTYL. "L MWD# . means to apply a fomenta-
tion to a place [of the body]. TNTYL. features in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (XIII, ) in a medical sense and is translated by N as:
and by Z as: .
38 M.W. Dols, Majnun: The Madman in Medieval Islamic Society. Edited by D.E. Im-
misch, Oxford .
39 Samuel Ibn Tibbon, Perush ha-Millim ha-Zarot in: Sefer Moreh Nevukhim le-Mosheh
Ben Maimon. Ed. Y. Ibn Shmuel. New revised edition, Jerusalem .

40 : VO
41 : O
42 : O
43 : O V (= bYom a) add. V
shem tov, glossary
. 44
HZ"H, Arab. NDW . H .
Hebrew HZ"H hails from the root NZH, which features in the Bible (e.g.
Lev :) in the Qal in the sense of to spatter and in the Hif#il both
in the Bible (e.g. Num :) and in Rabbinic literature in the sense
of to sprinkle (KB ; JD f.; LW :, Aram. ; BM f.).
HZ"H, a verbal noun derived from HZH meaning sprinkling, features
in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mZeb . (JD ; LW :; KA :;
BM ).
The Arabic root nada. ha
. means to sprinkle and nadu. h. is a kind of
perfume or any medicine injected into the mouth (L f.; HaF ).
Sa#adya (S ) translates the biblical HZH as it features in Num
:: (Further, he who sprinkled the water of
lustration shall wash his clothes) as: ; see as
well IJ , gloss MS Rouen (n. ). The term HZ"H is left untranslated
by Maimonides in his commentary on the Mishnah passage mentioned.
. 46 45
HDRQWN, Arab. QWLNG
For both terms, cf. He no. above.
. 47
HTLBDWT, Arab. TLBD
Hebrew HTLBDWT is a verbal noun derived from HTLBD, which means

to be connected, stuck (EM ) and is only attested for medieval
literature. It features, for instance, as in Samuel Ibn Tibbons
Hebrew translation of Maimonides Guide of the Perplexed, III.,48 where
it is a translation of the Arabic .49 also features in medieval
philosophical literature in the sense of porous cf. KTP :.
is not attested in the dictionaries.
44 : O V
45 : om. OV
46 : VO
47 : O
48 Ed. Ibn Shnuel, p..
49Moshe Ben Maimon, Dalalat al-ha"irn. Arabic text established by S. Munk and
.
edited with variant readings by I. Joel, Jerusalem , p. , l. .
he
Arabic talabbud is the inf. of talabbada, meaning to shrink back; to

crouch down; to be formed into a ball; to become compacted; to form
lumps; to stick, be stuck together; to be matted (WKAS :).
WAW
. 2 1
WTYQH, Arab. #SYDH
The Aramaic term WTYQ" (cf. MS O), featuring in Rabbinic literature in

bPes b, is the name of a certain pastry, tart (JD ; LW :, ;
SDA ; KA :, :) which can be cooked in oil and salt or in water
and salt (cf. bPes b; AH :b; KT :). In Geonic literature
is identified as ; cf. LO :.
Arabic #as. da is a sort of thick gruel, consisting of wheat-flour moist-
ened and stirred about with clarified butter, and cooked (L ; DRD
; RAP , n. , , ). The term features in Maimonides On the
Regimen of Health, cf. BMR I, ) and is translated by Moses Ibn Tibbon
as: ; cf. as well Maimonides On Asthma
(III, ; BMA ) and KZ , , .
. 5 4 3
WRDY HHMWRYM,
. Arab. WRD "LHMYR,
. o.l. GNSQWL"
Hebrew WRDY HHMWRYM . literally meaning roses of donkeys, which

is not attested in secondary literature, is possibly a loan translation coined
by Shem Tov after Arabic ward al-hamr.
.
Arabic ward al-hamr
. rose of donkeys is the common name for
peony in the Maghreb, Paeonia corallina Retz. or Paeonia foemina Gar-
sault (DT :; M ; LF :; MS ff.:). See as well Shin no.
below.
The vernacular term GNSQWL" is difficult to interpret. It resembles
the M. Lat. genestula (cf. the Alphita entry in Sin : and CA ,
where it is interpreted as broom) or the Cat. ginestola, Genista tinctoria
(DCVB :b). This term is not documented for O. Occ., and, even for
1 : VO
2 : O V
3 : O
4 : VO
5 : O V
shem tov, glossary
Cat., Coromines doubts that the form listed in DCVB ever existed, since
there are no other documentations of it (DECLC :b).
. 7 6
WRYDY HS. W"R, Arab. "WD" G, o.l. "WRGWN"LS
The Hebrew term WRYDY HS. W"R designates the large blood vessels,
jugular veins leading from the head to the heart (JD f.; KA :;
Low XLVII; PB ) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mHul . ..
Arabic awdag, plural of wadag, designates each of the external jugular
veins; a certain vein in the neck; two veins extending from the head to the
lungs (L ). Awdag features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XV,
) and is translated by N as: and by Z as: .
For the identification of WRYDYM (WRYDYN) as "awdag, cf. Mai-
monides on the Mishnah cited above: : (MK :).
The vernacular term in MS V, WYN" S. "WRGNLYS. , must be interpreted
as a plural form belonging to the O. Occ. or O. Cat. vena organal (O. Occ.
also vena orguenal, cf. PSW :a, where the meaning jugular vein
is given; FEW :b: vena organal, vena orguenal artre du cou (i.e.
carotid (artery)), since the th century); for O. Cat. see DCVB :b
organal, where vena organal is interpreted as principal vein of the neck
with the addition jugular (with a question mark). The form with -W- in
MSS P and O could reflect the Latin spelling with a purely orthographic
-u-, such as in orguenal.
6 : VO
7 : V
ZAYIN
. 1
ZR# GD, Arab. BZR "LKZBWR, o.l. GR"NH DYQWRY"NDRWM
The Hebrew term ZR# GD means seed of coriander, Coriandrum sati-

vum L. (KB ; JD ; CD :; KA :, :; DAS :, :;
FO f.; LA ff.:; LF : ff.) and features in the Bible, e.g. Ex
:, and Rabbinic literature, e.g. bYom a.
Arabic bizr al-kuzbur, or the more common form bizr al-kuzbura, has
the same meaning (L ; DT :; M ; DAS :).
The identification goes back to Sa#adya (S ) on Ex ::
(The house of
Israel named it manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and it tasted
like wafers in honey):
.
The vernacular term GR"NH DYQWRY"NDRWM in MS P must be
read as grana de coriandrum, a combination of O. Occ. grana (seed, cf.
Gimmel no. and ) and Lat. coriandrum with the meaning Corian-
drum sativum L. (GH :; NPRA ). The variant in MS V repre-
sents the O. Occ. coliandre (FEW :a; CB , among others;
RPA , ; RM ), whereas the one in MS O is O. Occ./O. Cat.
coriandre (RL :b; PSW :a; CB ; RPA ; DCVB :b).
See also ShK , KWLY"NDRY, gloss of the Hebrew gad. O. Cat. corian-
dre (AdV ) is identified as Arab. kuzbura (AdV ). Also cf. GHAT
:, where we find O. Cat. KLY"NDRY as a synonym for the Arab.
KZBWR.
. 2
ZQN HTYS, Arab. LHYH . "LTYS, o.l. RWS" QNYN"
Hebrew ZQN HTYS is possibly a loan translation of Arabic lihyat. at-

tays (cf. below) (BM ; LF :). The Hebrew term features in
medieval medical literature, for instance, in the Hebrew translations of
1 : O V
2 : O V
shem tov, glossary
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ), by N, and in Judah Ben

Solomon Natans Kelal Qaz. ar mi ha-Sammim ha-Nifradim (JNK :).
See Samekh .
Arabic lihyat
. at-tays is the literal translation of Greek .
beard of a he-goat (LS , ) and is identified as ) goatsbeard,
Tragopogon porrifolius L. or Tragopogon pratensis L., ) hypocist,
Cytinus hypocistis L., ) rock-rose, Cistus villosus L. and other varieties,
) field horse-tail, toadpipe, Equisetum arvense L., and ) greater
plantain, Plantago maior L. (WKAS : f.; DT :, :; M , ;
LA f.:). See Samekh .
The term indicated as vernacular is the Latin rosa canina, meaning
dog rose; Rosa canina L., also called rosa silvestris (NPRA ). The term
was also common in Romance; for an example in O. Occ. medical texts,
see RMA (, , where the meaning fleur de lgantier, i.e., blossom
of the dog rose, is given). The synonymy of goatsbeard in the sense of
hypocist (see the entry barba hyrcina in the index of the Latin translation
of Ibn Snas K. al-Qanun, cf. Sin :) and the wild rose rosa canina is
erroneous but can be traced back to the Alphita (s.v. rosa), where the fact
that the hypocist grows at its foot is held as a typical feature of the plant
(ad pedem cuius nascitur [hypoquistidos], Sin , n. ).
.
ZR# WRDYM, Arab. BZR "LWRD, o.l. "NTR" .
Hebrew WRD, plur. WRDYM means rose and features in Rabbinic

literature (JD ; FM ; FO ; FZ ff.; LF : ff.). ZR# WRDYM
means seed of roses.
Arabic bizr al-ward has the same meaning (L ).
For the identification of WRD as ward, cf. Maimonides on mShebi .:
: (MK :).
The vernacular term "NTR". is the Late Latin ant(h)era (< Greek !-
, flowering, MLWB :, meaning medicamentum quoddam com-
positum and bacilla, quae in interiore floris rosei parte inveniuntur, also
cf. ThLL :; GH :: ein Arzneimittel aus Blten, i.e., a medicine
made of blossoms) and which features in the Alphita with the meaning
seed of roses (CA ; Sin :). A well known passage is the fol-
lowing one from Guy de Chauliacs Chirurgia magna (th c.): Anthera
est illud citrinum quod est in medio rose (Chauliac, ed. McVaugh
:), which was translated into Spanish and Catalan as Antera es
aquella cosa cetrina que es en medio de la rosa (see DETEMA :a
zayin
and Sin b) /Antera es aquella cosa groga qui es en mitj de la rosa

(i.e., antera is this yellow thing in the middle of the rose, Cauliach Coll.,
II,,d.a, cap. ; see in DCVB :b). The term anthera is documented
in Cat. in the year (DCVB loc. cit.; cf. the quotation from Chauliac
above).
. 6 5 4 3
ZNB HSWS, Arab. DNB "LKYL, o.l. QWNSWLYDH or DNT. QBLYN" or
QWD" DQBL
Hebrew ZNB HSWS literally means horse-tail; the Syriac version

(LA :) is the literal translation of Greek / horse-tail,
Equisetum silvaticum or Equisetum maximum (LS ; BM ). The
Hebrew term features, for instance, in the Book of Medicines attributed to
Asaf (AV :; LF :). In addition to ZNB HSWS, we find
in OLD : and :.
Arabic danab al-hayl or its more common plural form adnab al-hayl
is also theliteral translation
a variety
of Greek / and designates
of Equisetum (DT :; M ; LF:).
Our text mentions three vernacular plant names: The first,
QWNSWLYDH, is the Lat. or O. Occ. consolida with the meaning Sym-
phytum officinale, which is documented in O. Occ. in the th century
(FEW :b; PSW :a; RMA ; RMM ; RPA , , ,
among others). But it seems that the forms co(n)solda (cf. MSS O and V)
and co(n)souda (with syncope) are more frequent in O. Occ. (CB ,
,,, among others; RM among others; RPA among oth-
ers).
The second term is an O. Occ. or O. Cat. *dent cavalina (in Cat.
also: cavallina), which is well represented in our text and follows the
model of the Lat. dens caballinus (see Alphita: Sin , n. ; CA ).
In O. Sp., we can find the vernacular translations diente de cauallo (Sin
: and :) or diente caualluno (Sin :), which, in the contexts
shown in the Sinonima, must designate the plant Hyoscyamus albus
L. (see Sin b). The ending of the adjective is due to the fact that,
in O. Occ., dent tooth could be feminine (besides the etymological
3 : O V
4 : O
5 : V
6 : O V add. V
shem tov, glossary
masculine; see RL :ab), and, in Catalan, the feminine form appears

to be the standard case by the Middle Ages already (see DECLC :b).
The adjective caval(l)in, caval(l)ina is well attested for both languages
(RL :a; DCVB :a; :b; DECLC :b).
The third term, QWD" DQBL, must be read as O. Occ. *coda de
caval(h) with the literal meaning horse-tail. This combination is not
documented in our sources, but in an O. Occ. text we find cauda equina
menor with the meaning horsetail (CB ) and, in Cat., the plant name
coa/cua de cavall exists (DECLC :a; DCVB :b, no. IV,, name
of different species of plants of the genus equisetum of the equisetaceae
and especially Equisetum arvense L.). The Romance term is a translation
of the Lat. cauda caballina or cauda (coda) caballi or cauda caballina,
Equisaetum pratense Ehr., E. silvaticum L., E. palustre L. (NPRA ;
FEW :a). The forms that we find here are unequivocally Occitan:
coda or coza for tail (RL :a; FEW :b), derived from the Lat.
etymon CAUDA (FEW :a) or, monophthongised in Vulgar Latin,
coda, while, in O. Cat., we can only find the form coa, the result of
Western Romance lenition with the loss of voiced intervocalic plosives
(DECLC :a).
The additional term in MS V is the O. Occ. or Cat. proenca with the
meaning Planta apocincia de lespcie Vinca media (i.e., apocynaceous
plant of the species Vinca media, DCVB :b; RMA ; RPA ).
. 8 7
ZYKWM, Arab. ZK"M, o.l. RWBMS
Hebrew ZYKWM is a Hebraised form of the Arabic zukam not attested

elsewhere which means a coryza, or catarrhus ad nares; a rheum
(L ; cf. as well IR , , , ; KZ s.v. 'Q6; SN : CQ6
coryza).
The Arabic term features, e.g. in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms
(XIX,) and is transcribed by N as: and , and translated by
Z as: (QTR").
.
For the vernacular, cf. the entry He .
7 : O
8 : O V
zayin
. 10 9
ZW#H, Arab. RGP
Hebrew ZW#H, which features in the Bible (e.g Is :) and Rabbinic

literature (e.g. mBer .), means trembling, fear, tempest (KB ;
CD :; JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ).
The Arabic verbal infinitive ragf means commotion, agitation, con-
vulsion, tumult or disturbance (L ).
Sa#adya on Is : translates the term as: (DS ; cf. as well
SF :), and the anonymous compendium of Tanhums . al-Murshid al-
Kafi as: (AQ, fol. a); cf. SAM :: :.
. 11
ZRZYRYM, Arab. ZR"ZYR
Hebrew ZRZYR, plur. ZRZYRYM designates the bird starling, Sturnus

vulgaris (JD ; LW :; KA : f.; :; BM ; LZ f.), and
features in Rabbinic literature, for instance in bHul
. a.
The Arabic equivalent of starling is zurzur, plur. zarazr (L f.;
BK f.; JAD : f.; StS f.).
For Hebrew ZRZYRYM and Arabic zurzur, cf. Nldeke, Beitrge zur
semitischen Sprachwissenschaft, pp. .12
. 15 14 13
ZNB H#YN, i.e. "L"M"Q "LS. GYR MMHYLY "L"DN
Hebrew ZNB H#YN, which is not attested in secondary literature, was

possibly coined by Shem Tov as a loan translation of the Arabic S2 IBk,
meaning the exterior angle of the eye (DKT ).
Arabic is Ul* \, i.e. the outer angle of the eye
(FAL :; DKT , : Le petit angle. Angle externe de lil).
The Arabic term features as: S2 \7 in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms
9 : O
10 : VO
11 : O V
12 Cf. Th. Nldeke, Beitrge zur semitischen Sprachwissenschaft, Strassburg .
13 : O V
14 : V
15 : O
shem tov, glossary
(XV, ; XXIII, ), and is translated by N as: /

, and by Z as: / .
The meaning of the last part of the entry is not clear.
. 17 16
ZR# SWMR PRDSY, Arab. BZR R"ZY"NG #RYD, . o.l. PNYQWLY
Hebrew or Aramaic SWMR means fennel, Foeniculum vulgare, and

its varieties (JD ; LW :; SD ; KA :, :; BM ;
AEY :; DAS :; LA ff.:; LF : ff.; cf. as well Shin
no. below), and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in yKil I, a.
Hebrew ZR# SWMR PRDSY literally means seeds of paradise fennel
and is perhaps a loan translation coined by Shem Tov of Arabic basbas
al-ganna paradise fennel (cf. below).
Arabic raziyanag, from Persian raziyanah, which designates the fennel
or sweet anet and its species (VL :), means fennel, Foeniculum
vulgare L. and Var., and its varieties. The Arabic term raziyanag is
common in Egypt and the East, whereas, in the Maghreb, the Arabic
name basbas is used for fennel (DT :; M ; ID :; see as well Shin
no. below). Basbas al-ganna paradise fennel is one of the different
varieties of fennel. Arabic raziyanag #ard. literally means broad fennel.
The vernacular term PNYQWLY must be read as the genitive singu-
lar of M. Lat. feniculum (Classical Lat. faeniculum, see ThLL :;
NPRA ; FEW :a), which also appears in one O. Occ. text: feni-
culi (RPA ).
For the identification of Arabic raziyanag (despite the incorrect
spelling R"ZYNG) as Lat. PNYQWLY, cf. GHAT :; also cf. AdV .
. 20 19 18
ZR# PYGN SDH, Arab. T"PSY", o.l. T"P
. SY"
Hebrew PYGN or its more common form PYGM (cf. MS O), from Greek
(LS ; KG :; LR ), designates the herb rue, Ruta
graveolens L. and chalepensis L. (JD ; LW :; KA :; :;
16 : O V
17 : O V
18 : O
19 : O V
20 : O V
zayin
BM ; AEY :; DAS :; FZ f.; LA ff.:; LF : ff.),

and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mUqz .. is Syriac
pgana de bara, i.e. wild rue, Peganum harmala L. or Haplophyllum
buxbaumii (Poir.) Don. (FEB n. ; LA :; LF : f.). Hebrew
means the seeds of wild rue. See as well entry Pe .
Arabic tafsiya is a transcription of the Greek name ! (LS ) and
designates the plant Thapsia garganica L., false fennel, bastard turpeth
(D :; DT :; M , ; ID :; LF : f.). According to
al-Idrs (IJS :), ar-Raz held tafsiya to be the gum of wild rue

(e. 5E m'3 ,-<); an identification that was refuted by Ibn al-
Bayt.ar (IBA : no. ; IBF :); cf. M , cf. as well Maimonides
commentary on mUqz . above).
Hebrew is identified as Arabic / by Sa#adya, Alfaz. al-
Mishnah (SAM :; EG ) and Maimonides on the Mishnah
mentioned (MK :). Syriac pgana de t. ura (mountain rue, known
in the Middle Ages as wild rue; DT :) features as a synonym for
Syriac t. apsiya (= Gr. !, Arab. tafsiya) in Bar Bahlul (BB ) (cf.
LA :; LF :).
The vernacular term T"P . SY" is the Latin word thapsia, Thapsia gar-
ganica L. (NPRA ), or the corresponding Romance loan word (FEW
:ab). In O. Occ. (th century), we find the form tapsie (with the
meaning thapsie (ombellifre) according to RMA ): Pren razis tap-
sie [ . . . ], i.e., take the root of thapsia, but note that it is a Latin genitive in
this quotation. In O. Sp., the form tapsia is documented for Thapsia gar-
ganica L. (Sin : and for the identification ; DETEMA :c).
In Cat., the first documentation of tapsia is indicated as very late ()
in DECLC :a, but note the following quotation from the th c. that
can be found in DCVB :a: La qual yo crech esser tpsia, i.e., the
one that I believe that it is thapsia, Cauliach Coll., vi, a, . It can also be
found in GHAT :, where O. Cat. and Lat. T"PSY" are identified as
Arab. tafsiya.

. 21
ZKN HTHTWN,
. Arab. "l#"NH
Hebrew ZKN HTHTWN . means pubic hair and features in Rabbinic

literature, e.g. in mSanh . (JD ; KA :; BM ; Low XLIX;
PB ).
21 : O V
shem tov, glossary
Arabic al-#ana means pubes, the hair that grows above the anterior
pudendum (L ; FAL :, cf. as well KZ ).
For the identification, cf. Maimonides on the Mishnah cited above:
(their allusion to the pubic hair as
a beard is a euphemism) (MK :).
. 24 23 22
ZRDYN, Arab. ZRGWN, o.l. WYRS.
Hebrew ZRDYN, plural of ZRD, featuring in the Bible (e.g. Deut :)

and Rabbinic literature (e.g. mShab .), has different meanings. In
the Bible, the term is identified as whitethorn, Crataegus monogyna
Willd. (KB ; cf. as well AEY :). In Rabbinic literature, the
term is identified as soft sprouts, shoots, greens and with
the young sprouts of the service tree, Crataegus azarolus, hawthorn
(JD ; LW :; KA : f., :; BM f.; BT :; FE , ,
; FM ; FZ f.; LF : ff.).
Arabic zargun (cf. Hebr. ; Aram. ) means grape-vine or
shoots of grape-vine, Vitis vinifera L. (L f.; ID :).
A Geonic Responsum (ATG ; BT :; LO Teshuvot on bShab
a, p. ) explains the term as: [ ]
. is identified by Maimonides as the roots of asafetida (FM );
however, according to Kohut (KA :), it is the leaves of orach (cf.
FM ). Maimonides on mShab . explains as branches of
fruit trees which are pruned in the pruning season (MK :; = AQ,
fol. b).
The vernacular term is vertz, the plural of O. Occ. or O. Cat. vert for
green (RL :ba; DAO :; DCVB :a; DECLC :a),
which features in one quotation given in RL (loc. cit.) as the opposite
of madur for ripe (PSW :a; DAO :; FEW :a; DCVB ibid.,
verd, meaning ). But here it appears to be used as a noun, as documented
for Cat., see DCVB :b: La part verda dels vegetals; el fullatge,
lherba (i.e., the green part of the plants; the foliage, the herb; cf. also
DECLC :a), a meaning which corresponds quite exactly to one of
the Rabbinic readings of the Hebrew term (greens); also cf. Fr. vert
herbs and green foliage documented since (FEW :a). As an
22 : V
23 : VO
24 : O V
zayin
alternative this word can be interpreted as the plural of O. Occ. or O. Cat.

vit (vine, FEW :, DCVB :a) or the O. Occ. rectus form vi(t)z
(FEW loc. cit.).
. 26 25
ZWWD, Arab. MZWD it is like a bag made of skin
Aramaic ZWWD means ) outfit for travelling, provision and ) bag,

bundle and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bQid a (JD ;
LW : f.; SDA ; KA :, :). Arabic mazwad means a bag, or
other receptacle, for travelling provisions, or for dates, made of leather
(L ).
For the identification, cf. LO Perushim on bQid a, p. :
(a bag in which you can put everything
is called mazwad in Arabic). Cf. as well EG n. , and BTJ .
. 29 28 27
ZGYM, that is, the external skin of grapes
Hebrew ZG, plur. ZGYM, means the skin of grapes (KB ; JD f.;
KA :, :; BM f.; LF :) and features in the Bible (e.g. Num
:) and Rabbinic literature (e.g. mShab .).
For the definition of ZG, cf. Maimonides on mNaz . (MK :): :
(ZG is the external skin).
. 30
ZNB H#YN, it is the place called "LLH"
. Z.
For ZNB H#YN, possibly a loan translation of Arabic S2 IBk, (the
exterior angle of the eye), cf. Zayin no. above.
Arabic al-laha
. z. means the outer angle of the eye, next the part
between the eye and the ear (L ; WKAS :).
25 : V
26 : O
27 : VO
28 : VO
29 : VO
30 : O V
shem tov, glossary
. 32 31
ZHB "WPYR, Arab. TBR, o.l. PLYWLH
The Hebrew term ZHB "WPYR featuring in the Bible ( Chron :)

means gold of Ophir (KB ; CD :). In addition to ZHB "WPYR,
we find KTM "WPYR, as in Job :.
Arabic tibr means native gold, in the form of dust or nuggets (L ;
cf. as well GS : tibr Rohgold, Seifengold (native gold, alluvial gold)).
Ibn Janah. (IJ ) explains tibr as crude gold or silver: MHL ^E
nL'/ 0 JH) IE 5
2 9 ' (cf. ShT , no. ).
For the identification, cf. Se#adyah ibn Danan, who translates in
the expression used in Job : as: (SID :).
The vernacular term seems to belong to Lat. foliola (plural of the
diminutive foliolum for little leaf , cf. ThLL :). In Romance,
although the first documentation is very late (th century), we find
the Cat. fulliola, lit. little leaf . In accordance with the Arabic term, it is
documented with the meaning raw piece of stone, wood, metal, among
others (DCVB :a; DECLC :b). As for O. Occ., only the non-
diminutive variants folha and fuelha could be found for this meaning
(cf. FEW :a; PSW :a). In O. Cat. there is the rarely documented
word falla leavage, foliage (DCVB :ab) which may only show a
coincidental similarity to fulla leaf . The variant with a that appears in
our text may thus be an as yet undocumented diminutive variant such as
Cat. *fallola or Occ. *falhola. MS V presents an extended version of this
term: aur de *fallola/*falhola, lit. gold of little leaves (for aur, cf. Gimmel
).
. 33
ZWNYN, it is "LSYLM
Hebrew ZWNYN means darnel or rye grass, a weed growing among

wheat, Lolium perenne L. or Lolium temulentum L. It features in Rab-
binic literature, e.g. in mKil . (JD ; LW : f.; KA :, :;
AEY :; DAS :, :; FH , , ; FM ; FO ;
FZ f.; LA f.:; LF : ff.).
31 : V
32 : O " P V
33 :om. O [ . . . ] add. V
zayin
Arabic as-saylam means darnel grass, Lolium temulentum L. and

Var., that is often found in wheat. Its seeds cause dizziness when mixed
into bread (L ; DT :; M ; cf. as well Tav no. ).
The source of the identification of ZWNYN as as-saylam could not be
retrieved. According to Lw (LA :; LF :), Simeon ben Zema . h.
Duran () remarks in his Magen abot that Weizen artet in
aus (Wheat degenerates into saylam); cf. as well Efraim Hareuveni
in Tarbiz X, , pp. , ). Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned
(MK :) explains it as a kind of wheat that is changed by the earth so
that its form and nature is corrupted.
. 37 36 35 34
ZBWR", Arab. ZNBWR, it is the hornet
Aramaic ZBWR" means hornet and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g.

in bGit a (CD :; JD ; SDA f.; KA :, :). The biblical
equivalent is DBWRH, as in Is : (KB ; BAL f.; FAB f.).
Arabic zunbur means hornet or hornets; a large sort of wasp (L ;
BK ; JAD : ff.; StS s.v. zambur; cf. as well Sade
. no. below).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Is ::
(in that day, the LORD
will whistle to the flies at the ends of the water channels of Egypt and to
the bees in the land of Assyria):

(DS).
. 39 38
ZR#WNYM, Arab. HBWB, . o.l. LYWMNS
Hebrew ZR#WNYM means rows of plants in one bed, seeds; vegetables

and features in the Bible (e.g. Dan :) and Rabbinic literature (e.g. mKil
.) (KB ; CD :; JD ; LW :; KA :; FH f.). Arabic
hubub
. means kernels, seeds (L ).
34 : V
35 : O (cf. entry )
36 : O (cf. entry ) V
37 : om. O, V
38 : om. O (cf. entry )
39 : "! P V
shem tov, glossary
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Daniel : (SpS):

(So the guard kept on removing
their food, and the wine they were supposed to drink, and gave them
legumes):
; see as well IJ , gloss MS Rouen (n. ).
The vernacular term LYWMNS has to be read as an O. Occ. plural
form *liumens (with the meaning vegetables) related to O. Occ. leum,
lium (PSW :ab), liom (DAO :) or liume (RL :a), derived
from Lat. LEGUMEN (FEW :ab). Etymologically, the form liume
should present a n-mobile, which is not documented, however. But the n-
mobile is typically lost in the plural, so that the form we find here remains
unexplained, unless we suppose a learned Latin influence. In the sources
we have consulted, we could only find plurals of the forms without a
final -e (see, for example, the plural lioms; CB ), another example of
which we find in MS V (LY"WMS). Note that this form is one of the clear
cases in which a Catalan reading is excluded, since the word retained the
intervocalic -g- in this language (llegum, see DCVB :a, where the
O. Cat. plural form llegumes is mentioned; cf. DECLC :b).
.
Z"B, Arab. DWB, o.l. LWP
Hebrew Z"B means wolf and features in the Bible (e.g. Gen :) and
Rabbinic literature (e.g. bBekh a) (KB ; CD :; JD ; LW :;
KA :; FAB f.; LZ f.).
Arabic di"b means wolf, wild dog, dog of the desert (L ; JAD
f.:).
: ff.; KSZ
For the identification of Z"B as di"b, cf. Sa#adya on Gen ::

(Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the
morning he consumes the foe, and in the evening he divides the spoil):
(S ); see as
well IJ ; IQR :; SF :.
The vernacular term LWP can be identified as O. Occ. lup or lop for
wolf (RL :a; CB , among others). Levy and Brunel only give
the meaning see bass (PSW :a; RM ). Lop is also documented
for O. Cat. (llop in Modern Cat., cf. DECLC : a; DCVB :b). For
the meaning wolf and several species of fish, (Labrax lupus and Labrax
punctatus, see DCVB :a; DECLC :b).
HET
.
. 2 1
HRY#,
. Arab. #S. PWR, o.l. SPR"N "WRTWL"N
.
Hebrew HRY#
. features in Rabbinic literature (e.g. mKil .) and means
safflower, Carthamus tinctorius L. (JD : bastard saffron; LW :;
KA :, :; AEY :; DAS :; FH ; FM ; FZ f.;
LF : ff.).
Arabic #us. fur designates the safflower blossom or bastard saffron,
Carthamus tinctorius L. (DT :; M ; DAS :, ).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya (SAM :), and Maimonides on
the Mishnah cited above: : (MK :). See as well BT :,
and Het
. below.
The transcription of the vernacular term must be the O. Occ. *safran
ortolan (garden safflower), a combination which is not documented in
any of our sources. In O. Occ., we find two forms that are Arabisms
and mean safflower: safran with a final -n and safra without a final -n
(RL :a). In Catalan, we only find the latter form (DECLC :b).
Ortola(n) is the O. Occ./O. Cat. word for gardener derived from the late
Latin hortulanus (RL :a; FEW :ba; DECLC :ab). We
do not have any testimony for the adjectival use of the Romance term.
It seems to be an adaptation from Latin (cf. terms like Late Lat. allius
hortulanus garden garlic, see DECLC :a).
. 4 3
HLTYT,
. Arab. HLTYT
. as well, o.l. " S" P" TYDH
.
Hebrew HLTYT
. designates ) the plant Ferula asafoetida L., asafedita
fennel, ) its blossom, ) its leaves, ) its fruits, or ) its resin and features
in Rabbinic literature (e.g. mShab .) (JD ; LW :; KA : f.,
1 : e" P
2 : V
3 : V
4 : O V
shem tov, glossary
:; FM ; FZ f.; LF : ff.; Low LI; PB , ). See as well

Ayin .
Arabic hiltt
. designates the gum resin of the plant Ferula asafoetida L.
(DT : n. : Hiltt
. is the milky sap (s. amg) of Asafoetida (angudan)
which has hardened in the open air into a gum resin with a dirty shade
of yellow. M and ; cf. as well He no. ).
For the identification, cf. the Geonic Commentary on Tohorot (EG
), and Maimonides on the Mishnah cited above (MK :).
The vernacular term is a Romance learned word or Medieval Latin,
documented, for example, in O. Occ. and O. Cat. as as(s)afetida (CB ;
DECLC :b, first documentation in the th century). It is a variant of
the late Latin phytonym as(s)a foetida (DECLC :b), which designates
the plant Ferula asa foetida L. In O. Occ., other variants exist, such as
assafessada (CB ) or asafatidan (CB ).
For the identification of Arabic hiltt
. as O. Cat. asefftida cf. AdV ,
; also see GHAT :, where we find the Romance synonym " S"
PTYD"
. for Arab. HLTYT.
.
. 5
HPW
. SYT, Arab. KNPS, o.l. " SQRBT.
Hebrew HPW . SYT, featured in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mPar .,

means scarabee, beetle (JD ; LW :; KA : f., :; FAB
; LZ f.).
Arabic hunfas means black beetle, or a certain species thereof (L
f.; BK , ; JAD : ff.; StS ).
For the identification of HPW
. SYT as hunfas, cf. a Geonic Responsum
(HTG ; WG ): ; cf. as well Maimonides on the
Mishnah cited above (MK :).
The vernacular word is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. escaravat (RL :b
a; DECLC :aa) which means beetle. The first documen-
tation in both languages is in the th century (DECLC :b and
FEW :b). The variants in the Oxford and Vatican manuscripts
(" SQR"BYG and " SQRBYYT) . must be the O. Occ. escaravaig (see DECLC
loc. cit.) or escaravait respectively, documented in PSW :b as the
oblique plural or nominative singular form escarava(i)tz.
5 : O V
het
.
. 7 6
. #WLM, Arab. HY
HY . "L#"LM, o.l. BYB" QWRBYN"
Hebrew HY . #WLM or HY . H#WLM which also features in Aramaic (cf.

LA f.:; LF : f.) designates the plant Sempervivum tectorum
L., houseleek (BM ; AEY :). The oldest reference we could
find is in the Book of Medicines attributed to Asaf (AV :), where it
features in its Aramaic form as , which probably goes back to
the Greek 1 houseleek (LS ).
Arabic hayy
. al-#alam probably designates the plant sempervivum,
Sempervivum arboreum L. or Sempervivum tectorum L. (DT :;
M ).
The Arabic term features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, )
and is translated by N as: , and by Z as: .
For the plant designated by the Arab. and Hebr. synonyms we find
the Latin term semperviva (instead of sempervivum, NPRA ; also cf.
Sin :, : among others). The second element of this plant name
appears to be reflected by the first of the two words of our Romance term:
viva. The second word, QWRBYN", could not be identified (and there is
no documentation of viva in the context of a similar form in our sources),
unless it represents the Lat. adjective corvinus (or a Romance equivalent),
which can be found in plant names: e.g. pes corvinus, used in the Alphita
(cf. Sin , n. ; CA ), or the Italian vite corvina for vine with a kind
of dark grape (FEW :b).
. 8
HPYPH,
. Arab. HK,
. o.l. PRYT"R
.
Hebrew HPYPH
. means cleansing the head and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in bShab a (JD ; LW :; BM ; KT :;
Low LII; PB ; cf. SDA : Aram. : shampoo).
Arabic hakk
. signifies the act of scratching, rubbing, fretting (L ).
Cf. as well Het
. no. .
For the identification, cf. AQ, fol. b: :. Cf. as well
ShM f.
6 : O V
7 : O V
8 : X" P V
shem tov, glossary
The word indicated as vernacular is the O. Occ. and Cat. fretar to

rub, which is frequently found in texts from the th and th centuries,
(FEW :a; DECLC :a). The variant in the Vatican MS seems to
be corrupt.
. 10 9
HR
. HBYN",
. Arab. HNDQWQH,
. o.l. TRYPWLWN
.
Hebrew HR . HBYN"
. is Eryngium Creticum L., eryngium and features
in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mPes . (KA :, :; AEY :;
DAS :; FH ; FM ; FZ f.; LA f.:; LF : f.; cf. as
well JD : a hairlike creeper; creeper on palm-tree and LW ::
ein Kraut, dessen Bltter bitter sind (a herb, whose leaves are bit-
ter)).
Arabic handaquqa,
. from Syriac (cf. LA ff.:), designates the vari-
eties of lotus such as Medicago sativa L., Melilotus officinalis L. and
Trigonella coerulea L. (L ; DT :; M ).
For the identification of HR. HBYN"
. as handaquqa,
. cf. AH (bPes a,
p. a): ,
( =) (HR . HBYN",
. says R. Simeon
b. Lakish, is a creeper of the palm tree, and an explanation is "L QWS. #YN"
(= "LQRS. #NH) and another explanation is "L HNDQWQY).
. Subsequently
Maimonides on the Mishnah cited above (MK :) explains HR . HBYN"
.
as (al-qirs. a#na) eryngium (cf. LW :).
The vernacular term TRYPWLWN
. represents the Greek
(for Lat. triphyllon, see NPRA , Fritilaria graeca L. and Trifolium L.).
The variant used in the Vatican MS represents the Latin trifolium, which
is documented, among others, for designating species of Melilotus, Med-
icago and Trigonella (NPRA ). In O. Occ., we find the semi learned
forms trefolh (DECLC :a), trefle (CB ) and the like, and in O. Cat.
trif(f)oli (AdV , ), none of which feature in our text.
For the identification of Arab. handaquqa
. as Lat. trifolium cf. AdV ;
also see GHAT :, where we find the Lat. term TRYPWLLY
. MRYNY
(the genetive trifolii marini) as the synonym for Arab. HNDQWQH.
.
9 : O V
10 : O
het
.
. 11
HNYN",
. Arab. KWNDWS, o.l. KWNDWS
Aramaic HNYN"
. should possibly be read as HNWN",
. which is Hebrew
/ hellebore, Helleborus L., and features in Rabbinic literature,
e.g. bShab b: But said R. Huna, there is a certain wood in the sea towns
called hanun, whereof a chip is brought and placed in her nostril (i.e. of an
ewe) to make her sneeze, so that the worms in her head should fall out
(JD : henna, alcanet; LW :; KA : f., :; AEY :;
FM ; LA :; LF :).
Arabic kundus means sneezewort, Achillea ptarmica L., and also
soap wort, fullers herb, Saponaria officinalis L. (WKAS :; DT :;
LF : f.). The Arabic term features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms
(XXI, ) and is transcribed by N and Z as: . Al-Idrs (IJS :)
mentions B () as a synonym for Q.
The vernacular term must be an Arabism, derived from the word just
discussed. It is a form without the Arabic definite article, contrary to the
common practice in Ibero-Romance varieties; thus, in O. Sp., we find the
forms alcudes and alcocundez, both with the Arabic definite article and
featuring as synonyms for the Lat. eleborus (cf. Sin : and n. ; also
cf. Het
. ).
. 12
HRBQ,
. Arab. KRBQ, o.l. "LYBRWM
Hebrew HRBQ,
. which also features in Syriac (s.v. hurbakna
. or hurbekana
.
LF : f.; LA :), is perhaps a loan translation of Arabic harbaq

(cf. below). It designates the plant hellebore (cf. Payne Smith :). 13
Arabic harbaq, Greek 2 and 2 (LS

), designates the hellebore, Helleborus albus or Veratrum album L.
and Helleborus niger L. (DT :; M ). The Arabic term features in
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XX, ; XXI, ) and is translated by
N as: / ("LYBRWS/KRBQ) and by Z as: (LYBRWS).
The vernacular term corresponds to the Latin word eleborum (NPRA
), possibly in a syncopated form.
11 : V
12 : V
13 Cf. R. Payne Smith, Thesaurus Syriacus, vols. Oxford .
shem tov, glossary
For the identification of Arab. harbaq abyad. and harbaq aswad as Lat.
elleborus albus and elleborus niger cf. AdV .
. 15 14
HLMY
. or HLMYT,
. Arab. KTMY,
. o.l. MLWYSQLY
The Hebrew term HLMYT . designates the plant mallow and features
in the Bible (e.g. Job :) and Rabbinic literature (mKil .) (KB ;
CD :; JD ; LW :, ; KA : f., :; DAS : f.; FM ;
FO f.; FZ f.; LF : ff.). Cf. as well He no. .
Arabic hit. m (hat. m, hat. mya) means marshmallow, Althaea offici-
nalis (DT :; M ; DAS : f.).
For the identification, cf. Maimonides on mKil .: :
, (a kind of vegetable whose
identification I do not know, but it is said that it is ) (MK :).
The vernacular term must be read as O. Occ. malviscle (CB and
; RMA ; DAO :) for Althaea officinalis L..
. 18 17 16
HLBNH
. NGRT, Arab. MY#H S"YLH, o.l. " STWRQ LYQYTH .
Hebrew HLBNH
. and Aramaic (SD ; SDA ; LA :),
from Greek (LS ), means galbanum, Ferula galbaniflua,
a gum resin used as an ingredient of frankincense, which smells like
asafoetida (KB ; CD :; JD ; LW :, ; KA :, :;
BM ; DAS :; FO f.; LF : ff.). It features in the Bible (e.g.
Ex :) and Rabbinic literature (e.g. bKer a). HLBNH
. NGRT means
liquid galbanum.
Arabic may#a sa"ila designates liquid storax, Liquidamber orientalis
Mill. (DT :; M ; ID :; LF : ff.). The Arabic term 2,7 fea-
tures in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, , ) and is translated
by N as: / (" S. TWRQ/"
. STWRQ)
. and by Z as: /
("YSTWRG
. /MY#H, i.e. " STWR
. G).
14 : om. O
15 : (cf. entry ) V
16 : VO
17 : ? O
18 : O (cf. entry ) V [. . .] add. O
het
.
For the identification of HLBNH . as may#a, cf. Sa#adya on Ex :

(S n. ), IJ : 2, 0,) , and AQ, fol. a: :
(HLBNH: . According
to some, it is the plum tree of Mahaleb and, according to others, it is
ladanum (the resinous juice which exudes from Cistus laniferus L., and
other varieties), but this is incorrect; according to yet others, it is storax
and this is most likely). Cf. as well ShM :
(HLBNH:
. kind of liquid storax which is also called " S. TRK).
.
David b. Abraham al-Fas (SF :) translates the term as: (plum
tree of Mahaleb); cf. MCS :.
The term " STWRQ LYQYTH . is the O. Occ. estorac/estorex liquida,
O. Cat. storach(s) lquide or the Latin storax liquida, with a prothetic e-
in storax, typical for the medieval spelling of Latin words in Western
Romance territories (cf. estorax, estoracis in Sin : and n. ). The
transcription " STWRQ (i.e. with Qof) can refer both to the form estorac
and to estorax or estorex, because the Latin word final grapheme -x was
frequently transcribed using the Hebrew letter Qof. For the O. Occ.
estorac, see FEW :, whereas estorex is documented in CB ; for
O. Cat. storach(s) lquide cf. AdV , .
The identification of the Arabic and the Latin/Romance terms can be
found in the index to the Latin translation of Ibn Snas K. al-Qanun,
see Sin :: Almea seyla, i. estorax liquida.; for further identification
of the Arabic and Latin terms as well as O. Cat. storach(s) lquide cf.
AdV , .
. 21 20 19
22
HLBNH
. YBSH, Arab. MY#H Y"BSH, o.l. TMY"MH
. and there is another
kind of HLBNH
. which is called " STWRQ QR"MYT.
Hebrew HLBNH
. YBSH means dry galbanum (for references cf. no.
above).
Arabic may#a yabisa designates solid storax, Styrax officinalis L. (cf.
Het
. no. and ID :).
19 :
om. O
20 : V
21 : V
22 : V
shem tov, glossary
The vernacular term TMY"MH

. is the Latin t(h)imiama (taken from
Greek), which is documented as a learned medico-botanical term in most
of the Romance languages (cf. for O. Sp. Sin : and n. ; for the
Gallo-Romance varieties see FEW :b). For O. Occ. see PSW :b
a, t(h)imiana, an incense composed of various ingredients.
The Romance form of the other species of HLBNH . should be read
*estorac (estorax, estorex) caramit. For the variants of the form (e)storax,
cf. Het
. , and for caramit, cf. Alef (QRMITH . for magnetic stone).
In O. Occ. recipes, storax caramita (RPA ) is documented, and Brunel
gives the meaning as baume storax (storax balm). In Medieval Latin, we
find, among others, the forms storac calamite and (storax) calamita (the
Alphita, cf. Sin and CA ). According to CA, the name storax
calamita is derived from the fact that it was stored and imported in canes
(see the meaning of Lat. CALAMUS, FEW :ba).
. 23
HRYWT
. SL DQL, Arab. S#P "LNKL
Hebrew HRYWT
. SL DQL means dried branches or twigs of the palm
tree and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mSukk . and bShab a
(JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM f.). In his commentary on
the Mishnah mentioned (MK :), Maimonides explains the term as:
(palm branches).
Arabic sa#af an-nahl means palm-branches (L ).

. 25 24
HBW
. SYM, Arab. SPRGL, o.l. QWDWNS
Hebrew HBW. S, plur. HBW

. SYM designates the fruit quince, Cydo-
nia oblonga or Cydonia vulgaris, and features in Rabbinic literature,
e.g. in bKet b (JD ; LW : f., ; KA :, :; BM ;
AEY :; DAS : n. , ; FE ff.; FZ ff.; LF : ff.; cf.
SDA , Aram. : apple).
Arabic safargal has the same meaning (DT :; M ; DAS :, ,
, ). For the identification, cf. LO Perushim on bKet b, p. .
23 : V
24 : VO
25 : VO
het
.
The vernacular term QWDWNS is the plural of O. Occ. codon (PSW

:b; FEW :b) for quince (cf. codons in RM ). The O. Occ.
codon or the palatalized variant codoin (CB ), codonh (CB ) or
codoing (RL :) (for the diatopical variation see, for example,
ShK ) is derived from the Vulgar Latin etymon COTONEUM, which is
based on the Greek word .. For O. Occ., our sources do not indi-
cate the date of the first documentation, but in O. Cat., the word is first
documented in the work of Ramon Llull at the end of the th century.
In Sarsot ha-Kesef, we find the O. Occ. gloss QDWYYN (representing
the palatalised variant) for the Hebrew HB. S (ShK ). For the identifi-
cation of Arab. safargal as O. Cat. Codonys, cf. AdV , ; also see
GHAT :, where we find the Romance synonym QWDWNYYS for
Arab. SPRG"L.
. 28 27 26
HLB
. S#WR, Arab. NS" "LS#YR, o.l. "MYDWM, made of barley-flour
Hebrew means starch of barley (for , cf. KB ; JD ;

BM , ; KA :).
Arabic nasa" as-sa#r has the same meaning (L ; DAS : f.).
Arabic U2F features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, , )
and is translated by N and Z as: \ and NoB by N as:
("MYDWM) and by Z as: ("MYDW) (XX, ).
The vernacular term "MYDWM is the Latin word for wheat flour
amidum (Sin b; MLWB :: flos farinae (triticeae)). Most of the
Latin manuscripts of the Alphita have the characteristic addition inter-
pretatur sine mola fractum (cf. Sin b). The variant in the Vatican
MS is the rare Medieval Lat. variant amido, -onis (MLWB loc. cit.), a
non documented O. Occ. form *amido (amidon with n is documented
in RPA ) or O. Cat. amid (DCVB :a).
26 : O
27 : V
28 : om. O, V
shem tov, glossary
. 31 30 29
. S. NYM, that is the inner stones of grapes, Arab. #GM "L#NB, o.l.
HR
GRYNYWNS
Hebrew HR . S. NYM means fruit stones or especially grape stones and

features in the Bible (e.g. Num :) and Rabbinic literature (e.g. mNaz
.) (KB : unripe grapes; CD :: sour grapes; JD ; LW :;
SD ; KA : f., :; BM ; DAS : f.; FH ).
Arabic #agam al-#inab means grape stones (L ; DAS :).
. S. NYM as #agam, cf. Maimonides on mNaz
For the identification of HR
.: : (MK :).
The Romance variants of the Oxford and Vatican MSS represent the
plural of the O. Occ. word granhon with the meaning (olive) kernel
(PSW :b). The form in the Paris MS might be interpreted as O. Occ.
or O. Cat. *grinhons or *grenhons, which is not documented in our
sources. In O. Sp., the word gran existed, which, in one context of the
Libro de Alexandre, an O. Sp. text from ca. , is supposed to designate
grape seeds (DCECH :ab).
. 33 32
HLGLWNWT,
. Arab. BQLH "LHMQ",
. o.l. BYRDWL"Q"
Hebrew HLGLWNWT
. designates purslane, Portulaca oleracea L., and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in m Shebi . (JD ; LW :;
KA : f., :; BM ; FM ; LF : ff.).
Arabic baqla hamqa"
. designates the same plant (DT :; M ;
DAS :, :).
: (a
kind of purslane, with large leaves and a long stalk and it is al-baqla al-
hamqa)
. (MK :); see as well BTJ .
The vernacular variants BWRWTWLYG". (MS O) and BWRTWL"Y- .
YG" S (MS V) correspond to the O. Occ. bortolaiga and its plural bor-
tolaigas, mentioned in DECLC :ab. The Catalan form of the same
29 : om. OV
30 : VO
31 : O V
32 : O V
33 : O V
het
.
word is verdolaga (first documentation: late th century; used, among

others, by Arnau de Vilanova, see Anal. Sa. Tarra. XXII, , quoted
in DECLC loc. cit.). The form verdolaga is also Spanish (see Sin for
O. Sp.) and can be found in Occitan medico-botanical texts (cf. CB ).
According to Coromines (DECLC, loc. cit.), the word is of Mozarabic ori-
gin, with the forms bardilqa and barduqla being documented (the ety-
mon is the Latin PORTULACA). To explain the Catalan and the Spanish
form, Coromines hypothesises the existence of a Mozarabic *berdolaca,
which is surprisingly near to the variant used that feautures in MS P,
BYRDWL"Q".34
In GHAT : we find the identification of Romance (O. Cat.)
BWRDWL"GH as Arab. BQLH HM"QH. .
. 38 37 36 35
H. S. B, Arab. NGYL or TYL, o.l. GRM

Hebrew H . S. B means Bermuda Grass, Cynodon dactylon, and features
in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKil . (JD ; LW :; LA ff.:;
LF : ff.; cf. as well FM s.v. ; FZ ff.: Uriginea maritima).
Arabic nagl or tl designates Couch Grass, Cynodon dactylon and
Agropyrum repens (DT :; M ).
For the identification of H . S. B as tl, cf. the Geonic commentary on
mKel .: (
is a plant whose name is in Aramaic and tl in Arabic and in
Hebrew) (EG f.; cf. as well SDA , s.v. ).
The vulgar term GRM is the O. Cat. (DECLC :ba) or the
O. Occ. gram (DAO :; RL :b; PSW :b) for Triticum repens
(FEW :a); Levy gives the German translation Quecke, i.e. couch
grass (PSW :b). Both are derived from the Latin etymon GRAMEN
(FEW :a; DECLC :b). This form is documented in O. Occ.
34 One should consider the possibility that the author or the copyist(s) of the Sefer
ha-Shimmush had some Arabic-Romance glossary of Spanish origin at hand, particu-
larly because Shem Tov, just like many of the Jewish physicians in Southern France, had
originally come from Spain. As an alternative, the form BYRDWL"Q" might be inter-
preted as a blend between the Catalan or Spanish verdolaga and the Latin PORTU-
LACA.
35 : V
36 : VO
37 : VO
38 : O
shem tov, glossary
during the th and th centuries (FEW :a) and in O. Cat. for the
first time at the end of the th century.
For the identification of the Arab. and Romance terms cf. GHAT
:, where we find the Romance synonym GR"M for Arab. TYL.
. 39
HPYPH,
. Arab. SK, o.l. PRYTR
.
Hebrew HPYPH
. means cleansing the head (cf. Het
. no. ).
Arabic SK is possibly a corruption of #$% (sahgun)
. which means
scratching, abrading the skin (HaF ). #$% features in Maimonides
Medical Aphorisms (VI, ; cf. BMMb ) and is translated by N as:
and by Z as: (HWLYD PWNT). .
For the vernacular term, cf. Het
. no. .
.
HWG,
. Arab. DW"R
Hebrew HWG . means circle or to make a circle (KB ; CD :;

LW :; BM ) and features in the Bible (e.g. Job :) and Rab-
binic literature (bHag
. b). The Hebrew term is possibly a semantic bor-
rowing of Arabic duwar meaning circle, and as a medical term vertigo,
giddiness in the head (L ; SN ). As a medical term, it features in
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XV, ) in the combination () ()
and is translated by N as: and
by Z as: .
It is possible that Shem Tov used the Hebrew term in the sense of
vertigo as a semantic borrowing from the Arabic.
. 40
HLB
. PQW#WT, Arab. SHM . "LHN. TL,
. o.l. QWLWQNTYD"
.
Hebrew HLB
. PQW#WT, which literally means fatty substance of bitter
apple (for , sing. , bitter apple, Citrullus colocynthis (L.)
Schrad., cf. KB ; JD ; LW :; KA :; :; DAS : f.,
:; FM ; FO f.; FZ f.; LF : ff.; PB ) and is not attested
in secondary literature, was possibly coined by Shem Tov based on the
39 : om. OV
40 : VO
het
.
Arabic sahm . al-han . z. al which designates the inner part of the colocynth,
exclusive of its seeds (L ; DT :; M ; DAS : f.; :).
Sahm
. al-han . z. al features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms
(III, ; cf. BMMa ) and is translated by both N and Z as:
(QWLWQYNTYD. .
For the identification of PQW#WT as al-han . z. al, cf. LO Perushim on
Shab b, p. , IJ f., RJ and Maimonides on mShab . (MK :
n. ). For the identification of HLB . as sahm,
. cf. SE .
The vulgar term QWLWQNTYD" . is the Late Latin coloquinthida (<
Lat. COLOCYNTHIS < Gr. !; DCECH :a), which was
also used in Romance (O. Occ. colloquintida, RL :b, or coloquintida,
RPA and , or in O. Sp. coloquintida, Sin :, DETEMA :c
a) for the plant Citrullus colocynthis Schrad. (Sin ab). It is
not documented for Catalan; Coromines only gives the Catalan form
coloquinta (DECLC :a). There is a description of the virtues of this
plant in the O. Occ. Eluc. de las Propr. (fol. ): Colloquintida es herba
mot amara (Colloquintida is a very bitter herb, RL :b).
For the identification of the Arabic and Romance terms, also cf. GHAT
(:) where we find the Romance synonym QWLWQYNTYDH . for
Arab. SHM . HN . TL. .
. 42 41
HLB"
. D"R#", Arab. SHMH
. "L"RD
.
Aramaic HLB". D"R#", which literally means grease of the earth and is
not attested in secondary literature, was possibly coined by Shem Tov
after Arabic sahma
. al-ard. (cf. below) to designate a certain animal or
plant. The reason why Shem Tov coined this term in Aramaic instead of
Hebrew was possibly in order to distinguish it from the Biblical Hebrew
as featuring in Gen :: (and you shall live
off the fat of the land), which is translated by Onkelos as: , by
Pseudo-Jonathan as: , and by Sa#adyah as:
(S ).
Arabic sahmat
. al-ard,
. literally grease of the earth, has different mean-
ings: ) earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris L. (DT :; M ), ) accord-
ing to Maimonides (M ), the Maghrebis apply the name sahmat . al-ard.
to a small quadruped animal with streaked paws of gecko species (cf. as
41 : V
42 : O V
shem tov, glossary
well LFa ), ) according to Abd ar-Razzaq, the term designates mush-

rooms (M ; cf. as well L ), and ) the term is applied to a plant
that has not been identified exactly (cf. M : edible lichen and D ::
Garcinia Mangostana).
For the identification of Hebrew HLB. and Arabic sahm,
. cf. SE .
. 43
HLB
. HQWRTMYN,
. Arab. NS" "LQRTM,
. o.l. "MYDWM
Hebrew QWRTMYN . either designates the plant safflower, Carthamus

tinctorius L. and Var., or its seeds and features in Rabbinic literature,
e.g. bPes b (JD ; LW :, ; SDA f., Aram. ;
KA : f., :; LA ff.:; LF : ff.; cf. as well Qof no.
below). HLB
. HQWRTMYN . means safflower starch.
Arabic nasa" al-qirt. im also means safflower starch. Arabic qirt. im,
from Aramaic , also designates the seeds of the safflower plant,
Carthamus tinctorius L. and Var. (DT :; M ; cf. as well Qof no.
below). The Arabic term features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms
(XVII, , ) and is translated by N as: / and by Z as:
/ / / (QRTM/QRWQ .
"WRY"NT"L/
. QWRQ"WRY"NT"L/QRQW . "WRY"NT"LY).
.
See as well Het
. and above.
For the vernacular, see entry Het. .
. 44
HLY
. TH, . Arab. ZL"BYH
Hebrew HLY . TH
. means a paste made of flour stirred in boiling water,
dumpling and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mHal
. . (JD ;
LW :; SD ; BM ; cf. as well DAS : and KT :: pouring
hot water on flour).
Arabic zalabiya means fritters or puff pastry with honey or almond
(D :; DAS :; RAP : fritters) and features in Maimonides On
Hemorrhoids (cf. BMH II, ) and On the Regimen of Health (cf. BMR I,
) and is translated by Moses Ibn Tibbon as: (paste
baked in a pot) (EG n. ; FrA ; KZ ). In Maimonides On Asthma
(III, ; cf. BMA ), the term is transcribed as: by Joshua Shatibi
43 : O V
44 : V
het
.
and translated as: by the anonymous translator. For

zalabiya, see as well Samekh .
. 47 46 45
HMY
. SYWT, Arab. MSTHH, o.l. NSPWLS
Hebrew HMY. SYWT means medlar, Mespilus Azarolus L., and is only
attested in medieval literature (AEY :; LA f.:, :;
LF :). Thus, it features in the Alphabet of Ben Sira (ed. Eli Yas-
sif, Sippurei Ben Sira bi-Yemei ha-Benayim, Jerusalem , p. ) as
, where it is explained as being Italian: (nespole), i.e.
medlar. Caleb Ben Elijah Afendopolo identifies (also written as:
) as (quinces), but also as mespila (following LA f.:;
cf. LP ).
Arabic mustaha designates the medlar tree, Mespilus germanica L.
and Var., and is perhaps derived from Latin mustaceus/mustus must
(GH :) (DT :; cf. M , and D : which give sorb tree
and azarole tree as additional meanings).
The vulgar term NSPWLS could be identified as the plural of the
O. Occ. nespola for medlar (PSW :a; RMM ). Also cf. the Italian
variant mentioned above with respect to the Alphabet of Ben Sira.
. 49 48
HB
. S. LT, Arab. NRGS, o.l. NRQYS
The biblical HB
. S. LT, featuring, e.g. in Is :, refers to the plant aspho-
del, colchium, meadow saffron or narcissus (KB ; CD :;
FO f.; LA :; LF : ff.). In the Geonic period the term has the
meaning of a young lily (JD ; BM f.; AEY :; LF :).
Cf. as well DAS : f., , n. .
Arabic nargis, from Persian nargi or nargis (VL : f.), designates
different species of narcissus, such as Narcissus poeticus L. and Var.,
Narcissus tazetta L. and Var. or Narcissus pseudonarcissus L. and Var.
(DT :; M ).
45 : V
46 : O
47 : O V
48 : O V
49 : V
shem tov, glossary

(the arid desert shall be glad, the wilderness shall rejoice
and shall blossom like a crocus):
(DS ); see as well SF :.
The vulgar term NRQYS (or NRKYS in the Vatican MS respectively)
must be identified as a Romance word derived from the Latin narcissus
(Sin n. ). There is no documentation of any O. Occ. or O. Cat.
*narquis or *narcis readings that the two Hebrew transcriptions suggest.
However, in Gascon, the word narcis for narcissus is documented in the
th century (FEW :b). The form could also represent M. Fr. narciz
for narcissus (FEW :a). In any case, the transcription of Romance c-
before front vowels as Qof or Kaf is unusual.
. 52 51 50
53
HLYPWT
. TRDYN, Arab. RWS "LSLQ or "L" DL"#,
. o.l. TY
. ST. S DYBLYDS or
QWST. S
Hebrew HLYPWT
. TRDYN means shoots of beet, Beta vulgaris Var., and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mUqz . (JD , ; LW :;
; KA :, :, ; FM ; LF : ff.).
Arabic ru" us as-silq or al-adla#
. means heads or ribs of beet (L ;
DT :). In Maimonides On Asthma (IX, ; cf. BMA ), we find adla# .
as-silq, which is translated as: by Shabiti, and as:
by Samuel Benveniste and the anonymous translator. Cf. as well Tav no.
below.
For the identification of HLYPWT
. TRDYN as adla#. as-silq, cf. the
Geonic commentary on mUqz . (EG ).
The expression TY . ST. S DYBLYDS "W QWST. S must be read as O. Occ.
testas de bledas o costas. The O. Occ. and O. Cat. name bleda is identified
as the plant Beta vulgaris (DECLC :b). According to DECLC :b,
the form bleda comes from a form *BLETA, which is the result of Latin
BETA (transformed by confusion with BLITA, plural of BLITUM, i.e.
blite, a similar plant). Thus, the O. Cat. synonym blet which Raynouard
gives for O. Occ. bleda (RL :a) is not correct. The plant name bleda
50 : !# P
51 : VO
52 : O V
53 : O, om. V
het
.
is documented in many O. Occ. texts (for example, in CB and ;

RM , RMA ; RMM ). The version used in the Vatican MS,
TY
. ST"
. S DYBWLYT. S. (testas de boletz), must be the result of a reading
based on boletz (mushrooms; see, for example, the singular form in
CB ) instead of bledas beets).
Our text mentions two parts of the plant: first, testas, which lit. means
heads (RL :b; PSW :ab; DECLC :b), and, second, costas,
which means, among others, ribs of leaves (PSW :b).
. 56 55 54
HLB
. H . Arab. NS", o.l. "MYDWM or "YNPYS
. TH,
Hebrew HLB. H. TH
. means wheat starch; wheat fat (KB ; CD :;
BM ) and features in the Bible, for instance, in Ps : (KB ;
CD :; BM ).
Arabic nasa" means starch (cf. Het. no. ).
HLB
. H. .TH in Ps : is translated by Sa#adya as: (ST ).
For the identification, cf. ShM f.
For the first vernacular term, cf. Het . no. . We could not find any
explanation for the second vernacular term.
For the identification of Arab. nasa as Lat., amidum, cf. AdV .
. 59 58 57
HZRT
. GLYM, Arab. KS BRY, o.l. LYTWG". P"R"
Hebrew HZRT. GLYM means hill or wild lettuce, Lactuca saligna L.

or Lactuca scariola L., and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKil
. (JD ; LW :; KA : f., :; AEY :; DAS :,
:; FM ; FZ : Sonchus oleraceus; LF : ff.). Arabic hass barr
designates wild lettuce (DT :; M ; DAS : f., :).
For the identification of HZRT
. as hass, cf. Sa#adya (SAM :). See
as well Maimonides on mKil ., where Hebrew is translated
as: (hill lettuce) (MK :).
54 : V
55 : V
56 : ! P
57 : V
58 : VO
59 : O, om. V
shem tov, glossary
The transcription LYTWG"

. P"R" must be identified as a non-docu-
mented O. Occ. term *laytuga fera. Several O. Occ. forms for lettuce
are documented: laytug(u)a (DAO :; CB , ; and also variants
with the spelling -ai-, -ey- for the diphthong), and lachug(u)a (CB ,
). The diphthong -ay- or -ey- is reflected in the -YY- spellingin MSS V
and O. The O. Occ. adjective fer, fera (<Lat. FERUS) has the meaning of
wild (RL :a; PSW :b).
. 61 60
HS",
. Arab. KS, o.l. LYTWG".
Aramaic HS"
. designates lettuce, especially Lactuca sativa L., and fea-
tures in Rabbinic literature in bPes a (JD f.; LW :; SD ;
SDA ; KA :, :; BM ; FZ ff.; LA f.:; LF :).
Arabic hass designates garden lettuce, Lactuca sativa L. (DT :;
DAS : f., f., :). The Arabic term features, for instance, in
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XX, ; XXI, ), and is translated by
N as: and by Z as: .
For the vernacular term laytuga or the like, cf. Het
. no. .
. 64 63 62
H. SMLY, Arab. "ZRQ, i.e. like the sky
Hebrew H . SMLY is an adjectival form derived from biblical H

. SML which
means glittering substance, amber (CD :; JD ) and features, e.g.
in Ez :. In Modern Hebrew the term means electricity.
Arabic azraq means blue, sky-coloured (L ). Cf. as well DRD :
blue-eyed (byname as family name).
The identification of H . SMLY as azraq goes back to Ibn Janah, . cf.
Se#adyah Ibn Danan, Sefer ha-Shorashim (SID :): :
(H . SML is blue light according to Abu l-Wald [Ibn
Janah]).
.
60 : V
61 : O V
62 : V
63 : V
64 : add. O
het
.
. 65
HLBY
. . S. YM, Arab. R"SN, o.l. "LN" QNPNYH
S. or HLB
Hebrew HLB. S. or HLBY

. S. means ornithogalum, bulb of ornithogalum
or orchid, Orchis anatolicus, and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g.
in mShebi .. yShebi VII, bc explains the term as: (eggs
of ornithogalum) to designate the roots or nodules of ornithogalum
(JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ; EG f.; FM ; FZ f.:
Euphorbia apios L.; LA :).
Arabic rasan, originally a Persian word (VL :), designates elecam-
pane, Inula Helenium L. and Var. (DT :; M ). The term features as
@7o 0,AB4 ) %( in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ) and
is translated by N as: and by Z as:
.
In accordance with the Arab. term, the vernacular term used in
the Vatican MS, "NWL" QMPN", must be interpreted as the learned
Romance term enul(l)a campana (O. Occ. enulla campana, RMA ;
DAO art. :) for Inula Hellenium L. (Sin ). The variants
used in the other two MSS, Paris and Oxford, show a metathesis of
-l- and -n- ("LN") whichfollowing von Wartburgwas frequent in
Medieval Latin (th to th century): elena, elna (FEW :b). Von
Wartburg also states that the distribution of this plant name in southern
France could be a result of the medical activities of Montpellier (FEW
:b).
For the identification of the Arabic and Romance terms, cf. GHAT
:, where we find the Romance term "YNGWLH QMP"NH as a
synonym for Arab. RS"N "L#RWQ ("YNGWLH is evidently a misspelling
of "YNWLH).
. 68 67 66
HLZWN,
. Arab. HLZWN,
. o.l. LM"S"
Hebrew HLZWN
. means ) conchiferous animal, snail, oyster, esp.
purple-fish, purple-shell; ) beetle or locust; ) a snail-shaped piece
of chain, screw and ) an eye-disease. The term features in Rabbinic
65 : O V
66 : P
67 : " P
68 : ! P V
shem tov, glossary
literature, e.g. in mKel . (JD ; LW : f.; KA : ff., :;

BM ; LZ ff.).
Arabic halazun
. means snail, or a certain creeping thing (L ;
JAD :; StS ).
For the identification, cf. Maimonides on the Mishnah cited above
(MK :).
The vernacular LYM"S" is the O. Occ. lima(s)sa (RL :b; CB , )
for slug (RL :b), derived from the Lat. LIMAX. This form is clearly
Occitan, because it is llimac in Catalan: llimac o caragol sens crosta:
limax (llimac or snail without crust: limax, DECLC :b).
For the identification of the Arabic and Romance terms cf. GHAT
:, where we find for the Romance synonym LYMS" Arab. HLZWN. .
. 69
HL"T
. HYM, Arab. ZBD "LBHR, . o.l. " SQWMH MRYN"
Hebrew HL"T
. HYM, literally meaning filth of the sea, is not attested in
secondary literature and seems to have been coined by Shem Tov as a
loan translation of the Arabic zabad al-bahr . (cf. below). Note, however,
that the term also features as a translation of the Latin spuma maris in
the Sefer Keritut by Hillel Ben Samuel of Verona.70
Arabic zabad al-bahr. sea foam is the translation of Greek 3-
bastard-sponge (LS ) and designates, according to Dioscurides
(:), a mixture of sponges, algae and polypiers rejected by the sea
(DT : n. ; M ).
The vernacular phrase " SKWMH MRYN" (or " SQWM" M"RYN" in the
Vatican and Oxford MSS respectively) must be read as O. Occ. or O. Cat.
*escuma marina. In our documents, we were unable to find this O. Occ.
or O. Cat. compound expression, which is the Romance equivalent of the
Latin spuma maris sea foam, pumice (Sin a). The O. Occ. and O. Cat.
escuma (RL :a; DECLC :a) is an alteration of the Lat. SPUMA
influenced by the Germanic SKUMS for foam (see DECLC :a),
which, in O. Cat., is documented for the first time in and had
the connotation of dirt (see DECLC :a). The adjective marin is
documented in the O. Occ. aiga marina for sea water (RL :a) among
others.
69 : VO
70 See Gerrit Bos: Medical terminology in the Hebrew tradition: Hillel Ben Samuel of
het
.
. 73 72 71
HLW
. HLT,
. Arab. MB#R, i.e. the rectum
Hebrew HLW. HLT

. means mesentery and features in Rabbinic litera-
ture, e.g. in bHul
. a (JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ;
Low LI; MD : rectum; PB ).
Arabic mab#ar means rectum, intestine or gut (L ). The Arabic
term features in the Arabic translation of Galens Anatomicarum Admin-
istrationum, ed. Garofalo, vol. , .:
2 ) C,KT, for Greek: -
! (4). For the identification, cf. ShM :

(HLW
. HLT
.
because nothing ever remains in it, unlike the other intestines; for it is
constantly empty, and whatever reaches it is immediately expelled, and
therefore it is called mab#ar, that is to say the excrements are expelled
from it; it is also called ma#bar).
. 74

HLMWNY
. HBS. YM HTRMY
. TYN,
. i.e. half-cooked egg yolks and in
Arabic it is called NYMBRST
Hebrew HLMWN
. means yolk of an egg and features in Rabbinic
literature, for instance in bAZ a (JD ; LW :; KT :; KA :).
For Hebrew BS. YM TRMY. TYN
. and Arabic NYMBRST, cf. Bet no. .
. 76 75
HWLDH,
. Arab. KLD
Hebrew HWLDH
. means mole or weasel and features in the Bible (e.g.
Lev :) and Rabbinic literature (e.g. mPes .) (KB ; CD :;
JD ; LW : f.; SD ; KA : f., :; BAL , ; DAS :;
LZ ff.).
71 : O
72 : O V
73 : VO
74 . . . : O
V
75 : O
76 : V
shem tov, glossary
Arabic huld means mole (L ; BK ; JAD : ff.; KSZ :,

).
:; StS
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Lev ::
(The following shall be unclean
for you among the things that swarm on the earth: the mole, the mouse,
and great lizards of every variety):
(S ); see as well IJ ,
gloss MS Rouen (n. ); SF :; WB ; Maimonides on mPes .
(MK :).
. 80 79 78 77
HRSYT
. HDLMTYQWN,
. Arab. GBS "LPR"YN, o.l. GYP DYPLYSRS
Hebrew HRSYT
. means potters clay, clay ground (JD ; LW :;
KA :, :; BM ; BKH , ; KT :; :) and features
in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mMaasrSheni ..
Arabic gibs means gypsum (L ; cf. as well Gimmel no. ).
Maimonides on mMaasrSheni . explains HRSYT . as
(cooked clay) (MK :); see as well EG , , .
For Hebrew and Arabic , cf. Dalet no. .
The combination HRSYT
. HDLMTYQWN
. and GBS "LPR"YN is un-
clear.
The Romance term suggests a reading such as *gip de peliseiras (fur
makers gypsum), with the term maybe designating a kind of clay or
gypsum used in the production of clothing or fur. For the Romance gip
cf. Gimmel , for the commentary on PLYSRS see Dalet .
. 82 81
HWM
. S. H, Arab. HM"
. D, . o.l. LP"SYWM
The Hebrew term HWM

. S. H is possibly a variant reading of HWM#H
. (cf.
JD ) which designates sorrel, Rumex L. (EM ; AEY :;
LA f.:; LF : ff.). According to Kohut (KA :), the term
77 : V
78 : add. V (cf. entry )
79 : VO
80 : O V
81 : O V
82 : V
het
.
as it features in mDem . refers to the same plant; Lw (LF :)

remarks, following Hasade , , that the more correct reading is .
features, for instance, in the Book of Medicines attributed to Asaf
(AV :).
Arabic humma
. d. means sorrel, Rumex L. and Var. (DT :; M ;
DAS :, :; LF : ff.). The Arabic term features in medieval
medical literature such as, for instance, Maimonides Medical Aphorisms
(XXI, ) and is transcribed by N as: and translated by
Z as: (cf. as well KZ ).
The form LP"SYWM (or L"PSYWM in the Oxford MS respectively)
can be identified as the Medieval Latin lapacium (cf. NPRA , s.v.
lapathum, cf. Sin b), which designates different species of Rumex L.
(Sin a; NPRA loc. cit.).
For the identification of Arab. humma
. d. as Lat. lapacium acutum, cf.
AdV .
. 85 84 83
HL
. T. HLWQ,
. . T. LZG, o.l. "WMWR WYSQWSH
Arab. HL
Hebrew HL . T. HLWQ
. means smooth humour and is not attested in
secondary literature (BM ; EM ).
Arabic HL . T. LZG, i.e. hilt. lazig means viscous humour (L ;
WKAS : ff.; FAL :, :). The Arabic term features in
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXIII, ), where it is translated as:
by both N and Z.
The vernacular term "WMWR WYSQWSH reflects the Latin or Ro-
mance *(h)umor viscosa/vescosa. This syntagmatic term is not docu-
mented in our sources. For O. Occ., we find the form umor (DAO :)
for humours of the human body (PSW :b). In O. Occ., the adjec-
tive vescos is documented in the description vescosa, plena dumors
(vescosa, full of humours, RL :a). It seems that the Romance term
is a literal translation of the Arabic one mentioned above.
83 : emendation editors MSS

84 : VO
85 : O add. V
shem tov, glossary
. 89 88 87 86
HMYLH,
. Arab. S. WP MNPWS, o.l. L"N" QRPYN"DH
Hebrew HMYLH
. means a blanket of thick, coarse stuff (JD ;
LW :; KA :; BM ; KT :) and features in Rabbinic
literature, for instance in mNed ..
Arabic s. uf manfus means wool separated, or plucked asunder or
loosened, so that it became spread, or sparse, or dispersed (L f.);
cf. as well Sade
. no. below).
Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned (MK :) explains
HMYLH
. as: (wiqaya, cf. D :: les tissus de soie et or, dont
les juives senveloppent la tte et quelles nomment oukaia au Maroc et
en Algrie (cloth woven of silk or gold, which the Jews wrap around
the head and which are called oukaia in Morocco and Algeria); cf. as
well R. Dozy, Dictionnaire dtaill des noms des vtements chez les Arabes,
Amsterdam , p. f.).
The vernacular term in the Vatican and Oxford MSS is an O. Occ.
compound expression *lana carpenada, literally wool picked into pieces.
For the O. Occ. verb carpenar zerrupfen (i.e., to pick something into
pieces), see PSW :a. For the O. Occ. or O. Cat. lana for wool, see
RL .b; FEW :b; DECLC :a; DCVB :a. The term most
probably refers to the wool prepared using teasels for spinning (cf. the
meaning of O. Sp. carpinado in DETEMA :b).
Von Wartburg (FEW :a) points out that the derivates from Lat.
CARPERE have, in Gallo-Romance, the meaning to pick (wool/canvas)
into pieces. Their meaning differs from carder (i.e., to card) and refers
to preparing this operation; cf. the definitions plucher la laine avec les
doigts avant de la carder (to pick the wool with the fingers before carding
it), carder avec la main (to pick with the hand).
. 90
HWTM
. HMLK, Arab. K"TM "LMLK
Hebrew HWTM
. HMLK literally means seal of the king.
86 : O
87 : V
88 : V
89 : O V add. V
90 : V
het
.
Arabic hatam al-malik has the same meaning (L ).

AQ, fol. b explains the term as:
[ . . . ] (A stone of a ring, it is a noun, also the noun for seal); cf. as
well ShM f. Certain medicines that were kept in the royal treasury
were sealed with a royal seal; cf. Maimonides On Asthma (XIII,, cf.
BMA ).
. 91
HLYPWT
. TRDYN, Arab. " DL"#
. "LSLQ, o.l. QWST. S DYBLYDS
For Hebrew HLYPWT

. TRDYN and Arabic " DL"#
. "LSLQ, cf. Het
. no. .
For the vernacular term, cf. Het
. no. .
. 94 93 92
H. S. YR, Arab. KR"T, Rabbin. KRYSYN, o.l. PWRWS
Hebrew H . S. YR means leek, Allium porrum L., and features in the Bible
(Num :) and Rabbinic literature (mKel .), whereas KRYSYN is the
more common term for leek in Rabbinic literature (KB ; CD :;
JD ; LW : f.; AEY :; DAS : f., , :; FO f.;
FM ; FZ f., ff.; LF : ff.).
Arabic kurrat is the generic term for leek (DT :; M ; DAS
:, , n. , :; cf. as well Kaf no. ).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Num ::
(we
remember the fish that we used to eat freely in Egypt, the cucumbers,
the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic):
(S ); Ibn
Janah. on the same verse (IJ ); and Maimonides on the Mishnah cited
above (MK :). See as well WB n. .
The vernacular PWRWS must be read as O. Cat. plural porros or
the Latin porrus (cf. NPRA , s.v. porrum), with the meaning leeks
or leek respectively. In O. Occ., we only find the forms porr, poyre
(RL :a) and por (FEW :a), porre with the plural forms pors,
porrs, porres and pos (PSW :ab). In O. Cat., the forms porre (first
91 : om. OV
92 : O
93 : O
94 : om. V
shem tov, glossary
documentation in ) and porro (first documentation ) coexisted,

but the second form survived due to its correspondence with the rules
of Cat. morphology, with the plural porros (see DECLC :a) being
formed from it.
For the identification the Arabic term as O. Cat. porros, cf. AdV ,
.
. 95
HLY
. H"PR, Arab. RMD, o.l. QS. YD"
Hebrew HLY. H"PR, literally meaning disease of the ashes, is not attested
in secondary literature. The term was possibly coined by Shem Tov
as a loan translation of the Arabic ramad (lit. ashes), which, as a
medical term, means ophthalmia and is translated in medieval medical
literature by Z as: or is transcribed by N: as (Maimonides
Medical Aphorisms: XIX, ; cf. BMMb ; cf. as well L ; IR , ,
; MH Index; SN ).
The vernacular term QS. YD" is the O. Occ. cassida with the meaning of
defluxion of the eyes (PSW :b), derived from Vulgar Latin *caccita
for sleep (in the eyes) (see FEW :b).
.
HL
. S. YYM, Arab. SR"SYP
Hebrew HL . S. YYM means loins and features in the Bible (e.g. Is :)

and Rabbinic literature (e.g. bHag . b) (KB ; JD ; BM ;
Low LI; PB ).
Arabic sursuf, plur. sarasf, means the cartilage attached to each rib
(L ; DKT , ; FAL :; IR ) and features in medieval
medical literature, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (e.g.
VI, ; cf. BMMb ), where p,%q )W 7 (i.e. the hypochondria) is
translated by Z as: (cf. as well KZ and ).
Sa#adya translates (The belts on their waists) in Is : as:
(cf. DS ; RT ), Ibn Janah. (IJ ) on Job : and : as:
C?6,], and AQ, fol. b translates as: .
95 : V
het
.
. 96
HL
. HLH,
. Arab. THLHL

Hebrew HL . HLH
. means shaking, trembling (KB ), shivers, chill
(Low LI), convulsion (BM ) and features in the Bible, e.g. Is :.
Arabic tahalhul from the root tahalhala means being shaken, dis-
).
jointed (HaF
Sa#adya on Is : translates HL
. HLH
. as (cf. DS ; RT ).
. 98 97
H. HYM,
. Arab. S. N"NYR, o.l. MWSQLRS
Hebrew H . H,. plur. H . HYM,

. means hook, thorn, awl, fastening, clasp,
chain; fibula and features in the Bible (e.g. Is : (= Kings :))
and Rabbinic literature (e.g. Ex. R. s. ) (KB ; CD :; JD ;
KA :, :; BM ).
Arabic s. innara, plur. s. ananr, means iron hook (D :).
For the identification, cf. Ibn Janah. (IJ ) and Se#adya Ibn Danan on
Is : (SID :); see as well SF :.
The vernacular term MWSQLRS corresponds to the plural of O. Occ.
mosclar (RL :a; PSW :a; FEW :a). Raynouard gives it
the meaning nasse, i.e. fish trap (RL :a), which is corrected by
Levy to Angelhaken, i.e., fish hook, (PSW :a), as confirmed by the
Hebrew and Arabic synonyms in our text. Following von Wartburg, the
O. Occ. mosclar is documented in the Languedocian variety in the th
century with the meaning fish hook, derived from the Latin etymon
MUSCULARIS (from MUSCULA little fly), which went through a
semantic shift in O. Occ. (FEW :ba).
. 100 99
HYYN,
. Arab. NY" and HY . is as well NY"
Aramaic HYYN,
. plural of HY,
. means ) living; alive; living creature;
healthy; ) in natural condition; raw; unmixed (JD ), or: living,
raw, unmixed, flowing (SD F; SDA ).
96 : O V add. V (cf. entry )

97 : V
98 : O, (cf. entry ) om. V
99 : O, om. V
100 : emendation editors P
shem tov, glossary
Arabic n" means raw, untouched by fire (L ). In a medical

context, the term is used in particular to indicate the raw, uncooked state
of bodily humours. Thus, it features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms
(XX, , ; XXI, ) and is transcribed by N as: and by Z as: or .
. 104 103 102 101

HLWDT
. HBRZL, Arab. S. D" "LHDYD,
. o.l. RWBYL DYPYRY
Hebrew HLWDT. HBRZL means iron rust (for , cf. JD ;

LW :; KA :, :; Low LI).
Arabic s. ada" al-hadd
. also means iron rust (for s. ada", cf. L ).
The vernacular expression RWBYL DYPYRY has to be interpreted as
O. Occ. *rovilh de ferre or O. Cat. *rovell de ferre for oxidation of iron.
The combination of both words is not documented in our sources. The
O. Occ. rovilh (PSW :ab) is documented with the meaning iron
oxyde, tarnishing of silver (DAO :); the corresponding O. Cat. term
is rovell, and both terms are derived from Lat. ROBIGO (DECLC :a
b). The variant in the Oxford MS must be interpreted as a West-
ern Romance form showing the loss of the intervocalic labial occlusive,
such as O. Occ. roill (RL :a) or the Northern Catalan variety roell
(DCVB :b). The O. Occ. and O. Cat. form ferre for iron is fre-
quently documented (RL :a; PSW :a; four entries in the index
of RMA ; DCVB :a).
. 105
HTWL,
. Arab. TKMYD
Hebrew HTWL
. means bandage and features in the Bible (Ez :) and
medieval literature (KB ; CD :; BM ; cf. as well Low LII s.v.
swaddling).
Arabic takmd means to apply a hot compress (L F). The Arabic
term features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (X, ) and is translated
by N as: and by Z as: .
101 : O
102 : V
103 : O V
104 : VO VE P
105 : e! P
het
.
. 107 106
HLWT
. DBS, Arab. SHD, o.l. BRYSQS
Hebrew HLWT. DBS means honey combs and features in Rabbinic

literature, for instance, in mUqz . (JD ; LW :; BM ;
DAS :).
Arabic sahd or suhd means honey or honey in its wax, i.e. its combs
(L ; DAS :).
: (MK :).
The vernacular term BRYSQS is the plural of O. Occ. and O. Cat. bresca
(DECLC :b; also cf. O. Occ. vrezqua in CB ) with the meaning
honeycomb (RL :b). The origin of the word is not clear, but it dates
back to the Pre-Roman period (DECLC loc. cit.). In Sarsot ha-Kesef,
we find the gloss BRYSQ", but here it glosses the Hebrew word s. uf for
honeycomb (ShK ). For O. Cat, it is documented for the first time in
a Ramon Llull text from about (DECLC loc. cit.).
. 109 108
HWM
. T,
. Arab. HLZWN,
. i.e. HHLZWN
.
Hebrew HWM. T. means lizard, chameleon and features in the Bible

(Lev :) and Rabbinic literature, for instance, in bHag. a (KB f.;
JD ; LW :; KA :; BM ; BAL f.; BH :, :, ,
; LFa ; LZ ).
For Hebrew and Arabic halazun,
. cf. Het
. no. .
The Hebrew term HWM . T. is translated by Sa#adya and Ibn Janah. as
(S ; IJ ). However, as Rashi on Lev : translates HWM
. T.
as: , David Kimhi, 110
. Sefer ha-Shorashim, col. , remarks that
according to some it is a reptile called: , and ShK has a gloss
lyms (see the vernacular term in Het . no. ). There must have been a
tradition identifying HWM
. T. with HLZWN.
.
106 : ? O
107 : VO
108 : add. V
109 : om. V
110 Ed. Biesenthal-Lebrecht, Berlin .
shem tov, glossary
. 114 113 112 111

HTP
. is interpreted by R. Sa#adya Gaon, of blessed memory, as WSW"S
and it is a kind of delusion.
Hebrew HTP . means robbery (KB ; CD :; BM ; EM )

and features in the Bible (Prov :).
Arabic waswas means ) speech, or talk, that is indistinct, or low and
confused; ) an evil idea, imagination, or thought, which occurs to
the mind; ) melancholia, in which is a doting in the imagination and
judgment, a sort of delirium (L f.; D :) and features in medieval
medical literature with the meaning delusion (cf. Dols, Majnun, pp. ,
, , ).115 Thus, it occurs in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms
(e.g. II, ; cf. BMMa ) and is translated by N as: and by Z as:
. Cf. as well KZ .
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Prov ::
(She too lies in wait as if for prey, and destroys the
unfaithful among men):
(SM , cf. also n. ).
111 : P
112 : om. OV
113 : om. O
114 : V
115M.W. Dols, Majnun: The Madman in Medieval Islamic Society. Edited by D.E. Im-
misch, Oxford .
TET
.
. 1
TY
. T. HTWM,
. Arab. TYN
. MKTWM, o.l. BWL SGYL" TWM
.
Hebrew TY . T. HTWM. is possibly a loan translation of Arabic t. n mahtum,

literally sealed earth (cf. below and JD ). Instead of meaning
loam (cf. BM ), we find , cf. Maimonides, On Poisons (BMP ),
transl. Moses ibn Tibbon: ha-t. in he-hatum.
Arabic t. n mahtum means Terrasigillata or Lemnian earth (L ;
IR ).
Terra sigillata, i.e. sealed earth or clay, was called in this way because
the pastilles prepared from these kinds of earth or clay were marked
with a seal. Thus Pliny, Natural History XXXV, refers to that from the
island of Lemnos under the name (seal). It was actually the best
known of the different kinds of terra sigillata introduced into medicine
by the Greeks, and was, according to Renaud and Colin,2 hydrated iron
peroxide, which served as an antitoxin. According to Siggel, Das Buch
der Gifte des Gabir ibn Hayyan,
. p. , it was a reddish earth from
the isle of Chios that was taken to Byzantium in sealed form; it was
possibly a Al-Mg silicate. Maimonides, Glossary of Drug Names, s.v. t. n
(M ) mentions three different kinds of terra sigillata, namely from
Lemnos, Buhayra . and Yemen. See as well E.I.2, vol. , p. , , s.v. t. n
(C.E. Bosworth): Edible clay or earth. This was a diatomaceous earth or
kieselguhr, made up of the siliceous remains of minute organisms, and
was found in various parts of Persia in mediaeval Islamic times.
The vernacular variants in the Oxford and Vatican MSS seem to be
Romance adaptations of the Latin term terra sigillata (e.g. an O. Occ. or
O. Cat. *terra sage(l)lada/sege(l)lada). The O. Occ. term terra segelada
is documented in CB () with the meaning argillaceous soil. For
O. Occ. and O. Cat. terra earth, soil, see DCVB (:a); DECLC
(:a) and DAO (:), where the following specific meaning is given:
1 : O V
2 H.P.J. Renaud and G.S. Colin, Tuhfat al-ahbab. Glossaire de la matire mdicale
. .
Marocaine. Texte publie pour la premire fois avec traduction, notes critiques et index,
Paris , no. .
shem tov, glossary
terre argileuse dont se servent les potiers pour faire leurs ouvrages (i.e.
argillaceous soil, which the potters used for their products). For the
O. Occ. verb sagellar, sagelar, segelar or sugelar seal, see FEW (:b);
RL (:ab); PSW (:b). For O. Cat., see DCVB (:a); DECLC
(:b): segellar marcar o cloure amb segell (i.e. to mark or close
with a seal) since , with the variant sigillar (). The Lat. term
is documented in an O. Occ. text with the meaning terre sigille (sealed
earth) (RMA , ).
The Paris MS uses a synonym for terra in the sense of clay, namely
O. Occ. bol or bolh (from Lat. BOLUS < Gr. 5, see DECLC :b)
for bolus, medical clay (RL :b; FEW :bb: for Erdscholle,
i.e. clod or soil); also see RMM and RMM ). The word bol(h) was
normally used as part of the compound term bol armenic, see entry Tet .
, which is the only context in which the corresponding Catalan word
bol(l) appears according to the dictionaries we consulted as (bo(l)l armini,
DECLC :b, since ). The term we find here is a hybrid form bol
sigillatum, which is a combination of the O. Occ. or O. Cat. noun and the
same Lat. perfect passive participle that is used in terra sigillata, used here
in its neuter form, sigillatum (FEW :a). Neither this combination
nor any other compound expression that includes bol (except for bol
armenic) is documented in our sources.
For the identification of Arab. t. n mahtum as Lat. bolus/terra sigillata
cf. AdV , ; ibid. mentions for O. Cat. bol(i)um sagillatum.
GHAT : identifies the Arabic term as O. Cat. TYR" . SGYL"DH.
. 3
. T. "RMY, Arab. TYN
TY . "RMYNY, o.l. BWL "RMYNQWM
Hebrew TY . T. "RMY (read: TY . T. "RMNY) seems to be a loan translation of

Arabic t. n armn (cf. below) and features in medieval medical literature
(cf. BM : ).
Arabic t. n armn means Armenian bole or earth (L ; M ); cf.
Renaud-Colin, Tuhfat . al-ahbab,
. ibid.
The Latin counterpart of the Arabic term is bolus armenicus, which
appears in the Alphita (see Sin : fn. ; CA , ). This term is
reflected in the vernacular expression in MSS P and O, which is, however,
a blend of the Romance word bol or bolh/boll (see entry Tet . ) and the
3 : O V
tet
.
Lat. adjective in its neuter form, armenicum. The term bolarmenicum is

documented in an O. Fr. text (FEW :b, bol dArmnie, argile rouge
et visqueuse quon faisait venir dOrient et qui entrait dans la composition
de certains mdicaments, i.e. Armenian bole, red and viscous clay, which
was imported from the Orient and which was used for the composition
of certain medicines). In the Vatican MS, we find the O. Occ. term bol
armenic (see RL :b; FEW :b). Coromines points out (with
respect to the corresponding Catalan term, see entry Tet . ) that this
substance was frequently searched for in mines and natural caves in the
region of Valencia (DECLC :b).
For the identification of Arab. t. n armn as Lat. bolus armenicus
cf. AdV ; ibid. mentions bolium armenicum and boliarmini for
O. Cat.. In GHAT : we find BWL"RMYNY O. Cat. and BWLWM
"RMYNYQWM for Lat., both identified as Arabic t. n armn.
. 7 6 5 4
TRKSYD,
. Arab. NWRH, o.l. PLDWR, which is something composed of
lime and arsenic
Hebrew TRKSYD
. means binding cement and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in bBB b (JD ; LW :: steiniger, felsiger Kalk
(stony and rocky lime); KA :; :; KT :, n. ). The
etymology of the term is unclear. According to Jastrow (ibid.), it is
a combination of two words, namely W and , and, according to
Levy (ibid.) and Kohut (ibid.), of Greek (rough, harsh, LS )
and . The Geonim explain TRKSYD. as a superior kind of plaster
and identify it as: (= G,H%, white lead, ceruse); cf. ATG (=
BT : f.: :
(TRKSYD:
. It is a kind of plaster, but better than it,
and one smears it on top of the plaster and in Arabic it is called: )).
(cf. KT : n. , Lieberman, Tosefta ki-fshut. ah, p. , s.v.
).8
Arabic nura means gelschter Kalk; Haarentfernungsmittel (slaked
lime; depilatory) (L ; GS f., , ; Sig ; SP ff.; cf. as well
4 : VO
5 : VO
6 : V, om. O
7 : [ . . . ] V1
8 S. Lieberman, Tosefta ki-fshut. ah. A comprehensive commentary on the Tosefta.
Part VIII: Order Nashim, New York .
shem tov, glossary
H. Grotzfeld, Das Bad im arabisch-islamischen Mittelalter, Wiesbaden

, p. ). Moses ibn Tibbon renders the Arabic nura as in
his translation of Maimonides On Poisons (BMP ).
The composition of arsenic and quicklime had been used as a depila-
tory since ancient times; for a recipe see, e. g., DETEMA :b s.v.
silotro, a depilatory medicine (Nebr.): mientra entra en el bao sea
vntado con psillotro fecho de quatro partes de la cal e vna de arsenico
cochas con el vinagre e agua. (i.e when he enters into the bath, he should
be anointed with psillotro made of four parts of lime and one of arsenic,
boiled with vinegar and water) Cauliac (th c.). Consequently, the ver-
nacular term is the O. Cat. pelador instrument o matria que saplicava a
la pell de persones o de bsties per arrabassar-ne els pls (i.e., an instru-
ment or substance that was applied to the skin of persons or animals to
eracinate the hairs) (DCVB :a). In contrast to the ample documenta-
tion for Cat. (see DCVB loc. cit.), O. Occ. does not figure in our sources.
.
TNY,
. Arab. QDH .
Hebrew TNY,
. bibl. TN",
. means a certain dry measure or travelling box,
basket and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKel . (KB ;
JD ; LW :: ein grosses, metallenes Gefss (a big, metallic jar);
KA : f. s.v. : ein korbhnliches Gefss (a basket-like bin); BM
s.v. ; KT :, n. ).
Arabic qadah. means a drinking-cup or bowl (L ; DRD :
tumbler).
Maimonides on mKel . and mEduy . explains Hebrew as a
solid container made of iron or copper used by the physicians to keep
their remedies in (MK :, :). Cf. as well BKH .
. 11 10 9
TRYQH,
. Arab. LDG, o.l. PWNSWR"
Hebrew TRYQH
. is a verbal noun derived from TRQ,
. which means sting,
bite (BM , for TRQ,
. cf. JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ).
Arabic ladg means stinging or biting (WKAS : f.).
9 : O V
10 : V
11 : O V1
tet
.
PWNSWR" represents O. Occ. ponchura sting, bite (RL :a; FEW

:b, s.v. PUNCTURA), punchura sting, stinging (PSW :b). See
the quotations in RL (ponchuras del verinos serpens de yfern, i.e. bites
of the poisonous serpent of the hell) and PSW (la punchura [d]una
mosca, i.e. bite of a fly). The corresponding verb is ponchar/ punchar
to stingwhich also existed in O. Cat. as punxar (DECLC :b); a
derivation *punxura is possiblewith the variant pinchar listed in the
PSW (:a). The variants used in the Oxford and Vatican MSS could
be a corrupt form of ponhedura, ponhidura sting, bite (PSW :b;
FEW :b) or another non-attested form derived from O. Occ. pnher
or O. Cat. pnyer to sting (DECLC :b), e.g. *ponhura, *punyura.
.
TY
. HH,
. Arab. TYL"
.
Hebrew TY . HH. means plastering and features in Rabbinic literature

(e.g. in mNeg .) and medieval medical literature (JD ; LW :;
BM ). The term features in the Hebrew translation (from the Arabic)
of the Alexandrian Summaries of the Sixteen Books by Galen prepared
by Simson Ben Solomon in the year under the title
(following BM ; cf. E. Lieber, Galen in Hebrew, pp. ).12
Arabic t. ila" means any fluid, semifluid, liniment, unguent, oil, var-
nish, plaster, or the like, with which a thing is daubed, smeared, rubbed
or done over, anointed, painted, varnished, plastered, coated, overspread,
or overlaid (L ; cf. KZ ). The Arabic term features, e.g. in Mai-
monides Medical Aphorisms (XXII, ; XXIV, ), where it is translated
by N as: and by Z as: , and in Maimonides On Asthma XI, and
XII, (cf. BMA and ), where the plural ,LI& is translated as: by
Joshua Shatibi and as: by both Samuel Benveniste and the anony-
mous translator.
.
TRYT,
. Arab. TWN,
. o.l. TWNYN"
.
Hebrew TRYT,
. from Greek ! (LS ; KG :; LR ; SD )
or Latin triton (GH :; cf. LW :; KG :; LR ), means
12 E. Lieber, Galen in Hebrew, Galen: Problems and Prospects. A Collection of Papers
submitted at the Cambridge Conference. Edited by Vivian Nutton, London ,

pp. .
shem tov, glossary
preserve, pickle and esp. salted or pickled fish (JD ) and a kind of
tuna and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mNed ., and mAZ .
(LW :; SD , Aram. : type of fish, salted fish pieces sold in the
market; KA :, :; LFa f.; LZ f.).
Arabic t. un or tuna means tuna; cf. G. Oman, Littionimia nei Paesi
Arabi del Mediterraneo, Firenze , no. .
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. tonina salted tuna (PSW :b
a) or O. Cat. tonyna tuna (DECLC :b). Following Coromines,
the O. Cat. term originally designated just one variety of tuna (DECLC
loc. cit.).
. 13
TRYYM,
. Arab. TRYH
.
Hebrew TRY,
. plur. TRYYM
. means fresh and features in the Bible (e.g.
in Ju :, and Sam :) and medieval literature (KB ; CD :;
BM ).
Arabic t. ar" has the same meaning (L ).
For the identification, cf. IJ ; SF :; WB . Sa#adya on Is : (S;
RT ) translates (festering sores) as: .
For the Romance synonym which is added only here in MS O, see the
commentary on entry Tet . .
. 14
TYWL,
. Arab. RY" DH
.
Hebrew TYWL
. means walking, going errands (JD ; LW :). It
is possible that Shem Tov employs the term in the non-attested sense of
physical exercise for Arabic riyada.
.
Arabic riyada. originally had the meaning of training, disciplining
oneself through exercise, exercise (D : f.). In medieval medical
literature, it is the common term for physical exercise and features, for
instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (III, , ; cf. BMMa
and ) where it is translated by N as: and by Z as: .
13 : VO add. O
14 : VO
tet
.
. 16 15
TYRWP,
. Arab. TSWYS
Hebrew TYRWP
. means confusion, distraction, trouble and features in
Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mBer . (JD ; LW :; BM ; cf. as
well Low LIII and PB ).
Arabic tasws means confusion; indisposition (D :). The term
features as Yo in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XV, ), where it is
translated by N as: and by Z as: .
.
TBLH,
. Arab. S. PYHH
.
Hebrew TBLH,
. from Greek , Latin tabula (LS ; GH : f.;
KG :), means plank, board, tablet for writing, book of accounts,
list, will and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bPes a (JD ;
LW : f.; SD ; KA :, :; BKH ff.; KT :, , , :,
, , , , :, , ). Maimonides, for instance, on mKel .,
explains Hebrew TBLH . as Arabic (lawh)
. (MK :).
Arabic s. afha
. means a wide or broad stone, plank, board, plate
(L ); cf. Gimmel .
.
T. HYNH,
. Arab. "STMR"
Hebrew T. HYNH
. means grinding and, figuratively, sexual contact and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bSot a (JD ; KA :, :;
BM ).
Arabic ist mar" means podex or anus of a human being (L , f.).
. 18 17
TRMY
. T",
. Arab. NYMBRST
Cf. Bet no. .
15 : V
16 : O V
17 : O
18 : V
shem tov, glossary
. 20 19
TS
. SL ZHB, Arab. S. PYHH. DHB
Hebrew TS . SL ZHB means foil or plate made of gold and features

in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKel . (JD ; LW :; KA :,
: f.). Arabic s. afhat
. dahab means plate made of gold (cf. Gimmel
no. above).
For the identification, cf. Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned
above (MK :).
. 22 21
T. HWP,
. Arab. "GBR, o.l. BRWN, it is like lead
Hebrew T. HWP
. means dirty-white, grey and features in Rabbinic lit-
. b, as a variant of SHWP:
erature, e.g. in bHul
() (If he had two kinds [of wool], grey and white) (JD ;
LW :; BM ; KA :).
Arabic agbar means dust-colored (L ).
The vernacular term featuring in the Paris and Vatican MSS is brun
(see the entry Gimmel ). The variant given in the Oxford MS, BWRWN,
appears to be corrupt (for the epenthetic Waw see the introduction).
. 25 24 23
TWP
. . that is "LGLB"N, o.l. LYSYS
H,
Hebrew TWP . H. designates the plant Lathyrus Cicera L. or Lathyrus

sativus L., everlasting-pea (JD ; LW :; KA : f., :; AEY
:; DAS :, ; FH ; FM ; FZ ff.; LA f.:; LF
: ff.) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mPeah ..
Arabic al-gulubban designates vetch (L ; D :; DT :, n. ;
M ; DAS :; cf. as well Shin no. below).
19 : P V
20 : O V
21 : V
22 : O
23 : V
24 : VP
25 : O ! P V
tet
.
For the identification, cf. the Geonic commentary on Tohorot (EG

). Maimonides on mTevul . (MK :) explains the term as:
(oats).
The vernacular term featuring in the Oxford MS is the plural of the
O. Occ. plant name gieissa, which exactly fits the meaning of the Hebrew
word. This plant name, which is of unclear etymology and seems to be
totally absent from Catalan, has an ample documentation for O. Occ.,
see DAO :: gieissa, Lathyrus sativus (), with the variants gieiza,
geysa, geyssa, geysha, geicha, geisso, jaissa, jaisse (plus the following forms
that are classified as M. Lat., see DAO :: gaicia, gueysha, ge(y)ssia,
jessa, jayssia, geissa, geyssa). It is worth mentioning that the French
variant (cf. gesse in Mod. French) appears in a Judeo-French gloss as
YYSS, YYSN, YYSYS and YaYSeY (DBG ), transcribed by Blondheim
as jese (also cf. FEW :b, which indicates the meaning Lathyrus
sativus).
The Lamed at the beginning of the variants given in MSS P and V is
either an error or might be the definite article la; since we obviously have
the plural form here, we would have to suppose that the article became
agglutinated so as to form a word such as *lagieissa. As Brunel observes
in the recipes he edited, a plural noun often appears with a singular
article (RMA XI), e. g. la fuelhas (RMA and ). This would represent
another, albeit not very probable hypothesis.
. 26

TP
. H,
. Arab. TNTYL,
. means to dip ones hand in oil or water in which
herbs have been cooked and to hit the [affected] spot with it as an
anointment
Hebrew TP. H. means to clap hands, to strike or to wet (JD f.;

SD ; KA :, :; BM f.).
Arabic tant. l means the application of fomentations and features
in medieval medical literature, for instance in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (XIII, ) and is translated by N as: and by Z as:
.
26 : V
shem tov, glossary
. 28 27
TRY,
. Arab. TRY",
. o.l. PRYSQ
For Hebrew TRY

. and Arabic t. ar" , cf. Tet
. no. .
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. adjective fresc for fresh
(DAO :; FEW :a; RL :b; PSW :a; DECLC :a;
DCVB :b).
27 : om. O add. V
28 : "X" P
YOD
. 4 3 2 1
YRWQT HMWR,
. i.e. donkey cucumbers, QT" "LHM"R,
. o.l. QWGWMRY
"M"R
Hebrew YRWQT HMWR . designates the plant Ecbalium elaterium Rich.,

squirting cucumber and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mOhol
. (KA : f., :; BM ; AEY :; DAS :; FO f.;
FM ; FZ f.; LF : f.).
Arabic qitta" al-himar,
. lit. donkeys cucumber, designates the same

plant (DT :; M ; DAS :).
For the identification, cf. the Geonic commentary on Tohorot which
explains YRWQT HMWR . as Hebrew and as Arabic qitta"
al-himar
. (EG ); see as well Maimonides on mOhol . (MK :). For
Hebrew and Arabic qitta" al-himar, . cf. as well Qof no.
below.
The vernacular term in the Oxford and Vatican MSS is the O. Occ.
term cogombre amar (for the whole term see CB ; for the noun
cf. RL :b, FEW :b; for the adjective cf. RL :bb)
and seems to be a synonym for cocumbre aigre cornichon vert (i.e.
green gherkin) (RMA ) and cogombre salva(t)g(g)e, literally for wild
cucumber (CB , , RMM , RM ). The variant in the Paris MS
seems to be *cogomre amar, without epenthetic -b-; cf. the O. Sp. cogomro
(DETEMA :b). In Cat., we find the compound expression cogombre
amarg as a synonym for cogombre bord, cogombre boig and cogombre
silvestre, all of which designate a plant of the species Ecbalium elaterium
(cf. DCVB :a). The DCVB also lists the ancient Cat. variant amar
(:ab), so that the term featuring here might also be interpreted
as Catalan. But Coromines argues that this form only coexisted with
amarg in the writings of Cerver de Girona when he wrote in O. Occ.
(DECLC :a). However, see the form cogombra amar in an O. Cat.
1 : V
2 : V
3 : VO
4 : O V
shem tov, glossary
translation of Arnau de Villanova (AdV ) identified as Arab. qitta"

al-himar (ibid. , ).
.
. 6 5
YRBWZYN SL GNWT, Arab. YRBWZ or BQLH "LYM"NYH, o.l. BLYDZ
Hebrew YRBWZ, plur. YRBWZYN, designates the plant blite, Alber-

sia Blitum Kunth., and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShebi
. as: wild blite (cf. below) (JD ; LW :, ;
SD ; KA :, :; BM ; AEY :; FM ; LA f.:;
LF : ff.; cf. as well FZ f.: Amaranthus). YRBWZYN SL GNWT,
which is not attested in secondary literature, possibly designates the cul-
tivated variety of blite.
Arabic yarbuz (derived from Persian (LA f.:; BLS )) or
baqla yamaniya means blite and its varieties (DT :; M ). In
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XX, ) yarbuz is translated by N as:
(BLYT . S. ) and by Z as: .
For the identification of Hebrew YRBWZYN as Arabic yarbuz, cf.
Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned above (MK :).
The vernacular term corresponds to the O. Occ. or O. Cat. plural blez
or blets (RMM ; DCVB :ba) of the plant name blet for ama-
ranth (FEW :b), which is blite, thus conforming with the Hebrew
lemma and the Arabic synonym. RMM (index ) indicates the mean-
ing betteraves (beetroot), following the interpretation of PSW :b;
this wrong meaning is emended in DAO :, see below. The word
is derived from Lat. BLITUM (see DECLC :b and FEW :b;
DAO : gives the incorrect etymon BETA). For the general confusion
of BLITUM and BETA already apparent in Late Latin, see DECLC :b
and entry Het
. of this edition. By contrast, in our synonym list, the
author seems to make a difference between these two plants; cf. Het .
and Tav . In another O. Occ. text, the two plant names are also men-
tioned separately: Ad ome que no pot anar a cambra, dona li manjar
bledas e blez e malvas e mortayrolh e cebas am carn grassa (i.e. to some-
one who cant go to the toilet, give him to eat bledas and blez and mallows
and broth and onions with fat meat) (RMM ). For the form with Dalet
and Zayin, see the introduction.
5 : O V
6 : VO
yod
For an identification of Arab. baqla yamaniya as O. Cat. BLYT. S (blets,

interpreted by Magdalena Nom de Du as bolets, i.e., mushrooms), cf.
GHAT :.
. 8 7
YRBWZYN SWTYN, . it is wild blite
Hebrew YRBWZYN SWTYN . features in Rabbinic literature, for instance

in mShebi ., and designates the wild, uncultivated blite (cf. above).
. 10 9
YYWNWS, Arab. YBWNWS, bibl. HBNYM, already mentioned under
the letter He
Aramaic , from Greek 4 (LS f.; LN ), means ebony

wood (LW :; SDA ; KA : f.; LF :), and features in bShab
a and is explained by R. Hananel
. as , i.e. Arabic ?.
The Arabic term is a variant of Arabic "BNWS, abanus or abanus,
which also means ebony (L ; DT :), just like the biblical HBNYM
(for references and identification, cf. He no. ).
. 14 13 12 11

YW#ZR SDH, Arab. PWDNG GBLY, o.l. PWLYYG MWNT", . there are six
varieties, one of them is called MNT"
. STRY
. and one is called QLMNT.
Hebrew YW#ZR designates the plant Adiantum capillum Veneris L.,

Maidenhair and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShab .
(JD ; KA :, :; BM ; AEY :; FM ; FZ f.;
LF :). , which is not attested in secondary literature, possibly
designates its uncultivated variety.
7 : O V
8 : O V
9 : ? add. V
10 : O, om. V
11 : V
12 : O V
13 : V
14 : O
V
shem tov, glossary
Arabic fudang gabal means mountain mint, possibly Nepeta cataria

:; M ).
L. and Var. (DT
For the identification of Hebrew YW#ZR as Arabic fudang, cf. Sa#adya,
(SAM :);15 Maimonides on mShab . (MK :)).
The first vernacular synonym in MSS P and O seems to be an O. Occ.
compound term, such as *pol(i)eg monta(n), which is not documented
in our sources (in all MSS of the Sefer ha-Shimmush, it is spelt without
the n-mobile). For Lat., the term pulegium montanum is documented
as PWLYGY"WM MWNT"NUM . (PJP ). Since pol(i)eg means a kind
of mint (cf. Yod ), the meaning of polieg montan should be wild
or mountain mint, in correspondence with the Arabic term. It has
to be noted that the Romance forms stemming from PULEGIUM are
frequently confused with forms stemming from POLIUM (see Sin b).
Thus the complex term appears to be a loan translation or adaptation
of the Late Lat. plant name polium montanum (NPRA , also see the
genitive singular poli montani in RPA ), used in contrast to polium
marinum (see Sin a; also cf. polium maris in NPRA ). According
to NPRA, the meaning of polium monatum is Teucrium Creticum L..
Another possible meaning is Teucrium polium L. (Sin loc. cit.).
A particular point of interest here is the adjective *monta(n): No
derivations from the Lat. MONTANUS (a derivate of MONS) seem to
have existed before the late th century.16 The only exception seems to be
silmonta(n),17 but -monta(n) is not used as an independent adjective here.
In O. Occ., there is only the adjective montanhenc.18 In O. Cat., the only
known derivations from munt/mont (< Lat. MONTE[M]) are: munter
salvatge, munts de muntanya, salvatge and muntes muntanyenc (see
DECLC :ab). Thus, what we find here seems to be the first known
documentation of a Romance form derived from the Lat. MONTANUS
(by means of a morpho-phonetic adaptation to the O. Occ. paradigm).
We find the same phenomenon for the adjective *ortolan (< Lat. HOR-
TULANUS) in Het . , which is not documented either in O. Occ. It might
15 See as well J. Ratzaby, Nosafot le-Alfaz. al-Mishnah, Leshonenu (), pp.

, see especially pp. .
16 The Sp. adjective montano was documented for the first time in , see FEW
:b; for other documentations from the th century, see DETEMA :a and (for
the term siler montano) a.
17 Here we have one word and not a compound term. See the variant given in the
Oxford MS of entry Kaf and the spelling of the Late Lat. silmontanum as one word in
the other MSS.
18 Derived from O. Occ. montanha < Lat. *MONTANEA): Menta es herba [. . .]
salvagge e montanhenca (RL :a).
yod
well be that these forms did not really exist in O. Occ, but are rather adap-
tations made by our author. Note that these adjectives do not occur in an
isolated fashion, but as elements of compound terms, imitating the Lat.
terminology.
The variant in MS V seems to be a misspelling of the term in MSS
P and O or corresponds to a hypothetical O. Occ. compound expression
*polieg menta which is not attested in our sources; for the second element,
menta, see the commentary on Alef .
The second vernacular lexeme given here is MNT" . STRY,
. O. Cat. or
O. Occ. mentastre (first doc. in Cat.: th c., Alcoat, according to
DECLC :, for O. Occ. see RL :, where the meaning menthe
sauvage (wild mint) is given; also cf. PSW :; CB ; RMA ;
RPA ; RMM ; RM , , ). Furthermore, the literature on
Lat. mentastrum and its Romance equivalents refers to several kinds of
mint (NPRA ; DCVB :b and :ba), one of them being
Calaminta. For the identification of O. Cat. mentastre, Latin mentastrum
and Arabic fudang cf. AdV , ; see also GHAT :. It should be
noted that it features in Medieval Hebrew translations of medical texts
for Arabic fudang; cf. Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ).
The third vernacular element is QLMNT, . O. Occ. calament herbe
chat (cat mint), mentioned in RL :b, together with the following
quotation from Eluc. de las propr. (fol. ): Calament es herba semblant
a menta (i.e., calament is a herb which is similar to mint), and another
quotation from the O. Occ. translation of Abulcasis; for further docu-
mentation, see also FEW :b; CB , ; RPA . For Cat., the
DECLC : only mentions calamenta nepta, i.e. Nepeta cataria (first
doc. ), the DCVB also mentions the masculine plural form cala-
ments (:b), without any indication of where this form was found.
. 19
YTLQH, . Arab. YTSBT
Hebrew YTLQH, . Hitpa#el imperfect from LQH, . features in the Bible (Ex
:) as () (to flash intermittently) (KB ), and in Rabbinic
literature where it means he or it is enclosed or squeezed in (JD ).
Arabic yatasabbat means he or it clings, catches, cleaves or adheres
(L ). The term is also used in a medical context, for instance, in
19 : O
shem tov, glossary
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXV, ), where it is stated: aI kr-

J2 a_o )& s()> t
Au) L2 (If the illness becomes prolonged and the
inflammations become hard or adhere to an organ). N translates the term
as: and Z as: .
.
YNSWP, Arab. B" SQ
Hebrew YNSWP designates a certain unclean bird, possibly the long

eared owl, Asio otus, and features in the Bible, e.g. in Lev : (KB ;
CD :: screech owl; BM ; BH :, , , ; FA ;
FAB f.; LZ ).
Arabic basaq or basiq means musket, or sparrow-hawk; falco nisus
(L ; StS ).
(the little owl, the cormorant, and the great owl):
(S ).
. 23 22 21 20
YYNMLYN, Arab. KMR M#MWL B"L"P"WYH, o.l. PYMNT.
Hebrew YYNMLYN, from Greek (LS ; KG :; LR ),

means wine mixed with honey (JD s.v. ; LW :; KA :;
Low LIV; PB ) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShab ..
Arabic hamr ma#mul bi-l-afawh means wine made with spices
(L ).
Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned explains YYNMLYN as:
(wine and honey and pepper) (MK :).
Accordingly, the vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. pi(g)men(t)
(CB , RL :ab, PSW :a, RM ; DCVB :a) for sorte de
boisson compose de miel et dpices (i.e., a type of beverage composed of
honey and spices) (RL :a), Getrnk aus gewrztem Wein u. Honig
(i.e., a beverage of spiced wine and honey) (PSW :a): Pigment est
dit quar si fa despecias (i.e., pigment is called like this because it is made
of spices) (Eluc. de las propr., fol. , see RL ab). Also see (for the
20 : V
21 : V
22 : O V
23 : V
yod
Lat. pigmentum) the O. Sp. definition: Pigmentum, i. vino confaionado

[cum speciebus] (i. vino pimente), Sin :.
. 25 24
YPYG T#M
. HYYN, Arab. YKPY T#M . "LSR"B
Hebrew YPYG T#M . HYYN means he or it counteracts the taste (i.e.

effect) of the wine (for YPYG, Hif#il imperfect from PWG, cf. JD f.;
BM f.) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bErub b and
bSanh b, where it is stated that A miles walk or a little sleep removes
the effects of wine ( ).
Arabic yahf t. a#m as-sarab means he or it conceals the taste of the
wine (L ).
. 29 28 27 26
YBLWT, Arab. TW"LYL, o.l. BWRWGS
Hebrew YBLT, plur. YBLWT, means wart (KB ; CD :; JD ;

LW :; KA : f., :; BM ; Low LIV; PB , ) and
features in the Bible (Lev :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mErub
..
Arabic tu"lul, plur. ta" all, means a certain excrescence on the person
of a man (L ; IR ; MH f.: wart, fleshy excrescence, Gr.
).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Lev :: : (S ),
IJ ; and Maimonides on the Mishnah cited above: :
(YBLWT: an excrescence on the human body) (MK :).
The vernacular term in the Oxford and Vatican MSS is the plural of
O. Occ. or O. Cat. be(r)ruga or ve(r)ruga (RMM , DECLC :b,
RL :b, DCVB :ab, CB , , , etc.) for wart (< Lat.
VERRUCA; see FEW :b). The variant given in the Paris MS seems
to correspond to the Cat. diatopic variant borruga, which is very frequent
in the Pyrenees (DECLC and DCVB loc. cit.).
24 : V
25 : VO
26 : P V
27 : V
28 : om. V
29 : O V
shem tov, glossary
. 30
YGM#, Arab. YTMDM . D.
Hebrew YGM# means he swallows or quaffs and features in the Bible

(e.g. Job :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShab . (KB and
CD : f. s.v. ; JD ; LW :; KA :; BM ).
Arabic , from v'J7, means he rinsed his mouth with water
(L ).
= , :
, (Someone suffering
from weak gums is not allowed to quaff with vinegar and to spit it out)
(MK :).
. 31
YSKYL, Arab. YNGH .
Hebrew , from the root , features in the Bible (e.g. in S :)

and means ) he understands, comprehends, ) he has insight, )
he makes wise, insightful and ) he achieves success (KB f.;
BM ff.). In Rabbinic literature, means ) he is wise, under-
stands; he considers, deliberates and ) he looks towards, faces; he is
directed (JD ; LW :).
Arabic yangahu. means he succeeds; he attains or accomplishes
(L ).
For the identification, cf. IJ f.: .wAB
.wA7 (David was more successful than all the soldiers of Saul
(cf. Sam :); because he was very successful (cf. Sam :)).
. 32
YTSWS, Arab. YPWR
Hebrew YTSWS, from the root TSS, features in Rabbinic literature (e.g. in
bAZ b) and means ) it bubbles, boils, ferments, ) it spurts and )
it causes spurting or sparkling (JD ; LW :; SD ; KA :,
:; BM ; KT :).
30 : emendation editor P O V
31 : VO
32 : V
yod
Arabic yafuru means it boils, or estuates, it ferments, it flushes or

mantles (L ).
. 36 35 34 33
YTRQRQ, Arab. YKDR, . o.l. TWRG"
. WYRD
Hebrew YTRQRQ is a denominative verb derived from or .

Hebrew means to be light-colored, pale, green, yellow (KB ;
JD ; LW :; SD ; BM ) and means pale-colored,
greenish; yellowish-green and features in the Bible, e.g. in Lev :,
and Rabbinic literature (e.g. in ySuk III, d) (KB ; CD :; JD ;
LW :, ; BM ; Low LV).
Arabic yahdaru
. means he becomes of a green, dark, or an ashy, dust

colour (L ). The Arabic term features as the noun x pallor in
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (X, ) and is translated by N as:
and by Z as: .
Sa#adya on Lev : translates as Arabic (S ).
The vernacular term in MS V seems to correspond to the O. Occ. and
O. Cat. expression torna vert for he/ she/ it becomes green (for the verb
tornar in combination with color adjectives cf. RL :a: Lingostas e
rosilh que tornavan los blatz plus vermeilhs que bresil (i.e., Rock lobster
and rust which turned the wheat redder than bresil), V. de S. Honorat;
PSW :b: Cant Jhesu Crist fo el pueg de Thabor, ab lui mosenher
Peire et (ab) mosenher Jacme, la cara de Jhesu Crist si tornec si blanca co
neu (Scala div. amoris, p. ), (i.e. When Jesus Christ went up the mount
Thabor together with Peter and James, Jesus Christs face became as white
as snow) DCVB :b. For the adjective vert, cf. DCVB :a and
PSW :a). The spelling of the adjective verd with d in both languages
seems to be more modern (cf. DCVB loc. cit. and Levys commentary on
the feminine form verda (PSW loc. cit.)).
The spelling of TWRG"
. in MS P with Gimmel instead of Nun seems to
be erroneous.
33 : VOU" P
34 : VO
35 : V
36 : VO Y P
shem tov, glossary
.
YTPLS. , Arab. YRT#D
Hebrew YTPLS. means he or it shudders and features in the Bible,

namely in Job : (KB ; BM ).
Arabic yarta#idu means he trembles, quivers, quakes, shivers, or
enters a state of commotion (L ).
For the identification, cf. Se#adyah Ibn Danan (SID :), s.v. :
(Is :) (My mind is confused, I shudder in
panic): ; see as well Judah Ben Samuel (Abu Zakariyya
Yahya)
. Ibn Bal#am on the same biblical passage:
(Ce mot a t traduit par
tremblement et secousse; cest un nom qui se retrouve dans le verbe
).37 Sa#adya translates in Is : as Arabic (cf. DS ;
RT ), and in Job : as Arabic (SJ ; BS ).
. 39 38
YSKSK, Arab. YKDK . D.
Hebrew YSKSK means he knocks about, shakes, dabbles (JD ;

LW :; KA :) or he rinses (SDA s.v. ; KA :; BM )
and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bAZ b.
Arabic yahad. hidu
. means he agitates, moves, stirs, shakes (namely

water and the like) (L ).
. 42 41 40
YW#ZR, Arab. PWDNG, o.l. PWLYYG
For Hebrew YW#ZR and Arabic fudang, cf. Yod no.

The vernacular term is the O. Occ. pol(i)eg (PSW :b; RM ;
DAO :, DAO Suppl. : [= RM ]) or pul(i)eg (PSW
:b; RMA ). The meaning is a kind of mint (PSW :b),
menthe pouliot# (RM a), i.e. Mentha pulegium L.. The Occ. word
37 Cf. J. Derenbourg, Gloses dAbou Zakariya Yahia Ben Bilam sur Isae. Paris ,
p. .
38 : V
39 : O V
40 : om. V
41 : O
42 : O
yod
is documented for the first time in the th century. In Cat.although

the variant polig existsthe diminutive poliol or similar forms seem to
be more frequent (DECLC :aa). In any case, the diphthongised
Occitan variants polieg or pulieg are more probable because of the -YY-
spelling. Also cf. Yod no. and .
. 46 45 44 43
YW#ZR NHRYY, o.l. PWLYYG RY"L
Hebrew YW#ZR NHRYY, which is not attested in secondary literature,

possibly designates aquatic mint, Mentha aquatica L. and Var. (cf.
DT : and M : fudang nahr, and Yod no. ).
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. polieg rial (CB ) or pulieg
real (PSW :b), which was used to designate the same ingredient
as mentioned in entry Yod . See the Alphita, which states: pulegium
quando simpliciter ponitur regale intellegitur, Sin , n. ; also cf. Sin
a). For PWLYYG, see the preceding entry and entry Yod .
. 47
YLPT, Arab. HZ"Z
. or "BRYH
Hebrew YLPT means (Egyptian) lichen or scabs and features in

the Bible (e.g. in Lev :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bBekh a
(KB ; CD :; JD ; BM ; Low LIV; PB ).
Arabic hazaz
. means scurf (of the head) (L ; SN : Furfures
capitis) and Arabic ibriya means warts (Richter, ber die spezielle
Dermatologie, : Schinnen;48 cf. D : s.v. c
: verrues).
For the identification of Hebrew YLPT as Arabic hazaz,
. cf. Sa#adya on
Lev :: (or who is a
hunchback, or a dwarf, or who has a growth in his eye, or who has a boil
43 : om. V
44 : O
45 : P
46 : O
47 : V
48 P. Richter, ber die spezielle Dermatologie des #Al ibn
al-#Abbas (Haly Abbas) aus
dem . Jahrhundert unserer Zeitrechnung, Archiv fr Dermatologie und Syphilis
() pp. , repr. in: Beitrge zur Geschichte der arabisch-islamischen Medizin.
Aufstze. Dritter Band: Aus den Jahren , hrsg. von F. Sezgin, in Zusammenar-
beit mit M. Amawi, D. Bischoff, E. Neubauer, Frankfurt am Main , pp. .
shem tov, glossary
scar, or scurvy, or crushed testes):

(S ); IJ , gloss MS Rouen (n. ).
.
YTD, Arab. WTD
Hebrew YTD means peg, nail, handle of a tool and features in the
Bible (e.g. in Is :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bGit a (KB f.;
JD ; LW :; KA : f.; BM ff.; KT :, , n. ; :,
, ).
Arabic watid or watida means a wooden pin, peg, or stake (L ).
(he shall be a seat of honor to his fathers
household. I will fix him as a peg in a firm place):
(DS ); see as well IJ , gloss
MS Rouen (n. ), SF :, and WB , n. .
. 49
YLQH, Arab. Y#TL
Hebrew YLQH means he suffers, is at a disadvantage or esp. he is

smitten, afflicted with disease (esp. leprosy) and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in bShab b (JD ; LW : ff., ; SD , Aram.
; SDA ).
Arabic ya#tallu means he falls ill (D :) and features in medieval
medical literature, e.g. in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXIII, ,
), and is translated by N as: and by Z as: .
. 51 50
YM NPH, it is the middle of the sieve, Arab. WST. "LGRB"L
Hebrew YM NPH means the receiver of flour and features in Rab-

binic literature, e.g. in mKel . (JD ; LW :: ein siebartiges ver-
tieftes Geflecht (a sieve-like recessed mesh); KA :, :; BKH ;
DAS : f.; Low LIV; PB ).
49 : O
50 : om. V
51 : O
yod
Arabic wasat. al-girbal means middle of the sieve (for girbal, cf.
L ).
Maimonides on mKel . (MK :) explains as: ,
and as any vessel, cavity or construction made to collect liquid things
or white flour into it.
. 53 52
YRQWN, Arab. YRQ"N, o.l. "YQTRYSY".
Hebrew YRQWN means ) jaundice, ) a disease of the grain, mildew

and ) paleness of the face, and features in the Bible (e.g. in Deut :)
and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bShab a (KB f.; JD ; LW :;
SD ; SDA ; BM ; DAS :; Low LV: Anaemia; chlorosis;
PB f., n. ).
Arabic yarqan means jaundice (D :; SN :
H3
? jaun-
dice, W%
? black jaundice). The term also features in Maimonides
Medical Aphorisms (II, ; IX, , ; XIII, ; XX, ; cf. BMMa and
BMMb ) and is translated by N as: and by Z as: /
. S. Y"H) or ("YQTRYZY"H).
("YQTRY .
For the identification of YRQWN as yarqan, cf. Sa#adya on Deut
::
(The LORD will strike you with consumption, fever, and
inflammation, with scorching heat and drought, with blight and mildew;
they shall hound you until you perish):
(S ).
Cf. as well WB .
The vernacular term seems to be the Lat., O. Occ. or O. Cat. ictericia,
icteritia or hyctericia (RL :b; LLMA a; ThLL :). Corradini
Bozzi mentions the forms ytericia (CB ) and itericia (CB ) with
loss of the velar element; for the O. Cat. form ictercia, see DCVB :a
and DECLC :b. The meaning of the term is ictre, jaunisse (jaun-
dice), see the following O. Occ. quotation: Hyctericia es tacament de
pel (i.e., hyctericia is staining of the skin; cf. RL loc. cit.). The word is a
derivation of Lat. ictericus jaundiced (ThLL loc. cit.; RL :b; MF ).
The term is also used in the Hebrew fragment of Macer Floridus with the
spelling "YQTRY. S. Y"H and "YTRY. S. Y"H (MF loc. cit.).
52 : V
53 : O V
shem tov, glossary
.
YTBWLL, Arab. YTSTT
Hebrew YTBWLL means he or it is thrown about and features in the

Bible in Hos : (KB ; CD :; BM ). As , the term features
in the Bible in Gen :.
Arabic yatasattatu means it becomes dissolved, broken up, discom-
posed, deranged, disorganized, disordered, or unsettled; separated, dis-
united, dispersed, or scattered (L ).
Sa#adya translates in Gen : as Arabic :
(That is why it was called Babel, because there
the LORD confounded the speech of the whole earth):
(S ). Cf. MCS :.
. 54
YSWDWT, Arab. "L#N" S. R
Hebrew YSWDWT, featuring in the Bible (e.g. Job :) and Rabbinic

literature (e.g. yErub V, c), means foundations, walls, bases (KB ;
CD : f.; JD ; LW :; KA : f.). The term is especially fre-
quent in medieval scientific literature with the meaning of elements
(BM ; KTP : f.; cf. as well Efros, Philosophical terms,55 p.
(transl. of Arabic: t*KT%&); Maimonides, Moreh Nevukhim I, ; Wolf-
son, Arabic and Hebrew Terms for Matter and Element, ).56
Arabic #anas. ir, plural of #uns. ur, has the same meaning (L ; Goi-
chon, Lexique, pp. ,57 no. ; E.I.2 ; ff., s.v. #uns. ur (R. Net-
ton)). It should be noted that #uns. ur has a medical origin as a translation
of Greek (humour), and then acquired the meaning of element,
following Galens statement: What in the world is an element (')
is in animals a humour () (Wolfson, ibid., p. ). See as well Shin
.
54 : O, om. P
55 I. Efros, Philosophical
terms in the Moreh Nebukim, New York .
56H.A. Wolfson, Arabic and Hebrew Terms for Matter and Element with Especial
Reference to Saadia, Jewish Quarterly Review. New Series, vol. XXXVIII, no. , Philadel-
phia .
57 A.M. Goichon, Lexique de la langue philosophique dIbn Sna (Avicenne), Paris .
KAF
. 1
KMWN MTWQ, Arab. "NYSWN, o.l. "NYS
Hebrew KMWN designates cumin, Cuminum cyminum L., and fea-

tures in the Bible (e.g. in Is :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mDem
. (KB ; CD :; JD ; LW :; SD ; KA : f., :;
BM ; AEY :; DAS :, ; FH ; FM ; FO f.;
FZ ff.; LA f.:; LF : ff.). KMWN MTWQ means sweet
cumin and is possibly a loan translation of Arabic al-kammun al-hulw .
(cf. below).
Arabic ansun means anise, Pimpinella anisum L. The cultivated
variety is also called sweet cumin (al-kammun al-hulw) . (DT :;
M ).
The vernacular term in the Paris and Vatican MSS is the O. Occ. or
O. Cat. anis for Pimpinella anisum L. (DAO :; for further documen-
tation also see: CB , ; RPA , , among others; RMA ;
RM ; RL :a; FEW :a; DECLC :ba; DCVB :a),
documented for the first time in an O. Occ. text from and for O. Cat.
in (see DAO loc. cit.; DECLC loc. cit.). Besides this form, in O. Occ.,
the variants aniz (RM ; DAO loc. cit.) or anitz (RM ; DAO loc. cit.;
FEW loc. cit.) also existed. In GHAT :, we find the same transcription
of the Romance term, "NYS, also given as a synonym for Arab. "NYSWN.
For further identification cf. AdV , where we have the O. Cat. syn-
onym ans for Arab. ansun. The variant in MS O is probably the genitive
singular of Latin anisum (Sin :; CA ).
. 2
KLPY, Arab. N" HYH
.
Hebrew or Aramaic KLPY means directed towards, opposite, against

and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mSanh a (JD ; LW :;
SDA ; KA : f., :; BM f.).
1 : O
2 : V
shem tov, glossary
Arabic nahiya
. means intention, direction, region and nahiyata
.
means towards (D :).
. 3
KMWN HRYM, Arab. KMWN KRM"NY, o.l. SYLMWNT"NWM .
Hebrew KMWN HRYM, literally mountain cumin, is not attested in

secondary literature and is possibly a loan-translation of Arabic kammun
gabal, which designates a species of Carum (WKAS :; DT :).
Arabic kammun kirman designates a variety of cumin called cumin
of Kirman, Carum nigrum Royle (WKAS :; M ).
The vernacular term that appears in the Paris and Vatican MSS seems
to be the Late Lat. sil montanum (Lat. SIL is Bergkmmel, i.e. Laser-
pitium siler [ Gr. ], see FEW :a; but see NPRA : sil mon-
tanum for Seseli tortuosum L.), whereas the variant used in the Oxford
MS should be interpreted as O. Occ. silmontan (CB ; DAO :;
FEW :a) or cilmontan (CB , ), with the loss of the final n-
mobile. The same phenomenon is found, for example, in the entry Yod
(*polieg monta) of this edition, in contrast to safran ortolan (Het
. ), where
the n-mobile is present. Sil montanum usually appears as a synonym for
siler montanus (-um) (cf. Sin :).
. 5 4
KWRPS SBNHRWT, Arab. BTRS"LYWN, . o.l. PYTRW
. SLYNY
MSDWNYKWM
Hebrew KWRPS (read KRPS) SBNHRWT means parsley, Petroselinum

sativum Hoffm., and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. yShebi IX, c,
where it is explained as: () (JD ; LW : f.;
SD ; KA :, :; BM ; AEY :; DAS :, ; FM ;
FZ ff.; LA ff.:; LF : ff.).
Arabic bat. rasalnun (also bat. rasaliyun or fat. rasaliyun), from Greek
(LS ), designates parsley, Petroselinum sativum
Hoffm. or Petroselinum hortense Hoffm. (DT :). According to Mai-
monides, Sharh. asma" al-#uqqar (ME ), there are six types of karafs,
among them the maqdunis (parsley) which is called al-karafs as. -s. arahs

3 : O
4 : O
5 : O V
kaf
(celery of Sarakhs), and which is, according to some, identical to

bat. rasaliyun.
In Geonic literature, Hebrew KRPS is explained as Arabic karafs (cf.
SDA ). See as well no. below.
The vernacular term in the Paris and Vatican MSS should be read pet-
roselini/petroseleni Macedonicum and corresponds to Latin petroselinum
or petroselenum Macedonicum for Petroselinum hortense Hoffm. with
the first element in the genitive form (NPRA : le Persil est spon-
tan en Macdoine, i.e. parsley grows in Macedonia without cultivation).
In the Oxford MS, we only find a transcription of the noun without the
adjective. For the lack of agreement between nouns and adjectives in case
or gender, see also entry Kaf and the introduction.
For the identification of Arab. bat. rasaliyun as Lat. petroselinum (with-
out adjective as in MS O) cf. AdV .
. 7 6
KWSMYN, Arab. KRSNH, o.l. "RSS
Hebrew KWSMYN (or KWSMT) means spelt, Triticum sativum or

Triticum dicoccum Schrad., and features in the Bible (e.g. in Ex :)
and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKil . (KB ; CD :; JD ;
LW :; KA :; BM ; AEY :; DAS :, , , ,
f., , ; FH , f., , , ; FM ; FO ff.; FZ ff.;
LF : ff.).
Arabic kirsinna means bitter vetch, Vicia ervilia Willd. or L. (WKAS
: f.; DT :; M ; DAS :, , , f., , ).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Ex ::
(but the wheat and the emmer were not hurt, for they ripen
late): (S ). With regard to
KWSMT, Ibn al-Janah. (IJ ) makes the following interesting remark
on how the names of plants can differ from region to region: KWSMT is
kirsinna. The people of Syria call it al-kant while the people of Iraq call it
al-gullaban. I have informed you about the different names given to this
plant, so that if you see that someone else gives it a name different from
the name I have given it, you will not be worried and doubtful.
The vernacular term is the plural of the O. Occ. or Cat. er(r)s for
vesce noire, Ervum ervilia (DAO :; for further documentation
6 : O V
7 : O
shem tov, glossary
see FEW :a; RL :a; DCVB :a). In Cat., the form ers is
only documented in dictionaries from the th century (see DCVB
loc. cit.), although Catalan usually has forms without a final -s and/or
with an etymological labial sound (er, erp or erb; DECLC :ba,
documented for the first time as the variant er in ). GHAT :
states the Romance form "YRYS (i.e. the plural of Occ. erre, DAO loc. cit.;
FEW loc. cit.)8 as a synonym of Arab. KRSN" which also forms part of
this entry.
The forms er(r)s, er(re), erp and erb go back to the Latin etymon
eruum, on the basis of which eruus (-oris, neuter) is formed, with both
forms meaning Vicia ervilia Willd. = Ervum ervilia L. (NPRA ). The
variant with the ending -us might have entered into the Gallo-Romance
languages without a labial plosive or fricative segment /b/, /p/ or /v/, in
contrast to the other Romance languages (FEW :ab).
. 10 9
KRSYNYN, Arab. " SQ"LYH, o.l. WYSS
Hebrew KRSYNYN means bitter vetch, Vicia ervilia L., and features in
Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShab . (JD f.; LW :; KA :,
:; BM f.; AEY :; DAS :, , ; FH , , ;
FM ; FZ ff.; LF : ff.).
Isqalya is, according to Maimonides, the Spanish name for Arabic
handarus or al-#alas, spelt, Triticum spelta L. (M ; DAS :;
ID :), while, in his commentary on the Mishnah mentioned (MK
:), he identifies KRSNYN as al-kirsinna bitter vetch (for al-kirsinna,
cf. no. above).
Ibn Janah. (IJ , ) identifies Arabic isqalya as Hebrew
spelt, and wonders why some identify it with Arabic al-kirsinna bitter
vetch (IJ ).
The vernacular term is the plural of O. Occ. or O. Cat. ves(s)a or vea
for Vicia sativa (DAO :; for further documentation see FEW :a;
PSW :ab; DECLC :ba; DCVB :ab).
8 Magdalenas interpretation of the Romance term as iris is erroneous.

9 : O V
10 : VO " P
kaf
. 12 11
KRWB, Arab. KRNB, o.l. QWLS
Hebrew KRWB means cabbage, Brassica oleracea L., and features in

Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKil . (JD ; LW :; SD ; AEY
:; DAS :; FH , , , ; FM ; FZ ff.; LF : ff.;
cf. as well SDA : Aramaic ).
Arabic kurunb also designates cabbage, Brassica oleracea L., and its
varieties (WKAS :; DT :, ; M ; DAS :, ).
For the identification, cf. LO Liqqut. ei Ge"onim on bBer a, p. ,
Sa#adya (SAM :), and Maimonides on the Mishnah cited above:
: (MK :).
The vernacular term in the Oxford MS seems to be the plural of O. Occ.
caul for cabbage (DAO :; FEW :a; CB , , among
others) or its old rectus singular form, which can still occasionally be
found in MSS from the th and th centuries (CB , ). The
Vatican MS has the variant cals (for cal see DAO :). The variant
given by the Paris MS seems to be either a defective spelling of O. Occ.
cauls or the monophthongised form cols, which is not documented in
O. Occ., but which is the common form in O. Cat. (see DECLC :a
b; DCVB :bb).
. 13
K#KYN, Arab. K#K, o.l. BYSQWYYT.
Hebrew or Aramaic K#K, plur. K#KYN, means pronged and lengthy

unleavened cake (JD ; LW : and SDA : type of bread;
KA :: Zwieback (rusk); BM : Bretzel, Kringel (pretzel);
DAS :, : kleines gestes Gebck in Ringform (a small sweet
pastry in ring form)) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bPes b.
Arabic ka#k means something baked (rusk, biscuit, or the like)
(WKAS : f.; MT ff.; DAS :, , , , f., ).
For the identification, cf. LO Perushim on bPes b, p. .
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. bescueit biscuit (RL :b, with
the diphthong indicated by the spelling -YY-), which existed alongside
the forms bescoch, besquech, bescuit and others (FEW :b). The
11 : O
12 : O V
13 : VO
shem tov, glossary
O. Cat. variant is without the diphthong (bescuit) and means galeta de

galera, de vaixell (i.e., ships biscuit, DECLC :b).
. 15 14
KMHYN, Arab. KM"H, o.l. BWLYTS .
Hebrew KMHYN means truffles and features in Rabbinic literature,

e.g. in bBer b (JD ; LW :; SD ; KA :, :; BM ;
AEY : s.v. ; DAS :; LF : ff.).
Arabic kam"a means truffles, Tuber melanosorum L. or Terfezia
leonis L. and Var. (WKAS :; DT :; M ; DAS : f.).
In medieval medical literature, for instance, in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (XXI, ), Arabic \'Q is translated as: / (N and Z).
For the identification, cf. LO Perushim on bNed b, p. .
The vernacular term is the plural of O. Occ. or O. Cat. bolet (FEW
:b; CB , , ; DAO :; RL :b; DECLC :b;
DCVB :ba). The meaning is champignon pores (i.e., mush-
room of the genus Polyporales; DAO :).
In GHAT :, the vernacular term is identified as the Hebrew
lemma and the Arabic synonym of our entry and transcribed in the same
way as in the Vatican MS.
. 18 17 16
KRKWM, Arab. Z#PR"N, o.l. KRWSY
Hebrew KRKWM designates ) saffron, Crocus sativus All., and )

curcuma, Curcuma longa L. and features in the Bible, e.g. in Song
:, and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mNid .. In the Jewish tradition,
the biblical and Mishnaic KRKWM is identified as saffron (JD ;
LW : f.; SDA : Aramaic ; AEY :; DAS :; FM ;
FO ff.; FZ f.; LF : ff.).
Arabic za#faran designates saffron, Crocus sativus L. and Var. (DT
:; M ; DAS : f.).
14 : om. V
15 : O V
16 : O
17 : V
18 : VO
kaf
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Song ::

(nard and saffron, fragrant reed
and cinnamon, with all aromatic woods, myrrh and aloesall the choice
perfumes): , , , ,
(SH ). For a Geonic explanation, cf. EG :
( = ) ; see as well SF :.
The vernacular term is croci, the nominative plural or the genitive sin-
gular of Late Lat. crocus for Safran mdical, Crocus sativus L. (NPRA ).
The Latin genitive is also used in O. Cat. texts (cf. DCVB :a).
For the identification of Arab. za#faran as O. Cat. crossi cf. AdV ,
. In GHAT :, we find the Latin transcript QRWSY as a synonym
for the Arab. term in our edition.
. 21 20 19
KWSBR HBWR, Arab. KSBWRH "LBYR or BRSY"WS"N, o.l. Q"PYLWS
WNYRYS
Hebrew KWSBR HBWR is a loan translation of Arabic kuzburat al-

bi"r maidenhair (cf. below), and features, for instance, in Maimonides
Medical Aphorisms (IX, , XXI, ; cf. BMMb ) as: (trans.
N) and as: (QPYLY WWYNYRYS)/ (trans. Z), and
in Judah Ben Solomon Natan, Kelal Qaz. ar mi ha-Sammim ha-Nifradim
(JNK :, :) as: () (cf. as well KZ and LF :).
Arabic KSBWRH "LBYR, i.e. kuzburat al-bi"r, means maidenhair,
Venus hair, Adiantum capillus Veneris L.. Arabic barsiyawusan is de-
rived from Persian par-i Siyawus(an) (VL :, ) and designates the
same plant (WKAS :; DT :; M ; DAS :, ). For the
identification of kuzburat al-bi"r as barsiyawusan cf. IJS :.
The vernacular term in the Paris MS is the Late Lat. capillus Veneris
for Adiantum capillus Veneris L. or Asplenium adiantum nigrum L.
(NPRA ). The variants given in the Vatican and Oxford MSS are its
genitive singular capilli Veneris, which is documented in O. Occ. recipes
(see DAO Suppl. :; RPA ; RMM ).
For the identification of Arab. kuzburat al-bi"r as Lat. capillus Veneris
cf. AdV . In GHAT, we find the Latin transcipt QPLY WNHRYS given
as a synonym for the Arab. lemma BR SWS"N, which corresponds to the
19 : O V
20 : O [. . .] V
21 : O X P V
shem tov, glossary
second Arab. synonym featuring in this entry (:), while the Latin
transcription QPYLY WYNYRYS features as a synonym for the Arab.
lemma KZBR "LBYR, which corresponds to the first Arab. synonym given
here (:).
. 22
KWRPS PRDSY, Arab. KRPS, o.l. "PY
Hebrew KWRPS (read KRPS) means celery, Apium graveolens L., and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShebi . (JD ; LW : f.;
KA :, :; BM ; AEY :; DAS :, ; FM ;
FZ ff.; LA ff.:; LF : ff.). Hebrew K(W)RPS PRDSY is
probably coined after the Arabic name for Apium graveolens L. and Var.,
namely karafs bustan (cf. DT :; M garden celery). Cf. as well
Kaf no. above.
Arabic karafs or karafs bustan respectively means garden celery,
Apium graveolens L. and Var. (DT :; M ; DAS :).
For the identification of Hebrew KRPS as Arabic karafs, cf. the Arukh
(KA :): , and Maimonides on mShebi
. (MK :). Cf. as well no. above.
O. Cat. api for Apium graveolens L. (DAO :); see also RL :a;
FEW :a; CB , ; RMM , , , among others; RPA ;
RMA ; RM , , , among others; DCVB :ab; DECLC
:.
The variant in the Oxford MS is the Latin genitive singular apii, which
is also documented in O. Occ. recipes: rases lo cap et onhes lo am de suc
apii (i.e., shave the head and anoint it with juice of apium, RMA ),
semenssa de fenolh et de jolvert, apii, ysopi [ . . . ] (i.e., seeds of fennel
and of parsley, of apium and of hyssop, RMA ), among others.
In GHAT :, we find the identification of Romance (O. Cat.)
"PY as Arabic KRPS. We also find the Latin genetive apii as another
synonym (the hiatus between the two final vowels is clearly indicated by
the spelling with an epenthetic Alef: "PY"Y). For further identification of
the Arabic and O. Cat. terms mentioned, cf. AdV , .
22 : O
kaf
. 23
25 24
KWRPS SDH, some commentators said that it is KWRPS SBNHRWT,

Arab. BTRS"LYWN,
. o.l. SWSBYRT. or GWGBYRD
Hebrew & features in Tanhum . Yerushalmi (cf. ShM f.),

where it is explained as Arabic karafs barr (wild celery) or karafs fah. s.
(uncultivated celery):
. For Hebrew KRPS, cf. no. above, and for Hebrew
KRPS SBNHRWT and Arabic bat. rasalnun, cf. no. above.
Ibn Janah. states the following in the K. at-Talkhs. as quoted by al-Idrs
(IJS :): c
y* z-
[ ,%
M.
The first vernacular term in the Paris MS seems to correspond to
a non-documented O. Occ. or O. Cat. form like *xuxvert, *xusvert or
the like for Petrosilenum sativum. In Cat., we find the diatopic vari-
ants xuvert and juvert (see DECLC :a). The usual Cat. word is juliv-
ert/jolivert and, in O. Occ., the plant name is jolvert with the variants
jovert, jurvert, juvert (DAO :). GHAT : shows the Romance
(O. Cat.) GWSBYRT. (probably to be read as *jusvert) as a synonym
for Arab. PTRSLYWN
. and Latin PYTRW.
. This corresponds to the first
form here, which also shows the syllable final sibilant. This sound is also
present in the variants given in the Oxford and Vatican MSS, which seem
to reflect another Catalan variant, namely givert (DCVB :a); the
DCVB locates this word in Cornell del Conflent/ northern Catalonia
(i.e, the territory that today belongs to France).
The second vernacular term in the Paris MS seems to indicate a
graphical and maybe also phonetical variant of *xuxvert, where the first
palatal sound appears to be voiced like in the forms with j- above.
. 27 26
KMKYN, Arab. KW"MK
Hebrew or Aramaic KMKYN means a Persian sauce of milk, curdled

milk (JD ; LW :, : sourish, savory supplementary food that
23 : om. V
24 : om. OV
25 : O V
26 : V
27 : V
shem tov, glossary
whets the appetite and stimulates digestion, Pers. kamah, Arab. kamah;
SDA : a type of dish containing milk; KA :, :; Low LVI;
PB , , ) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bNid b.
Arabic kawamih, plural of kamah, means savoury piquant appetiser;
vinegar dressing; fruit etc. laid in vinegar
and is derived from Persian
kamah (VL :; WKAS :). The term features in medieval medical
literature, for instance, in Maimonides On the Regimen of Health (BMR I,
), where it is translated by Moses Ibn Tibbon as: ,
and in On Asthma (IX, ; cf. BMA n. , ), where it is translated
as: in the Hebrew translation of the treatise prepared by Samuel
Benveniste.
. 28
KRSYN, Arab. KR"T, o.l. PWRWS
Hebrew KRSYN, plur. of KRYSH, means leek, Allium porrum L., and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShebi . (JD ; LW :,
; SDA s.v. ; AEY : s.v. ; DAS :; FM ;
LA ff.:; LF : ff.).
Arabic kurrat has the same meaning (WKAS : f.; DT :; M ;
no. ).
DAS :; cf. Het.
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya (SAM :); LO Teshuvot on
bGit , p. : , ; and Maimonides on the
Mishnah cited above: : (MK :).
The vernacular term featured in the Paris MS seems to be the Late Lat.
por(r)us or the plural of O. Cat. porro leek (see NPRA ; DAO : f.;
DECLC :a; the O. Cat. form is documented for the first time in ).
The variant used in the Oxford MS could be the Latin ablative plural (de)
porris, but it is more probable that it is the O. Occ. plural of po(r)ri (see
CB ; DAO :s; DAO Suppl. : ff. [first documentation around
]). It could also be the plural of O. Occ. or O. Cat. po(r)re (CB ,
, ; DAO :s; DECLC loc. cit.). The variant used in the Vatican
MS appears to be the O. Occ. plural por(r)s (CB , among others;
DAO :s; RL :a).
For the identification of Arab. kurrat as O. Cat. porros, cf. AdV ,
.
28 : O V
kaf
. 29
KSKWS, Arab. H
. SKRYSH
Hebrew KSKWS is possibly a corruption of the Arabic term huskarsa

and should be read as: .
Arabic huskarsa
. (= huskarsa) means eschar (D :, , ;
MH ; UW ). The Arabic term features in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (XV, ; XXIII,), where it is transcribed as: /
by N and translated as: by Z.
. 33 32 31 30
KBWS WRDYM made with honey, Arab. GLNGBYN, o.l. M"L RWSD
Hebrew KBWS WRDYM, which is not attested in secondary literature,

means pressed or conserved roses. The term KBWS is derived from
KBS (Pi#el) which features in Rabbinic literature (BM ) in the sense
of to preserve and which features in a plural form in bPesa
(LW :: eingelegte Kruter (preserved herbs)), and in yShab I, c as
(ihre eingelegten Frchte). Rose-jam made with sugar or honey
is well-known in Spain, Provence and the Orient (LF :).
The Arabicised form gulangubn, from Persian gul meaning rose and
angubn meaning honey (VL :; :), means roses confected
with honey (cf. FAQ f. and Vzquez de Benito, Herrera, Los arabis-
mos de los textos mdicos latinos y castellanos, pp. ;34 see as well
M ).
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. mel rosat: MEL ROSAT. Pren en
.x. lb. mel scumat .j. lb., suc de rosas frescas, en una ola sus lo fuoc o
metes, e cant sacomensara a bolhir, metes de rosas talhadas vermelhas
.iiij. lb., e bolhisca tro la comcitio del suc sie comsumida (i.e., MEL
ROSAT: Take of it ten pounds, one pound of foamed honey, juice of
fresh roses, put it in a pot over the fire and when it starts to boil put
four pounds of cut red roses and boil until the reduction of the juice is
complete; RPA ). The Lat. MEL for honey, originally neuter, seems
29 : O
30 : om. OV
31 : om. V
32 : VO
33 : O V
34 C. Vzquez de Benito, M.T. Herrera, Los arabismos de los textos mdicos latinos y
castellanos, Madrid .
shem tov, glossary
to have masculine derivations in Gallo-Romance (O. Occ. mel rosat and

M. Fr. miel rosat, see FEW :b), whereas in Ibero-Romance it has
feminine forms: O. Cat. mel rosada (DECLC :a) and O. Sp. miel
rosada (see DCECH :b, Sin :). However, a masculine form is
documented for O. Cat. in AdV . For the spelling *rosad with a final
-d (apparent in all the variants of our MSS, but see also the next entry),
see the introduction.
. 37 36 35
KBWS WRDYM made with sugar, Arab. WRD MWRB", o.l. SWKRY
RWSD
For Hebrew KBWS WRDYM, cf. no. above.

Arabic ward murabban means rose-jam (for murabban see D :;
DRD ). The term features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (XXII, ) and is translated by N as: (SWKRY
. and by Z as: .
RWST)
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. sucre rosat or sucre rozat for mit
Rosenessenz gewrzter Zucker (i.e., sugar flavored with the essence of
roses; PSW :b); also see RL :b; CB , , , among others;
RMA , . For the final -d in the Paris and Oxford MSS, see the
introduction.
. 39 38
KRYSY SDH, Arab. KR"T GBLY, o.l. PWRWS SLY" GYG
Hebrew designates field-leek, Allium ampeloprasum, and

features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKil . (JD ; LW :; FM ;
LF :), where it is stated that and are not Kilayim
(two different species that may not be sown together).
Arabic kurrat gabal means mountain leek and is, according to Mai-
monides, kurrat nabat. , false leek, Allium ampeloprasum L. (M ).

Sa#adya (SAM :) explains as: (unculti-
35 : om. O
36 : V
37 : O V
38 : O V
39 : O V
kaf
vated leek), and Maimonides (MK :) explains the term as:

(field, i.e. uncultivated leek).
The vernacular term in the Paris and Oxford MSS seems to be the plu-
ral of a non-documented O. Cat. compound term *porro salvatge, mod-
elled on the Latin porrum agreste or rusticum for Allium ampeloprasum
L. (NPRA ). For porro, see the commentary on the entry Kaf , for
the adjective salvatge, see entry Alef . The variant given in the Vatican
MS might be the plural of O. Occ. or O. Cat. porre, porri (see Kaf ) and
the singular salvatge. For this variant and further information see entry
Kaf .
.
KWPR, Arab. HN",
. o.l. "LQN"
Hebrew KWPR, from Greek (LS ), designates henna,

Lawsonia alba L., and features in the Bible (e.g. in Song :) and
Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShebi . (KB ; CD :; JD ;
LW : f.; SDA , Aram. ; KA : f., :; AEY :;
DAS :, :; FEB ff.; FM ; FO f.; FZ ; LF : ff.; cf.
as well Alef no. ).
Arabic hinna"
. designates the same plant (DT :; M ; DAS :).
For the identification, cf. LO Teshuvot on bGit , p. : ,
, IJ f., and Maimonides on the Mishnah cited above
(MK :). See as well IJS ::
-[ [F :,B
) . . . ] (Henna
. . . and in Hebrew [it is called]: ).
The vernacular term seems to be the Late Latin alchanna (DCECH
:b, documented for the first time in a text from the th century
written by G. de Cremona) or the O. Occ. al(a)quana (FEW :b,
RM , for the meaning arcanne, craie rouge, henn, i.e., henna, see
RM index among others) or alquana (DCECH :b). In Cat., the
following forms exist: alcanna Gnere de plantes boragincies que tenen
aplicacions tintries i medicals (i.e., genus of boraginous plants which
serve for dyeing and medical applications) (DCVB :a) and alquena
(DECLC :ab). For the identification of Arab. hinna". with O. Cat.
alquena, cf. AdV , .
shem tov, glossary
. 40
KWWS. , Arab. TSNG
Hebrew or Aramaic KWWS. is derived from the root KWS. to curl,

shrink (JD ; LW :; SDA s.v. ; KA :), which features
in Rabbinic literature, e.g in bShab b. In medieval medical literature,
it has the specific meaning of spasm, for instance, in the Hebrew
translation of Maimonides On the Regimen of Health (cf. BMR IV, ,
) by Moses Ibn Tibbon where it features as: .
Arabic tasannug means spasm, Spasmus clonicus vel convulsiones,
(D :; SN ) and features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (III,
, , ; cf. BMMa , , ) and is translated by N and Z as:
and .
. 41
KMWS, Arab. MTKMS
Hebrew KMWS means wrinkled and features in Rabbinic literature,

e.g. in mSuk . (JD ; LW :, ; KA :, : f.; BM ).
Arabic mutakammas has the same meaning (L ).
. 42
KPYWN, Arab. S. R#, o.l. GWT" .
Hebrew KPYWN, from the root KPH to bend, upturn, invert (JD ;
LW : f.; KA :, :), features in medieval medical literature
and means epilepsy (EM ); a Hebrew variant is: (cf. MD ,
KZ and below), while in Aramaic we find: (cf. SDA ).
Arabic s. ar# means epilepsy or falling sickness (L ; IR ) and
features in medieval medical literature, e.g. in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (IX, ; XVIII, ; XXI, ; cf. BMMb ), and is translated
by N as: / and by Z as: .
The vernacular term seems to be the O. Occ. gota type of illness
(RL :b; in CB among others for rheumatism). In O. Fr. (mal-
adie de goutte, i.e. gout, FEW :ab), Lat. and O. Cat., we find
the meaning rheumatism (see DECLC :a). For the meaning indi-
40 : O V
41 : om. V
42 : O
kaf
cated by the Hebrew and Arabic synonyms, see the O. Occ. expression
mal de cazer de gota for epilepsy (CB ) as well as for the morbo
caduco. morbus comitialis, epilepsia (Nebrija, see DECLC :a). For
Cat. gota del cor (malatia sobtada: morbus comitialis, epilepsia) or gota
coral (mal de caure: morbus comitialis; epilepsia: morbus caducus), see
DECLC :a; cf. also Sp., gota coral (DECLC loc. cit.).
.
KLWNSWT, Arab. RP"YD
Hebrew KLWNSWT or KLWNS"WT, from Latin columnas (KG : f.;

LR ), means beams of the loom or in general beams, poles
(JD ; LW :; KA :, : f.; KT :) and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. mZab ..
Arabic rafa"id, plur. of rafada, means supporting pillars or columns
(D :).
Maimonides on the mentioned Mishnah (MK :) translates
KLWNSWT as Arabic (a piece of wood), while KLWNS in mKel
. is explained by him as: (a long beam); cf. EG , :
(a long piece of wood like the shaft of a spear).
. 43
KH,
. Arab. HRDWN,
. i.e. "SQNQWR, o.l. LDBYRT.
Hebrew KH . designates a species of lizard and features in the Bible (e.g.

in Lev :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in Targ. Lev XI, (KB ;
CD :; JD ; LW :; BM ; FAB f.; LFa ; LZ f.).
Arabic hir
. dawn or hirdawn
. means a certain small reptile, a kind of

lizard, chameleon (L ; JAD :) or stellion (KSZ :, :,
:) and Arabic isqanqur or asqanqur means skink, Scincus officinalis
(D :; BAL ; JAD :; LFa ff.; StS f., ; cf. as well M ;
DT : and : possibly Chalcides chalcides or Chalcides ocellatus). The
term also features in Maimonides On Hemorrhoids (Cf. BMH VI, ), and
is translated by Moses Ibn Tibbon as: and is transcribed by Z as:
.
For the identification of Hebrew KH . as Arabic hir
. dawn, cf. Sa#adya
on Lev :: (the gecko, the land
43 : O V
shem tov, glossary
crocodile, the lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon):

(S ), and IJ .
The vernacular form L" SYRT. in the Vatican MS is the O. Occ. lazert
for lizard (RL :b), from Lat. LACERTUS (besides LACERTA, see
FEW :ab) with the variants lauzert (RL :b) and lausert
(RMM ).
The variant LDBYRT. (Paris MS) seems to be a non-documented form
*laduert or something similar; ladert exists in Modern Gascon (see
ALF, map , points , , ); alternatively, the spelling with -d-
in Languedocian or Provenal could be a hypercorrection because of
the development of intervocalic Latin -D- to O. Occ. -z- (for example:
RADICEM > razitz). In fact, the voiced phoneme /z/ is often spelt as
Dalet in Hebrew-Occitan texts (see ShK ). The diphthong -ue-
could be the result of a metathesis (lauzert lazuert), cf. also the O. Cat.
form lluert (see RL :b and DECLC :a).
In the southwestern part of the Occitan speaking territory, there is
one area in which there are Modern Occ. forms with [m] (for example:
limber, lamber; see ALF, map , points , , , ). The variant
L"YNBYRT. (Oxford MS) strongly resembles the form laimber (ALF, point
), so that we may hypothesise an O. Occ. form *lainbert.
In GHAT :, we find the identification of Arab. HRDWN. as the
Romance (O. Cat.), Hebrew mixed term LWS"YRT. HGDWL for the big
LWS"YRT ..
. 47 46 45 44
KYS MQWH HMYM, Arab. MT"NH, o.l. WYSYG"
Hebrew KYS MQWH HMYM, not attested in secondary literature, des-

ignates the urinary bladder. The term is a variant for: /()
() / a.o. (cf. BM and MD ).
Arabic matana has the same meaning (D :; DKT , , ;
FAL :). The term features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (e.g. in I, , , , ; cf. BMMa , , ) and is translated
by N as: and by Z as: /.
44 : O
45 : om. O
46 : O
47 : V
kaf
The vernacular term in the Paris and Oxford MSS is the O. Occ.
ve(s)sig(u)a, vis(s)ig(u)a, viziga or the O. Cat. and O. Occ. vexiga for the
urinary bladder (CB , , , , , among others; RL :b;
FEW :a; DCVB :ab; DECLC :ab). The variant given in
the Vatican MS is its plural.
. 49 48
KHWT, Arab. KMWDH
Hebrew KHWT is derived from KHH, which features in the Bible (e.g.
Is :) and means ) to become inexpressive (eyes) or to be dim
(KB ; CD :; KA :). In Rabbinic literature (e.g. in bMeg a),
KHWT has the meaning of dimness and KHH as an adjective means
dim or faint, dull (JD ; LW :).
Arabic kumuda means pallor, paleness, dullness (WKAS :) and
features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (VI, ; cf. BMMb ) as
,33
W'Q lead-grey and is translated by N as:
and by Z as: .
. 51 50
KRWK, Arab. MTWY .
Hebrew KRWK, part. pass. of KRK, means twined around, wrapped

up (JD ; LW : f.; KA : ff., :; BM ; KT :) and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mBer ., where it is explained by
Maimonides as Arabic (multaff ) (MK :).
Arabic mat. w means folded, folded up, folded together, rolled up
(L ).
. 52
KDWRYM, Arab. BN"DQ, o.l. BWDWQS
Hebrew KDWR, plur. KDWRYM, originally means ball, globe (KB ;

CD :; JD ; LW : f.; SD ; KA :, :; KT : n. ),
48 : O
49 : O
50 : k P
51 : V
52 : V
shem tov, glossary
and has, in medical literature, the secondary meaning of pill (LA :;

LF :).
Similarly, Arabic bunduq, plur. banadiq, means ball of any kind of the
size of a hazel-nut, but also a pill or suppository of the size of a hazel-
nut (L ; FAQ f.; cf. as well DT :; M ). Banadiq features in
Maimonides On Poisons (BMP XXXIX,), and is transcribed as:
by Moses Ibn Tibbon.
The vernacular form seems to be a non-documented Romance loan
word from the Arabic term featured in this entry (masculine rectus
singular or oblique plural *bu(n)ducs/*bo(n)ducs or feminin plural
*bu(n)ducas/*bo(n)ducas). From the same etymon, we have the O. Sp.
loan word albndiga (< Arab. bnduqa for ball, documented for the first
time ) and from there the late loan forms mondongilla in Cat.
and mondeghli or mongadli in Lombardia (see DCECH :b).
.
KD, Arab. "PTS
.
Hebrew KD means arched or rounded and features in Rabbinic litera-

ture, e.g. in bAZ a (JD ; LW :; KA : f., :; BM ).
Arabic aft. as means flat-nosed, having a wide and depressed nose;
(FL :: Simus, Depressum et latum habens nasum; = L f.); cf.
Dozy: zM-> hM (lancette pointe courte).
. 53
KSYL, Arab. P"S
Hebrew KSYL means a carpenters tool for chipping, axe (KB ;

CD :; JD f.; LW :; KA :; BM f.; KT :,,
f. n. ) and features in the Bible, e.g. in Ps ::
(with hatchet and pike they hacked away at its
carved work). In Rabbinic literature, the term features, for instance, in
mBQ ..
Arabic fas means a kind of hoe, adz, axe and the small protuberance
above the back of the neck (L ; cf. as well Mem no. below). In
medieval medical literature on surgery, the term fas designates a phle-
botome (SpLA , f.). The Arabic term features in Maimonides
53 : !k P
kaf
Medical Aphorisms (III, ; XII, ; cf. BMMa ) and is translated by

N as: and by Z as: .
Sa#adya translates the biblical verse mentioned as:
(ST ); (plur. of al-fas) is thus
a translation for Hebrew , and for Hebrew (see as
well IJ ). Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned explains as:
(MK :). See as well MCS :.
. 55 54
KLHWT,
. Arab. HRM
Hebrew KLHWT,. a variant for KLH . not attested in secondary literature,

means ripe age, old age and features in the Bible (Job :) (KB ;
CD :; BM ).
Arabic haram means old age, infirmity, senility (D :; IR :
decrepitude) and features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Apho-
risms (III, ; VII, ; XVII, , ; cf. BMMa and BMMb ) and
is translated by N as: / / and by Z as: /
.
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Job ::
(you will come to the grave in ripe old age, as shocks of grain
are taken away in their season):
(SJ ; BS ), IJ , gloss MS Rouen (n. ); SF :.
. 57 56
KHW
. that is thick spittle
Hebrew KHW . means phlegm, pus (JD ; KA :, :; BM )

and features in the Bible (Job :) and Rabbinic literature (e.g. in
bErub a; bBQ b). The text is quoted in a slightly different way in the
Arukh as part of a quotation from R. Hananels
. commentary on bBQ b
, as: (cf.
KA :; EG ).
54 : om. V
55 : add. O
56 : P
57 : V
shem tov, glossary
. 58
KLYL HMLK, Arab. "KLYL "LMLK, o.l. QWRWN" RY"L or MLYLWT.
Hebrew KLYL HMLK designates the plant melilot, Melilotus officinalis

L., and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bShab b (JD ;
LW :; SDA , Aram., /; KA :, :; AEY
:; LF : f.).
Arabic ikll al-malik designates the same plant (WKAS :; DT :;
M ; A. Dietrich in E.I.2 Suppl. ). The term is derived from Aramaic
kll malka (SDA ; LW :; LA :).
The first vernacular term seems to be a non-documented O. Occ. plant
name *corona rial or real not documented in our sources (note that the
same adjective appears in entry Yod , polieg rial). For the Occ. adjec-
tive reial [], rial [] and real [], see FEW :b,
although the adjective never appears in any context with plant names.
However, an O. Occ. term such as *corona rial is very probable. In fact, in
an O. Cat. aljamiado-text using Hebrew spelling, we find the form QWR-
WNH RY"L as a synonym for Lat. MYLYLW[T]WM . (i.e., melilotum) and
Arab. "KLYL "LMLYK (GHAT :). The term seems to be a loan trans-
lation from Arab. (perhaps via the Late Lat. corona regia (Sin , n. ),
corona regis (Sin :) and corona rregie: Corona rregie, i. melilotum
(Sin :)).
We find various other solutions for translating these terms in the
different Romance languages: In Modern Fr., the form couronne royale
is documented for kind of melilot (FEW :b). Also cf. the Cat.
plant names corona de rei (DCVB :b), which can designate Melilotus
officinalis, and corona de reina (DECLC :b). In O. Sp., we find the
form corona de rrey, also identified as the Latin melilothum: Emesilie
(i. melilet[um]) i. corona de rrey (Sin :) and Mililotu[m],
i. paratela agrestis, i. corona rregis (i. corona de rrey) (Sin :
). The second vernacular term seems to be the O. Occ. or O. Cat.
mel(l)ilot (FEW :b [documented in ]; DAO :; RL :b;
DCVB :a), derived from the Lat. etymon MELILOTHUS for meli-
lot (FEW loc. cit.). For the plural mellilos, see RMA .
For the identification of Arab. ikll al-malik as O. Cat. mellilot, cf.
AdV , .
58 : om. V
kaf
. 59
K"NWN", Arab. K"NWN, o.l. PWGYRWN
Aramaic K"NWN" (= KNWN") means a (fire) stand, a portable bra-

zier and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bShab a (JD ;
LW :; SDA ; KA :, :; BKH ; KT :, n. ,
n. ).
Arabic kanun means brazier, stove and is derived from Aram.
(WKAS :; FF ).
For the identification, cf. KA :, and EG .
The vernacular term represents the O. Occ. fogairon or fugairon for
Herd, Kamin or kleines Feuer (i.e., stove, fireplace or small fire; PSW
:ba). Mistral features the Modern Occ. forms fougueiroun and
fugueiroun for little stove (see TrFel :b). The spelling PYG"YYRWN
(with Yod in first syllable) in the Vatican MS could indicate the pronun-
ciation [y], as in fugairoun ([fygaj"run]), or is a misspelling (for Hebrew
Waw). For the problem relating to the pronunciation of the O. Occ.
grapheme u, see the introduction. In O. Cat., we only find the form
foguar with the meaning foguera, foc que fa molta flama (i.e., open
fire, fire with a lot of flames; DCVB :ba) and the Occitanism
fogayr (DECLC :a).
. 61 60
KHL,
. Arab. DR#,. o.l. "WBYR
Hebrew KHL . means udder, bag and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g.
in mHul
. . (JD ; LW : f.; KA :, :; BM ; KT :,
n. b).
Arabic dar#
. means udder (L ).
(MK :).
The vernacular term that appears in the Paris MS represents the Lat.
UBER for udder. The variant given in the Vatican MS could be the same
form, but the spelling with -YY- normally indicates a diphthong (see the
introduction). As far as Romance is concerned, FEW :a mentions that
59 : O Y P V
60 : VO
61 : O e P V
shem tov, glossary
the Latin word has survived only in a very limited area. It is documented,
for example, in Franco-Provenal as vr or ivre (see ALF, map ). The
variant in the Oxford MS might represent a non-documented O. Occ
word similar to the variants mentioned or could just be an error.
LAMED
. 2 1
LPSN, Arab. PR"SYWN, o.l. PR" SYWM
Hebrew LPSN, from Greek charlock, Brassica arvensis (LS

; KG : f.; LR ), designates the plant Sinapis arvensis L.,
field mustard, charlock (JD ; LW :; KA :; AEY ::
Sinapis incana L.; DAS :; FM ; KT :, n. ; LF : f.),
and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKil ., where the term is
explained by Maimonides as
(a plant that tastes like turnip and
that grows above the earth about a cubit and is known to the physicians
as ) (MK :); see as well Allony (SAM :).
Arabic farasiyun, from Greek (LS ), designates the plant
Marrubium vulgare L., horehound (DT :; M ). The term features
in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ) and is transcribed by N and
Z as: .
The vernacular term is the Late Lat. prasium with the meaning Mar-
rubium vulgare L. (NPRA ; Sin b). The second vernacular term in
the Oxford MS seems to be the O. Occ. marrubi (see entry Lamed ). Cf.
GHAT : for its identification as Arab. farasiyun (spelt as PRSYWN).
. 6 5 4 3
LPSN LBN, Arab. MRM" HWR, . o.l. MRBYW, that is HMRW HLBN
Hebrew LPSN LBN is not attested in secondary literature and literally

means white charlock. For LPSN see previous entry.
Arabic marmahur designates the plant Teucrium marum L., cat
thyme (DT :; M and ID :: Origanum maru L.).
1 : O V
2 : O (cf. entry )
3 : V
4 : O "\ P V
5 : om. V
6 : P, om. V
shem tov, glossary
Hebrew HMRW HLBN is perhaps a Hebrew loan translation of the

Aramaic , white marjoram, Origanum maru L. (JD ; SDA
; AEY :, :; LA :), which features as an explanation
for in bShab b.
The vernacular term in the Oxford MS seems to be the O. Occ.
mar(r)ubi (CB , ) or marobi (CB ). In an O. Cat. aljamiado-text
that used Hebrew spelling, we find the entry MRWBY, that is PRSYWM,
as a synonym for Arab. MRW (GHAT :; for PRSYWM, see above
entry Lamed ). The variant used in the Vatican MS may be read as
marrubium laban, a term composed of Lat. or O. Occ. marrubium (for
the O. Occ. form see DAO : and RL :b) and Hebr. laban for
white. This term seems to be a translation of Lat. marrubium album
for Marrubium vulgare L. (in contrast to marrubium nigrum for Ballota
nigra L., see Sin a). For a similar combination, see also the O. Cat.
form MRWBY LBN as a synonym of Arab. MWMKWR (GHAT :).
The variant used in the Paris MS should be interpreted as the Lat. or
O. Occ. marrubiu(m) with the loss of the final -m (for an explanation
of this phenomenon, see the introduction).
. 8 7
LSWN HS. PWR, Arab. LS"N "L#S. PWR, o.l. LNG" "WYS
Hebrew LSWN HS. PWR, sparrows tongue, which is not attested in sec-
ondary literature, was possibly coined by Shem Tov as a loan translation
of Arabic lisan al-#as. afr and designates the fruit of the ash-tree, Fraxinus
excelsior L. Subsequently, we find the term as: in Judah Ben
Solomon Natans Kelal Qazar . mi ha-Sammim ha-Nifradim (JNK :).
In addition to or , we find in medieval
Hebrew medical literature to indicate the fruit of the ash tree, for instance,
in the Sefer Ahavat nashim, .9
Arabic lisan al-#us. fur (sing.) or lisan al-#as. afr designates the fruit of
the ash tree, Fraxinus excelsior L. (M ; LA :) and features, for
7 : O
8 : O P V
9 Ed. C. Caballero-Navas. The Book of Womens Love and Jewish Medieval Literature on
Women. Sefer Ahavat Nashim, London . See as well L. Ferre and E. Garca Snchez,
Alimentos y Medicamentos en las tres versiones medievales de El Regimen de Salud de
Maimonides, Ciencias de la Naturaleza en al-Andalus II. Textos y Estudios, Madrid ,
pp. .
lamed
instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ). It is translated by

N and Z as: (see as well LF :).
The vernacular term is a literal translation of the Arab. term. It seems
to be a Romance-Latin blend linga/lenga avis (for the O. Occ. noun
lenga/linga, see entry Lamed ). The Lat. loan translation lingua avis
describes the plant Fraxinus excelsior L. (see Sin a). The term lingua
avis is documented in AdV , and identified as Arab. lisan al-#as. afr
(ibid. ).
. 11 10
LWLBY GPNYM, Arab. " TR"P . "LKRM, o.l. BRWTS .
Hebrew LWLBY GPNYM means sprouts of grape-vine and features in

Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bBer a and bBQ a (JD f.; LW : f.;
KA :; :; LF : ff.). In bBer a, it is stated that its consumption
causes abdominal troubles ().
Arabic at. raf al-karm means sprouts (literally: outermost parts) of
vine (L ; D :) and features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms
(IX, ; cf. BMMb ) and is translated by N as: and by Z
as: . In this aphorism, Maimonides recommends vine sprouts
as part of a treatment against shingles, while quoting from Galens Ad
Glauconem de medendi methodo.
The vernacular term in the Paris MS seems to be the O. Occ. brotz
(CB , ; RMA ; RPA ), the plural of brot (DAO :;
RL :b; FEW :a; CB , ), for junges Gezweige (i.e., young
branches) (PSW :b, Levy mentions the form brost with metathesis),
with the special meaning jeune pousse de vigne (i.e., young vine sprout)
(DAO :). The variants used in the Oxford and Vatican MSS seem to
be corrupt.
. 13 12
LBYBH, Arab. " TRYH,
. o.l. MNWDYTS .
Hebrew LBYBH means heart-shaped pastry (KB ; CD :; BM

; DAS : f.) and features in the Bible, namely in Sam :, , ,
as well as in medieval and modern literature.
10 : O
11 : O V
12 : V
13 : O
shem tov, glossary
Arabic it. riya means a certain food, like threads, made of flour, noo-
dles (L ; DAS : f.; RAP , n. : Itriya was a small soup noo-
dle of Greek origin which resembled the Italian orzo) and features, for
instance, in Maimonides On the Regimen of Health (BMR I, ), where
it is translated by Moses Ibn Tibbon as: (cf. MNWDYTS). . In
the Hebrew translations of Maimonides On Asthma by Joshua Shatibi,
Samuel Benveniste, and an anonymous translator (III,; cf. BMA ) we
find: , and respectively.
The vernacular term seems to be the plural of the O. Occ. word
menudet for tout menu, tout petit (i.e., fairly fine, fairly small) (RL
:b), which could have the special meaning eine Art Teig (i.e., a
kind of dough) according to the emendation of menuest by Levy in
the entry menudet 4 (PSW :a). Von Wartburg gives the unemended
O. Occ. form menuest (from ) with the meaning sort de pte (i.e.,
kind of pastry) and states the Modern Fr. word menudet (from ) for
massepain (i.e., marzipan) (both FEW :b).
. 14
L#WNYN, Arab. QTP, . o.l. "RMWLS
Hebrew L#WNYN or L#YNYM, sing. L#YN, designates ) garden sorrel,

Rumex acetosa (AEY :; DAS :; FM ; FZ : Artemisia;
LF : ff.) and ) garden orache, Artiplex hortensis L. (JD ; LW
:; KA :, :; LA :), and features in Rabbinic literature,
e.g. in mKil ..
Arabic qat. af means garden orache, Artiplex hortensis L. (DT :;
M ; DAS :, , , :).
the Mishnah cited above: : (MK :).
The vernacular term is the plural of O. Occ. armol(h) (CB , ;
RMM , , th century) for arroche (i.e., orache) (DAO :).
DAO considers the appearance of armolhs in RMM as its first documen-
tation (see DAO Suppl. :). In GHAT :, we find the Romance
term "RMWLLS, which is identified as Arab. qat. af.
14 : O
lamed
. 16 15
L#WNYN YMYYM, Arab. MLWHYH, o.l. MLB" D"WTR"MR .

Hebrew L#WNYN YMYYM is not attested in secondary sources and
could not be identified. Note, however, that in Aram., means mal-
low (cf. LA :).
Arabic muluhiya, from Greek (LS ), means ) mallow,
Malva silvestrisL. and Var. and ) corchorus or Jewish mallow, Corcho-
rus olitorus L. or Corchorus trilocularis L. (DT :; M ). The term
features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XX, ; XXI,
) and is transcribed by both N and Z as: .
The vernacular expression seems to be an O. Occ. *malva do(u)tramar
(literally: mallow from overseas). For malva, see entry He of this
edition. The first element of the second word is outra or otra, which
has the variant oltra (cf. Lamed ), the second element is mar for sea,
for the compound expression outra mar oversea, see RL :b: Van
outra mar (i.e., they go oversea). The whole phrase *malva do(u)tramar
cannot be found in the sources we consulted.
For O. Cat., the form oltramar/ultramar has been documented, which
designates Near East, Orient (see DECLC :a) according to the
context (already in the most ancient Catalan documents): Dus no
volia que ells possehisen la Santa Terra dultramar (i.e., God did not
want them to possess the Holy Land of the Near East) (Ramon Llull,
La Blanquerna). See also the meaning Orient in the O. Fr. outre-mer
(FEW :b). Von Wartburg lists the Fr. plant name rose doutre-mer
(ca. ) with the vague definition esp. de rose (i.e., kind of rose)
(FEW :b). Summarising, we can conclude that *malva do(u)tramar
is a variety of mallow that grows in the Orient and was imported from
there to Western Europe.
. 19 18 17
LSLST, that is, the excrements of chicken, Arab. ZBL "LDG" G
Hebrew LSLST means secretion, chickens dirt, spittle (JD ; LW

:; KA :, :; BM ; KT : n. ) and features in
15 : O V
16 : O, om. P
17 : V
18 : O
19 : O V
shem tov, glossary
Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShab ., and bShab b, where it is stated:

(If [on Shabbat] dirt is upon it [i.e. a
cushion] one wipes it off with a rag). The Arukh explains the term
featuring in this text as: (chickens droppings) (KA :; cf.
Arabic entry), which is possibly the source for Shem Tovs explanation:
.
Arabic zibl ad-dagag also means chickens droppings (L , ).
In his commentary on the Mishnah mentioned, Maimonides explains
LSLST as: (dirt and filth) (MK :). It is possible that the
Arabic term zibl ad-dagag is part of an unknown Geonic commentary on
bShab b and hence was adopted in the Arukh in the Hebrew version
of it.
. 20
L#WNYN YMYYM, Arab. MLWKYH, o.l. MLBH DWLTRM"R .
For Hebrew L#WNYN YMYYM and Arabic muluhiya, cf. no. above.
The vernacular expression seems to be the O. Occ. or O. Cat. *malva
doltramar, a variant of the term explained in entry Lamed .
.
LST, Arab. KD
Hebrew LST means cheek, jaw and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g.
in bNid b (JD ; LW :; KA :; BM ; Low LVIII).
Arabic hadd means cheek (L ; DKT , , ; FAL :).

. 21
LQH, Arab. "#TL
For Hebrew LQH and Arabic i#talla, cf. Yod no. .
. 22
LSWN TLH,
. Arab. LS"N "LHML,
. o.l. PLNT"
. GY
Hebrew LSWN TLH,

. literally lambs tongue, designates the plant plan-
tain, waybread, Plantago major L. (AEY :), and is possibly a loan
20 : om. OV
21 : O
22 : O V
lamed
translation of the Arabic lisan al-hamal

. (see below). In addition to
, we find (cf. BM ; JNK :) and (cf.
below).
Arabic lisan al-hamal,
. a loan translation of Greek (LS
), also designates plantain Plantago major L. (WKAS : f.; DT
:; M ). The term features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (XXI, ) and is translated by N as: and by Z as:
.
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. plant name plantage
(CB , among others; RMM , ; RM , , among oth-
ers [see index ]; DAO :; RL :a; PSW :a; AdV ,
, , )/plantagi (RMA , , among others [see index ];
DAO :)/plantagge (RMM , , , )/plantatge (AdV ,
, ) for Spitzwegerich (i.e., ribwort) (PSW :a).
For the identification of Arab. lisan al-hamal
. as O. Cat planta(t)ge cf.
AdV , ; GHAT :, with the spelling PLNT. GY for O. Cat. and
LYS"N "LHM"L
. for the Arab. term.
.
LT"H,
. Arab. WZG"
Hebrew LT"H . means a species of lizard, gecko, Platodactylus muralis

(KB ; CD :; JD s.v. ; LW :; KA :; BM ;
BAL f.; BH see index; FAB f.; LFa ff.; LZ f.) and features in
the Bible (Lev :) and Rabbinic literature (e.g. in mOhol .), where
it is translated by Sa#adya, Ibn Janah. and Maimonides as Arabic
(cf. IJ ; MK :; RJ ; S ).
Arabic WZG", read WZGH, i.e.wazaga, means a lizard of the species
called gecko, of a leprous hue (L ; BK ; StS ).
For the identification, cf. Se#adyah Ibn Danan (SID :):
, :.
.
L#NH, Arab. "LQM
Hebrew L#NH means wormwood, Artemisia absinthium L., and fea-

tures in the Bible, e.g. in Deut :, and Rabbinic literature (KB ;
CD :; JD ; LW :; KA : s.v. ; BM ; AEY :;
DAS :; FO f.; LF : ff.).
shem tov, glossary
Arabic #alqam designates either wild, or squirting cucumber, Ecbal-

lium elaterium, or colocynth, Citrullus colocynthis (L ; DT :,
; M ; DAS : f.).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Deut :: [ . . . ]
(perchance there is among you a stock sprouting poison
weed and wormwood): [ . . . ] (S ),
IJ and SF :.
. 23
LSWN HSWR, Arab. LS"N "LTWR, o.l. LNG" BWBYN"
Hebrew LSWN HSWR, possibly a loan translation of Arabic lisan at-tawr

(cf. below), designates the plant bugloss, Anchusa officinalis (BM ;
AEY :; LA f.:; LF : f.).
Arabic lisan at-tawr, literally ox-tongue, designates numerous types
of Borraginaceae, particulary borrage, Borago officinalis L. or Italian
alkanet, Anchusa italica RETZ. The term is a loan translation of Greek
(LS ; WKAS : f.; DT :; M ; DAS :, ,
). The Arabic term features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI,
) where it is translated by N and Z as: .
The vernacular term corresponds to the O. Occ. linga bovina (DAO
:; CB ; RMA ) or lenga bovina (PSW :a; CB ) for
bugloss (DAO :), i.e. Anchusa officialis L.. For the identification,
see the entry for O. Sp. lengua de buey in Sin b and the following
passage of RMA : A las aurelhas sordas es una herba que sembla
linga bovina que es buglossa et a flor blanca et semenssa blanca et
retunda et las rasis son petitas et las fulhas paucas (i.e., for deaf ears,
there is an herb which resembles linga bovina which is bugloss and
has white blossom and white and rotund seed and the roots are small
and it has few leaves). In AdV , we find (for O. Cat.) lingua bovina,
which is identified as Arab. lisan at-taur (AdV , ). See also
the Hebrew transcription of the same Romance term in GHAT :
LYNGH BWBYNH (as a synonym for the Arab. lisan at-tawr transcribed
as LYS"N "LT"R).
23 : VO
lamed
. 24
LWGMYW, Arab. SDQYH
LWGMYW, literally meaning his cheeks, features in Rabbinic literature

(e.g. in mYom .) as and means a mouthful, quantity of
liquid filling one cheek (JD ; LW : f.; KA :, :; BM ;
Low LVIII; PB ). The term is a loan word from Aramaic LWGM"
meaning cheek (cf. SDA ).
Arabic sidqayhi means the two sides of his mouth; or his cheeks;
cf. sidq or sadq the quivering flesh of the mouth, inside the two cheeks
or side of the mouth (L ; D :: joue (cheek)). Quoting from
the Vocabulista by Pedro de Alcal, Dozy (ibid.) also gives the meaning
mouthful for sadq.
Hebrew is explained by Maimonides on mYom . (ed. Kaf h
.
.) as: (that is,
that he drinks [such] a quantity that if he puts it in one side of his mouth,
that side protrudes and becomes visible) (MK :).
For the identification, cf. AQ, fol. b: . Cf. as well ShM
f.
. 25
LSWP, Arab. YHK .
Hebrew LSWP, inf. of SWP, means to smooth, rub, polish, sharpen; to

smear over, plaster and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mPes .
(JD ; LW :; SD ; SDA ; KA :, :; KT see index).
Arabic yahukku
. means he scratches, scrapes, rubs, grates, chafes,
frets (L ).
For the identification of the Hebrew root SWP or respectively SPH, as
the Arabic root hkk,
. cf. Maimonides on the Mishnah cited above: :
(MK :).
. 26
LWZYM, Arab. BNDQ, o.l. "WYL"NS
Hebrew or Syriac LWZ designates either almond tree, Amygdalus com-

munis L., almond, or hazelnut, Corylus avellana L., and features in
24 : O V
25 : j P V
26 : V, om. O
shem tov, glossary
the Bible, e.g. Gen :, where it is translated by Sa#adya (S ) and

Ibn Janah. (IJ ) as Arabic ((]), and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in
bBekh a (KB ; CD :; JD ; LW :; SD ; KA :, :;
BM ; FE ff.; FO ff.; LF : ff.; : ff.).
Arabic bunduq means hazelnut, Corylus avellana L. and is derived
from Greek (LS ; DT :; M ; DAS :). The term
features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XX, , ;
XXIII, ) and is translated by N as / / (HBNDQ,
i.e. "WWLNS) and by Z as: .
For the identification, cf. David b. Abraham al-Fas (SF :).
The vernacular term is the plural of the O. Occ. avelana (FEW :a;
DAO :; RL :b; CB ; RMA ), avilana (RL :b), avellana
(DAO :; RL :b; CB ) or avelhana (DAO :; CB ) for
hazelnut (DAO :). As the variants show, there were two main forms
in O. Occ., one with and one without the palatalisation of Lat. -LL-.
The Hebrew transcriptions in our MSS do not allow us to deduce if the
liquid sound is palatalised or not. This original name for hazelnut (<
Lat. ABELLANA) only survived in the south of the Romance world (see
FEW :a; for O. Cat. avellana, see DECLC :a; for O. Sp. auellana,
seefor exampleSin :; Cat. and Sp. both show palatalisation of
the Lat. -LL-; for O. Cat., a non-palatalised plural form avelanes is
documented in AdV , ). For the identification of O. Cat. avelanes
as Arab. bunduq, cf. AdV , . See also the Hebrew transcription
"BYL"NS in GHAT :, a Romance synonym given for Arab. BNDQ.
. 28 27
LB HLHM,
. Arab. LB"B "LKBZ, o.l. MWL"DH DYP"N
Hebrew LB HLHM, . literally heart of the bread, i.e. the inside, the core
of the bread, is possibly a loan translation of Arabic lubb [al-hubz] (cf.
WKAS : f.) or lubab [al-hubz] (cf. WKAS : f., and below), and

features as in Moses Ibn Tibbons Hebrew translation of the
Arabic term lubab in Maimonides On the Regimen of Health (BMR II,
).
Arabic lubab al-hubz means the inside, the core of the bread (see
above).
27 : V
28 : VO
lamed
The vernacular term corresponds to O. Cat. mol(l)eda (crumb, DCVB

:b) with the addition de pa (of bread). The spelling with -n (pan)
shows that it is probably an analogous O. Occ. term which has not been
documented so far. In this case, the first element might have to be read
with the accent on the last syllable (*mol(h)ed), because, most probably,
the word MWL"DH/MWLYD" is related to the Modern Occ. mouleds,
documented in FEW :a with the meaning gros morceau de mie
de pain (i.e., a big piece of breadcrump). For the O. Occ. pan with the
meaning bread see the examples given by Raynouard (RL :b) and
Levy (PSW :bb).
. 31 30 29
LPLWP H#YN, that is, filth of the eye, Arab. QD" "L#YN, o.l. QS. YD", that
is, ophthalmia
Hebrew LPLWP H#YN means pus or purulent matter in the eye and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mMiqw . (JD ; LW :;
KA :; BM ; Low LVIII, PB ). For Hebrew HLY . H"PR, cf. entry
Het
. .
Arabic qada al-#ayn means any matter in the eye (L ; FL :).

: (the dirt which
is inside the eye when it is ill) (MK :). The Geonic commentary on
Tohorot (EG ) translates the term as: (dirt).
For the vernacular term see entry Het
. .
. 32
LEYKH, Arab. L#WQ
Hebrew LHYKH,
. the verbal noun of , means licking (JD ;
LW : f.), and, via semantic borrowing from the Arabic term la#uq,
assumes the meaning of a medicine to be licked with the tongue, linctus
in medieval medical literature. It features in Moses Ibn Tibbons Hebrew
translation of Ibn Rushds commentary on Ibn Snas Urguza f t. -t. ibb
29 : V
30 : O
31 : om. V
32 : V
shem tov, glossary
(BM ; Steinschneider, Die hebrischen bersetzungen, p. ; see

introduction to our edition).33
Arabic la#uq means the same (WKAS : ff.; FAQ f.) and features
in medieval medical literature, for instance, in Maimonides On Asthma
(XII, , ; cf. BMA , ) and is translated by Samuel Benveniste as:
.
. 35 34
LWH SL "BN, on which the Arabs bake bread in the deserts, Arab. RDP
.

Hebrew means plate made of stone; for LWH, cf. JD ;
LW : f.; KT :, : f., , .
Arabic radf. means heated stones with which milk is made hot, flesh-
meat is roasted and bread is baked (L ; DAS :, , f., , ,
).
. 36
LPT, Arab. LPT, o.l. NPS
Hebrew LPT means turnip, Brassica rapa L., and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in mKil . (JD ; LW :; SD ; KA : f., :;
AEY :; DAS :; FH , ; FM ; FZ ff.; LF : ff.).
Arabic lift has the same meaning (WKAS :; DT :; M ;
DAS :, , ).
(MK :).
The vernacular term is the plural of O. Occ. or O. Cat. nap (DAO
:s; PSW :a; FEW :b; DECLC :b) for Brassica napus
(DAO :), Kohlrbe (PSW :a) or Steckrbe (FEW :b) (i.e.,
swede), documented for the first time in the th century (DAO Suppl.
:). In O. Cat., nap is documented for the first time in the th century
(DECLC loc. cit.). The additional term in MS O seems to correspond to
the plural of O. Occ. and O. Cat. rave for Raphanus sativus (DAO :;
DCVB :a).37
33 M. Steinschneider, Die hebrischen bersetzungen des Mittelalters und die Juden als
Dolmetscher, Berlin , repr. Graz , p. .

34 : om. O
35 : VO
36 : O "t P add. O
37 If we read a Nun instead of the Yod in the last syllable of this additional term the
form might represent the O. Cat. plural form ruens or rvens (DCVB loc. cit.).
lamed
. 39 38
LHH
. TPLH, Arab. H"M

Hebrew LHH . means moisture, secretion and features in Rabbinic lit-
erature (JD ; LW :; KA :, :). In medieval medical lit-
erature, the term assumes the meaning of humour, i.e., one of the
four bodily humours or moistures, or especially white humour; i.e.,
phlegm (BM f.; KTP :). The term LHH . TPLH, literally mean-
ing tasteless, unsalted humour, is not attested in secondary litera-
ture and was possibly coined by Shem Tov to render the Arabic [hil . t. ]
ham.
Arabic ham means crude (L ) and features in medieval medical
literature, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (IX, ; cf.
BMMb ) as 7{ U}> (crude humours) and is translated by N and
Z as: .
. 41 40

LHY
. S. T HMN#L, Arab. DG . T. "LKP, that is, the pressing of the footwear
against the foot until it swells and forms a blister
Hebrew LHY . S. T HMN#L means pressing of the footwear (JD , ;

BM , ).
Arabic dag
. t. al-kaff means pressing of the foot (L ; WKAS
: ff.). Arabic dag
. t. features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (III,
; IV, ; cf. BMMa , ) and is translated by N as: and by Z as:
/.
. 44 43 42
LHH
. HLWQH,
. Arab. BLGM LZG, o.l. PLYQMH WYSQWSH
For Hebrew LHH . see entry . The term LHH

. HLWQH
. (read HLQH),
.
literally meaning smooth humour or phlegm, is possibly the result of
38 : V
39 : O V
40 : O
41 : VO
42 : VO
43 : O V
44 : O V
shem tov, glossary
reading the Arabic or (viscous phlegm) as

(smooth phlegm).
Arabic balgam lazig means viscous phlegm (L ; KZ ) and
features in medieval medical literature, e.g., in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (VIII, ; XIV, ; cf. BMMb ) and is translated by N as:
or and by Z as: or
(LYHH
. LBNH WWYSQWZH).
The vernacular term corresponds to O. Occ. or O. Cat. *flecma vis-
cosa for viscous phlegm, documented in an O. Cat. variant fleuma
viscosa (DCVB :a). For the O. Occ. and O. Cat. flecma/flegma,
see RL :b and DCVB :b; for the adjective viscs, -osa see
DCVB :a and RL :.
. 46 45
LSWN HYM, Arab. SBY", o.l. SYPY"
Hebrew LSWN HYM, literally meaning sea tongue, is not attested in

secondary literature and was possibly coined by Shem Tov as a loan
translation of Arabic lisan al-bahr. ossa sepia (cf. below).
Arabic sbiya, from Greek (LS ), designates the cuttlefish,
Sepia officinalis L., or the cuttlebone of a cuttlefish, also called lisan al-
bahr
. (WKAS :; D :; DT :; M ; LFa ).
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. sepia or sipia for sepia
(RL :a; FEW :a; PSW :b, RM , DCVB).
. 47
LSTWT, Arab. KD"N, o.l. G"WT. S
For Hebrew LSTWT, plur. of LST, and Arabic hiddan, plur. of hadd, cf.
Lamed no. .
The vernacular term seems to be the O. Occ. plural gautas (CB ,
; RL :ba) of gauta for Backe, Wange, i.e. cheek, (with the
variant galta, see PSW :b). In O. Cat., the form gauta existed too
(documented for the first time in ), with the form galta being
documented since the end of the th century, which then becomes the
common form in modern times (DECLC :ba).
45 : VO !a! P
46 : O V
47 : O
lamed
. 50 49 48
LWTM,
. Arab. #LK "L"NB" T,
. that is the resin of the terebinth tree, o.l.
TRBYN
. TYN"
.
Hebrew LWTM . or LWT. features in the Bible (e.g. in Gen :) and Rab-
binic literature (e.g. in mShebi .) and is wrongly identified as chestnut
by medieval commentators and translators (Arabic sahballut. , cf. Sa#adya
and Ibn Janah. on Gen :; IJ ; RJ ; S ; and Maimonides on
mShebi ., who adds Pinus pinea; p. ). Midrash Rabba
(:) explains the biblical LWT. as mastic, Pistacia Lenti-
cus L. (cf. LA :; LF :). According to Maimonides, there is a
black type of mastic (Arabic mas. t. ika) which is called al-mas. t. ika an-
nabat. (cf. M ). The correct identification of Hebrew LWTM . or LWT.
is mastic gum, ladanum resin, Cistus ladaniferus (cf. FEB ff. and
KB f.; CD :; JD ; KA :, :; DAS :; FM ; FO f.;
LF : ff.). For Hebrew resin of the terebinth tree, see Shin
below.
Arabic #ilk al-anbat. designates, according to several Arabic authors
(e.g. Ibn al-Jazzar), the resin of the pistachio plant, Pistacia vera L. Others
(e.g. ar-Raz) declare that it is the resin of the terebinth tree, Pistacia
terebinthus L. (cf. D :; M ; ID :; LF :).
The vernacular term which also appears in entry Shin of this edition
is the (Med.) Lat. (resina) ter(e)binthina, literally (resin) belonging to the
terebinth tree (GH :a; DCC :a; derived from Lat. terebinthus
for Pistachia terebinthus L., see NPRA ), O. Occ. ter(r)ebentina, ter-
bentina or trebentina or the Cat. terebentina for rsine qui coule darbres
appartenant la famille des trbinthaces et celle des conifres; surtout
rsine des pins (i.e., resin that drops from trees belonging to the family
of the terebinthaceous plants and to that of the conifers, especially resin
of the pine trees, DAO :; for further documentation, see RL :b;
FEW :b; CB , ; RMA , ; RPA , , among oth-
ers; DECLC :b; DCVB :a). In O. Occ., these forms coexisted
with variants showing a labial nasal segment: termentina and trementina
or the like (DAO loc. cit., FEW loc. cit.; CB , ). In O. Cat., such
forms (trementina (), termentina () and tormentina ())
48 : j P V
49 : O
50 : O
shem tov, glossary
seem to be older and more frequent than the variant with a labial
plosive -b-, which perhaps is a later readjustment to the Latin etymon
(see DECLC loc. cit.). In fact, GHAT : shows a form with -m-
(TRYMYN
. TYNH),
. labeled as vernacular, prob. Cat., whereas the form
with -b- (TRYBN
. TYNH)
. is indicated as Latin.
. 52 51
LWZYM HWDYYM, Arab. PWPL, o.l. "BYL"NH "YNDYG"
For Hebrew LWZYM, cf. Lamed no. . LWZYM HWDYYM is not

attested in secondary literature and was possibly coined by Shem Tov as
a loan translation of Arabic al-bunduq al-hind (cf. below).
Arabic fawfal, from Persian pupal (VL :), means areca nut, fruit
of the Indian palm-tree, Areca catechu L., which is, according to az-
Zahraw (following DT : n. , al-Idrs (IJS :) and Maimonides
(M )), also called al-bunduq al-hind. Arabic fawfal features, for
instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ) and is transcribed
by N and Z as: .
The vernacular term may be read as O. Occ. avelana *indiga or *endega,
as an Occitanised form of Late Lat. abellana indica, where the adjective
shows the result of Western Romance lenition. For O. Occ. avelana, see
Lamed . See also the O. Cat. synonym "BYL"NH "YNDY"NH, used as a
synonym for Arab. GWZ HNDY (GHAT :).
. 53
LPYTT H#S. B, Arab. "LTW" "L#S. B, that is, straining
LPYTT H#S. B is not attested in secondary literature. It was possibly coined

by Shem Tov as a loan translation of Arabic iltiwa" al-#as. ab (cf. below).
Arabic iltiwa" al-#as. ab means strained nerves; (WKAS :; ll.
: Greek: (cf. LS )).
51 : V
52 : O V
53 : V
lamed
. 55 54
LPYTH, Arab. "LTW"
Hebrew LPYTH hails from the root LPT, which features in the Bible (e.g.
Ju :) and Rabbinic literature meaning to touch and hold; to twine
around, clasp, cling to; to wrap up, insert, combine (KB ; CD :;
JD ; LW :; KA :, :). The term LPYTH features in EM
as a modern term meaning a strong grasp. It is possible that it has the
unattested meaning of twisting or straining in our text.
Arabic iltiwa" means turn, twist, bend, curve, entwinement (WKAS
:).
For the identification of the Hebrew root LPT as the Arabic root c,
cf. Ibn Janah. and Se#adyah Ibn Danan on Ru :: cT e&
(the man gave a start and pulled back) (IJ ; SID :).
. 57 56
LPWTY, Arab. MLTWY
Hebrew LPWT(Y) is a part. pass. of LPT and possibly means twisted,

strained.
Arabic multawin means turned, twisted, wound, bent, crooked, en-
twined, entangled (WKAS : f.).
. 59 58
LSWN YM, Arab. BHYRH,. o.l. " STNYY
.
Hebrew LSWN YM means gulf and features in the Bible (e.g. in Is

:) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bErub a (KB ; CD :;
LW :; BM f.).
Arabic buhayra
. means lake, small sea (L ).
(the LORD will dry up the tongue of the Egyptian sea):
(DS ).
54 : VO
55 : O
56 : om. O
57 : V
58 : VO
59 : O P
shem tov, glossary
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. estanh that means either tang, lac
(i.e., pond, lake) (RL :a, from the Lat. STAGNUM) or tain (i.e.,
tin) (RL :a, from the Lat. STANNUM; cf. also RPA ). Referring
to O. Occ. estanh for pond, lake, von Wartburg points out: Im occit. lebt
es nur in einem schmalen streifen lngs der grenze gegen das iberorom.
(i.e., In Occ., it exists only in a narrow strip along the border with
the Ibero-Romance languages) (FEW :ba). The corresponding
term in O. Cat. is estany (DCVB :b). Variants with a velar ending
(like, for example, estanc) seem to be more frequent in O. Occ. However,
the variants documented in our MSS clearly show the palatal ending.
Following Levy, estanh for pond, lake can have the meaning Hemmung,
Stillung (i.e., restriction, staunching) (PSW :ab): Et aias drap en
clara dou per far estanc (i.e., And you shall have a cloth impregnated
with the white of egg for staunching) (Chirurgie ). A synonym for
the term with this special meaning is the derivate estancament for arresto
(di un flusso) (i.e., the restriction of a flow) (CB ): A estancament de
sanc (i.e., for stanching of blood) (CB ).
MEM
. 1
MWKLH, . Arab. HRM, that is, the old man who is extremely old
Hebrew MWKLH . means ripeness, vigour and senile, aged and fea-
tures in the Bible as the noun KLH, . e.g. in Job : (KB ; CD :;
BM ).
Arabic harim means decrepit, senile, aged, old (W ; L ).
In Maimonides Medical Aphorisms, the term features as s
j,F (very
old man; cf. X, ) and is translated by N as: and by Z as:
.
For the identification of Hebrew KLH . as Arabic haram, cf. Sa#adya on
Job :: (you will come to the grave
in ripe old age, as shocks of grain are taken away in their season):
(BS ; SJ ; cf. as well IJ ;
SID : and SF :).
. 3 2
MRQHH, . Arab. LHLHH

Hebrew MRQHH . means pot of ointment, spice and features in the
Bible, e.g. in Job : (KB ; CD :; BM ).
Arabic lahlaha designates a kind of perfume (WKAS :; FAQ
f.).
Sa#adya (SJ ) translates the term in the biblical verse men-
tioned as: (having spices), Ibn Janah. (IJ ) as: yM~7
(cooking-pot), and David b. Abraham al-Fas (SF :) as:
(cooked food).
1 : om. O
2 : J P
3 : O V
shem tov, glossary
. 5 4
MLH . SB", Arab. MLH . HNDY, o.l. S"L "YNDYG"
Hebrew MLH . SB", Sabean salt is not attested in secondary literature (for
MLH . cf. KT : f., ff. n. ff.; LFa ff.).
Arabic milh. hind means salt from India (D :; cf. as well GS
n. ; LFa f.). The Arabic term is translated by Moses Ibn Tibbon as:
in Maimonides On Poisons (II, ; cf. BMP ).
The vernacular term in the Vatican MS may be read literally as *sal
indica, for Indian salt (a variant of Late Lat. sal indicum, FEW :b
n. ; DuC :a), which belongs to the southern Gallo-Romance area,
including Piemont and Lombardia, and to Catalonia and Spain (see FEW
loc. cit.). The Lat. noun SAL, originally masculine or neuter, becomes
feminine in the locations previously mentioned and masculine in the
northern Gallo-Romance area, as well as in Italian, Sardinian, Retoro-
mance and Portuguese.
The variant used in the Paris MS seems to be sal *indiga or *endega, an
Occitanisation of the Late Lat. form with lenition of the intervocalic velar.
This form is not documented in our sources.6 The variant used in the
Oxford MS shows the loss of the intervocalic velar: sal *india, sal *indeia,
sal *indiea, or similar. A similar form can be found in the compound term
*nos india (cf. entry Alef of our edition) and *avelana india (see entry
Lamed , MS ).
. 8 7

MKBSYN "T HRYHYM . means sharpening the millstones with iron until
they are smooth to crush the wheat as with teeth
Hebrew MKBSYN "T HRYHYM . means carving steps for the grain,
putting the millstones in working order (JD ; LW : f.; BM )
and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bMQ a, where it is explained
4 : O P
5 : O V
6 For the adjective, also see the entry Lamed ; for O. Cat. we find the masculine
plural "YNDYQS, see GHAT :.
7 : O
8 :
O
V
mem
as sharpening the millstones, or, according to another opinion, to cut the

hole out for the hopper (cf. as well DAS :).
. 10 9
MQBT, Arab. MNQ"R
Hebrew MQBT means hammer, mallet, pickaxe and features in the

Bible (e.g. in Is :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKel . (KB ;
CD :; JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ; KT :, :).
Arabic minqar means beak, pickaxe, pick (L ); cf. Mem
below.
Ibn Janah. (IJ ) translates MQBWT in Kings : as: 56
7 (black-
smiths hammers); the same term is used by Sa#adya (RT ; S ) on Is
:. In his commentary on mKel . (MK :), Maimonides trans-
lates the term as: (iron handle), and, in his com-
mentary on mKel . (MK :), he translates Hebrew (beak, a
tool for whetting mill-stones) as Arab. " (cf.
Mem below).
. 12 11
MRTK", Arab. MRTK, o.l. LYTR . GY
Aramaic MRTK", from Middle Iranian murtak, an older form of murdah

(VL :), means silver dross and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g.
in bGit b (JD ; LW :, ; SDA ; KA :, :; BM ;
KT :; Low LXII; PB , ).
Arabic martak has the same meaning (L ; GS f., , , ,
; RS ). The term features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI,
) and is translated by N as: (LYTRGYR)
. and by Z as:
(MRTK, i.e. LYTRGYR).
.
For the identification, cf. LO Teshuvot on bGit b, p. : ,
; see as well BTJ .
The vernacular term is O. Occ. or O. Cat. litargi (RPA ; FEW :a;
PSW :b; DCVB :ab) or litarge (CB ; DCVB :a) for lead
oxide, derived from the Gr. ! (FEW :a). The Occ. and
9 : M P
10 : O
11 : j P
12 : VO
shem tov, glossary
Cat. forms litargi or litarge are documented relatively late (for O. Cat. in
, cf. DCVB loc. cit.; for Occ. litargi , cf. FEW loc. cit.), meaning
that our text represents a new first documentation. By contrast, in both
languages the form litargiri is documented already in the th century
(see FEW loc. cit. and DECLC :b).
.
MWR, Arab. MSK, o.l. MWSQ
Hebrew MWR, from Greek , means myrrh, gum resin of Com-

miphora abessinica, and features in the Bible (e.g. in Ps :) and Rab-
binic literature, e.g. in mMiqw . (KB f.; CD :; JD ; LW
: f.; KA : f.; BM ; FO ff.; LF : ff.; Low LIX; PB ).
Arabic misk designates Moschus moschiferus L., a gland secretion of
the male musk deer (DT : n. ). The term features in Maimonides
Medical Aphorisms (IX, ; cf. BMMb ) and is transcribed by N as:
and is translated by Z as: .
For the identification of MWR as misk, cf. Maimonides on the Mish-
nah cited above (MK :), Sa#adya on Ex : (S ), IJ and
SID :. However, this identification was rejected by others, such
as, for instance, the famous Spanish scholar Moses Ben Nahman . (Nah-
.
manides) (), who remarks in his commentary on the Bible
verse mentioned: The commentatorsincluding Harav Rabbi Moshe
[ben Maimon]have agreed that mor is that perfume which is called
musk [an animal perfume]. But Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra objected to
this interpretation, since [musk] is not a spice . . . , even though it has a
pleasant odour . . . Yet despite all this [that we have written to justify the
opinion of Rabbeinu Saadia Gaon and Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, that
mor mentioned here is musk], it appears to me from the words of our
Rabbis that mor is not musk . . . Thus all languagesHebrew, Aramaic,
and also Arabicare alike in the usage of this term (i.e. mor). In Latin
as well it is called myrrha. The consensus of the languages on this term
would thus indicate that [the mor of the Torah] is indeed that substance
[called myrrh or its equivalent in the above-mentioned languagesand
not the musk mentioned by Saadia Gaon], and that it is counted among
the spices.13 See next entry.
13Perushei ha-Torah le-R. Moshe Ben Nahman. Ed. by Hayyim Dov Chavel. vols.,
. .
Jerusalem , vol. , pp. ; English translation: Ramban (Nachmanides).
mem
The vernacular form must be the O. Occ. musc or the O. Cat. mosc for
musc (RPA , , , ; RL :b; PSW :a; FEW :b;
DCVB :a). In O. Cat., the forms mesc or almesc (documented for
the first time at the end of the th century) exist, derived from the
Arabic misk (DECLC :a), whereas forms like mosc seem to be very
rare Latinized or Italianized variants (for this line of reasoning, see
DECLC :b, for the first documentation of mosc in the th century
see DCVB loc. cit.).
. 14
MR, Arab. MWR, o.l. MYR"
Hebrew MR, i.e. MWR (cf. V) is myrrh, see previous entry.

Arabic murr means myrrh, the gum resin of Commiphora abysinnica
Engler and Var. (cf. previous entry) (DT :) and features in medieval
medical literature, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI,
) and is translated by N and Z as: (MYR").
Shem Tovs reproduction of two different identifications of MWR,
namely as misk and murr respectively, reflects two contrasting opinions
held at the time in medieval scholarship concerning the true nature of
MWR, as stated in the previous entry.
The vernacular term is the Lat. myrrha (NPRA ) or the O. Occ. and
O. Cat. mi(r)ra (CB , ; RPA , RMA , ; RM ; CB ;
RL :a; DAO :; FEW :a; DECLC :a; DCVB :a) for
myrrh. The same transcript appears in the Hebrew Macer Floridus (see
MF and ). For the identification of Arab. murr as O. Cat. mirra,
cf. AdV , . See also GHAT :, where we find the Romance
(O. Cat.) synonym MYRRH for Arab. MR.
. 16 15
MLPPWN, Arab. QT", o.l. PWQWSS
Hebrew MLPPWN, from Greek (LS ; KG : f.),

means muskmelon, Cucumis melo L., and features in Rabbinic liter-
Commentary on the Torah. Translated and Annotated by Charles B. Chavel. Exodus. New
York , pp. .
14 : P V
15 : om. O
16 : O
shem tov, glossary
ature, e.g. in mKil . or mTer . (JD ; LW :; KA : f., :;

AEY :; DAS :; FH , ; FM ; FZ ff.; LF : ff.;
SB f.).
Arabic qitta" means cucumber, Cucumis sativus L., and was often
confused with pumpkin and melon. In Egypt, the term qitta" designates
DT :;
different varieties of melon, such as Cucumis melo L. (L ;
; M ; DAS :, , , , , ; cf. as well Qof no.
below).
For the identification, cf. Maimonides on mTer ., where he gives two
explanations for Hebrew MLPPWN: and (MK :).
Sa#adya (SAM :) mentions as the Arabic counterpart.
According to Dietrich (DT : n. ), hiyar is the same species of
cucumber as qitta", namely Cucumis sativus L., except that it is smaller.
The vernacular term could not be retrieved.
.
MGBY", Arab. SB, o.l. "LWM
Aramaic and Hebrew MGBY" means alum and features in Rabbinic

literature, e.g. in bShab a (JD ; LW :; SDA ; KA : f.,
:; KT :, n. ; LA :).
Arabic sabb has the same meaning (M ; GS f.).
For the identification, cf. LO Teshuvot on bShab a, p. ; EG and
BT :.
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. alum for alum (FEW
:ba; DCVB :a; DECLC :a; RL :a; DAO :;
CB ; RMA , ; RMM ).
. 19 18 17
22 21 20

MRBKT, Arab. MTRWDH, i.e. to put dry bread in a bowl and to put broth
on it and to leave it covered for a while and to eat it; or to put dry bread
17 : Y% P V
18 : V add. V
19 : O
20 : add. OV
21 :
om. V
22 : O
mem
in a pot when [the broth] is cooked and to stir it and to take it from the
fire and to eat it
Hebrew MRBKT, part. pass. fem. Hof#al of RBK, means mixed (of
dough) (KB ; KA :, :) and features in the Bible, e.g. Lev
:.
Arabic matruda means bread, crumbled or broken into small pieces,

with the fingers, then moistened with broth, and then piled up in the
middle of a bowl (L ).
(shall be prepared with
oil on a griddle. You shall bring it well soaked, and offer it as a meal
offering of baked slices, of pleasing odour to the LORD):
(cf. n. : :
) (S ); see as well SID :, and IJ : ( Chron
:): ?
_ }3 () 5
2 s}Q D
) W
_ c Q
'L).
. 24 23
MY HDSN, Arab. M" "LS. "BWN, o.l. LSYB
Hebrew DSN means ) fatness and ) fatty ashes of burnt wood mixed
with fat on the altar and features in the Bible, e.g. in Lev :. Hebrew
MY HDSN is not attested in secondary literature and is possibly a loan
translation of Arabic ma" ar-ramad, cf. D :, s.v. ma" awwal or also
ras as. -s. abun: leau tide qui a pass pour la premire fois travers une
couche de cendres de bois (lukewarm water which has passed through
a bed of wood ashes for the first time); Dozy then quotes the following
explanation of this term from Ibn al-Hassas . commentary on ar-Razs
K. al-Mans. ur: W7
N7 7 )
MK ) * ( ' (This is [the
substance] that is called ras as. -s. abun and it is the first dripping of the ash-
water (ma" ar-ramad). Dozy explains that this detergent has thus become
alcaline and is capable of dissolving fatty substances. Once it is heated it
can be used to wash linen. See as well Wiedemann, Aufstze :.25
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. word for Laugenwasser (i.e., lye
water) (FEW :b) which is documented in the forms lissiu (RPA ;
23 : O V
24 : O !" P V
25 E. Wiedemann, Aufstze zur Arabischen Wissenschaftsgeschichte. vols., Hildesheim
.
shem tov, glossary
RMM ; RL :a), lesiu (PSW :a; CB ), leissiu (RL :a),

leisiu (CB ; FEW :b), lissieu (CB ), licieu (CB ), lixieu
(CB ), lisieu (CB ), among others. The Paris MS may represent
a form with an /e/, while the other MSS may represent either an /e/ or /i/
or a diphthong in the first syllable.
. 26
M#WTR . BRYHNYM,
. Arab. MPRWS B"LRY" HYN
.
Hebrew M#WTR . BRYHNYM. means flavoured with aroma/spices (JD

, ; BM ff., ).
Arabic mafrus bi-r-rayahn
. means covered with aromatic plants
(L , f.). Arabic rayahn
. features in Maimonides On the Regimen
of Health (BMR IV, ) and is translated by Moses Ibn Tibbon as:
(cf. KZ ). It also features in Maimonides On Asthma (VIII, ; cf.
BMA ) and is translated by Samuel Benveniste as: and by
an anonymous translator as: .
. 27
MZLPYN, Arab. YRSWN #LYH B"LYD
Hebrew MZLPYN means dripping, sprinkling (JD ; LW :;

BM ) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShab ., in the
context of circumcision, with the meaning of sprinkling by hand and
not by means of a vessel.
Arabic yarussun #alayhi bi-l-yad means they sprinkle it by hand
(L ).
(MK :).
. 29 28
MGBY" GYL", Arab. SBYM"NY, o.l. "LWM DYPLWM"
Aramaic and Hebrew MGBY" GYL" means liquid alum and features
in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bShab a (JD ; LW :; SDA ;
26 : O
27 : V
28 : P
29 : O V
mem
KA : f., :; KT :, n. ; LA :; cf. as well no.

above).
Arabic sabb yaman (= yaman) means alum from Yemen, which had
the best reputation among the Arabs (L ; M ; GS f.).
O. Cat. compound expression alum de pluma/ploma for #alun naturel
impur quon trouve en petits filaments blanchtres (i.e., natural impure
alun which we find in small, whitish filaments, FEW :a; for further
documentation see PSW :ab; DCVB :ba; DAO :). In
GHAT, we find the transcription "LWM DPLWM" for the O. Cat. alum de
ploma, identified as Arab. SB YM"NY (GHAT :).
The variant in the Oxford MS seems to be corrupt.
. 30
M"YRWT, Arab. DR"RYH, . o.l. QNTRYDY
.
Hebrew M"YRAH, plur. M"YRWT, means curse and features in the Bible
(e.g. in Deut :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bBer b (KB ;
JD ; LW :; SD ; KA :; BM ). The term also features in an
agricultural context in a prayer by a farmer: May blessings come unto
the provisions and may curses stay away from them. (KT :).
Arabic dararh. means cantharides, or Spanish flies (L ; cf. as well
BK ; IR; StS ). According to ad-Damr, one of its species breeds
in wheat (JAD : f.).
Perhaps the Hebrew term M"YRWT was used for this insect in refer-
ence to its potentially devastating effect on the wheat harvest.
The vernacular term means Spanish fly. There is no documentation
of a corresponding word in O. Occ. In O. Cat., the word cantrida exists,
documented for the first time in the middle of the th century (see
DECLC :b). The variant used in the Oxford and Vatican MSS could
be read as the plural of the Cat. word or an analogous hypothetical
O. Occ. variant. It could also be read as cantharides (see Sin :), the
nominative and accusative plural of Latin cantharis, cantharidis (FEW
:b).
For the identification of the Arabic DR"RYH . as the Romance (O. Cat.)
QNTRYD"
. S, see GHAT :.
30 : B P VO
shem tov, glossary
The form that features in the Paris MS is unclear; it might be read as

Medieval Fr. cantharide (documented since the th century; see FEW
:ba).
. 33 32 31
MSMR HGR#, Arab. MBD# . "LP" S. D, o.l. LNSYT"
. D"LSGNDWR
Hebrew MSMR HGR# means blood letters lancet (for MSMR, cf. JD
; LW :; KA :; Low LXI; PB ; for GR#, cf. JD ; LW :;
KA : f.; Low XLV; PB ) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g.
in mKel .: (A blood letters lancet is susceptible to
uncleanness).
Arabic mibda# . fas. id has the same meaning (L ; ; SpLA, p. .
s.v. al-mibda# an-nashl).
(MK :).
The vernacular term must be read as O. Occ. *lanceta/lanseta del
sagnador. The first element lanceta or lanseta (both documented in
RL :b) is an instrument de chirurgie qui sert percer, etc. (i.e.,
a chirurgical instrument that serves to pierce, etc., FEW :a). The
second element sagnador means bloodletter (PSW :b), first docu-
mented in in a text from Limoges (see FEW :a). In O. Cat., the
instrument is mentioned in the context of the practice of bloodletting in
a text from the end of th th century: sagnar lo malalt [ . . . ] la llanc-
eta [ . . . ] (i.e., to bleed the patient [ . . . ] the llanceta, see DECLC :b;
the word shows here the typical palatalisation of initial L-, one of the
characteristics which distinguishes Catalan from Occitan, see the intro-
duction).
. 35 34
MWSK HBRZL, Arab. MGNYTS, . o.l. L"PYS QR"MYTH
.
Hebrew MWSK HBRZL or "BN MWSK HBRZL, literally stone attracting

iron, refers to the magnetic stone and reflects its property to attract
31 : VO
32 : O
33 : ?[ . . . ] O V
34 : V
35 : O V
mem
iron. The magnetic stone is called in Rabbinic literature and

medieval literature (JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ; LFa ff.),
while in the Middle Ages we find a variant of this entry in Abraham Ibn
Ezras longer commentary on Ex :: (ed. J.Z. Fleischer,
Vienna , repr. Tel Aviv , p. ), cf. LFa .
Arabic magnt. is or hagar
. al-magnt. is, from Greek (LS ),
means magnetic stone as well (L f.; GS ; RS f.; cf. as well
Alef no. ). The Arabic term hagar. al-magnt. is features in Maimonides
Guide of the Perplexed : and is translated as: by Samuel
Ibn Tibbon.36
The vernacular term seems to be composed of Latin lapis for stone
and Late Lat. or Romance *caramita/caramida for magnetic stone. For
lapis, see its occurrence in the expression lapis magnetis for magnetic
stone in the entry Alef . For *caramita/caramida for magnetic stone,
see the entry Alef .
. 38 37
MY HSPWN, Arab. "NSY", o.l. LSYBH
Hebrew SPWN or S. PWN, from Greek (KG :; LS ),

means soap (JD s.v. , LW :; KA :, and KT :,
n. ) and MY HSPWN literally means soap water.
Arabic "NSY" is possibly corrupt and should be read as " SN"N, usnan,
designating glasswort, which is used for washing ones hands or clothes
(M ; DT :; LF : ff.; SDA : Aram. : alkali, from
Neo Persian usnan). According to Lw (LF :), it is actually a ghost
word, originally > . is Hebrew (JD : a
kind of alkali, or mineral used as a soap) which is identified by Mai-
monides in his commentary on mShab . (MK :) as . Cf.
Samekh .
The vernacular term seems to represent a feminine form *lessiva or
the like, which is not documented in O. Occ., or a Late Lat. form such
as (aqua/cinis) lixiva (for the form aqua lixiva, see the interpretation of
36 Moses Ben Maimon, Dalalat al-ha"irn. Arabic text established by S. Munk and
.
edited with variant readings by I. Joel, Jerusalem , p. , l. ; Sefer Moreh
Nevukhim, Hebrew Translation by Samuel Ibn Tibbon and the Commentaries by Efodi,
Shem Tov, Crescas and Abrabanel, Vilna, , fol. b.
37 : O
38 : VO
shem tov, glossary
the feminine in Sp. and Fr. by Coromines in DECLC :ba; for

the Late Lat. base *cinis lixiva, see FEW :ab). According to von
Wartburg (FEW loc. cit.), the Lat. adjective LIXIVUM became mascu-
line only in Gallo-Romance and in Catalan (see FEW loc. cit.). In the
rest of the Romance languages, we only find feminine derivations: the
FEW (loc. cit.) explains that Latin had the adjective lixivus ausgelaugt
(i.e., leached), derived from LIX Lauge (i.e., leach), besides lixius, and,
as a more recent form, lixivius. The variation in gender is explained by
assuming that the nominalisation of the adjective is based on *cinis lix-
ivum/lixiva, with the noun cinis varying in gender. The FEW further
remarks that the feminine nouns were lixivia and *lixiva and that mascu-
line and feminine forms coexist in Gallo-Romance and Catalan, with the
masculine forms being almost exclusively restricted to Laugenwasser
(i.e., lye water, see entry Mem ). The semantic difference between the
masculine and the feminine form might be reflected by the different
Hebrew and Arabic meanings given here and in Mem .
. 40 39
MDWH HBYS. H, Arab. D" "LBYS. H
Hebrew MDWH HBYS. H means contagious sickness of the testicles (for

MDWH see BM ) and is possibly a loan translation of Arabic da" al-
baida
. (cf. below).
Arabic da" al-bayda
. means disease of the testicles (for da" see L ).

.
MWRS", Arab. WRM
Aramaic MWRS" means abscess, boil and features in Rabbinic liter-

ature, e.g. in bGit b (JD ; LW :; SDA ; KA :, :;
BM ; Low LIX; PB ).
Arabic waram means swelling, tumour (D :; IR ; MH f.;
SN ) and features in medieval medical literature, for instance, in
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XVI, ; XIX, , ; XX, ) and is
translated by N and Z as: .
39 : V
40 : O
mem
. 41
MWGL", Arab. QYH, . o.l. BR" G
Aramaic MWGL" means pus and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in

bHul
. a (JD ; LW :; SDA ; KA :, :; BM ; EG ;
Low LIX; PB , ).
Arabic qayh. means thick purulent matter unmixed with blood (L
; D :: suppuration), features in Maimonides Medical Apho-
risms (e.g. II, ; cf. BMMa ) and is translated by N and Z as: .
The vernacular term in the Paris and Vatican MSS is the O. Occ.
brach (CB , ), its variant in the Oxford MS the O. Occ. or O. Cat.
brac (RL :b; RM ; FEW :ab; CB , , among others;
DCVB :b; DECLC :b) for pus (RL :b). The final -G in the
Paris and Vatican MSS may represent the voiceless alveolar affricate in
the O. Occ. Brach; the Oxford MS features the velar variant brac.
. 42
MPS. LYM, Arab. MP" S. L
Hebrew MPS. LYM means articulations and features in medieval litera-

ture, namely in the Sefer ha-Sha#ashu#im (Book of Delight) composed by
Joseph Ben Meir Ibn Zabara (th century)43 (cf. BM ), and is pos-
sibly a loan translation of Arabic mafas. il (cf. below).
Arabic mafas. il means any place of meeting or juncture of two bones
of the body and limbs or members, articulations (L ; FAL :;
cf. as well DKT , , , : ) Articulation, noeud; ) Phalange
de doigt (internodium)) and features in medieval medical literature,
e.g. in Maimonides On the Regimen of Health (BMR IV, ; cf. as well
KZ ) and is translated by Moses Ibn Tibbon as: , and in
Medical Aphorisms (XXII, ,), where it is translated by N and Z as:
.
41 : O V
42 : O
43 Ed. H. Davidson, New York , p. , l. ; Davidson suggests emending the
term as: .
shem tov, glossary
. 44
MWZY, Arab. MWZ, o.l. PWM" S PYRYWS
Aramaic MWZY, from Middle Persian moz (MC ), plur. of MWZ",

means bananas, Musa paradisiaca sapiens, and features for the first time
in the Geonic period (SDA ; KA : (Supp. Kohut); AEY :;
LA :; LF : ff.).
Arabic mawz means fruit of the banana tree, or Musa paradisiaca
(L ; DAS :). The Arabic term features, for instance, in Mai-
monides Medical Aphorisms (XX, ; XXI, ) and is transcribed by N
as: and by Z as: / .
For the Arab. mawz, cf. the Alphita passage Musa, fructus est in quo
dicunt primum parentem pecasse (Sin. ). Accordingly, the banana
is called Adams apple, as in the O. Fr. poume de paradis (FEW :b).
Analogously, the variant in MS O should be read as a non-documented
O. Occ. or O. Cat. compound expression *poma de paradis (for O. Occ.
and. O. Cat. poma, apple, see FEW :b; DCVB :b; for O. Occ. and
O. Cat. paradis, paradise, see FEW :a; DECLC ). In O. Fr., besides
the form paradis, we find another derivation from the same etymon,
namely parevis or parvis (FEW loc. cit., besides pares or paras), so
that the vernacular expression found in the Vatican MS could be read
as pome/pume/poume [de] parevis.45 However, the first element in the
Paris MS (PWM" S) might also be interpreted as the plural of Occ. or Cat.
poma. As for the second element, in O. Occ., we only find one variant,
namely parazis (FEW loc. cit.), whereas in O. Cat. the variant paras is
frequent (DECLC loc. cit.). Neither of these forms fit our MS due to the
presence of the letter Waw. Coromines suspects, however, that the variant
with -v- existed in O. Occ., at least in Gasc., because of the existence of
toponyms.46 If the term is O. Occ. rather than Middle Fr., the Sefer ha-
Shimmush would provide the first documentation of an O. Occ. variant
with -v- of the word paradis (outside toponymy). As for the meaning
44 : O V
45 For another case in our text in which the preposition de is missing, see Alef .
46 En Bearn, un mas, avui dit Paradis, a Navarrencs, apareix com a Paravis el ; i
un altre encara dit Parabis, en el cant de Sauveterre (ja Paravis, a. ) (i.e. In Bearn, a
grange located in Navarrencscalled Paradis todayappears under the name of Paravis
in ; and there is yet another one called Parabis in the canton of Sauveterrealready
mentioned as Paravis in , DECLC :). Corominas also mentions the O. Cat.
paravys, which appears in one document but seems to be due to French influence (the
document at issue is a translation from French).
mem
banana present in O. Fr., DAO mentions the O. Occ. poumiero de

paradis or poumeta de paradis only with the meaning aubpine (i.e.,
hawthorn).
. 47
MLWH, . Arab. HRYQ,
. o.l. "WRTYSY
.
Hebrew MLWH . is a salty plant featured in the Bible, e.g. in Job :, and
Rabbinic literature (bQid a), which is generally identified as orache,
Atriolex Halimus L., or saltwort, mallow, Mesembrianthum forskalii
(KB ; CD : f.; JD ; LW :; SDA s.v. Aram. ;
KA : f., : f.; AEY :; LF : f.). According to the Arukh
(KA :), the term MLWH . designates the nettle (Hebr. ) (cf. as
well LF :).
Arabic hurrayq
. means nettle, Urtica pilulifera L. and Var. (DT :;
M ).
In correspondence with the Arabic term, the vernacular synonym
seems to be the genitive singular or nominative plural of urtica for
nettle (FEW :b; NPRA ), urtic(a)e (see the Late Lat. genitive
urtice, for example, in Sin , n. ; See also the Lat. word "WRTY . S. Y,
given as a synonym for Romance (Catalan) "WRTYGH, . i.e. ortiga, in
GHAT :).
. 49 48
MLHH . GLLNYT", Arab. MLH . GRYS
Aramaic MLHH . GLLNYT" means salt in lumps, rock-salt and features

in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bHul. a and bQid a (JD , ;
LW :; SDA ; KT :, n. ; LFa , ).
Arabic milh. gars means bruised, brayed, or pounded salt (for gars,
cf. L ).
47 : V
48 : O V
49 : VO
shem tov, glossary
. 50
MKHL,. Arab. MRWD
Hebrew MKHL . means staff, stick used for painting the eye and features
in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKel . (JD ; LW :; SDA :
Aram. : paint-stick used for applying kohl to the eye; BM ;
EG ; KT :; Low LX; PB f.).
Arabic mirwad means a certain well-known instrument, with which
the black powder called kuhl . is applied to the eyes (L ).
above (MK :).
. 52 51
MPRQT, Arab. RQBH, that is, the end of the neck
Hebrew MPRQT means neck, nape and features in the Bible, namely in
Sam :, where it is translated by Ibn Janah. as (K- vertebra (IJ ;
SID :), and in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bHul . a (KB ;
JD ; LW :; BM ; Low LXI; PB , ).
Arabic raqaba means neck, or the base of the hinder part thereof,
or the hinder part of the base of the neck (L ; DKT , ;
FAL :). The term features in medieval medical literature, for
instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (I, , ; III, ; VI, ; cf.
BMMa , , and BMMb ) and is translated by N and Z as: .
For the identification of MPRQT as raqaba, cf. SF :.
. 53
MRH . ST, Arab. TN
. GYR
Hebrew MRH . ST means baking pan with lid (KB ; CD :; JD ;

LW :; BM ; BKH ) and features in the Bible (e.g. in Lev :)
and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mMen ..
Arabic t. ingr means a certain vessel of copper or brass (L ).
(If your offering is a meal offering in a pan, it shall be made of
50 : " P
51 : O
52 : V
53 : VO
mem
choice flour in oil):

(S ; see as well IJ , SID :, and SF :).
. 54
MHBT,
. Arab. T"
. GYN
Hebrew MHBT . means plate or pan and features in the Bible (e.g. in
Lev :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mMen . (KB ; CD :;
JD ; LW : f.; KA :; BM ; BKH f., ).
Arabic t. agin means frying-pan (L ; DRD ) and is derived
from Greek (LS ).
For the identification, cf. Ibn Janah. on Sam : (IJ ):
M ) :; Maimonides on mKel . (MK :)
explains Hebrew (a tightly covered pot, stew-pot (JD )) as .
Ibn Janah. on Lev : explains MHBT
. as Arabic , just like Sa#adya on
Lev : (S ), David b. Abraham al-Fas (SF :), and Maimonides
on mMen . (MK :).
.
MRWSS, Arab. MHSM
Hebrew MRWSS, part. Pu#al from RSS, means cracked, crushed and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bShab b (JD ; LW :;
BM f.).
Arabic muhassam has the same meaning (L ; W ).
For the identification, cf. Ibn Janah. (IJ ): 7)
Con7 c C 7 =
^2'- (The great house
shall be smashed to bits (Amos :)); it means to break, crush, just
as it is said in the Mishnah (mShab .): if it be thick or cracked, i.e.
muhassam). Cf. Se#adyah Ibn Danan (SID :).
. 55
MSS, Arab. RM"NH "LKRS
Hebrew MSS means manyplies, omasum, the rennet bag and features in
Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mHul
. . (JD ; LW :; KA :, :;
BM ; Low LXI; PB ).
54 : VO
55 : VO
shem tov, glossary
Arabic rummanat al-karis means third stomach, manyplies of the

stomach (WKAS :; L ).
the term MSYS (= MSS) as: (the organ that has
the shape of a pomegranate) (MK :).
. 57 56
MR"H S. YNYT, Arab. MR"H S. YNYH
Hebrew MR"H S. YNYT means Chinese mirror (for MR"H cf. KB ;

JD ; LW : f.; KA :; BM ; for S. YNYT cf. BM ).
Arabic mir" ah s. nya has the same meaning (for mir" ah cf. L and
E.I.2 : f., s.v. mir" at (Ch. Pellat) and for s. nya L ).
.
MZLG, Arab. NSL
Hebrew MZLG means (meat) fork (for taking meat out of the cauldron)
and features in the Bible, e.g. in Ex : (plur. ). In Rabbinic liter-
ature, the term features, for instance, in mKel . (KB ; CD :;
JD ; LW :; KA :; KT :). In medieval medical literature,
Hebrew MZLG also designates the instrument for taking the child out of
the womb (forceps?) (BM ).
Arabic nasil means lancet in medieval Arabic medical literature
(SpLA f., f.).
Sa#adya on Ex : translates as Arabic (S ) and Ibn
Janah. as 0o (IJ ).
. 58
MSWH . WSW# B"BR, Arab. MZGG
Hebrew MSWH, . part. Pass. of MSH,. which features in the Bible (e.g. Ex
:) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. mHor ., means smeared, anointed
(KB f.; CD : ff.; JD f.; LW :; SD ; KA : f., :;
BM f.). SW" means plastered, polished, smoothed and features
in Rabbinic literature (JD ; LW :; SD ; KA : ff., :;
56 : P
57 : O
58 : (cf. entry ) O V
mem
BM ). "BR means lead (JD ; LW :; SDA ; KA : f., :;

BM ). The expression MSWH . WSW# B"BR means plastered, glazed
with lead (cf. KZ ff.).
Arabic muzaggag means glazed (D :).
. 60 59
MSPHT,
. Arab. QRH . "LQWB"
Hebrew MSPHT . means a non-contagious disease, scaling, sore; skin-

rash and features in the Bible (e.g. in Lev :) and Rabbinic literature,
e.g. in bNeg b (KB ; JD s.v. ; BM ; Low LXI; PB ff.).
Arabic qarh. al-quwaba" means pustules, or small swellings of ring-
worm, or tetter (L , ).
For the identification, cf. IJ : K
.
. 61
MM#K, Arab. Y#S. R
Hebrew MM#K, part. Pi#el masc. sing. from the root M#K, means crush-
ing, pressing (JD ; LW : f.; KA : f., :; BM f.) and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bKet b.
Arabic ya#s. iru or yu#as. s. iru (cf. O and V) has the same meaning
(L ). The term features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Apho-
risms (XV,,; XXIII,,; XXV,,) and is translated by N as: /
// and by Z as: //.
.
MMRS, Arab. YMRWS
Hebrew MMRS, part. Pi#el masc. sing. from the root MRS, means crush-
ing, stirring, rubbing (JD ; LW : f.; SD ; KA :; BM )
and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShebi ..
Arabic yamrusu means he steeps, macerates, or rubs and presses
(L ).
(MK :).
59 : om. O
60 : V, For O, cf. previous entry
61 : VO
shem tov, glossary
.
MSTLD, Arab. MTQBS.
Hebrew MSTLD, part. Hitpa#el masc. sing. from the root SLD, has the
meaning of bounded, shrunken (JD ; LW :; KA :, :;
BM f.). The Hitpa#el is not attested in the current dictionaries.
Arabic mutaqabbad. means contracted, shrunk (L ).
. 62
M#S. D, Arab. P"S
Hebrew M#S. D means adze, hatchet; tool, billhook and features in the
Bible (e.g. Is :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bBQ . (KB ;
CD :; JD ; LW :; KA : f., :; BM ; EG ;
KT :, , ; Low LXI; PB ).
Arabic fas means a kind of hoe, adze, axe (L ; cf. as well
Kaf no. above). In medieval medical literature on surgery, the term
designates a phlebotome (SpLA , ).
For the identification, cf. IJ ; SID :; Maimonides on mKel
. (MK :). Sa#adya (SAM :) identifies it as: .
. 65 64 63
MTPSYM,
. Arab. QW"LB, o.l. PWRMS
Hebrew MTPSYM,
. which is not attested in secondary literature, is possi-
bly derived from frame, mould (JD ; LW : s.v. ), which
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mDem ., where it is translated by
Maimonides as Arabic (MK :).
Arabic qawalib, plur. of qalab, means a model according to which
the like thereof is made, or proportioned; a mould into which metals are
poured (L ; cf. as well Dalet no. ). The singular form features, for
instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XV, ) and is translated
by N as: and by Z as: .
The vernacular term is the plural of O. Occ./O. Cat. forma, see entry
Dalet .
62 : # P
63 : !"! P V
64 : O
65 : O, om. V
mem
. 67 66
MZRQ, Arab. ZR"QH
Hebrew MZRQ means syringe and features in medieval medical liter-

ature, e.g. in Nathan ha-Me"atis Hebrew translation of Ibn Snas K. al-
Qanun (following BM ). The term was possibly coined by Shem Tov
as a loan translation of the Arabic zurraqa.
Arabic zurraqa means pipe, syringe (D :). The word originally
meant shooter or projector and, in medical literature, designates
a syphon or syringe, a plain syringe [ . . . ] consisting of a straight
continuous cylindrical barrel with a long narrow nozzle; and, within, a
piston and handle all in one piece (SpLA ).
. 69 68
M#Y H"BTY . H,
. that is, everything inside it, the seed, the moisture, the
water
Hebrew M#Y H"BTY . H. means the core of the melon (JD ; LW :)

and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mEduy ., and is explained by
Maimonides as (the seeds and the juice inside
the melon) (MK :).
. 71 70
MHWDDWT,
. Arab. MKRWTH, . o.l. PYT. S "BTWRN
.
Hebrew MHWDDWT,
. part. Pu#al fem. plur. from the root HDD,
. means
sharpened (JD ; LW : f.; SD ; BM ) and features in
Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bQid a as MHWDDYM.
.
Arabic mahrut. a means shaped, rounded, polished (L f.; D
:).
The vernacular term represents an O. Occ expression *faitas a(u)
torn, literally for (things) made on the lathe or similar instruments,
which appears in the plural form in the MSS Paris and Oxford (with
au as a contraction of the preposition a and the masculine definite
66 : V P
67 : VO
68 : O
69 : O
70 : VO
71 : O " P V
shem tov, glossary
article). For the perfect participle, see RL :a. For O. Occ. torn lathe,
see PSW :bb (with many other meanings), and for the Cat.
equivalent DECLC :b: En grec era purament el subst. 15, nom
de laparell [ . . . ] El diccionari Aguil ja va aplegar-ne molts testimonis
medievals: un exemple, del segle XIV, dun torn de fuster o boter [ . . . ]
(i.e., In Greek, the substantive 15 was a name of the instrument [ . . . ]
The Aguil dictionary provides many medieval examples, one example
from the th century is the torn of a carpenter or a cooper [ . . . ]. For
further documentation, see entry Gimmel .
The variant given in the Vatican MS is the singular *faita al torn.
. 72
MTHL . HL,
. Arab. MTHLHL"

Hebrew MTHL . HL,
. part. Hitpa#el masc. sing. from the root HL. HL,
. means
permeated, affected, injured, weakened or trembling (JD ; LW
: f.; KA : f.; BM f.) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g.
in mMiqw .. In medieval medical literature, it has the meaning of
porous.
Arabic MTHLHL" means shaken, disjointed, detached, loose (L
) and means porous in medical literature.
The Arabic term features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (III, ;
cf. BMMa ) as LyLyT s> (porous bodies) and is translated by N
as: and by Z as: . And, in VII,
(cf. BMMb ), we find 0yL (porousness) which is translated by N as:
and by Z as: .
. 74 73
MWSY#, Arab. MWGYT, o.l. "YGY"H
Hebrew MWSY# means deliverer, saviour; protector, aider and features

in the Bible (e.g. in Deut :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bSanh a
(KB ; CD :; JD ; LW :; BM ).
Arabic mugt has the same meaning (L ).

For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Deut ::
(he came upon her in the open; though the
72 : VO
73 : om. V
74 : VO
mem
engaged girl cried for help, there was no one to save her):
(S ); see as well IJ ,
gloss Rouen (n. ).
The vernacular term seems to be a non-documented O. Occ. form
like *aij(i)a for help (see the entry ajuda in RL :ba; here we
only find the variant ahia). Besides these two variants, we also find the
O. Occ. form aida (influenced by French, see FEW :a). In O. Cat.
and O. Sp., the equivalent term ajuda/ayuda can take the meaning
enema (DCECH :a) orin a metonymical mannerinstrument
for applying enemas (see DCVB :a). This special medical meaning
is not documented in the Gallo-Romance languages.
. 75
MS. WYYRT, Arab. MRQWMH
Hebrew MS. WYYRT, part. Pu#al fem. sing. from the root S. YR, means
formed, shaped, painted, engraved and features in the plural form
in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKel . (JD f.; LW :; BM
).
Arabic marquma means written, sealed, stamped, imprinted (L
).
In his commentary on the Mishnah mentioned (MK :), Mai-
monides translates the Hebrew (portrayed scroll
wrappers)76 as: .
.
MKSH HBTN, . Arab. MRQ "LBTN .
Hebrew MKSH HBTN . means cover of the belly, peritoneum and fea-
tures in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in yHor I, a (JD ).
Arabic maraqq (read: maraqq) al-bat. n means the thin, or delicate,
and soft, or tender, parts of the belly; or the lower part thereof with
what surrounds it, that is thin or delicate, or the lower part of the belly
in the region of the H3 (peritoneum) (L ) and abdominal wall,
the skin and superficial fascia of the abdominal wall, the hypogastric
region of the abdominal wall (DKT , ; FAL :; cf. as well
75 : O V
76 Cf. H. Danby, The Mishnah. Translated from the Hebrew with introduction and brief
explanatory notes. London , Repr. , p. .

shem tov, glossary
HA ff.). The common Arabic term for peritoneum is s. ifaq, which

features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (I,; VII,; IX,; XV,;
XXIII,,,; XXIV,; XXV,; cf. BMMa and BMMb , ) and is
translated a.o. as: /// by N and as: /
by Z.
. 77
MDBRYWT, Arab. BRYH
Hebrew MDBRYWT is a adj. fem. plur. from MDBR, i.e. pasture, steppe,
wilderness, desert, which features in the Bible and Rabbinic litera-
ture (KB f.; CD : ff.; JD ; LW : f.; SD ). The term
MDBRYWT features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mBez. ., in the special
sense of pasture animals (JD ; LW : f.; KA :; BM ) which,
unlike domestic animals (), dont spend the night in the town but
stay in the pasture grounds for the whole year except for the winter (for
, cf. Bet no. ; cf. as well DAS :, and KT :).
Arabic barr or barriyya means belonging to, or relating to, the desert
or waste; growing, or living, or produced, in the desert or waste or simply
wild (L ; cf. as well DAS :).
Hebrew MDBR is rendered as Arabic barrya by Sa#adya and Ibn Janah.
(IJ ) on Ex :.
.
MGWRGR, Arab. MHBB .
Hebrew MGWRGR was possibly coined by Shem Tov as a loan translation

of the Arabic muhabbab
. in the sense of administered in the form of
a pill. The term MGWRGR is derived from , which features in
Rabbinic literature in the sense of to grow berries, to ripen into full
berries (JD ; LW :; BM ), and which is a denominative
verb from (gargar) meaning berry, and pill in medieval medical
literature (BM ) after the Arabic habba.
.
Arabic muhabbab
. means administered in the form of a pill in me-
dieval medical literature, and is derived from habba
. meaning pill (D
:).
77 : X"E P
mem
In Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XIII, ), the term habbaba

. (to
administer in the form of pills) is rendered by N as: and by Z as:
.
. 78
MQWR, Arab. MNK" S
Hebrew MQWR means beak, a tool for whetting millstones, an instru-

ment for boring (JD ; LW : s.v. Aram. ; SD ; KA :,
:; BM ; DAS :; KT :) and features in Rabbinic liter-
ature, e.g. in mKel .. It is possible that the term was used by Shem
Tov as a loan translation of the Arabic minkas in the sense of for-
ceps.
Arabic minkas or more often minqas designates an instrument with
which variegated, or decorated or embellished work is done or a kind
of tweezers, an instrument with which one extracts, or draws or pulls out
or forth, thorns (L ). Arabic minqas also designates an instrument
for whetting millstones (DAS :). In medieval surgical literature, the
term designates a forceps (SpLA ).
monides renders MQWR as: (beak, pick-axe, pick, L ); cf.
Mem above.
. 81 80 79
MNPH, Arab. MRWHH, . o.l. WYN"YYL
Hebrew MNPH means fan, flabellum and features in Rabbinic litera-

ture, e.g. in mKel . (JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ).
Arabic mirwaha . has the same meaning (L ).
For the identification, cf. EG , KA :, and Maimonides on the
The vernacular term seems to be a non-documented variant *venalh
or *venaylh of the O. Occ. ventalh (RL :a) for fan (orthographic
variants: ventailh, FEW :a/ventaylh, RL loc. cit.). For the use of this
term in O. Occ. medical terminology (among others), see the quotation
78 : O
79 : " P
80 : V
81 : O " P V
shem tov, glossary
given in RL (loc. cit.): Pulmo es un ventalh del cor. Eventar [ . . . ] com

un ventaylh per mitigar sa gran calor Eluc. de las propr. fol. and ,
i.e., The lung is the fan of the heart. To make wind [ . . . ] with a fan in
order to get alleviation from great heat). The form seems to be derived
from the O. Occ. noun ven (a variant of vent) for wind (RL :b).
In O. Cat., we also find only the form ventall with -t- (DECLC :a;
DCVB :a).
. 83 82
MLWY W#RWY, Arab. TML" "L"NYH B"LM" WTPRG
Hebrew MLWY W#RWY means filling and emptying. Hebrew MLWY

features in Rabbinic literature, for instance, in mPar ., and Hebrew
#RWY features, for instance, in yMaas I, b (JD , ; LW :,
; BM , ).
Arabic tamalla" al-aniya bi-l-ma" wa-tafrg means filling the vessel
with water and emptying [it] (L , ).
. 86 85 84
MZRH, Arab. MZWD, that is, a small provision bag, in which one puts
provisions for the journey
Hebrew MZRH should be read as MZWDH and means travelling bag

containing provisions (JD ; LW :, f.; KA : f., : s.v.;
BM ; cf. as well KA : f. s.v.). The Hebrew term features in
Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKel ..
Arabic mizwad means a bag, or other receptacle, for travelling provi-
sions (L ).
For the identification, cf. EG ; the Arukh (KA :).
82 : VO
83 : V
84 : T" U P U O
85 : O
86 : O
V
mem
. 88 87
MPSPS, Arab. YTDLK
Hebrew MPSPS, part. Pi#el masc. sing. of the root PSPS, featured in
Rabbinic literature means separating, parting, tearing, as in mShab .
(JD ; LW :; BM f.). In the context of bodily care, it can also
mean to part the hair of the head as in mNaz .: (a
Nazarite may wash his hair and part it [with his fingers]).
Arabic yatadallaku means he rubbes or presses his body in washing
himself (L ). It features as dalaka in medieval medical literature,
for instance, in Maimonides On the Regimen of Health (IV, ) and is
translated by Moses Ibn Tibbon as: .
the term as: rubbing with ones hands (MK :).
. 90 89
MHWL,
. Arab. TNBWR,
. o.l. TMBWR
. S
Hebrew MHWL . means ) dance, dancing, ) chorus of singers and

dancers and ) a certain musical instrument (KB ; CD :;
JD ; LW :; SD ; KA : f.; BM f.) and features in the
Bible (e.g. in Ps :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bTaan a.
Arabic t. unbur, plur. t. anabr, denotes the pandore and various types
of long-necked musical instruments. It can generally be distinguished
from the lute by its smaller sound-chest and longer neck (E.I.2 : ff.
(J.C. Chabrier); Palmer, History (see index);91 L ).
For the identification of Hebrew as Arabic t. unbur, cf. Sa#adya on
Ex ::
& (then Miriam the prophetess, Aarons sister, took a timbrel
in her hand, and all the women went out after her in dance with timbrels):

(S ; cf. as well SID :). Ibn Janah. (IJ ) on Ex
: explains as: I (drum).
87 : t" P
88 : j P V
89 : om. O
90 : V, om. O
91 H.G. Palmer, A History of Arabian Music to the XIIIth Century. London .
shem tov, glossary
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. plural tambors (Paris MS; see PSW
:aa) or its graphical variant tanbors (Vatican MS; see RL :ab)
for drums. The FEW only shows the O. Occ. form tabor (FEW :a
b). In O. Cat., the word tanbor/tambor is documented for the first
time in the th century, with Coromines considering it a loan word from
the Arabic term featured above (DECLC :ab).
. 92
MWK, that is S. MR GPN, Arab. QTWN
.
Hebrew MWK means a soft, spongy substance, hackled wool, rag, lint;
cotton wadding; pad; sponge; tow and features in Rabbinic literature,
e.g. in mShab . (JD ; LW : f.; KA :, :; BM ;
DAS :, , , ; Low LIX; PB f., ; cf. as well Samekh
no. and Sade
. no. below). Hebrew S. MR GPN means cotton, cotton
tree, Gossypium herbaceum L. or Gossypium arboreum L. (JD ;
LW :, ; KA :, :; AEY :; FM ; LF : f.).
Arabic qut. n designates the cotton bush, Gossypium arboreum L.
and Gossypium herbaceum L., and the product obtain from it, cotton
(DT : n. ; M ; DAS : ff., , , ; cf. as well Samekh no. ;
Pe no. and Sade
. no. below). Arabic qut. na features, for instance, in
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXII, ) and is translated by N as:
and by Z as: .
For the identification of Hebrew MWK as S. MR GPN, cf. the Arukh
(KA :): , for the identification of MWK as qut. n,
cf. Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned above: :
(MWK: a piece of wool or cotton or something similar to
them) (MK :). For the identification of S. MR GPN and Arabic qut. n,
cf. Maimonides on mKil . (MK :).
. 93
MTQLQL, Arab. MPSWD
Hebrew MTQLQL, part. Hitpa#el masc. sing. of the root QLQL, means
disarranged, spoiled, ruined and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in
mDem . (JD ; LW :; KA :; BM ).
92 : VO
93 : O V
mem
Arabic mafsud means bad, corrupt, unsound, wrong, spoiled, injured,

impaired, deteriorated, infacted, ruined etc. (L ).
In his commentary on the Mishnah mentioned above Maimonides
translates as: (MK :; cf. as well SID :).
. 94
MSPY#YN, Arab. MWPYYN
Hebrew MSPY#YN, part. Hif#il masc. plur. of the root SP#, means )
making slanting, ) pouring abundantly, selling in large quantities and
) giving overmeasure and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mDem
. (JD f.; LW :, ; KA :, :; BM ff.).
Arabic muwaffin means giving and paying straight away and com-
pletely (prorsus totumque dedit aut solvit (FL :)).
In his commentary on the Mishnah mentioned above (MK:)
Maimonides explains as: (those who
give more than the [required] measure).
. 95
MLH . MH. S. BY, Arab. MLH . "NDR"NY, o.l. S"L GYM"
Hebrew MLH . MH. S. BY literally means mineral-salt. The term is not

attested in secondary literature and was possibly coined by Shem Tov to
render the Arabic milh. andaran.
Arabic milh. andaran designates rock salt (GS n. ; LFa ).
Cf. Mem no. .
Correspondingly, the vernacular term is the O. Occ., O. Cat. or Late
Latin salgema (CB ; RMM ; RL :a)/sal gema (PSW :b;
DAO :; RPA , ; DCVB :a; CA )/salgemma (RMM ,
; RL :a) designating rock salt (PSW :b).
. 97 96
MRY", Arab. G"MWS, o.l. BRWPWL
Hebrew MRY" means fatted steer and features in the Bible, e.g. in Is :
(KB ; CD :; KA :, .; BM f.; FAB f.; KT :).
94 : ! P
95 : VO
96 : O
97 : O
shem tov, glossary
Arabic gamus means buffalo (L ; BK ; JAD : f.; StS f.).

[ . . . ] (What need have I of all
your sacrifices? says the LORD. I am sated with burnt offerings of
rams, and suet of fatlings, [ . . . ]):
[ . . . ] (DS ; cf. as well
SID : and IJ ).
The vernacular term featured in the Paris and Vatican MSS is the
O. Occ. brufol for buffalo (FEW :b; PSW :b). In O. Cat., we
find the same form, brfol, which is documented for the first time in
(DECLC :b). The etymon of this term is the Late Lat. BUFALUS (<
Classic Lat. BUBALUS < Gr. , see DECLC :b), with the
epenthetic -r- only documented used in Occ. and Cat. The variant of the
Oxford MS seems to be a non-documented or accidental form *brfol
with metathesis of the epenthetic -r-.
. 98
MRYHH,. Arab. TMRYK
Hebrew MRYHH, . verbal noun of the root MRH. to smear (BM ),

means smearing, rubbing and features in medieval literature (KA :,
:; BM ).
Arabic tamrh has the same meaning (L ). The term features in

Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XVIII, ) and is translated by N as:
and by Z as: .
. 100 99
MDBYQ HZHB, Arab. TNK"R, o.l. BWRYYS
Hebrew MDBYQ HZHB literally means sticking of gold and is not

attested in secondary literature. It was possibly coined by Shem Tov as
a loan translation of Arabic lis. aq or lizaq ad-dahab, which designates

chrysocolla, from Greek 7 gold-solder, malachite, basic
copper carbonate (LS ; WKAS :; GS ff.)), which is also
called tinkar in Arabic (cf. below and M ).
98 : V
99 : om. P
100 : U P VO
mem
Arabic TNK"R means borax or tetraborate of impure potassium. It was

used to solder gold and as an antiseptic remedy for diseases of the mouth
(cf. GS f. and RS :, :).
The Hebrew term features in Nathans Hebrew translation of Mai-
monides Medical Aphorisms (XXIII, ) as a translation of Arabic lis. aq
ad-dahab, while Z has: .
The
vernacular form is the O. Occ. term borais for borax (RPA ;
also see the article DAO :). In O. Cat., the form borraix exists and
is documented for the first time in (DECLC :b). See also (for
the Late Lat. borrax) the Arab. synonym atincar given in the Alphita (Sin
:) or, without the definite article, tincar given in the Lat. translation
of Ibn Snas K. al-Qanun (Sin :).
. 101
MTHRT,
. . D. "LMTHRH
Arab. HW .
Hebrew MTHRT . means water pipe of a bath, gutter and features in

Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mMiqw . (JD ; LW :, : ein
Reinigungsgefss (a vessel for cleaning); KA :, :; BM ;
KT :, ).
Arabic haw
. d. al-mat. hara means cistern or tank of the bath (L ;
f.; cf. haw 2
. d. in E.I. : ff. (A.B.M. Husain)).
, : (and its form with
them was such that it had two tanks) (MK :).
101 : VO
NUN
. 1
NSDWR, Arab. WSQ or " SQ, o.l. "LMWNY"Q
Hebrew NSDWR, Persian nausadur (VL :), means gum ammo-

niac and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bGit a (JD , s.v.
, LW :; SDA : Aramaic Sal ammoniac; KA :,
:).
Arabic wussaq or ussaq also designates gum ammoniac, a product
obtained from Dorema Ammoniacum Don. The North African and
Moroccan gum ammoniac is derived from the plant Ferula communis L.
var. gummifera Battandier or Ferula tingitana L. The Arabic term, which
is written in ten different ways, is derived from Persian usa (VL :)
(D :; DT :; M ; LF :). In Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (XXI, , ), the term features as iF& and is translated by
N as: ("RMWNY"Q) and by Z as: ("MWNY"Q).
The vernacular term in the Vatican and Oxford Mss is the O. Occ. or
O. Cat. armoniac(h) for gomme ammoniaque, sorte de gomme-rsine
employe en mdicine pour faire empltres (i.e. gum ammoniac, a kind
of gum resin used in medicine for making plasters) (DAO :; for other
references: cf. RMA ; RPA ; AdV , among others). This word is
based on the Lat. etymon AMMONIACUS from Gr. (DAO
loc. cit., DCVB :b, DECLC :a). The epenthetic -r- might be
explained through the influence of words referring to medical substances
imported from Armenia and were thus designated by the adjective
armenic (DECLC :a; see, for example, entry Tet . : bol armenic). In
O. Occ., the term is documented for the first time around , in O. Cat.
in the year (DAO loc. cit., DECLC loc. cit.). For the identification
of Arab. ussaq /wussaq as O. Cat. armoniac(h) and its transcription in
Hebrew characters as "RMWNY"Q cf. AdV , ; GHAT :. The
variant given in the Paris MS, *almoniac, is not documented in our
sources. The -l- could be explained as a hypercorrection based upon
loan words from Arab. with the definite article (see, for example, the
1 : VO
shem tov, glossary
forms in the entry Kaf : alaquana, alquana, etc.) or a shift between the
liquid sounds -r- and -l-, which is very frequent in Romance languages
(see, for example, the shift in the opposite direction: Late Lat. calamita >
O. Occ./O. Cat. caramida, in the entry Alef ).
. 3 2
NTP,
. Arab. MS. TKY,
. o.l. MSTYQ
Hebrew NTP . means drops of stacte; incense (from the aromatic plant
Commiphora opobalsami) (KB f.; CD :; JD s.v. ;
LW : s.v. ; KA :; BM ; DAS :, ; KT :;
LF : f.) and features in the Bible in Ex :.
Arabic mas. t. ika, from Greek ' mastic (LS ), means mas-
tic gum (D :; M ; DAS :).
(And the LORD
said to Moses: Take the herbs stacte, onycha, and galbanumthese herbs
together with pure frankincense; let there be an equal part of each):

(S ),
IJ and SF :.
The vernacular term in the Vatican and Paris MSS is the O. Occ. or
O. Cat mastec (CB , , and others; RMA ; RM ; RMM ;
RPA , , ; RL :a; FEW :b; DECLC :a), mastech
(CB , , and others; DECLC loc. cit.), orexclusively Occ.mastic
(RMA , , ; RL :a; FEW :b) for resina del llentiscle,
pasta que la imita usada per tapar forats etc. (i.e. resin of the mastic
shrub, paste which imitates it, used to cover holes) (DECLC :a).
Its variant in the Oxford MS. with an ending indicated by the Hebrew
spelling -GY may represent either mastech (with the pronunciation [t]),
mastegue (where -gu- represents a velar pronunciation; see CB , ,
; RMA ; RPA , ; FEW :b; PSW :a) or mastege
(where the -g- represents either a velar or a palatal pronunciation; see
RM ; FEW :b). All these forms are based upon the Gr. ;
the forms with an ending -ge or -gue are explained via the Arabic mas. t. ika
(see FEW :a and our explanation of the Arabic term above), the
other forms via the Gr. (DECLC :ab).
2 : O V
3 : O V
nun
For the identification of Arab. mas. t. ika as O. Cat. mastech, cf. AdV ,
; see also the Romance term MSTYQ,. which is given as the synonym
for the Arabic term (spelt M" S. TKY)
. in GHAT :.
. 5 4
NYNY", Arab. N"NKH, o.l. "MY"WS
Aramaic and Hebrew NYNY" means Bishops Weed, Ammi copticum

and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bGit b (JD ; LW :;
SDA f.; KA :, :; AEY :; DAS :; KT :,
n. ; LF : ff.).
Arabic should be read as , i.e. nanahwah, and means
Bishops Weed, Ammi visnaga [L.] Lam. (DT :; M ). The Arabic
term features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XX,
; XXI, ) and is translated by N and Z as: /. ("MY"WS/
"MY"WS).
.
The vernacular term is the Late Lat., O. Occ., O. Cat. or O. Sp. ameos
(FEW :b; DCVB :b; DCECH :a; RMA ; Sin :,
:, and others) for a sorte dombellifre (kind of umbellifer) (FEW
loc. cit.). In O. Occ., this form is documented for the first time in
(see FEW loc. cit.). According to FEW :a, the term was borrowed
from the language of pharmacists in the genitive case (((), Latin
ameos); cf. the following quotation given in the FEW: Ameos, vul-
gus pharmacopularum vocat, quod recte dicitur Ammi (Est. , in
FEW). In Sin , it is stated that Ammi visnaga Lam. is a particu-
lar meaning of M. Lat. ameos that might have been restricted to Spain,
but note that the synonymy of ameos and the Arabic nanahwah already
appears in the Alphita, which is of French origin (nenuche; see Sin ,
n. ).
For the identification of Arab. nanahwah as Lat./O. Cat. ameos cf.
AdV , ; see also GHAT :, where we find the O. Cat. synonym
"MY"WS for the corrupted spelling of the Arab. term NNWKH.
4 : V
5 : O V
shem tov, glossary
. 8 7 6
NS. SL RMWN, Arab. GLNR, o.l. BL"WSTY" .
Hebrew NS. SL RMWN means pomegranate blossom and features in

Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bBer b (JD , ; LW :, :;
SDA : Aramaic ; KA :; BM ; LF : ff.).
Arabic gullanar, from Persian gul-i anar pomegranate rose or blos-
som (VL :; : ff.), has the same meaning (DT :; M ). The
term features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ) and is trans-
lated by N as: (BLWSTY" . S) and by Z: (BL"WSTY"Y).
.
For the identification, cf. Maimonides on mShebi . (MK :).
The vernacular term in the Paris MS is the M. Lat. balaustia (as used,
e.g., in the Alphita, instead of the original BALAUSTIUM indicated in
ThLL :, ff.; DuC :c; see Sin ,; Sin ba; CA ),
which also existed as a loan word in O. Occ. and O. Cat. for fleur du
grenadier sauvage (blossom of the wild pomegranate tree) (DAO :
[i.e. RMA ]; CB ; DCVB :a). This word could also refer to
the fruit or the plant itself, e.g. in O. Occ. (DAO :; RL :b). The
variant in the Vatican MS is the plural of the Romance word; the variant
in the Oxford MS must be corrupt.
For the identification of Arab. gullanar as Late Lat. balaustia and its
O. Cat. loan word cf. AdV , ; see as well GHAT :, where we
find the Arab. term and its O. Cat. synonym in the plural form BLBSTY" . S
(the second Bet represents the diphthong -au-).
.
NS. HHLB,
. Arab. MHLB
.
The Hebrew term NS. HHLB . is variously explained as ) spurge, )

ornithogalum, ) Asphodelus microcarpus, ) Orchis anatolicus and
) parsley (JD s.v. ; LW :; KA :, :; BM esp.
n. ; AEY :; DAS :; FM ; FZ f.; LA :; LF : ff.,
:; cf. as well Het
. no. ) and features, for instance, in mShebi
..
Arabic mahlab
. designates plum tree of mahaleb (black cherry tree),
Prunus mahaleb seu cerasus L. and Var. (DT : n. ; M ; DAS :).
6 : V
7 : VO
8 : O V
nun
In his commentary on mShebi . (MK :) and . (MK :),

Maimonides identifies NS. HHLB . as parsley (cf. DT :
n. ; M ); according to Kohut (KA :), should be cor-
rected to = +BW7 (a spurge variety, cf. FL :, s.v. T?: W7
(sic)).
According to Kafih. (MK : n. ), Maimonides wrote in
the first version of his commentary, possibly because of a similarity in
terms, but then corrected it to . Lw (LF :) assumes that
Maimonides read wrongly instead of reading (sahlab), . which
designates Orchis hircina L. (LF :; ID :; cf. as well D :).
See as well AQ, fol. b:
(NS. HHLB
. is and this is a plant that is very well-known with
the physicians) and ShM : ,

(NS. HHLB
.
and KRYSY SDH is and one commentator (i.e. Maimonides) says
it is , but this is not correct, because in the whole Halakhic literature
it is only mentioned together with edible herbs and plants, while is
neither a herb, nor is it edible).
.
NRD, Arab. ND
Hebrew NRD, from Greek (LS ), means nard, Nardos-

tachys Jatamansi D.C., which was used for perfumes. The term features
in the Bible (e.g. in Song :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bKer a
(KB f.; CD :; JD ; LW :, ; KA :, :; BM ;
AEY :; FO f.; KT :, n. ff.; LF : ff.).
Arabic nadd means a certain kind of perfume with which one fumi-
gates; a certain wood with which one fumigates; a compound of aloes-
wood aromatised with musk and ambergris (L ; M ; Wiede-
mann, Aufstze :: Parfum aus Ambra, Aloe und Moschus).9
Ibn Janah. (IJ ) identifies NRD as (rose; M );10 but cf. gloss
MS Rouen (n. ): () 0,), likewise al-Fas (SF :) and Sa#adya (Song
9 E. Wiedemann, Aufstze zur Arabischen Wissenschaftsgeschichte. vols., Hildes-
heim-New York .
10 Cf. Joseph Ben Judah Ben Jacob Ibn Aknin (), Hitgallut ha-Sodot we-
Hofa#at ha-Me"orot. Perush Shir ha-Shirim. Ed. A.S. Halkin, Jerusalem , p. , l. :

: .
shem tov, glossary
:; SH ) translate it as: (M ). Ibn Quraysh (IQR :)

identifies it with: (fragrant nard; M ).
. 11
NK"T, Arab. KRWB, o.l. KRWBY" S
Hebrew NK"T means ladanum resin, Astragalus tragacantha or Astra-

galus gummifer, and features in the Bible, e.g. in Gen : (KB ;
CD :; KA : f.; BM ; AEY :; FO f.; LF : ff.).
Arabic harrub or harnub is a loan word from Hebrew or from

Aramaic SDA ; FF ). The Arabic term refers to the
(JD ;
carob tree, Ceratonia siliqua L. and Var, and its fruit the carob (DT :;
M ; DAS : f., , , ; :).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Gen : (S ); IJ , and
SID :. See as well MCS :.
The vernacular term is the plural of the O. Occ. car(r)obia for Johan-
nisbrot (carob) (FEW :a; DAO :), a loan word from the Ara-
bic harrub. It existed alongside the forms courroubia (first doc.: ),

carobla, carruba, carova, garrova, among others (DAO loc. cit.). In O.
Cat., the forms with an initial /g/ (like garrofa) seem to be much more
frequent than forms with an initial /k/ (see DECLC :ba).
. 15 14 13 12
NMYYH, Arab. SNWR, i.e. the wild cat, o.l. Q"NPYR
Hebrew NMYYH means marten and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g.

in bHul. b (JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ; BH index,
s.v.; FAB f.: mongoose, Herpestes ichneumon; LZ f.; cf. as well for
Herpestes ichneumon BAL and for marten, Matres foina, BAL ).
Arabic sinnawr means cat (L ; BK ; JAD : ff.; StS f.).
For the identification of NMYYH as sinnawr cf. the explanation of the
term NMYYH in the Arukh (KA :): (a small animal
like a cat).
11 : O P
12 : V
13 : VO
14 : O V
15 : om. PV
nun
The vernacular term seems to be an O. Occ. or O. Cat. compound

expression *can fer, literally wild dog, non-domesticated dog (for can,
quan, qan, chan dog, see DAO :; FEW :a; RL :a;
DCVB :a; for fer wild, see FEW :a; RL :a; DCVB :b).
Neither in O. Occ. nor in O. Cat., any documentation of this term could
be found, but, in O. Cat., the synonymous expression ca salvatge, which
also literally means wild dog, can be retrieved in a text from Majorca
(; see DECLC :b). This term doesnt necessarily refer to a non-
domesticated dog: for O. Occ., there exists an Old Languedocian can
salvage chien de forte taille servant la chasse (dog of big size that serves
for hunting) (DAO :). The adjective fer is, however, not unusual for
designating wild animals: until today in the Pyrenees, people frequently
use porc fer for wild boar or gat fer wild cat (see DECLC :b).
. 16
NHRT
. HHZH,
. Arab. KSWNH "LS. DR
Hebrew NHRT . (read NeHiRuT). means roughness and is attested in

Hebrew medieval medical literature (cf. BM ), while NHRT . HHZH.
means roughness of the chest.
Arabic hasunat as. -s. adr also means roughness of the chest (for hasu-
f.).
na see L
The term hasuna features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (VI, ,

; VII, ; XXV, ; cf. BMMb , ) and is translated by N as: and
by Z as: .
. 19 18 17
NRTYQ, Arab. S. DPH, o.l. QWQYLYH
Hebrew NRTYQ, from Greek ! (LS ; KG :; LR

), means case, casket and esp. a physicians medicine chest and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in yBer V, b (JD ; LW : f.;
KA :, :; BM ; KT :, , n. ; :; Low LXV;
PB f.). The term is also used to designate a snails shell (cf. LW :,
:, s.v. ; KA :). The Hebrew term features in book thirty of
16 : O V
17 : V
18 : VO
19 : O V
shem tov, glossary
the Sefer ha-Shimmush (MS Paris BN hb. , fol. a, col. ) for

Arabic s. adafa in the non-attested sense of a pan used for boiling butter
into which cotton wool should be dipped and then applied to an aching
tooth.
Arabic s. adafa means pearl oyster, sea shell (L ).
The meaning of the Arabic term is confirmed by the vernacular word,
which is is the O. Occ. and O. Cat. cauquilha/ cauquila shell (only
documented in FEW :b; AdV :). Note that the Oxford MS
uses Bet instead of Waw, which is the usual spelling for the diphthong
-au- (see the introduction), in contrast to a possible reading -u- or -o-
such as in Fr. coquille.
For the identification between the Arabic and the O. Cat., see GHAT
:.
. 21 20
NRTQYM, Arab. " S. D"P
For Hebrew NRTQYM, plur. of NRTYQ, cf. no. above.

For Arabic as. daf, plur. of s. adafa, cf. no. above.
. 22
NWS. T HPYRWT, Arab. ZGB
Hebrew NWS. H means feathers, down (JD ; LW :; KA : f.,

.; BM ), while NWS. T HPYRWT, which is not attested in sec-
ondary literature, was possibly coined by Shem Tov to designate the
down, that is the soft, short hairs on some fruits.
Arabic zagab means down, or the yellow small hairs upon the feathers
of the young bird, or small and soft hair and feathers (L ; FL :).
But as the elative azgabu, the root zgb also occurs in the sense of down,
upon certain fruits, cf. L : IP6& N_ (A species of cucumber having
upon it what resembles the IP6 [or down] of fur [ . . . ]).
20 : V
21 : O
22 : O
nun
. 27 26 25 24 23
NHMYM,
. Arab. MTSKNYN, and this [features] in Isaiah [as]:
(You who inflame yourselves among the terebinths)
Hebrew NHMYM, . part. Nif#al plur. masc. of HMM,

. means inflaming
themselves and features in the Bible, e.g, in Is : (KB ; CD :;
BM ).
Arabic mutasahhanin means warming themselves (D :).

[ . . . ] (you who inflame yourselves among the terebinths):
[ . . . ] (DS ), and IJ .
.
NS. , Arab. B"ZY
Hebrew NS. means falcon, hawk, and features in the Bible (e.g. in Lev
:) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mHul . . (KB ; CD :;
JD ; LW :; SDA : Aramaic falcon; KA :; BM ;
BAL , ; BH index, s.v.; FAB f.; LZ ).
Arabic baz means several varieties of the hawk or falcon (L ;
JAD : ff.; StS ).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Lev : (S ), SID :
and IJ : c6 . See as well SF :.
. 28
NYMY HMYM, Arab. #LQ, o.l. "YRWGS
Hebrew NYMY HMYM means leeches and features in Rabbinic liter-

ature, e.g. in bAZ b (JD ; LW :; KA : f., :; BM ;
LZ f.).
Arabic #alaq has the same meaning (L ; D :; JAD :; StS ;
cf. as well Ayin no. below).
. For = NYMY HMYM, see JD ; SDA .
23 : ! P
24 : O
25 : VP
26 : O
27 : ! P
28 : VO
shem tov, glossary
The vernacular term seems to be the plural of the O. Occ. word eruge
for grub (RL :a), and especially for leech (PSW :a). See the
quotation Qui pren eruges et aranhas com apela fadas estranhas (Auz.
Cass. ) (i. e., Who takes leeches and spiders that are called fadas
estranhas (a kind of spiders, lit. strange fairies)). The form in the MS
clearly shows a palatal sound indicated by the Rafe over the Gimmel, so
we cannot read it here as the O. Occ. variant or the O. Cat. equivalent eru-
gas larva of certains insects (DECLC :a; DCVB :a) pronounced
with a velar [g].
. 29
NMLK, Arab. BDYLH
Hebrew NMLK, Nif#al of the root MLK, means ) to take council, to

ask advice or permission, ) to reconsider, change ones mind and )
to debate with someone, think over and features in the Bible (e.g. in
Neh :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bBer b (KB f.; CD :;
JD f.; LW : f.; KA : f.; BM f.). The term NMLK in
the sense of the object of ones reconsideration, i.e., substitute, is not
attested in Hebrew secondary literature and was possibly coined by Shem
Tov as a translation of the Arabic badl.
Arabic badl means a substitute; a thing given, or received, or put, or
done, instead of, in place of, in lieu of, or in exchange for, another thing;
a compensation (L ).
. 32 31 30
NPWS, Arab. "SPN"RYH, o.l. PSTYN"GH
.
Hebrew NPWS or NPWS. designates ) radish, Raphanus sativus L., and

) rape, Brassica napus L., and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in
mKil . (JD ; LW :; KA : f., :; AEY :; DAS :;
FM ; LA f.:; LF : f.).
Arabic isfannariya means carrot, Daucus carota L. (DT : n. ;
M ).
29 : VO
30 : V
31 : O V
32 : VO
nun
Sa#adya (SAM :) explains as: (carrot), while, ac-

cording to EG , it is identical to (= Aramaic ; cf. SDA
s.v. : long radish). Maimonides on mKil . explains the term as:
7o 0A- (Syrian radish).
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. word pastenaga for car-
rot (DAO :; DAO Suppl. :; RL :a, DCVB :b; FEW
:a; or, in another spelling, pastenagua, see RMA ; CB ).
.
NQ#, Arab. NQW#
The Hebrew NQ# is, according to KB , a by-form of , and only

occurs as K cleft, cavity, ravine in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKil .
(JD ; LW :; KA :; BM ); Shem Tov probably uses the
non-documented verb NQ# in the sense of to macerate via semantic
borrowing from the Arabic naqa#.
Arabic naqa# means to macerate, soak, steep (L ).
The Arabic term features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (IX, ; cf.
BMMb ) and is translated by both N and Z as: .
. 34 33
NRTYQ HHLZWN,
. i.e. the covering/shell above it and in the language of
the Bible it is SBLWL and in Arab. HLZWN
.
Hebrew NRTYQ HHLZWN. means snail shell (for HLZWN,

. cf. BM
; for Hebrew NRTYQ, cf. Nun no. and above). Hebrew SBLWL
means snail and features in the Bible, e.g. in Ps : (KB ). For
Hebrew and Arabic HLZWN,
. cf. Het
. no. above.
. 36 35
N#S. WS. , Arab. SDR, o.l. "WNGL" QBLYNH
Hebrew N#S. WS. designates camel thorn, Alhagi camelorum Fisch., and
features in the Bible, e.g. in Is : (KB ; CD :; BM f.;
AEY : s.v. ; DAS :; FO ; LF : ff.).
33 : O V
34 : O
V
35 : e P
36 : O V
shem tov, glossary
Arabic sidr means Christs thorn, Rhamnus spina Christi L. (DT :;

M ; DAS :, , , , : Zizyphus spina Christi).
(and they shall all come and
alight in the rugged wadis, and in the clefts of the rocks, and in all the
thornbrakes, and in all the watering places):
(DS ;
RT ); IJ , and SID :). According to David b. Abraham al-
Fas (SF :), it is a herb called (squill), also called
(borax). See as well MCS :.
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. ongla cavalhina or ungla cavalina
for Tussilago farfara L. (documented for the first time around
(DAO :; DAO Suppl. :; FEW :a; CB ; CB )), a loan
translation from the M. Latin ungula caballina (see Sin , n. ; Sin
a for further references). In Cat., we could only find the terms ungla
dase or ungla de cavall to describe this plant (see DCVB :b and
DECLC :b).
.
NWP, Arab. "QLYM
Hebrew NWP means, amongst others, height and features in the Bible,
e.g. in Ps : (KB ; CD :; BM ). In medieval Hebrew
literature the term also features, in addition to the Arabic loanword
, in the sense of climate (BM f.; KTP :).
Arabic iqlm means province, district, climate (D :; HaF ).
For the identification, cf. IJ , SID :, and SF :.
. 38 37
NDL, Arab. #QRB"N or SQWLWPNDRYWN, o.l. STR"Q .
Hebrew NDL means polyp, centipede and features in Rabbinic liter-

ature, e.g. in bErub b (JD ; KA : f.; BM f.; BAL f.;
BH :; :, ; FAB f.; LZ f.; cf. as well SB :). The term,
which comes from Syriac dandala also occurs in a botanical sense,
37 : V
38 : VO
nun
referring to the plant Ceterach officinarum Willd. or Scolopendrium

vulg. (KA :; LA f.:; Nldeke, Beitrge f.).39
Arabic #uqruban means scorpion, or a certain venomous reptile
(L ; BK , JAD : ff. and StS s.v. #aqrab) and also designates
the plant Asplenium Ceterach L. (= Ceterach officinarum Willd. and
Var.) (D :; DT :; DAS :), which is also called squlufandri-
yun, from Greek (= (, so called because of a per-
ceived similarity to the scolopendra (Arab. squlufandriyun)) (LS ;
D :), or the plant Asplenium scolopendrium L. and Scolopendrium
vulgare SW., harts tongue (M ; ID : and : cf. as well Mai-
monides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, )).
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. word satarac for Minz-
kraut, Ceterach officinarum Willd. and Var. (DAO :; PSW :a;
FEW :a; DECLC :b), taken from the Arabic sit. arag (FEW
:a) or the Persian sat. rak (DECLC loc. cit.). According to DECLC
(loc. cit.), in O. Cat, the plant name is documented from the middle of
the th c. and appears as the variant seterac (ceterach, ceterac, cidrac are
modern forms).
. 40
NPH, Arab. MNHL

Hebrew NPH means fan; winnow; sieve and features in the Bible (e.g.
in Is :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mMen . (KB ; CD :;
JD ; LW :; SDA s.v. ; BM ; BKH ff., ; KT :,
n. ).
Arabic munhal or munhul means sieve; flour bag (D :; W ;
ff.).
DAS : f.,
(MK :).
39 Th. Nldeke, Beitrge zur semitischen Sprachwissenschaft, Strassburg .

40 : VO
shem tov, glossary
. 42 41
NKWT, Arab. ZM"NH, o.l. QWNTRYY . T.
Hebrew NKWT, from (cf. KB f.; CD : ff.; JD ; LW : f.;

SD f.; BM ), means invalidity and is only attested for modern
literature (EM ).
Arabic zamana means disease, or an evil affection; a disease of long
continuance: such as cripples, or deprives of the power to move or to
stand or to walk (L ). The Arabic term features in Maimonides
Medical Aphorisms (VIII, ; cf. BMMb ) as DL +TB74 (with that
chronic illness) where it is translated by N as: .
or O. Cat. adjective contreyt/contrait for paraltic, esguerrat (i.e. para-
lyzed, mutilated) (DCVB :a; DECLC :a), geschwcht, gelhmt
(i.e. weakened, paralyzed) (PSW :b). The form used in the Oxford
MS must be read as the O. Occ. variant contrach (FEW :b;
DECLC :a; PSW :b), where -YYG represents the sound [t] in
analogy to possible O. Occ. and O. Cat. spellings of this sound.
. 44 43
NQYWN, Arab. BHR"N,
. i.e. the fight of nature against the disease
Hebrew NQYWN features in the Bible (e.g. Ps :) and Rabbinic lit-

erature (e.g. in bBer a) and means, besides other things, cleanness
(KB f.; CD :; JD ; LW :). In medieval medical litera-
ture, the term means crisis (of an illness) and features, for instance,
in Moses Ibn Tibbons Hebrew translation of Ibn Rushds commentary
on Ibn Snas Urguza f t. -t. ibb (BM ; Steinschneider, Die hebrischen
bersetzungen, p. ; see this introduction).
Arabic buhran
. means crisis of a disease (L ). The Arabic term fea-
tures in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (II, ; III, et passim;
cf. BMMa and ) where it is translated by N a.o. as: ///
and by Z as: /// //
(BHR"N/
. BWHR"N/
. BHR"N,
. o.l. QRYSYZ/ QRYSYS/ TYRMYNY/
.
TYRYMYNY"W).
.
41 : VO
42 : O V
43 : V
44 : O
nun
. 46 45
NQLWWS, Arab. GW"RS, it is a Persian name, meaning digesting, o.l.
LYQTW"RY
.
Hebrew NQLWWS or NQLBS, named after Nikolaos () of

Damascus, designates a variety of the date, nicolaos dates and features
in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mAZ . (JD s.v ; LW :;
SD ; KA :; FE ; FM ; FO ; KG : f.; LF : ff.).
Concerning the meaning of the term cf. bAZ b: As to Nikolaus, . when
R. Dimi came he said in the name of R. Hama . b. Joseph that it is kuria t. i
(cf. JD , s.v. : cariota, caryota, a species of dates, from Greek
5 (LS : date)). Said Abaye to R. Dimi: We learn nik. olaus,
and we do not know what it is, so you tell us it is kuriat. i which we
do not know either, where then have you benefited us?Said he: I have
benefited you this much: were you to go to Palestine and say nik. olaus
no one would know what it is; but if you say kuriat. i they will know and
will show it to you.
Arabic gawaris, from Persian guwaras or kuwaris (VL :, :),
means a thing that causes food to digest (L ; cf. FAQ , quoting
Galen: gawaris(n) ist ein persisches Wort mit der Bedeutung verdauend
[ . . . ]) and designates a medicine called stomachic (FAQ ff.). The
Arabic term features as '[ Y( (the cumin stomachic) in Mai-
monides On Asthma (XIII, ; cf. BMA ) and is transcribed both by
Joshua Shatibi and Samuel Benveniste as: .
the term as: (also an important kind of
herb) (MK :).
For the identification, cf. the Arukh (:), s.v. :
(Another explanation: Mix it with
spices, and prepare a theriac from it. According to some, it is a
(stomachic). Cf. ShM :
.
( is, according to the Mishnah, a kind of rare and
expensive herb, which they used for their cultus during their festivals).
And in the Arukh, it is said that it is something mixed with spices and
that some explain it as )
45 : VO
46 : O
shem tov, glossary
The vernacular term shows that the author was thinking of the mean-
ing of the Arabic word, i.e., a medicine: the variant used in the Paris
and Vatican MSS is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. lectuari/lectoari for lectuaire
(i.e. electuary) (RL :b; CB , , , ; RPA ; RMM ),
preparat farmacutic que forma una massa pastosa, compost de plvores
o pulpa aglutinades amb mel o aixarop (i.e., pharmaceutical preparation
that forms a mushy mass, composed of powders or pulps agglutinated
with honey or sirup) (DCVB :a and :b). This is an adaptation
from the Late Lat. ELECTUARIUM (DuC :a) mentioned for the first
time by Isidore of Seville (FEW :ab). The form used in the Oxford
MS could be identified as the O. Cat. variant lletuari (DCVB :a),
where LY- seems to represent the initial palatal l- that is typical for Cata-
lan (spelt ll in Latin-based writing).
.
NTQ, Arab. KLP
Hebrew NTQ means Trychophytosis, a fungus in the hair or beard and

features in the Bible (e.g. in Lev :) or Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mNeg
. (KB ; CD :; JD ; LW :; KA :; Low LXV; PB ,
).
Arabic kalaf means reddish-brown, reddish-black, colour; freckles,
pimples of face, skin (WKAS :).

(the priest shall examine the affection. If it appears to go deeper
than the skin and there is thin yellow hair in it, the priest shall pronounce
him unclean; it is a scall, a scaly eruption in the hair or beard):

(S ; cf. as well IJ ).
. 47
NY#, Arab. MK" T,
. o.l. MWQ, i.e. the phlegm which flows from the nose
Hebrew NY# means nasal mucus and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g.
in mNid . (JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ) and medieval
medical literature (cf. below and BM ).
47 : O
nun
Arabic muhat. means mucus; snivel; what flows from the nose (L
features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Apho-
). The term
risms (IX, ; cf. BMMb ) and is translated by N as:
and by Z as: .
monides explains (= ) as: (saliva, spittle; cf. WKAS : f.).
In his commentary on Maimonides Mishneh Torah, Tanhum . Yerushalmi
remarks that, according to some, NY# is , while, according to others,
it is (ShM ; cf. as well KA :).
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. word moc for Rotz,
Nasenschleim (i.e. snot, mucus nasal) (FEW :b; PSW :b),
humor esps segregat per les glndules mucoses (i.e., thick liquid se-
creted by the mucous glands) (DCVB :b; DECLC :b).
. 49 48
NH. ST SRWP, Arab. RWSKTG, i.e. a piece of copper, o.l. QWBRY "RS
Hebrew is not attested in current dictionaries and was possibly

coined by Shem Tov as a loan translation of Arabic nuhas
. muharraq
. (cf.
below) in the sense of burned copper.
Arabic #Ty%)( (rusahtag) means burned copper and is, according to
), a synonym for Arabic nuhas muharraq
Ibn Bait.ar (IBF :, no. . .
(D :; GS n. ), which also features in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (XXI, ) and is translated by N and Z as: . Arabic
haddat
. al-harkus
. (= al-harqus)
. means a piece of copper (for Arabic
harqus,
. from Greek (LS ), cf. D :).
The vernacular term seems to be the O. Occ. compound term coure/
covre ars, which literally means burned copper (for O. Occ. coure/covre,
see DAO :; PSW :b; FEW ,b; for the O. Occ. past
participle ars, see the feminine form, arsa, documented in RL :b).
.
NQWDWT, Arab. BRS
Hebrew NQWDWT means speckled and features in the Bible, e.g. in

Gen : (KB ; CD :; BM ):
(But that same day he removed
48 : VO
49 : P
shem tov, glossary
the streaked and spotted he-goats and all the speckled and spotted she-
goats).
Arabic baras means small specks, differing from the rest of the colour;
a whiteness that appears upon the nails; white specks in the skin (L ).
The Arabic term is also used, in addition to baras. , for leprosy (L ibid.),
for which the common Hebrew term is .
The term baras is used by Ibn Janah. (IJ ) as the Arabic equivalent
to Hebrew , which features in Zech : (see Samekh no. ), and
is explained by him as: v,)
FKB (red and white specks); Tanhum .
Yerushalmi on Zech : remarks that, according to some, is baras,
while according to others, it is balaq (cf. L : Blackness and whiteness
[together, generally in horses]).50 The same term balaq is used by Sa#adya
(S ) as an explanation of (spotted) in Gen :. See as well
MCS :.
. 51
NY#YY, Arab. MK" TY .
Hebrew NY#YY, from NY# (cf. above Nun no. ), means slimy and
features in medieval medical literature (cf. BM ).
Arabic muhat. means slimy, mucous (cf. above Nun no. ) and

features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (IX, ; XX, ; cf. BMMb
) and is translated by N as: and by Z as: /
.
50Tanhum ha-Yerushalmis Commentary on the Minor Prophets. A critical edition with

.
an introduction translated into Hebrew and annotated by Hadassa Shy, Jerusalem ,
pp. .
51 : O
SAMEKH
. 1
SMLK, Arab. Y"SMYN
Hebrew SMLK means jasmine, jasminum sambac, Jasminum Sam-

bac L., and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bBer b (JD ;
LW :; KA : s.v. , :, :; AEY :; FEB ; LF
: f.; :).
Arabic yasamn also designates jasmine, jasminum officinale (D
:; DT : n. ; M ; DAS :, ; LF : f.).
For the identification, cf. LO Perushim on bBer b, p. .
. 2
SM", Arab. ZRNYK, o.l. "WRPYMNT.
Aramaic SM" means drug, pigment, essence (JD ; LW :; SD ;

SDA ; KA :, :; BM ) and features in Rabbinic literature,
e.g. mHul
. .. The Aramaic term is explained by Rashi on bMeg b as:
(cf. as well KA :).
Arabic zirnh or zarnh, from Persian zarnh or zarnq or zarniy or

zarnah (VL :), arsenic, a well-known
means kind of stone (or
mineral), of which there are several species; one species is white (white
arsenic); another is red (red arsenic, also called sandarac); and another is
yellow (i.e. orpiment, or yellow arsenic) (L ; GS ff.; RS :).
The Arabic term features in medieval medical literature, for in-
stance, in Maimonides On Asthma (XII, ) and is transcribed by Joshua
Shatibi as: and translated by Samuel Benveniste as:
("WRPWMYNT) . (cf. BMA ).
For the identification, cf. the Arukh (KA :) which gives the Arabic
synonym and ("WRPYMYNTW) . as a Romance syn-
onym.
The vernacular term in the Paris and Oxford MSS is the O. Occ. or
O. Cat. aurpi(g)men(t) or O. Occ/ O. Cat. orpiment for natural arsenic
1 : O V
2 : O V
shem tov, glossary
sulfide (DAO :; RL :b; RM , ; RPA , ; CB ,

, ; DECLC :a; DCVB :a). The spelling with Bet instead of
Waw in the first syllable in the Vatican MS clearly indicates the diphthong
/au/ and does not allow the reading orpiment, which is more frequent in
Cat. (see DCVB :a; DECLC :a).
For the identification of Romance (O. Cat.) "WRPYMYNT. as Arab.
ZRNYK, see GHAT :; see also AdV , , where Arab. zirnh
or zarnh is identified as O. Cat. orpiment.

. 4 3
SQR", Arab. MGR", o.l. SNPYRH or L"PYS MGN" TY . S
Hebrew SQR" means red paint and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g.
in mShab : (JD ; LW : f.; SDA s.v. ; KA :, :;
BM ; DAS :).
Arabic magra means red earth, with which one dyes; rubric (L ;
M ).
For the identification, cf. Maimonides on mShab . (MK :):
,.
The first vernacular term could not be clearly identified, but it is
certainly related to the Lat. CINNABARIS for cinnabar, vermillion
(FEW :ba), or rather the M. Lat. cinabrium, for which a
variant cinaprium is documented in Sin , n. . If we assume that
the position of the Yod is an error, we might obtain a reading *cinapria.
Alternatively, as the Pe is more usual than the Bet in Latin and Romance
(see below), this might indicate that SNPYRH corresponds to one of
the numerous M. Latin adaptations of the Arabic zungufr, for which we
may quote zinfur and vzifur (see Sin s.v. aziniafor; CA ). As for
O. Occ., we only find the forms cynobre, cinobri and cinabrion (FEW
loc. cit.; DAO :), for Cat. only the form cinabri is testified and
this very late (DCVB :b; DECLC :b). The synonymy with the
Hebrew and Arabic words stems from the color of the substance; see
entry Samekh of this edition.
The second vernacular term is the Lat. expression lapis magnetis for
magnetic stone (for the commentary see entry Mem , see also the
entry Alef caramita). This synonym was probably added because
3 : VO
4 : V
samekh
of the reddish colour of some kind of magnetite (cf. ALap ; LXIX

:d; Sin ).
. 6 5
SRQ, Arab. ZRQWN, o.l. WYRMYLYWN
Hebrew SRQ, means paint, yellow paint; bright red; cosmetic paint and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bSanh a, bKet a (JD ;
LW :; KA :, :; BM ; DAS :; KG :; KT :,
n. ; Low LXVIII; PB ). In addition to , we also find (cf.
JD ) and the adjective ] (e.g. in Zech :) in the sense of sorrel,
foxy-red, light red (KB ).
Arabic zarqun, originally sarqun (cf. Persian VL :: sarqun), is
derived from Greek lead oxide (LS ) and means Minium
(red lead) (D : couleur de feu, ou bien de Q(6, couleur dor
(colour of fire, respectively of Q(6, colour of gold); M ; GS f.).
For the identification, cf. the Arukh (KA :), and SID ::
.
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. vermelhon or vermilhon for red
makeup (PSW :a; RPA ; for the Marsilian vermilhoun, varmil-
houn for sulfide, documented for the first time in , see DAO :).
The O. Cat. verme(y)l(l) means sulfur vermell de mercuri, usat en pin-
tura (i.e., red sulfide of mercury, used in painting), documented for
the first time in (DCVB :b; for further documentation see
DECLC :a) and is glossed by the Latin minium in Onofre Pou7 (see
DECLC loc. cit.).
In GHAT :, we find the Romance (O. Cat.) WYRMYLW (ver-
mell for red paint, see also entry Samekh of this edition) as a syn-
onym for the Arab. entry ZNGP"R. Cf. also the O. Sp. bermejon, which
regularly appears in the Sin as a synonym of the Latin version of the
Arabic term (Sin a: Cinabrio reducido a polvo, que toma color
rojo vivo, i.e. cinnabar reduced to powder, which takes a bright red
colour).
5 : add. O
6 : O
V
7 Onofre Pou, Thesaurus puerilis, Valncia , p. .
shem tov, glossary
. 10 9 8
SPWN, Arab. S. "BWN, o.l. SBWN
Hebrew SPWN or S. PWN, from Greek (LS ; KG :;

LR : Neubildung), which in turn comes from Latin sapo (GH
:), means soap (JD , ; LW :; KA :; DAS :;
KT :; Low LXXV; PB ) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in
bNid a or bBQ b.
Arabic s. abun, also from Greek (LS ), has the same mean-
ing (L ; M ; DAS : f.; E.I.2 :, s.v. s. abun (A. Dietrich)). Cf.
Mem no. .
For the identification, cf. KA :: () .
O. Cat. sabon (< Lat. SAPO < Germanic *saipn-, cf. FEW :b) for
soap (PSW :a; FEW :b; RMA ; RPA ; DCVB :b;
DECLC :b). In O. Cat., the form sabon existed alongside the more
frequent form sab and is documented for the first time in (see
DCVB loc. cit.). The variant in the Oxford MS. with the spelling Yod
instead of Waw seems to be corrupt.
For the identification of Romance (O. Cat.) SBWN as Arab. S. "BWN,
see GHAT :.
. 14 13 12 11
SYG HKSP, Arab. KBT "LPDH, . i.e. "QLYMY", [o.l.] " SKWRYH DRGNT

Hebrew SYG means dross, base metal; refuse; galina, silver dross and
features in the Bible in the plural form, e.g. in Is :, and in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in bBekh . SYG HKSP means silver dross and features
in the Bible, e.g. in Prov : ( ) (KB ; JD ; LW : f.;
KA :; BM ; KT :).
Arabic habat al-fid. da
. means dross of silver when it is molten (for

habat see L ; D :) and is also called iqlmiya al-fid. da
. (cf. GS
following
al-Kind). Arabic iqlmiya or qlmiya, from Greek
8 : V
9 : O
10 : O V
11 : O V
12 : O P
13 : O
14 : O V
samekh
(LS ), generally designates cadmia (D :; M ; GS ff., ,

). Arabic iqlmiya features in medieval medical literature, for instance,
in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ) and is transcribed by N as:
and by Z as: .
Sa#adya (SM ) translates (Prov :) as:
(spurious silver), while David b. Abraham al-Fas (SF :) trans-
lates the same term as: (adulterated silver); cf. as well
SID :: : (Prov :) (impure
silver dross).
The vernacular term has to be read as O. Occ or O. Cat. *escoria
dargent, literally silver slag, where escoria is an adaptation of the Lat.
scoria metal slag (see FEW :a; GH : scoria (< Gr. )).
Since we have no further documentation of this word either in O. Cat. or
in O. Occ., we cannot tell if it is a spontaneous formation created by our
author or if it was already established in one or both of these languages
note that in Cat., the word is documented for the first time in (see
DECLC :a). However, it was not unusual for Romance languages in
the Middle Ages to use escoria as a loan word, see. e.g., its widespread
use in O. Sp. texts (see DCECH :ab; Sin :, : as escoria
de oro, :; DETEMA :c). For the O. Occ. or O. Cat. argent silver,
see DAO :; FEW :a; RL :a; PSW :a; DCVB :a;
DECLC :a.
. 16 15
SYG HBRZL, Arab. KBT "LHDYD, . o.l. " SKWRYH DY PR" or PRWGY
Hebrew SYG HBRZL means iron dross (for Hebrew SYG, cf. references
above no. ).
Arabic habat al-hadd
. means dross or rust of iron (GS , ).
vernacular
The first term given in this entry here is *escoria de ferre
for slag of iron (for escoria, see entry Samekh ; for ferre, see entry Het
.
). The second vernacular term seems to be a non-documented O. Occ.
form *ferruge, a variant of ferruga for filings or cuttings of iron (RL
:b).
15 : O
16 : O V
shem tov, glossary
. 21 20 19 18 17
SPGNYN, Arab. QT"YP, . and this is a pancake with honey or a doughnut
with honey and almonds, o.l. BWNYYT. S
Hebrew SPGNYN means cakes made of spongy dough, a sort of cracker

(JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ; DAS :, ; KT :)
and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKel ..
Arabic qat. a"if means pancakes with honey and butter (D :;
DAS :,; RAP , n. , ) and features in medieval
medical literature, for instance, in Maimonides On Asthma (III, ) and
is translated as: by the anonymous translator (cf. BMA).
Maimonides on mKel . identifies SPGNYN as "isfing: sort of fritters
eaten with honey (D :) and zalabiyya fritters or puff pastry with
honey or almond (cf. Het . no. above). For the identification of
Hebrew SPGNYN as Arabic zalabiyya, cf. EG and LO Perushim
on bPes a, p. . Cf. as well ShM : [ . . . ]
[ . . . ] ( is and are also called
).
The vernacular term in the Vatican MS is the O. Occ. bonheta for cake,
pastry (PSW :b; for further documentation see DECLC :b).
In Northern Catalan (Conflent, Vallespir), the diatopic variants bunyeta
and bonyeta exist alongside the standard bunyol for massa de forma
rodonenca, feta de pasta de farina ben batuda i mesclada amb alguna
altra substncia (patata, bacall, etc.), i fregida amb oli o sam (i.e. pastry
of roundish shape, made of flour dough, which has been well stirred and
mixed with some other substances (potatoes, stockfish, etc.) and fried
with oil or lard) (DCVB :a and b). The variants in the Paris and
Oxford MSS have to be interpreted as its plural. In the variants used in
the Vatican and Paris MSS, the palatal sound -nh- is clearly indicated by
the spelling -NYY-.
17 : ! P
18 : P V
19 : O V
20 : V
21 : O V
samekh
. 23 22
SWLTNYT, Arab. SLHPH, . o.l. TR
. TWGH
.
Hebrew SWLTNYT means a small fish; anchovy, sardine; herring; sand-

smell (JD ; LW :; KA :, :, : s.v. ; LFa ;
LZ f.) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bHul . a, bAZ
a.
Arabic sulahfa
. or sulhafa
. or sulahfah
. or silahfah
. means the tortoise
and also the turtle or sea-tortoise (L ; D :; BK ; JAD : ff.;
KSZ :, :; StS , ; E.I.2 :, s.v. sulahfa
. (F. Vir)). According
to the Arukh (KA :), is Arabic (?), and Romance
(TR
. TWG").
.
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. tartuga for tortoise
(RL :b; PSW ba; CB , , , among others; RM ;
DECLC :a; DCVB :b). In O. Cat., the word is documented for
the first time in the th c. (see DECLC loc. cit.).
In GHAT : we find the same Romance term transcribed in the
same way as in MSS O and V, namely TR . TWG".
.
. 24
SQYPS, Arab. MNMS
The Hebrew term SQYPS or SQYPS designates an occipital deformity

flatness or one whose occiput has the shape of a lintel (JD ;
LW :; KA : s.v. , : s.v. , :; Low LXVII; PB ;
SB : f.). The term features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mBekh ..
Arabic munammas means freckled (D :).
We cannot explain the identification of the two terms.
. 25
SQP, Arab. NMS
Hebrew SeQeP or SeQeP (cf. MS P), from the root SQP or SQP to go
around, means lintel, threshold (JD ; LW :; KA :, :;
BM ) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in Targ. O. Ex. XII, .
22 : O
23 : VO
24 : emendation editors L" P OV
25 : L P
shem tov, glossary
Arabic namas means: ) white and black specks or spots in the

skin differing from it in colour, ) lines, or streaks, of variegations or
decorations in variegated or figured cloth, ) whiteness in the roots
or lower parts of the nails which goes away and returns (L ), )
freckles, red fleck, redness (D :) and ) reddish suffusion with
blood (rtliche Blutunterlaufung) (SN ).
The term namas features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (VII, ;
cf. BMMb ) and is translated by N as: and by Z as: .
We cannot explain the identification of the two terms.
. 29 28 27 26
SHY
. TT . ZQN HTYS, Arab. S. "RH LHYH . "LTYS, o.l. "YBWQWSTYDWS
.
Hebrew SHY . TH. literally means pressing, wringing and, in this context,
juice that has been extracted, or expressed (JD ; LW :; KA :;
BM ) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bShab a. Hebrew
ZQN HTYS, is possibly a loan translation of Arabic lihyat . at-tays (cf.
below and Zayin no. ).
Arabic #us. ara means expressed juice (L ) and features, for in-
stance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXV, ) and is translated
by N as: and by Z as: . Arabic lihyat
. at-tays is ) goatsbeard,
Tragopogon porrifolius L. or Tragopogon pratensis L., ) hypocist,
Cytinus hypocistis L., ) rock-rose, Cistus villosus L. and other varieties,
) field horse-tail, toadpipe, Equisetum arvense L., and ) greater
plantain, Plantago maior L. (cf. Zayin no. ).
The vernacular term in the Oxford and Vatican MSS is the Late Lat.
hypoquistidus (see NPRA ), which also existed in O. Occ. as a learned
word ypoquistidos; its meaning is Cytinus hypocistis L. (see NPRA loc.
cit.; Sin b; RMA : ypoquistidos es lo fungus de lerba, aquella que
dis que e manieira de salvia et apella rosa canina (i.e. hypoquistidos is
the fungus of the herb, the one that is said to be similar to sage and is
called rosa canina), RMA , ; RPA ) or the juice of this plant
(RAlph : Ipoquistidos est succus fungi qui crescit ad pedem rosae
caninae, cf. also Sin :; CA ). The variant given in the Paris MS is
a non-documented form of the same O. Occ. word that shows Western
26 : O
27 : O
28 : VO
29 : VO
samekh
Romance lenition of the plosive in the second syllable. The spelling with
Waw in the third syllable seems to be a corruption on the part of the
copyist.
The same word features in GHAT : as "YPWQYSTYDW . S.
.
SWP, Arab. BRDY
Hebrew SWP means reed, bulrush (KB ; JD ; LW :; BM

; AEY :; LF :, f.) and features in the Bible (Ex :,;
Is :) and in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bSot a.
Arabic bard means papyrus, Cyperus papyrus L. and Var. (L ;
D :; DT :; M ; LF :).
For the identification, cf. IJ and SID :. Sa#adya on the
verses mentioned translates SWP as: (rush).
. 30
SSY, Arab. " HR
. S, o.l. " SPRY
The term is unclear; theoretically, it could be a plural of or

sharp-toothed bristle; awn or beard of grain (JD ; SDA ,
KA :; BM ; FH ; KT :) but that does not correspond to the
synonyms mentioned, cf. as well Alef no. : .
Arabic ahras
. means rough, harsh or coarse (L ; cf. Alef no. ).
For the Romance term see entry Alef no. .
. 34 33 32 31
SWM"Q, Arab. SM"Q, and this is sumac and it was already mentioned in
the letter Alef
Aramaic SWM"Q means red, dark (SD ; SDA ; BM ) and

features in the latter sense in medieval medical literature, e.g. in Asaf s
Book of Medicines (AV :, : ) and is possibly a
loan translation of Arabic summaq (cf. below). See as well entry Alef .
30 : V
31 : P
32 : O
33 : O
34 : O
shem tov, glossary
For Arabic summaq, sumac, Rhus coriaria L. and Var., or its berry,
Anacardiaceae, cf. Alef no. above. The term features in Maimonides
Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ; XXII, ) and is transcribed by N and Z as:
or .
. 35
SKSWK, Arab. THYG
Hebrew SKSWK means conflict; confusion (BM ; EM ) and

features in Rashis commentary on the Bible (Is :) and the Talmud
(bBQ ). The verb SKSK means to provoke and features in the Bible,
e.g. in Is : (KB s.v. ).
Arabic tahayyug means excitement, agitation, emotional disturbance,
irritation, inflammation (L ).
For the identification of the Hebrew root SKSK as Arabic G, cf.
Sa#adya on Is :: (I will incite Egyptian against
Egyptian): (DS ; RT ), and IJ . Ibn
Janah. (ibid.) translates the term as: +A\) q A,.
. 37 36
SHWS,
. Arab. GDRWP
. "L"DN, i.e. the earlobe
Hebrew SHWS. or HS
. HWS
. means the cartilages forming the ear, helix
(JD f.; LW :; KA :, :; BM ; HA ; Low LII) and
features in Rabbinic literature, for instance, in mBekh . (a).
Arabic gudruf
. al-"udn has the same meaning (L f.; HA ;
FAL :). Arabic gu druf features in medieval medical literature, for
.
instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (I, , ; cf. BMMa and )
and is translated by N as: and by Z as: .
above: : (MK :) or on mPes .: :
(MK :).
35 : VO
36 : VO
37 : O
samekh
. 38
SPHT,
. Arab. QW"BY
Hebrew SPHT . means scabs, flaking skin (KB ), rising on the skin,
sore (JD ), psoriasis, pityriasis capitis (BM ; Low LXVII;
PB , ) and features in the Bible (e.g. Lev :) and in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in bShebi b, bYeb b.
Arabic qawab is the plural form of quwaba or quwaba" and means
ringworm or tetter, a cutaneous eruption in which scabs peel off from
the skin, and the hair comes off (L ; D :; SN : ichthyo-
sis).
For the identification, cf. Ibn Janah. (IJ ), who identifies Hebrew
, a synonym for Hebrew SPHT . (KB ; BM ), with Arabic
quwaba": K
.
. 39
SPYR, Arab. M" S, o.l. GRWT. S
Hebrew SPYR designates Moors pea; French vetch, Vicia Narbonen-

sis L. (JD ; LW :; KA :; AEY :; DAS : f., ;
FM ; FZ f.; LF : ff.) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in
mKil ..
Arabic mas, possibly from Persian mas (VL :), means Indian
pea, Phaseolus max L. or Phaseolus mungo L. (D :; L ; DAS
:; ID :).
(MK :); see as well LF :, no. ; Sa#adya (SAM :) explains
as: (a kind of vetch).
The Romance term could not be identified.
. 41 40
SY"H, Arab. G#DH, o.l. PWLYWM MWNT"NWM .
Hebrew SY"H means savory, Satureia Thymbra L., and features in Rab-
binic literature, e.g. in mMaas ., bShab a (JD ; LW :; KA :,
38 : V
39 : VO
40 : VO
41 : O
shem tov, glossary
:; BM ; AEY :; DAS :, :; FM ; LA :;
LF :).
Arabic ga#da means germander or mountain pennyroyal, Teucrium
Polium L. (D :, DT :; M ; DAS :).
The term SY"H is explained in the Arukh (KA :) as (It. poleg-
gio, puleggio, from Lat. pulegium) or (It. sisimbro-sisimbrio,
from Lat. sisymbrium). In his commentary on the Mishnah mentioned,
Maimonides translates the term SY"H as: (mint) (MK :).
The vernacular term in the Paris and Vatican MSS is the Late Lat.
polium montanum, a compound term which is used in contrast to polium
marinum, Teucrium Creticum L. (see Sin a; NPRA ; the genitive
singular poli montani features in RPA ).
The variant given in the Oxford MS has to be read as polium montani
(for the lack of agreement between the noun and the adjective in Lat.
compound terms, see also the introduction). For the meaning of this term
see entry Yod . The same term (transcribed as PWLY"WM MWNT"NY) .
features in GHAT : and is identified as Arab. ga#da.
. 44 43 42
SYD HY,
. Arab. GYR BGYR MTPY, . o.l. Q"LS WYW"
Hebrew SYD means lime, plaster and features in the Bible (e.g. Num
:) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShab . (KB ; JD ; LW
:; SDA : ; KA : s.v. , :; BM ; DAS :, ;
KT : f., ; Low LXVI). Hebrew SYD HY, . which is attested in EM
() as modern, was possibly coined as a loan translation of Latin calx
viva. That is how the Hebrew term features in the Sefer Keritut by Hillel
Ben Samuel of Verona.45
Arabic gr bi-gayr mut. fa" means quicklime (M ; GS : gr = calx
viva in Latin; cf. as well Gimmel no. ).
For the identification of Hebrew SYD as Arabic gr, cf. Maimonides on
mShab . (MK :).
The vernacular term in the Vatican and Oxford MSS is the O. Occ.
or O. Cat. calz viva/cals viva, literally living lime, for calcium oxide
42 : O V
43 : P V
44 : P V
45 See G. Bos: Medical Terminology in the Hebrew Tradition: Hillel Ben Samuel of
samekh
which has not been in contact with water (for calz/cal, see RL :b;
DCVB :a; DECLC :b; for the compound O. Occ. term caus viva,
see RMA ). The variant used in the Paris MS with the spelling WYD"
is corrupt.
. 46
SMDR, Arab. PQ" H .
Hebrew SMDR means flower buds of the vine or (berry) in the build-
ing stage (KB ; JD ; LW :; KA :; BM f.; DAS :;
KT :; LF : f.) and features in the Bible (Song :) and in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in mOrl ..
Arabic fuqqah. means a flower or blossom of any plant (L ).
For the identification, cf. Ibn Janah. (IJ ) on the Bible verse men-
tioned: s
[ K- , and Maimonides on mOrl . (MK :). In his
translation of the same verse, Sa#adya (SH ) uses the Arabic equivalent
for Hebrew . See as well MCS :.
. 47
SGRYR, Arab. ZMHRYR
Hebrew SGRYR means cloudburst; severe rain storm (KB ; JD ;

LW :; KA :, :; BM ; DAS :; KT :) and features
in the Bible (Prov :) and in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in yMeg I, d.
Arabic zamharr means intense cold (L ; D :).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Prov ::
(An endless dripping on a rainy day and a contentious
wife are alike):
(SM f.), and IJ .
.
STWNYWT, Arab. STWYH
Hebrew STWNYWT means ) winter fruits, late fruits (JD ; BM

), ) hibernae sc. uvae, grapes, which become ripe in winter,
and which are used to produce vinegar (LW :; KA :, :;
46 : V
47 : O
shem tov, glossary
DAS :; KT :) and ) late figs (LF :, :, ) and features

in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShebi . or mTer ..
Arabic sitaw means signifying of, or relating to the winter season
(L ).
For the identification, cf. Maimonides on mShebi .: :
(MK :).
. 49 48
SNDL, that is, a piece of meat in the form of a shoe
Hebrew SNDL means, among other things, a deformed (flat, fish-

shaped) foetus (JD ; BM ; LW :; KT : n. ; Low
LXVII; PB ; SDA s.v. Aram. : aborted foetus in the shape of
a flat fish) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mNid . and bNid
b.
. 50
SWGY", Arab. NS.
Aramaic SWGY" means walk, course, practice (JD ; LW :;

SDA ; BM ) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bSanh a.
Arabic nas. s. means a thing or statement plainly or explicitly declared
or made manifest by God and his Apostle; an expression or a phrase or
a sentence in the Koran, indicating a particular meaning; a statute, or an
ordinance indicated by the manifest or plain meaning of words of the
Koran and of the Sunna; an evidence or a proof (L ; D :).
. 53 52 51
SDN, Arab. ZBRH, o.l. "YNGLWG"
Hebrew SDN means ) a block of wood, ) trunk, ) anvil and )

axis (JD ; LW :; SDA s.v. (Aram.); KA : ff., :;
BM ; DAS :; KT :) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in
mKil., mShab ..
48 : V
49 : O
50 : om. O
51 : A P V
52 : V, om. O
53 : V, om. O
samekh
Arabic zubra means ) a (big) piece of iron, ) an anvil of a black-

smith, or ) the upper part of the back, next the neck; or the part
between the two shoulder-blades; or the part where the neck is joined
to the back-bone (L ).
For the identification, cf. Maimonides on mShab . (MK :).
The vernacular term of the Vatican MS corresponds to O. Occ. engluge
anvil (PSW :b). It might also be the Cat. variant encluja (DCVB
:a). The variant of MS P shows a form ending with -a, similar to the
Cat. encluya (DCVB :a).
. 55 54
SRBN, Arab. LGWG, [which means in] translation: one who refuses,
declines.
Hebrew SRBN means ) one who waits to be coaxed, declining, )

persistent and ) rebellious, stubborn (JD ; LW :; KA :,
:; BM ) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mBer ..
Arabic lagug means stubborn, intractable, persistent; obstinate, pig-
headed, importunate, annoying, of humans (WKAS :; L ;
D :).
For the identification, cf. Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned:
, , (MK :).
. 58 57 56
SYP H#WRB, Arab. SYP "LGR"B
Hebrew SYP H#WRB, literally meaning the sword of the raven (JD ,
) and not attested in secondary literature, was possibly coined by
Shem Tov as a loan translation of Arabic sayf al-gurab (cf. below).
Arabic sayf al-gurab (the sword of the raven) designates the plant
Gladiolus communis L. (L ; D :; DT :; M ; DAS :;
LF :).
54 : VO
55 : O V
56 : V
57 : om. O
58 : VO
shem tov, glossary
. 59
SPSL, Arab. MNBR
Hebrew SPSL means frame, bench, stool (JD ; SD ; SDA

(Aram. ); KA :; BM ; BKH , , , ; DAS
: f.; KT : f.) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKel .,
bQid a.
Arabic minbar means a chair, or the pulpit of the preacher in a
mosque (L ; D : f.)
above (MK :).
. 62 61 60

SM HS. MR GPN, Arab. DW" "LQTNH,
. i.e. one puts the remedy in the
cotton when healing with it
Hebrew SM HS. MR GPN means a remedy [applied in] cotton (for SM

cf. JD ; LW :; KA : f., :; BM f.; see as well Samekh
no. : Aram. SM"; for S. MR GPN, cf. Mem no. and Sade . no. ).
Arabic dawa" al-qut. na has the same meaning (for dawa" see L ;
D :; for qut. na, cf. Mem no. , Pe no. and Sade
. no. ).
For the identification of Hebrew SM as Arabic dawa", cf. IJ on
the Biblical verse (Ex :): [ . . . ] ?)W C1? 53)
UK/) (it is more correct to translate [] as: ?)W or UK/). For the
identification of Hebrew S. MR GPN as Arabic qut. n, cf. Maimonides on
mKil . (MK :).
. 65 64 63
SGY" RGLY, Arab. BSB"YG, o.l. PWLYPWDYWM
Aram. SGY" RGLY, literally meaning having many legs and not attested
in secondary literature, is possibly a loan translation of the Arabic katr

59 : V
60 : O
61 : O V
62 : O
63 : VO
64 : V
65 : V
samekh
al-argul and designates the plant polypody, Polypodium vulgare L.

(DT :; LF :; LA f.:).
Arabic basbayig, from Persian bas-payak having many legs (VL
:), designates the same plant (DT :; M ; LA f.:), which
is also called katr al-argul (having many feet), a loan translation of
Greek (cf. WKAS :).
In Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ), the Arabic/ Persian
term features as #`H and is translated by N as: (PWLYPWDY)
and Z as: (PWLYPWDY"W).
The vernacular term in the Paris and Oxford MSS is the Lat. poly-
podium for Polypodium vulgare L. (NPRA ; also see Sin :), taken
from the Gr. (DECLC :). The variant in the Vatican MS
is the O. Occ. or O. Cat pol(l)ipodi with the same meaning (RL :a;
DAO :; CB ; RM ; DCVB :b), documented for the first
time in the th c. (DAO Suppl. :), or perhaps the genitive singular
polipodi(i) of the Lat. polipodium.
For the identification of Arab. basbayig as Lat. polipodium/O. Cat.
polipodi cf. AdV , ; see also the GHAT :, where we find
the Romance term PWLYPWDY as the synonym for the Arab. term
mentioned, in a corrupt spelling as BSBG.
. 66
67
SPWN SL #MY H"RS. , i.e. such [a kind] that common people use, because
there is [another] kind of it which kings and princes use.
Hebrew SPWN SL #MY H"RS. literally means soap of common people.

For SPWN, cf. Samekh no. .
.
68
SRYS HMH
. is someone in whom the heat that awakens his penis has
ceased and it makes him infertile and it (his penis) never becomes erected
since the day it was created. And one says eunuch from the time of seeing
the sun as one says under the sun.
66 : O V
67 : om. V
68 : om. V
shem tov, glossary
Hebrew SRYS HMH . means eunuch from the time of seeing the sun,
i.e. born without visible testicles (JD ; BM ; KT :; PB )
and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mYeb ., bYeb a, a. Another
explanation of the term SRYS HMH. is eunuch through fever (KA :;
BM ).
.
SRS "DM is the one who was castrated by people.
Hebrew SRS "DM means someone emasculated by man (JD ;

BM ; KT :; PB ) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in
mYeb ..
. 70 69
SNWRYM, Arab. S
Hebrew SNWRYM, plural of SNWR, means dazzling, deception (KB

f.; KA :; BM ; PB n. ; Low LXVII) and features in the
Bible, e.g. in Gen :.
Arabic #asan means weakness of sight or sightlessness by night with
ability to see by day or badness of sight by night and by day (L ;
D :; SN ).
For the identification, cf. SE : :, and Sa#adya on Gen
::
(And the people who were at the entrance of the house, young and old,
they were struck with blinding light, so that they were helpless to find
the entrance):
(S ); see as well SF :.
. 72 71
SPWG, Arab. "SPNGH, o.l. " SPWNG"
Hebrew SPWG, from Greek (LS ; KG : f.; LR ),

means ) a porous luxuriant growth, mushroom and ) sponge (JD
; LW :; SD ; KA : f.; BM ; KT :; LFa ; Low
69 : V
70 : P V
71 : O V
72 : O V
samekh
LXVII; PB ) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mMiqw

..
Arabic isfung or isfinga has the same meaning (D :; StS ).
above (MK :); the Arukh (KA :) states that SPWG is called
something similar in Greek, Latin and Arabic.
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. esponja or (e)sponga for
sponge (RL :b; FEW :a; CB ; DCVB :ab; DECLC
:a), derived from the Lat. SPONGIA or *SPONGA respectively.
According to FEW :b, a part of the Romance territory has forms
derived from *SPONGA besides those stemming form SPONGIA, which
has survived in the whole Gallo-Romance territory as well as in Northern
Italy. Still, according to FEW loc. cit., this form is most probably a
modification of SPONGIA under the influence of the Greek ,
in which the word preserved its gender (fem.), but lost the suffix -ia in
favour of the usual ending -a.
For the identification of Arab. isfung as O. Cat. esponga, cf. AdV ,
, .
In GHAT : we find the Romance (O. Cat.) " SPWNGH as a synonym
of Arab. "SPN" G.
. 75 74 73
SRYGYM, and it is written with Sin, Arab. QDB"N
.
Rabbinic Hebrew SRYG, plur. SRYGYM, means grate, lattice (JD ;

LW :; KA :, :; BM ; DAS :) and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in mOhol .. Its biblical counterpart , plur. ,
means tendrils of the grapevine (KB ) and features, for instance,
in Gen :.
Arabic qudban
. or qidban
. (cf. MS O), plural of qadb,
. means branches,
twigs, shoots, stalks (L ).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Gen :: (on
the vine were three branches): (S ); IJ , and
SID :.
73 : V
74 : om. V
75 : O V
shem tov, glossary
. 77 76
SNH, M.l. SYNYM, Arab. SN", o.l. S"N"
Hebrew SNH means prick, thorn, briar and also designates the plant
thorn bush, Rubus sanctus, Schreb.-Rubus discolor W. and N., and
features in the Bible (e.g. in Ex :) and in Rabbinic literature, e.g
mKil ., bShab a (KB ; JD ; KA :, :; BM ; AEY
:; DAS : f., :; FE ff.; FO ; KT :; LF :, :).
Hebrew SYNYM features in the Mishnah (Kel .) and is explained
by the Geonim as wood of SNH (EG ; cf. as well KA :; BM
).
Arabic sana designates the plant senna and its numerous species,
such as Cassia angustifolia VAHL or Cassia obovata COLL (D :;
L ; DT :; M ; DAS :; ID :, :).
(an angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire
out of a bush): (S ); see as
well WB . Ibn Janah. (IJ ) identifies SNH as: i,L/ (bramble),
and David b. Abraham al-Fas (SF :) as: (lycium). See as well
MCS :.
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. sene (a loan word
stemming from the Arabic word mentioned above) for Cassia officinalis,
a bush of the Levant, the leaves of which are purgative (DAO :;
for further documentation see PSW :b; FEW :b; CB , ;
DCVB :a; DECLC :b).
For the identification of Arab. sana as O. Cat. sene, cf. AdV , .
. 78
SYTNY,
. Arab. MPLQ
The term SYTNY

. could not be explained satisfactorily. According to
KA : and LW :, the term features in Tos. Yom Tov : as a
corruption of (= ; pearl-barley) (see as well KG : f.),
and, according to Lieberman, it is a metathesis of .79
76 : O
77 : om. P (cf. entry )
78 : (cf. entry ) add. P
79 S. Lieberman, Tosefta Mo#ed, New York , p. , l. .
samekh
Arabic mufallaq is a peach, and an apricot, and the like, that splits, or
cleaves, from its stone, and becomes dry (L ) or a sort of peach
(D :; LF :).
.
SYB, Arab. LYP
Hebrew SYB means fibrous substance, bast of the palm tree (JD ;
SD ; KA : f., :; BM f.; FE ; FEB ; KT :; LA
:) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mUqz ., bYom a.
Arabic lf is fibre, bast (D :; WKAS :; LA f.:).
For the identification, cf. Hananel
. on bYom a: (sic),
and Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned above (MK :).
. 81 80
SYBYY, Arab. LYPYY"
Hebrew SYBYY, from SYB (cf. Samekh no. ), means fibrous and is
attested in EM as modern. It was possibly coined by Shem Tov as a
translation of the Arabic lfyun.
Arabic lfyun has the same meaning (WKAS : f.) and Arabic
lfya designates a plant of uncertain identity, possibly a species of colo-
cynth (WKAS :).
. 83 82
SRTNYM,
. Arab. SR" TNYN,
. o.l. QMBRYS
Hebrew SRTN, . plur. SRTNYM

. means crab, Cancer (JD f.; LW
:, ; SD ; KA :, :; BM ; LZ ). The term features
in Rabbinic and medieval medical literature (for numerous references, cf.
BM f.).
Arabic SR" TNYN
. must probably be read sarat. n and is the plural form
of sarat. an crab, Cancer (L ; D :; BK ; JAD : ff.; StS ).
The term features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXII, : tBI
?
n) and is translated by N as: and by Z as:
.
80 : V
81 : V
82 : V
83 : V
shem tov, glossary
The vernacular term seems to be a non-documented variant *cambres

of the O. Occ. chambres for crayfish (FEW :ab), a derivation of
the Late Lat. cambarus. According to FEW (loc. cit.), in Gallo-Romance,
derivations of this Late Lat. form are only documented in Provence,
the Rhne Valley, and the surroundings of Lyon; in the rest of Gallo-
Romance, we only find derivations of the Lat. cammarus. It has to be
noted that the documented form chambres presents the palatalisation of
initial /ka-/, usual in the northern group of Occ. dialects, whereas the
form documented in our texts preserves the velar pronunciation and thus
belongs to the southern Occ. region (i.e., among others, Languedocian
around Toulouse and Provenal, east of the Rhne along the coast (POc
)). In Ibero-Romance, we only find derivations of Late Lat. camberus,
but with the sonorisation of the initial velar: gambre, gamba, gmbaro
(for all this, see FEW loc. cit.). The FEW also remarks that the meaning
(marine) crab was preserved at the coast, whereas further to the north,
that is, in the inland, the meaning changed to crayfish. This meaning
then extended to the south, i.e. the Occ. forms were imported from the
north, leading to the elimination of the more ancient derivates from Lat.
CANCER.
. 85 84
SYGLY, Arab. S#D", o.l. SYPRWM
Aramaic SYGL", plur. SYGLY, means ) violet and ) Cyperus, root

of the Cyperus rotundus (JD ; SDA ; KA :, :; FEB ;
LF :; LA :) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. bSanh b,
bShab b.
Arabic su#da or su#d means long galingale, Cyperus longus L. and Var.
(L f.; D :; DT :; M ; LF :).
For the identification of SYGLY as su#d, cf. LO Liqut. t. ei Geonim on bBer
b, p. : % . For the identification as su#da, cf. AT .
The vernacular term in the Paris and Vatican MSS is the Lat. cyperum
for root of a type of rush (NPRA ; ThLL :). The form cyperum
was also used in O. Occ. with the meaning sedge (DAO :; RPA ).
The variant in the Oxford MS could be read as the genitive singular of
this word, as well as O. Cat. ciperi, which existed alongside the form
iper (DCVB :a: Aygua de cocci de ciperi, i.e. water that results
84 : VP
85 : O
samekh
from boiling of ciperi, Caudiliach Coll., ll. , d. a, ), as O. Cat ciperii

(AdV ) or as O. Fr. cyperi for Cyperus longus (FEW :b).
For the identification of Arab. su#d or su#da and O. Cat. ciperii, cf.
AdV , ; see also GHAT :, where we find Arab. S#DY/ S#D"
identified as Romance SYPRYR.
. 86
SMDR SL HKRM, Arab. PQ" H . "LKRM
Hebrew SMDR SL HKRM means the blossom of the vine (for KRM
cf. KB ; JD ; KA : f., :; BM f.; DAS :; FE ;
KT :; LF :; for SMDR, cf. Samekh no. ). In the Bible both terms
feature as: (Song :).
Arabic fuqqah. al-karm has the same meaning (for karm see D :;
DT :; M ; for fuqqah,. cf. Samekh no. ).
For the identification of SMDR as fuqqah,
. cf. Samekh no. . For the
identification of KRM as karm, cf. Sa#adya on Is : (DS ).
. 87
SMRTW . T. QSH, Arab. DRQH KSNH
Hebrew SMRTW . T. QSH means a hard rag (for SMRTW . T. cf. JD ;

LW :; SDA (s.v. Aram. ); KA : f.; BM ; Low LXVII;
PB ). Hebrew SMRTW . T. features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mShab
., bShebi a.
The Arabic term is corrupt and should be read as hirqa hasina, which
means a rough rag or ragged, patched, garment (for hirqa
cf. L ).
For the identification of SMRTW
. T. as hirqa cf. the Geonic commentary
on Tohorot EG : (corr. Epstein) ) [ . . . ] .
Note that the Geonic text reads: just like OV.
86 : O V
87 : VO
AYIN
. 2 1
#YNBY HDS, these are its seeds, Arab. HB . "L RYH"N
.
Hebrew #YNBY HDS are berries of the myrtle, Myrtus communis L.

(for #YNB cf. KB ; JD ; LW : f.; KA :, : f.; BM ;
for HDS cf. KB ; JD ; KA :; BM ; AEY :; FE ;
FEB ; FM ; FO ff.; KT :; LA :; LF :; for the Aramaic
term for myrtle, cf. Alef no. ). The phrase features in Rabbinic literature,
e.g. yMaas III, d.
Arabic habb
. ar-rayhan
. means seeds or berries of the myrtle (L ;
D :; M ; DT :; ID :). Rayhan . originally meant any
odoriferous plant, and subsequently came to designate the myrtle in the
Maghreb and basil in the East (DT :).
For the identification of Hebrew HDS as Arabic rayhan, . cf. David b.
Abraham al-Fas on Esther : (SF :): (He was foster
father to Hadassah): , and al-Idrs (IJS :);
cf. Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ), where
) Do'AB
-
HB
K (basil(?) which is the same as ar-rayhan
. al-qaranful) is translated
by Z as: . For the identification of
Hebrew HDS as Arabic as, cf. Alef no. .
. 4 3
#DS HMYM, Arab. T. HLB,
. o.l. LYNTYLY"SH
.
Hebrew #DS HMYM designates duck weed, Lemna L. (BM : #DSY

HMYM (cf. V); AEY :: #DST HMYM). The term also features as
in the Sefer Zedat
. ha-derakhim, i.e. Moses Ibn Tibbons Hebrew
translation of Ibn al-Jazzars Zad al-musafir, which Moses Ibn Tibbon
completed in the year .5 Subsequently we find the term in the Sefer
1 : VO
2 : O
3 : V
4 : O V
5Cf. Ibn al-Jazzar on Skin Diseases and Other Afflictions of the Outer Part of the Body.
A New Parallel Arabic-English translation of Bk. chs. with a Critical Edition of
shem tov, glossary
Magen Avot written by Simeon Ben Zema . h. Duran ():

(#DSY HMYM is called at. -
t. uhlub
. and it is conferva, Chaetomorpha linum) (Jacob :; following
BM ) (cf. mShab .; AEY :; LF :, :).
Arabic t. uhlub
. designates the plant Lemna minor L. and Var., water
lentil (L ; D :; DT :; M ; ID :; LA ff.:), and
is also called adas al-ma (cf. DT :). The Arabic term features in
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (IX, ; XXI, ; XXV, ; cf. BMMb
) where it is translated as: / by N and as: /
by Z.
The vernacular terms have to be interpreted as augmentative forms
of the O. Occ. lentil(h)a/lentilla and/or O. Cat. l(l)entilla for lentil
(DAO :s.; RL :b; CB , among others; RMA ; RM ;
DCVB :a; DECLC :b). Such forms are documented for the
modern stages of the languages in question: Occ. lentillasso (in an Occ.
variety in the Piemontese Alpes, FEW :b), which should have been
*lentilhassa in O. Occ.; Cat. llentillassa (besides llentillarra and llentil-
latxa, see DCVB :b). It remains unclear in the dictionaries if the
meaning is indeed water lentil, as has to be supposed on the basis of
the Arabic and Hebrew synonyms. For O. Occ., only the name lentilla
(Lemna minor L., DAO :) appears to have been the form known for
this plant up until now. The Romance names for the water lentil usu-
ally more or less follow the model of the Med. Lat. lenticula aque (e.g. Fr.
lentille deau), probably taken from the Arabic term mentioned above (see
Sin b), cf. also Mod. Occ. lentilho daigua (DAO, loc. cit.), Mod. Cat.
llentilla daigua (DCVB :a). Note that the Latin term as well as O. Sp.
lantejuela del agua (Sin b; DETEMA :c) are diminutive forms, so
that, for the word in question here, it seems strange at first glance that an
augmentative form should have been used to designate this plant; but it
has to be considered that [t]he suffix [i.e. -AS and -ASA < Lat. -ACEUS,
-ACEA] gave an idea of quantity to the simple word, or greatness in size
[ . . . ] (WfP ).
Moses Ibn Tibbons Medieval Hebrew Translation by G. Bos and a study of the Romance
terminology by Guido Mensching and Julia Zwink (forthcoming).
ayin
. 7 6
#RMWNYM, Arab. QSTL, . o.l. QSTNY"
. S
Hebrew #RMWN, plur. #RMWNYM, means plane tree, Platanus orien-

talis L. (KB ; JD ; LW : f.; KA :; BM ; AEY :,
:; DAS :; FE n. ; FEB ff.; FO ; LA :; LF :;
M ), and features in the Bible (Gen :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g.
in bBB a. In the Rabbinic tradition, #RMWN was also called DWLB (cf.
FEB ff.). In the Middle Ages, Rashi mistakenly identified #RMWN/
DWLB as: chestnut (following FEB ).8
Arabic qast. al or qast. aniya means chestnut (D :; DT :; M ;
ID :).
For the identification of #RMWN as qast. al, cf. SID : on Gen
:: . . , and Maimonides Medical Apho-
risms (XX, ; XXI, ), where 0M is translated by N as: /
and by Z as: / (QSTNGY).
. For the identification of #RMWN
as dulb, cf. IJ , SF : and Sa#adya on Gen : (S ).
The meaning chestnut is confirmed by the vernacular term, which
is the plural of O. Occ. casta(i)nha or O. Cat. castanya for chestnut
(DAO :; RL :a; FEW :a; CB , , , ; DCVB
:b; DECLC :b).
. 9
#NB HSW#L, Arab. #NB "LT#LB, o.l. MWRYLH
Hebrew #NB HSW#L means common/black nightshade, Solanum ni-

grum L. (SDA , Aram.: / ; BM ; AEY :;
LA f.:; LF : f.) and features in the Aramaic form YNBY T"L
in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bGit a.
Arabic #inab at-ta#lab designates the same plant (L ; D :;
DT :; M ;ID :; LA :; LF : f.), and features in
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ), where it is translated by N
as: and by Z as: .
6 : O V
7 : O V
8 Lw (LF :), however, remarks that the faulty identification already occurred in
the early Rabbinic tradition.

9 : O V
shem tov, glossary
For the identification of the Aramaic YNBY T#L as the Arabic #inab
at-ta#lab, cf. LO Teshuvot on bGit a, p. : ,

.
maurel(h)a or maurella for Solanum nigrum L. (DAO :; RL :b;
PSW :a; FEW :a; CB , , , , ; RPA ;
RMM , ). The form in the Paris MS with only one Waw in the
first syllable could also be read as the O. Cat. more(l)la, a form which also
existed as a variant in O. Occ. and shows the result of monophthongation
(DECLC :b; DCVB :a; AdV ; FEW loc. cit.; PSW loc. cit.;
RL :b; DAO loc. cit.; CB , among others).
For the identification of Arab. #inab at-ta#lab as O. Cat. morela cf.
AdV , ; see also GHAT, where we find a Romance synonym for
the same Arab. term spelt as in MS V (GHAT :).
. 10
#RWD, Arab. HM"R
. "LWH . S
Hebrew #RWD means wild ass, Equus heminous onager (KB ; JD

; LW :; SDA , Aram. ; KA :; BM ; BAL ;
BH index, s.v.; DAS :; FAB ; KT :; LZ ) and features in the
Bible (Job :) and in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mKil ..
Arabic himar
. al-wahs
. designates the same animal (L ; DAS :;
JAD : ff.; KSZ :).
For the identification, cf. IJ ; SID : and Maimonides on
mKil . (MK :). See as well MCS :.
. 12 11
#KBYWT, Arab. KRSP, o.l. QRDW, this is the DRDR, which features in
the Torah
Hebrew #KBYT, plur. #KBYWT, means a species of edible thistles, car-

doon, Cynara Cardunculus L. or Cynara Syriaca Boiss. (JD ; LW
:; KA :, :; AEY : s.v. ; FEB ; KT :
n. ; LA ff.:; LF : ff.) or Gundelia Tournefortii (DAS :;
10 : O V
11 : O
12 : O, om. V
ayin
FM ; LF :; cf. Qof no. ). The term features in Rabbinic literature,

e.g. mUqz ..
Hebrew DRDR means thistle, artichoke (KB ; JD ), features
in the Bible in Gen : and is explained in Genesis Rabbah as #KBYWT
(cf. Gen.R. :; ed. Mirkin, p. ); and IJ : pF
{) )
5[2 ?
? .
Arabic harsaf,
. harsaf, hursuf, or hursuf means artichoke, Cynara

Scolymus L., or cardoon, Cynara cardunculus
L. (D :; DT :;
M ; DAS :; ID :; LA :; LF : ff.). Arabic pF
]
features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ) as well and is
translated by N as: (QRDWN) and by Z as: (QRDY).
For the identification of #KBYWT as harsaf,
. cf. the Geonic commen-
tary on Tohorot: (EG ): ( =) [ ], and Maimonides
on mUqz . (MK :): (the Andalusians call
it "LKRSP).
The vernacular terms correspond to the meaning thistle. The form in
the Paris and Vatican MSS is either the Lat. cardo (NPRA ) or the
O. Occ. or O. Cat. card for thistle (DAO :; RL :b; DCVB
:ba; DECLC :a), from the Lat. CARDONE(M) (derived
from cardu(u)s, see Ayin ). In Cat., the form card only exists in the
extreme north of what is Spanish Catalonia today and in the Roussillon
(see DECLC loc. cit.). The variant in the Oxford MS is the O. Occ.
cardo(u)n with the same meaning (DAO loc. cit.; RPA , ). It might
well be that the O. Occ. and O. Cat. word also had the meaning artichoke
suggested by the Hebrew and Arabic synonyms, cf. O. Occ. cardon petit,
indicated as a variety of artichoke in DAO :, or M. and Mod. Fr.
cardon artichoke (FEW :a). Also cf. the next entry.
. 14 13
#WLSYN, Arab. HNDB", o.l. QRDYLS
Hebrew #WLSYN means endive, Cichorium intibus L. (JD ; LW

:; KA :, : f.; BM ; AEY :; DAS :; FM ;
FZ f.; KT :; LA f.:; LF : ff.) and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in mShebi ..
Arabic hindaba" or hindiba" means chicory, endive, and designates
several species of Chicoraceae, such as Cichorium intibus L. and Var. and
13 : O
14 : VO
shem tov, glossary
Cichorium endivia L. and Var. (D :; DT :; M ; DAS :,

, ; ID :; LA :; LF :). The term hindiba" is the
Arabic form of the Syriac ant. ubiya (BLS ), derived from the Greek
name (LS ). The Arabic term also features in Maimonides
On Asthma (XII,) and is transcribed by Joshua Shatibi as: and
translated by Samuel Benveniste as: (cf. BMA ).
the Mishnah mentioned above (MK :).
The vernacular term in the Paris MS might be read as the plural of a
non-documented O. Occ. *cardel(h) or O. Cat. *cardell, diminutive forms
of the word *card (from the Lat. cardus thistle) documented only in
O. Cat. (DECLC :b). The form cardell exists in Mod. Cat., at least
as a dialectal variant (see below). The variants in the Oxford und Vatican
MSS seem to be the plural of a feminine form *cardel(h)a/*cardella, a
derivation of an O. Occ./O. Cat. *carda (< Lat. *carda; see FEW :).
Von Wartburg points out that many of the plant names derived from the
Lat. cardus or *carda had edible kinds of leaves, so that they used to be
collected in the south from early times onwards (cf. FEW loc. cit.). Thus,
the M. and Mod. French carde could designate, for example, the edible
part of the cardoon/the artichoke or the edible part of the (Swiss) chard
(cf. FEW :). In Majorquin, the form cardell designates the shoot
or the twig that grows from the stem of the cardatxa (DCVB :b),
i.e. Dipsacus silvestris (cf. DECLC :b). It cannot be ascertained
whether the words that we have been discussing were used to designate
endive plants, as indicated by the Hebrew and Arabic terms; usually other
terms were used for this type of plant, e.g. sicoreia (DAO :), endivia
(DECLC :b).
. 16 15
#WLSY SDH, Arab. HNDB" BRY, o.l. QRDYLS SLW" GYS
Hebrew means field endive, wild chicory (JD ; LW :;

KA :, : f.), Cichorium divaricatum Schusb. (AEY :; LA
f.:) or Cichorium pumilum (FM ) or Cichorium intybus L.
(LF : f.) and features in Rabbinic literature, eg. in mKil ..
Arabic hindaba" barr is wild chicory (M ; DT :; ID :).
15 : VO
16 : O V
ayin
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya (SAM :). In his commentary

on mKil ., Maimonides explains the Hebrew term as follows: ,
(MK :).
The vernacular term in the Paris MS is a compound expression,
*cardel(h)s salvajes, parallel to the Hebrew and Arabic terms. The variants
in the Oxford and Vatican MSS seem to be the plural of the feminine
form *cardel(h)a salvaja. Both appear to designate the wild variant of
the plant mentioned in the entry Ayin , where we give an explanation
about *cardel(h)/*cardel(h)a. For the adjective salvaje, salvaja wild, see
the entries Alef and Qof .
. 18 17
#SYS H#NBYM, Arab. MYBKTG, o.l. S"P"
Hebrew #SYS H#NBYM means must, young grape wine (for #SYS cf.
KB : grape juice; JD ; KA :; BM f.; DAS :).
Hebrew #SYS features in the Bible (e.g. Is : or Am :) and in
Rabbinic literature, e.g. Targ. Es ,), while #NBYM features in the Bible
(Amos :) and Rabbinic literature (e.g. in bPes a) as well. However,
we could not find another example of the combination #SYS #NBYM. In
the Bible, we find both terms separately in Am ::

(A time is comingdeclares the LORDwhen the plowman
shall meet the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who holds the [bag
of] seed; when the mountain shall drip wine and all the hills shall wave
[with grain]).
Arabic maybahtag or maybuhtag means concentrated must or grape

juice and is an Arabicised form of the Persian may puhtah (VL :)
meaning cooked must (D :; M ; FAQ f.; cf. as well Mai-
monides Medical Aphorisms XXIII, ).
The term #SYS is translated by Sa#adya in Is : as rubb rob,
thickened juice, and by SID : as: .
The vernacular term is the Lat. sapa, which was used as a learned loan
word in O. Occ. and other Romance languages, meaning eingekochter
most (der zum trinken oder zum verstrken des weines gebraucht wird)
(i.e., must which has been boiled down (used for drinking or making
wine stronger), FEW :aa). For Lat., see: e[t] ssapa fit de musco
17 : V
18 : VO
shem tov, glossary
cocto et cum cotaniis integris et cum ficubus passis et datilis et ramis

iuniperi de eneldo et de feniculo et de apio et debet qoquere usque
ad tertiam partem (Sin :). For O. Occ., see: sapa fagha de
vendimias cuegh a la terssa part (i.e., sapa, boil down the grapes to
one third; RPA ). Cf. also a similar passage taken from the Alphita
in Sin :. In O. Occ. (thth century) and in O. Cat. (first
documentation in ), the more frequent form is saba which, as a
heriditary word, has undergone Western Romance lenition (FEW :;
DECLC :).
For the identification of maybahtag/maybuhtag as the Lat. (or Ro-
mance loan word) S"P", cf. the firstterm in the Latin column of GHAT
:.
. 20 19
GLH SL QN, o.l. QRYTH
.
Hebrew GLH SL QN is unclear. It literally means wagon made of reed

(KB , ; JD , ; BM , ); alternatively, one might
read the term QN" as QN"H or QYN"H from Arabic or S to forge
iron (cf. KA : s.v. ). GLH SL QN would thus mean: a wagon
made from iron.
The vernacular term perfectly corresponds to the Hebrew #GLH, repre-
senting the O. Occ. or O. Cat. carreta for cart, wagon (RL :b; FEW
:a; DCVB :b).
. 23 22 21
#RQBLYN, Arab. QRS. #NH, o.l. "YRYNGYS or P"NYQ"LD
Hebrew #RQBLYN, a variant for #RQBNYN or #QRBNYN, probably refers

to a scorpion-tailed plant, i.e. one of the heliotropes, Heliotropium L.
(KA :, :; LW :, ; DAS :; AEY : ( );
FM ; FZ f.) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mErub .. The
term #RQBLYN is interpreted in bErub b as ()
prickly creepers on palm trees, palm ivy (JD ; KA : f.) and by
19 : O V
20 : VK P VO
21 : O V
22 : VO
23 : O V
ayin
R. Hai Gaon as a very thick plant with heads like needles, ATWN . in
Arabic (LO Perushim on bErub b, p. ; LA :; LF :).
Arabic qirs. a#na, from Syriac and Aramaic qers. a#anna respectively (cf.
BLS and LA : f.), means eryngium, Eryngium campestre L.
and Var. (DT :; M ; DAS :, ; ID :; KZ ; LA f.:;
LF : f.). The term features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI,
; XXII, ) and is transcribed by N as: and by Z as: .
In his commentary on mShebi ., Maimonides translates #QRBNYN
as: (MK :; cf. LA :; for Arabic #uqruban, cf. Nun
no. above).
The first vernacular synonym mentioned in this entry seems to corre-
spond to something like *yringis, *eringes related to the Lat. eryngium (cf.
NPRA ), which appears in M. Lat. as iringus (see Sin b: yringus); the
genitive singular iringi is used as a lemma in the Alphita (Sin , n. ),
cf. also the spelling yringi in Sin :. The same fossilised genitive
form, yringi, is used in an O. Occ. text (see RPA ). Alternatively, it
could be the plural of the O. Fr. iringe (see FEW :b).
The second vernacular synonym given in the Vatican MS is the O. Occ.
panic(h)aut or O. Cat. panicau(t) for Eryngium campestre (RMM ;
CB , [here we also find the identification of panicaut as the Lat.
yringo]; DAO :; DECLC :a). The second vernacular synonym
given in the Paris and Oxford MSS seems to correspond to the O. Cat.
variant panical(t) (DECLC :b; DCVB :a; for the problem of the
graphical representation of word final devoiced obstruents in O. Cat. see
the introduction of this edition).
For the identification of Arab. qirs. a#na as O. Cat. PNYQ"LT,. which is
panicalt, cf. GHAT :.
.
#R#R, Arab. KRSP or KNGR, o.l. QRDW
Hebrew #R#R means juniper, Juniperus oxycedrus and Juniperus phoe-

nicea (KB ; BM ; AEY :; FEB ff.; FO f.; FZ ;
LF : f., ) and features in the Bible (e.g. in Jer :) and Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in Tosefta Ketub :.
Arabic harsaf means artichoke, Cynara Scolymus L., or cardoon,

Cynara cardunculus L. (cf. Ayin no. and Qof no. ).
Persian kangar means artichoke (VL :; D :) and also fea-
tures in Arabic as kankar, artichoke, Cynara scolymus L. (WKAS :;
M ; DT :).
shem tov, glossary
For the identification of Hebrew #R#R as Arabic and Persian kangar

respectively, cf. RJ . The identification of Hebrew #R#R as Arabic harsaf
is probably based on the translation of with in the Targum
on Jer :, which was, in turn, identified as harsaf (cf. Ayin no. )
(cf. RJ and LF :). Cf. AT , f.:
( is , and
it is called kangar and it is [also] called r#r [which is translated in the]
Targum [of the verse] (Jer :) as: ). See as well
IJ .
For the vernacular term cardo see the entry Ayin no. .
. 24
#WZRDYN, Arab. Z#RWR, o.l. SWRBS
Hebrew #WZRDYN or #WZRRYN is the plural form of #WZRD or #WZRR

meaning medlar; hawthorn; crab apple; sorb apple; azarole, Crataegus
azarolus L., or Mespilus Azarolus All. (JD ; LW :; KA :,
:; BM ; AEY :; DAS :, ; FM ; FZ ff.; LA
f.:; LF :) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKil
..
Arabic zu#rur means medlar; azarole (L ; D :; DT :;
M ; DAS :, ; ID :; LA :; LF :). The term features
in medieval medical literature, for instance, in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (XXI, ) and is transcribed by N as: and translated by
Z as: (SWRBY), and in Maimonides On Asthma (III, ), where it
is translated by Samuel Benveniste and Joshua Shatibi as: /
and transcribed as: by the anonymous translator (cf. BMA ).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya (SAM f.:), see as well Mai-
monides on the Mishnah mentioned above (MK :).
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. plural form sorbas (RMA ;
PSW :a; DAO :), which is Sorbus domestica L. It does not
seem to be O. Cat., because in O. Cat. we could only find forms such as
cerbes, sserbes or the like (see DECLC :b ff.); see also the Romance
(O. Cat.) term SYRWYS which features as the synonym for Arab. zu#rur
(in Magdalena Nom de Dus edition Z#RWD) in GHAT :.
24 : VO
ayin
. 26 25
#S. Y QTP,
. Arab. #WD BLS"N, o.l. SYLW BLSMY
Hebrew #S. Y QTP. means balsam tree, Commiphora opobalsamum (cf.

Gimmel no. above, Qof no. below).
Arabic #ud balasan designates the same plant (cf. Gimmel no. above,
Qof no. and Shin no. below).
For the identification of QTP
. as balasan, cf. Gimmel no. above.
The vernacular term corresponds to the Lat. xylobalsamum wood of
the balsam tree (NPRA , transcription of , wood of
Commiphora opobalsamum Endl.) in the genitive case in MS P. Cf. the
Lat. form in SinB : xilobalsamum lignum balsami et huiusmodi. The
variant given in MS P is documented as xilobalsami in an O. Occ. text
from the th century (RPA ); see also the transcription into Hebrew
as SYLW B"LSMY (PJP ). In O. Cat. we find the form xiloblsam,
documented for the first time in (DCVB :b; DECLC :b),
which is not reflected in our text. The variant in MS V most probably
corresponds to xilobalsamum, where the -M is not spelt out.
. 29 28 27
#TRN,
. Arab. QTR"N,
. o.l. "LQTR"
.
Hebrew #TRN
. is a sort of resin, tar (JD ; LW :; SDA : Aram.
; KA :, :; DAS :; FEB ; KT :; LF :) and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mShab ., bShab b.
Arabic qat. ran or qit. ran means tar or liquid pitch, that has been
obtained by distilling the wood of different Coniferaceae (L ; D
:; DT :; M ; DAS :) and features, for instance, in Mai-
monides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ), where it is transcribed by N as:
and by Z as: .
above (MK :).
The vernacular term is the O. Cat. alquitr for substncia resinosa de
color nerenc o vermell (i.e., resinous substance of blackish or red colour)
25 : M P
26 : V
27 : O
28 : O
29 : O
shem tov, glossary
(DCVB :a), documented for the first time in (DECLC :b).

In O. Occ., we only find the spelling with final n, a form which also
existed in O. Cat.: alquitran for tar (RMM ; RL :ab; DAO :;
DCVB :b; FEW :ab). In addition to this, we also find (in
both languages) forms without the agglutinated Arabic article, such as
quitra(n) (FEW loc. cit.; DAO loc. cit.; DECLC loc. cit.).
For the identification of Arab. qat. ran or qit. ran as O. Cat. alquitr cf.
GHAT :, where we find the O. Cat. term in the Latin column
transcribed as "LQYTR".
.
. 31 30
#RBH, Arab. GRB or S. PS. "P, o.l. SLZY
Hebrew #RBH features in the Bible (e.g. Lev :, Is :) and Rabbinic

literature, e.g. mSuk ., bSuk a, and designates willow (KB ;
JD ; LW :; SD ; SDA : Aram. ; KA :; BM ;
AEY :; DAS : n. , ; FEB ff.; FM ; FZ ff.;
KT :; LF : ff.; M ).
Arabic garab means ) in general willow, and particularly the species
Salix babylonica L. (L ; D :; DT :; M ; DAS :, n. ,
; :) or ) poplar, Populus Euphratica Oliv. (FEB ; LA :;
LF :).
Arabic s. afs. af designates the plant Salix safsaf Forsk. (D :; DT :;
M ; DAS :; :, , ; FEB ; LA :; LF : f.).
(and they shall sprout like grass, like willows by watercourses):
(DS ), and Ibn Janah. on
Lev : Z*H* ) 5
l (IJ ). Cf. as well MCS :
and WB .
The vernacular term in the Vatican MS seems to represent the O. Cat.
sal(t)ze for Salix, documented for the first time in (DECLC :a).
The variant given in the Oxford MS may represent the same O. Cat.
lexeme (for the representation of the voiced /z/ by the Hebrew letter
Dalet, also see the entries Alef and Gimmel and the introduction to
this edition). In O. Occ., we only find the forms sautz, sauze or sause with
a shift of the syllable final liquid to a velar off glide /u/ after back vowels,
a phenomenon which is common in Gallo-Romance (FEW :b;
30 : O
31 : O P
ayin
DAO :; RL :ab; CB , , , , ; RMM ).

The spelling with Waw in the Paris MS seems to be corrupt.
Cf. GHAT : for the identification of Arab. s. afs. af (without Alef
in the Hebrew transcription) as the O. Cat. sal(t)ze transcribed as S"LZY.
. 34 33 32
#TLP,
. Arab. PR" SH or KWP" S, o.l. R" TH
. PYN"DH
Hebrew #TLP
. means bat, Chiroptera (KB ; JD ; LW :, f.;
KA :; BM ; BAL ff.; BH index, s.v.; FAB ; Low LXVIII:
mole; LZ ff.) and features in the Bible (Lev :; Is :) and
Rabbinic literature, e.g. bSanh b.
Arabic farasa means moth (L ; D :; JAD : ff.; StS )
and Arabic huffas means bat (L ; BK f.; JAD : ff.; StS f.).
features as: YH{ 7W (brain of a bat) in Maimonides
The latter term
Medical Aphorisms (XXII, ), where it is translated by N as: .
For the identification as huffas, cf. Sa#adya on Lev :

(the stork; herons of every variety;
the hoopoe, and the bat):
(S ), and IJ ; see as well SF :: (= ).
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. rat(t)a pen(n)ada for
bat (RMA ; CB , , ; RMA ; DCVB :a; RL :b;
DECLC :a; FEW :a).
. 36 35
#NYBH, Arab. "NSWTH, . o.l. LS
Hebrew #NYBH means fastening with a loop, necktie (JD ; LW

:; SD (Aram.); KA :, s.v. ; BM ) and features
in Rabbinic literature, e.g. bShab a in a Halakhic discussion about
different kinds of knots and whether they fall under the category of
labour with regard to the Sabbath.
Arabic unsut. a designates a knot tied with a bow, or with a double bow,
so as to form a kind of slip-knot (L ; D :). For the identification,
32 : V
33 : O V
34 : O V
35 : VO
36 : VO
shem tov, glossary
cf. ShM ff.: [ . . . ]

( a knot and the other half is called [for as a possible
variant reading of unsut. a, cf. D :, s.v. IF] and it is called ).
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. lac, laz, latz or the O. Cat. lla for
loop (RMA ; FEW :a; RL :b; DECLC :b). Note that the
palatalization of word initial liquidswhich is frequent in O. Cat. and
one of the main features used to distinguish between O. Occ. and O. Cat.
varietiescould hardly be represented by the Hebrew spelling (see the
introduction).
.
#S. YS. , Arab. QS. RYH
Hebrew #S. YS. means a common earthen vessel, especially a flower pot
(JD ; LW :, ; SD ; SDA f. s.v. : a type of pot;
KA :, :; BM ; BKH f.; DAS :; FH f., , ,
; KT :) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mKet ., bGit a.
Arabic qas. riyya is an earthen vase for plants, a flower pot, a chamber
pot (D :).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya (SAM :): [ ]
( =) (cf. SAM :), LO Perushim on bGit b,
p. . According to the Arukh (KA :), the Arabic equivalent is
(= V,3&). Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned (MK :) remarks
that it is a dirty earthen vessel ( ).
. 37
#KSWB, Arab. RTYL"
The meaning of Hebrew #KSWB is uncertain. It can mean a species of

spider, tarantula (JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ; FAB ;
LFa f.; LZ ) or horned viper or adder, Cerastes cornutus (KB ;
BAL ; LFa f.) and features in the Bible (Ps :) and Rabbinic
literature, e.g. Tos. Par. IX, .
Arabic rutayla designates the spider species phalangium or tarantula
(L ; D :; DT :; JAD : f. s.v. rutayla; StS ).
(ST ):
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Ps :
(They sharpen their tongues like serpents;
37 : V
ayin
spiders poison is on their lips):

, and IJ ; see as well Jephet Ben #Eli on the same
Psalm. 38
. 39
#KBYS, Arab. #NKBWT
Hebrew #KBYS means spider (KB ; JD ; KA :; BM f.;

BH index s.v.; FAB ; LZ ) and features in the Bible (Is :, Job :).
Arabic #ankabut means spider (L ; BH , ; JAD : ff.;
KSZ f.:; StS f.) or a spider-web (D :).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Job ::
(Whose confidence is a thread of gossamer, whose trust is a spiders
web): , (SJ ); IJ . See
as well MCS :.
. 40
#RQWB, Arab. #RQWB
Hebrew #RQWB, also spelt #RKB, means hough, ham, the inner part of
the knee or the inner angle of the joint which unites the thigh and
the leg of an animal (JD ; LW :; SDA : Aram. ;
KA : f., :; BM f.) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g.
mBekh ., bBekh a.
Arabic #urqub is the tendo Achillis, the heel tendon or the hock
tendon (L ; DKT ; FAL :; HA ).
For the identification, cf. the Arukh (KA :) on mTam .:
([He did not use to break the leg], but he made a hole
in it at the joint, and suspended it from there): (The
calf of the leg is called #urqub in Arabic).
38 Kitab al-zabur. Libri Psalmorum David Regis et Prophetae. Versio R. Yapheth ben
Heli Bassorensi Karait, auctore decimi seculi, arabic concinnita. Ed. by J.J.L. Bargs,
Paris , p. .
39 : V
40 : e P
shem tov, glossary
. 41
#WRQYM, Arab. DL .
Hebrew #WRQYM features in the Bible, namely in Job : as:

in the sense of (my pains) gnaw away (cf. KB f.), but
was subsequently interpreted as referring to nerves (KB ibid.), or to
vessels (cf. Dunash Ben Labrat, Teshuvot, s.v. :
).42 In medieval literature, the term #WRQ features in the
sense of vein; artery (BM f., Low LXVIII; PB ) after Arabic

/, but also in the sense of muscle (KTP :) after Arabic 0J/ (cf.
Efros, Philosophical Terms, p. ).
Arabic #adal
. means muscles (L ; DKT , , ; FAL :).
For the identification of #WRQ as #adal,
. cf. Samuel Ibn Tibbons He-
brew translation of Maimonides Dalalat al-ha"irn
. (Guide of the Per-
43
plexed) :. For the identification of Hebrew as Arabic ,
see MCS :.
. 44
#GWR, Arab. KRKY
Hebrew #GWR means crane, Grus grus (KB ; BM f.; BH s.v.

index; FAB ; LZ ) and features in the Bible, e.g. in Is :.
Arabic kurk designates the same bird (WKAS :; BK ; KSZ
:; f.:; StS f.).
(I piped like a swift or a swallow, I moaned like a dove):
(DS ; RT ). In his explanation
of Jer :: (And the turtle dove, swift and crane) Ibn
Janah. (IJ f.) wrongly translates as: ZM{ @) ,B%, following the
Targum: (which swaps around the swift and the
crane).
41 : VO
42 Teshuvot de Dunash Ben Labrat. Critical edition with Spanish translation by A.
Senz-Badillos, Granada , pp. ; see as well Efros, Philosophical Terms, p. :
muscle is, according to Dunash, classical Hebrew and Rashi on Job . accepts
this view (note Louis Ginzberg).
43 Dalalat al-ha"irn. Arabic text established by S. Munk and edited with variant
.
readings by I. Joel, Jerusalem , p. , l. ; Hebrew translation by Samuel Ibn
Tibbon (Moreh Nevukhim), ed. Ibn Shmuel, Jerusalem , p. .
44 : (cf. no. ) V
ayin
. 46 45
#NWH, Arab. GRZH
Hebrew #NWH or #NBH means stalk of grapes; crop and features in

Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mPeah . (JD ; LW :; SD ;
SDA : Aram. ; KA :; BM ; FH , n. , ; KT
:).
Arabic gurza means sheaf; bundle (L ; D :).
Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned explains the term #NWH as:
(answer) and the variant #NBH as: (grain) (MK :).
. 47
#RLT HGRWN, Arab. LH"H, o.l. LBL"
Hebrew #RLT HGRWN means uvula (KA :, s.v. ; BM )

and features in medieval literature, for instance, in R. Hananels
. explana-
tion of the term (cf. JD ; SDA ; LO Perushim on bShab
a, p. ). This term features in a Halakhic discussion in bShab a
concerning the question, whether one may cause a newborn baby to
vomit by putting its finger into its mouth on the Sabbath, or whether this
is to be considered as equal to the administration of an emetic, which is
forbidden on the Sabbath.
Arabic lahat has the same meaning (D :; WKAS : ff.; DKT
, ; FAL :) and features, for instance, in Maimonides Med-
ical Aphorisms (III, ; cf. BMMa ) and is translated by Z as:
("WBWL") and transcribed by N as: .
The vernacular term in the Paris and Oxford MSS is the O. Occ.
leula uvula, documented for the first time in th century Provence
(FEW :ab). The variant given in the Vatican MS might be read
as something like O. Occ. *liuoleta, *libuleta, *liboleta or similar, since, in
Mod. Occ., we find the form liboureto and, in Provenal, niouletto with
the same meaning (see FEW loc. cit.; note that the shift from liquid to
vibrant and vice versa is a very frequent type of variation in Romance).
Cf. the Hebrew fragment of Macer Floridus, where we find the form
LW" T",
. interpreted as the O. Occ. lueta, as another variant meaning uvula
(MF , ).
45 : om. V
46 : cf. no. V
47 : O V
shem tov, glossary
. 49 48
RQ, Arab. #LQH, o.l. "YRWG"
Aramaic RQ means leech, Hirudo medicinalis, and features, in addi-

tion to various synonym forms such as #LWQH, #LQH, LQ, LQT, in Rab-
binic literature, e.g. bBekh b, bAZ b (KB ; JD ; LW :;
SDA ; KA :; :; BM ; BH s.v. index; LZ ).
Arabic #alaqa has the same meaning (L ; D :; JAD :;
StS ; cf. as well Nun no. ).
For the identification, cf. EG n. and KA :.
The vernacular term is the singular of the form in entry Nun .
.
#PRY, Arab. "GBR
Hebrew #PRY means dusty, dirty, earth-like (BM ; EM ; KTP

:) and features in medieval literature, for instance, in Bahya. Ibn
Paqudas On the Duties of the Heart, Hebrew translation: Judah Ibn Tib-
bon, Sefer Hovot
. ha-Levavot, as for Arabic: .50
Arabic agbar means dust-coloured (L ; cf. as well Tet
. no. ).
. 52 51
#RWGWT, Arab. " HW". D. "LBS"TYN "LDY YZR# PYH"
Hebrew #RWGH, plur. #RWGWT, means planting area; garden bed

(KB ; JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM f.; DAS :,
, ; FH , ; KT :, ). The term features in the Bible
(e.g. in Ez :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKil ..
Arabic ahwa
. d. al-basatn allad yuzra#u fha means garden beds in
which someone grows [vegetables] (for ahwad see L ).
. .
For the identification of Hebrew #RWGWT as Arabic ahwa . d,. cf. Mai-
monides on the Mishnah cited above:
, ([if] you make square garden beds to
grow vegetables in them, they are called #RWGWT) (MK :).
48 : VO
49 : O V
50 Ed. A. Zifroni, Jerusalem , p. .
51 : V, om. O
52 : VO
ayin
. 54 53
#LY "YLN HHLTYT,
. Arab. "NGD"N, o.l. PWLY D" S" PYTYD".
Hebrew #LY "YLN HHLTYT . designates the leaves of the plant Ferula
asafoetida L., asafedita fennel (for HLTYT. see. Het
. no. above) and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in Tos. AZ . as:
(one may only take drops of
asafoetida from a specialist [as they are poisonous] but its leaves may be
taken from anywhere).55
Arabic angudan or angudan is Ferula asafoetida and, according to
Maimonides Glossary of Drug Names, the leaves of asafetida (cf. He
above).
For the identification of HLTYT . as angudan, cf. Maimonides on
mTevul . (MK :): ; see
as well EG .
The vernacular term in the Vatican MS is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. folh/full
das(s)afetida, literally leaf of asafetida. The variant PYYWL" given in the
Oxford MS clearly shows a diphthong in the first syllable and must be
read as O. Occ. fuelha/fue(i)lla/foilla (RL :b; DAO :). For
further comments on folh/fulh and as(s)afetida (including the variant in
MS P), see He and Het . .
For the identification of Arab. angudan or angudan as the Romance
term " S" PTYD" (to be found in the Latin column), cf. GHAT :.
.
. 56
#WWT HPH, Arab. LQWH
Hebrew #WWT HPH means facial paresis and features in medieval

literature, namely in Shabbetai Donnolos Sefer Hakhmoni
. (following
BM ).
Arabic laqwa means paralysis of the facial nerve, facial paresis, paral-
ysis of one side of the face, crooked mouth (WKAS : ff.; SN )
and features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XX, )
and is translated by Z as: and transcribed by N as: (cf. as
53 : O
54 : O P
55 Ed. M.S. Zuckermandel, repr. Jerusalem , p. .
56 : V
shem tov, glossary
well for further references KZ ). In Book of the Sefer ha-Shimmush

(MS Paris BN hb. , fol. a), Shem Tov uses the unattested
as a translation of the Arabic laqwa.
. 57
#RYS, i.e. "L#RYS and that is a vine climbing against a wall or a [wooden
frame]
Hebrew #RYS means arbour, espalier and features in Rabbinic literature,

e.g. in mPeah . and mKil . (JD ; LW :; KA :; BM ;
KT :).
Arabic #ars means trellis of a grape vine; structure made for a grape
vine of sticks or pieces of wood in the form of a roof, upon which are put
the branches or shoots of the vine; structure made for grape vine to rise
upon it (L ).
The explanation of the term is a literal quotation from Mai-
monides on mKil . (MK :):
.
. 58
#RYBH, Arab. GPNH "L#GYN
Hebrew #RYBH means trough, tub, kneading trough and features in

Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShebi . (JD ; LW :; KA : f.,
:; BM f.; BKH , ff., , f., , , , , ,
; KT :, , , , , n. , n. , :, , ,
).
Arabic gafnat al-#agn means kneading bowl (L f., ).
(MK :): :; cf. EG :
(The tanners trough, that is, a wooden
vessel that looks like a boat and that is used by the tanner, in Arab. gafnah)
(cf. mKel .).
57 :
O
V
58 : VO
ayin
. 59
#S. Y SMN, Arab. KSB "LS. NWBR
Hebrew #S. SMN, plur. #S. Y SMN, designates pine wood, Pinus halepensis,
and features in the Bible (e.g. in Is :) and in Rabbinic literature, e.g.
in mRH . (KB , ; JD , ; LW :; KA :, :;
BM ; DAS : f., , ; FEB ff.; FM ; FO f.; FZ :
Elaeagnus Angustifolius L.; LF : f.).
Arabic hasab as. -s. anawbar has the same meaning (DT :; M ;
LF : ff.).
For the identification, cf. KA ::
(#S. SMN is a kind of as. -s. anawbar) and SID :. Sa#adya
(DS ; RT ) translates the term in the biblical verse mentioned as:
. The plur. #S. Y SMN features in mRH . but is not commented
upon by Maimonides.
. 61 60
#WGYWT LGPNYM, Arab. HPR . L" S. WL "LKRM
Hebrew #WGYH, plur. #WGYWT, means a cavity dug around a tree and
#WGYWT LGPNYM means cavities dug for grape-vines and features
in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mMQ . (JD ; LW :; KA :,
:; BM ; FH f.).
Arabic hufar
. li-us. ul al-karm means cavities for the roots of grape vine
(for Arabic hufar
. cf. L and for Arabic karm cf. WKAS : f. and
DT :).
(MK : f.) who explains #WGYWT LGPNYM as:
(he digs holes around the roots of a tree to gather
water in them).
59 : V
60 : e P
61 : O
shem tov, glossary
. 62
#PR SPRD, Arab. TPL,
. o.l. TYR"
. DSP"NYH
Hebrew #PR SPRD literally means earth from Spain and possibly refers
to a kind of fullers earth used for dyeing clothes. The term does not
feature in secondary literature, but may have been coined by Shem Tov
as the equivalent for the Arabic t. afl. In Rabbinic literature the term
was possibly used for fullers earth (KT :, n. ).
Arabic t. afl means fullers earth, which is used for scouring cloth, and
is sometimes used in the bath, instead of soap; a certain yellow earth, well
known in Egypt, with which cloths are dyed (L ; cf. as well M :
t. afl t. ulait. ul Saponaria earth of Toledo).
The vernacular term is most probably to be read as O. Occ. *terra
dEspanha or O. Cat. *terra dEspanya, literally for earth from Spain,
in correspondence with the Hebrew term (this compound expression is
not documented in our sources). In Med. Latin, we find the term terra
hyspanica for terra sigillata (cf. Sin , n. ), translated into Spanish
as greda de Spanna [read: Espanna] (Sin :). O. Sp. greda designates
a tierra bituminosa y muy blanca (i.e., bituminous and very white soil)
(DETEMA :c).
. 63
#YQRYN, Arab. #Q"QYR, o.l. " SPSY" S
Hebrew #YQR, plur.#YQRYN means root; essence; essential portion;

major part; main object and features in the Bible (Job :), Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in mKil . (KB ; JD f.; LW : f.; SD ;
SDA ; KA : f.; BM ff.), and medieval philosophical literature
(KTP : f.). The term features with the meaning the root of a plant
which is used medically, for instance, as: (a rootdrink as a
contraceptive) in Tos. Yeb . (cf. KA :; BM ).
Arabic #aqqar, plur. #aqaqr, means a simple, a drug; any of the
elements of medicines; what is used medically of plants and of their roots
(L ).
For the identification, cf. Qiz. z. ur al-Kafi (AQ, fol. a):
[ . . . ] (a root drink, i.e.
62 : O "D P V
63 : O """ P V
ayin
collect either roots or foods, pound them and drink them in wine [ . . . ]).
Cf. as well ShM f., s.v. .
The vernacular term is the plural of the O. Occ. especia for spice,
according to RPA, which quotes the DDS: pices ou espces; [ . . . ]
mdicaments prscrits par le mdecin et dont le pharmacien fait la dis-
pensation (i.e. spices or species; medicines prescribed by the physi-
cian and prepared and dispensed by the pharmacist; RPA , ; for
the O. Cat. form espcia see DECLC :b). Von Wartburg points out
that in Late Lat. species was often used with the meaning drugs, spices
(FEW :b).
. 64
#WQS. HHW. TM,
. Arab. TRP
. "L"NP
Hebrew #WQS. HHW . TM . literally means end, point of the nose (JD ,
; BM , ) and was possibly coined by Shem Tov
as a loan translation of Arabic t. arf al-anf (cf. below).
Arabic t. arf al-anf, literally end, extremity of the nose (L , ),
designates the wing of the nose (FAL :).
. 67 66 65
#DL, Arab. SYTR
. G, o.l. Q"BSY"
Hebrew #DL or "DL means peppergrass, cress, Lepidium latifolium L.,

and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mUqz . (JD ; LW :;
KA :, :; AEY :; DAS : f.; FM ; LF : f.).
Arabic st. arag designates the same plant (DT :; M ).
For the identification, cf. EG : () , and Maimonides
on the Mishnah mentioned (MK :).
The vernacular term is most probably to be read as capsia; the variant
in MS V seems to be corrupt. See the index to the Latin translation
of Ibn Snas Kitab al-Qanun, quoted in Sin b: Seitaragiem herba
similis nasturcio, i. capsia; Setaragi, i. capsia. Cf. also Sin :.
Without any doubt, seitaragiem and setaragi represent the Arabic term
discussed above, whereas DuC interprets capsia as Indicum piper
64 : O V
65 : A P : om. O
66 : V
67 : V
shem tov, glossary
(:a). According to the Alphita, capsia is an unknown plant or root

which features in the Viaticum Konstantini, see CA who also states
that capsia is Attich, Sambucus ebulus L. It is not clear whether capsia
has, at least in some texts, been confused with t(h)apsia, see CA loc. cit.
and Sin , n. .
Cf. also the Hebrew spelling Q"BSY"H of the term documented in the
Latin column and identified as Arab. st. arag in GHAT :.
PE
. 1
PSTQYM, Arab. PSTQ, o.l. PSTWQS
Hebrew PSTQ, plur. PSTQYM, from Middle Iranian pistak (cf. SDA ),
means pistachio, pistachio nut, Pistacia vera L. (JD f.; LW :;
SD ; SDA f.: Aram. ; KA :, :; AEY :;
FE ; FO ; LF : ff.; LA ff.:; cf. as well Bet no. above) and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bGit a.
Arabic fustuq or fustaq designates the same plant (L ; D :;
DT :; M ; ID :; LA :) and features in medieval medical
literature, for instance, in Maimonides On Asthma (III, ; cf. BMA )
and is transcribed by Samuel Benveniste as: .
For the identification of the Aramaic form , cf. LO Perushim on
bGit a, p. : .
The vernacular term is the plural of O. Occ. or O. Cat. festuc(h) for pis-
tachio (DAO :; PSW :a; RPA ; FEW :a; DECLC :b;
AdV ). In O. Occ. the term is documented for the first time in
(DAO loc. cit.).
For the identification of Arab. fustuq/fustaq as O. Cat. festuchs, cf.
AdV , ; cf. also GHAT where we find, for Romance (O. Cat.), the
singular PSTWQ identified as the same Arabic term (GHAT :).
. 2
PYGM PRDSY, Arab. SD"B, o.l. RWD"
Hebrew PYGM, from Greek (KG :; LS ), designates

the herb rue, Ruta graveolens L. and Chalepensis L. (JD ; LW :;
SDA , Aram. ; KA :, :; BM ; AEY :; FM ;
LA ff.:; LF : ff.) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mKil
.. PYGM PRDSY means garden rue and is probably a loan transla-
tion of Arabic sadab bustan that features, for instance, in Maimonides

1 : O
2 : V
shem tov, glossary
Glossary of Drug Names no. , where it is identified as the Romance

rut. a (cf. Arabic text in Me ; cf. as well DT :).
Arabic sadab designates the same plant as Hebrew PYGM (cf. L f.;
D :; DT :; M ; ID :) and features, for instance, in Mai-
monides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, , ) and is translated by N as:
/ (RWDH/RWD") and by Z as: / (PYGM/RWTH). .
For the identification of PYGM as sadab, cf. Sa#adya (SAM :),
EG , and Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned above (MK :).
The vernacular term ruda is O. Occ. or O. Cat. meaning rue as well.
The word is documented for the first time in the th century (CB ;
RMA ; RM , , , , , , ; RMM , , ,
, ; FEW :a; DAO :; RL :b; DECLC :b).
For the identification of Arab. sadab as O. Cat. ruda cf. AdV ,
and GHAT :; in the latter,the transcription of the Romance
(O. Cat.) into Hebrew characters term corresponds to that of our MSS.
. 4 3
PYGM SDH, Arab. T"PSY", o.l. T"P
. SY"

Hebrew means wild rue (Peganum Harmala L. or Haplophyl-
lum Buxbaumii (Poir.) Don.) (cf. Zayin no. above).
Arabic tafsiya designates the plant Thapsia garganica L., false fennel,

bastard turpeth (cf. Zayin no. above).
For the identification, cf. Zayin no. above.
For the vernacular term, see Zayin no. as well.
. 6 5
PRSQ, Arab. KWK, o.l. PRYSGS
Hebrew PRSQ, from Greek (KG :; LS ), means

peach, peach tree, Prunus persica Sieb. et Zucc. (JD f.; LW :;
SD ; SDA (Aram.: ); KA :, :; FE ; FM ;
LA : f.; LF : ff.) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mKil
., bBM b.
3 : O V
4 : VO
5 : O
6 : O "V"t P V
pe
Arabic hawh has the same meaning (L ; D : f.; DT :; M ;

ID :).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya (SAM :), and Maimonides
The vernacular term in the Paris MS is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. plural
form pressex or prssecs for peaches (CB ; DCVB :a). The
variant in the Vatican MS represents the O. Occ. or O. Cat. persegues
(PSW :b; DAO :; DECLC :a), and the variant in the Oxford
MS is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. pressegues or precegues (DAO :; RMA
; RM ; PSW :bb; FEW :; DECLC :a; cf. also
the O. Occ. singular presega in RMM ). For other O. Occ. and O. Cat.
variants derived from the Lat. PERSICUM, see entry Alef .
For the identification of the Romance term with the Arabic word
mentioned above, cf. LF :, LA :.
. 8 7
PGWL HBSR, Arab. ZPWRH "LLHM .
Hebrew PGWL means abomination, esp. of an improper sacrifice (cf.

KB ; JD ; LW : f.; KA : f.; BM ). means
unclean meat. In the Bible (Ez :) and in Rabbinic literature, e.g. bHul
.
b, we find the combination unclean meat.
Arabic ZPWRH (= ZPRH) is derived from zafira or dafira meaning
having or emitting a pungent or strong odour or smell, whether sweet
or stinking (L ; D :). The term ZPWRH "LLHM . means the
stinking of meat.
For the identification of the plural form PGWLYM as zafar, cf. Sa#adya
on Is :: ( =) (Who eat the flesh
of swine, with broth of unclean things in their bowls):
(DS ). Ibn al-Janah. (IJ ) explains
the term PGWL as (badness, sordidness), and David b. Abraham
al-Fas (SF :) states that it is z or ^)
[7 (loathsome, repulsive),
according to others.
7 : V
8 : O V
shem tov, glossary
. 9
PR"YM, Arab. WHW . S
Hebrew PR", plur. PR"YM, means ) wild ass, Equus hemionus hemi-
hippus, or ) savage, cruel (KB f.; JD ; BM f.; BAL ; BH
s.v. index; DAS :; FAB ) and features in the Bible (Gen :; Is
:) and in Rabbinic literature, e.g. Gen.R. on Gen :.
Arabic wahs,
. plur. wuhus,
. is a collective notion for wild animals
(L ; BK ). For himar
. al-wa hs,
. cf. Ayin no. .
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Ps ::
: (giving
drink to all the wild beasts; the wild asses slake their thirst) (ST ).
See as well IJ ; SF :.
. 10
PRQLM, Arab. S. "BH
Hebrew PRQLM features in the plural form or in

Rabbinic literature in the sense of ) leggings, greaves (JD , s.v.
/; KT :, n. s.v. ; cf. Greek :
covering for the leg, gaiter) (LS ), and ) gloves (KA :, s.v.
; LW :, s.v. : cf. Greek covering, garment
(LS ); KG :).
The term features in the sense of gloves as in EG , for
instance, where it is explained as: (a kind of leather glove,
[used namely by hunters]) or as (objects and
nets used for hunting), and in mKel ., where it is explained by
Maimonides as (gloves). It features in mKel . in the sense of
leggings, where it is explained by Maimonides as (gloves).
However, the Arukh (KA : s.v. ) explains the term as:
(something wound around the head; head band), and
following the Arukh the Tosafist Samson of Sens (th century) explains
it in the same way. This meaning of the term is quoted in JD and
is adopted by Levy (LW :) as: Binden, bes. Stirnbinden (bandages,
especially bandages for the brow). Shem Tov probably uses the term in
the medical sense of bandage, conforming with the Arabic #is. aba.
9 : V
10 : emendation editors OA" P VO
pe
Arabic #is. aba means bandage, a thing with which a head is bound or
wound round (L ; D :). The term features in medieval medical
literature, e.g. in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XV, ), where it is
translated by N as: and transcribed by Z as: .
. 11
PRQLYMYN, Arab. S. "YB
For Hebrew PRQLYMYN, plur. of PRQLYM, cf. Pe no. above.

For Arabic #is. aba, plur. #as. a"ib, cf. Pe no. above.
. 14 13 12
PDGR", Arab. NQRS, o.l. PWDGR"
Hebrew PDGR", from Greek (LS ; KG :), means gout

in the feet, sore foot (JD ; LW :; KA :; Low LXXI; PB f.)
and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. bSot a.
Arabic niqris means arthritis, or gout, or, specially, podagra (L ;
D :; SN ) and features in medieval medical literature, for instance,
in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (e.g. in IX, ; c. BMMb ), where
it is transcribed by N as: and translated by Z as: (PWDGR").
The vernacular term in the Paris and Oxford MSS is the corresponding
O. Occ. or O. Cat. word podagra (RL :b; FEW :b; RMA ;
DECLC :b). See the following quotation from Eluc. (cf. RL loc.
cit.): Podagra, es gota de pes (i.e., Podagra is gout of the feet). The
variant given in the Vatican MS shows a metathesis of the velar and
liquid sound: *podarca or *podraca. In O. Occ., we find similar forms
with a metathesis like podraga or prodaga (see CB , ,
for the first and CB for the second form). Metathetic forms of this
word were very common in Medieval Romance, cf., e.g., Old Spanish
(DETEMA :b), but also in Latin (see Sin , n. for an example).
The spelling with qof remains unexplained, however, and is probably a
mistake; but cf. O. Fr. poacre, documented since (FEW :b).
11 : emendation editors O !E" P V

12 : V
13 : om. V
14 : V
shem tov, glossary
. 16 15
PTMH
. SL RMWN, Arab. QM# "LRM"N
Hebrew PTMH,
. from Greek ! (LS ), means, among other
things, a protuberance on the blossom-end of fruits, the upper portion
of a fruit (JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ; FE ),
and PTMH
. SL RMWN means nipple on a pomegranate (Danby, The
Mishnah ;17 Neusner, The Mishnah )18 and features in mUqz ..
Arabic qim# means the stalk of a fruit (D :) and qim# ar-rumman
means the stalk of a pomegranate.
Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned translates PTMH . as:
(protuberance).
. 21 20 19
PRH . HNH. ST, Arab. ZNG"R, o.l. WYRDYT. or PLWR DR"M
Hebrew PRH . HNH . ST, literally meaning flower of copper, is not attested
in secondary literature and was possibly coined as a loan translation
of Arabic zahr an-nuhas . (cf. below). Note, however, that the term also
features as a translation of the Latin flos eris in the Sefer Keritut by Hillel
Ben Samuel of Verona.22 Subsequently, we find the term in Judah ben
Solomon Natans Kelal Qaz. ar mi ha-Sammim ha-Nifradim (JNK :).
Arabic zingar, from Persian zangar (VL :), means verdigris with
its synonym being zahr an-nuhas, . literally flower of copper (D :,
M ; GS f.; RS :). Arabic zingar features, for instance, in
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (e.g. in XXI, ), where it is transcribed
by N as: and translated by Z as: (WWYRDYDS).
The meanings of the Hebrew and Arabic terms are confirmed by
the Romance synonyms: the first vernacular synonym given in our
list is the O. Occ. or the O. Cat. word verdet for verdigris or cupric
15 : O V
16 : O
17H. Danby, The Mishnah. Translated from the Hebrew with Introduction and Brief
Explanatory Notes by Herbert Danby, Oxford .
18 J. Neusner, The Mishnah. A New Translation, New Haven and London .
19 : O
20 : O
21 : O V
22 See G. Bos: Medical Terminology in the Hebrew Tradition: Hillel Ben Samuel of

pe
carbonate or acetate and other similar matters which arise from humid-
ity (DAO :; RL :a; PSW :a; FEW :b; CB , ;
RMM , RPA , ; RMA ; DECLC :b). For the identifica-
tion of Arab. zingar as O. Cat. verdet, cf. AdV , and GHAT :,
where the Hebrew transcription of the Romance (O. Cat.) term corre-
sponds to that used in MSS P and V.
The second vernacular synonym is a non-documented O. Occ. or
O. Cat. compound expression *flor daram or *flor deram, possibly a
(loan) translation of the Arabic term mentioned previously or of the
Latin (cf. the Alphita, ed. Renzi, p. : flos aeris usti, also see CA ),
with the literally meaning flower of copper (see also the O. Sp. flor
de cobre in Sin :, among others). For the O. Occ. and O. Cat.
words aram and eram (< Late Lat. AERAMEN) for copper, bronze, see
DAO :, RL :a, FEW :b, RPA and DECLC :b. The
variant PWLWR in the Vatican and Oxford MSS shows an epenthetic
-W- between the consonant cluster PL (for this phenomenon, see the
introduction).
. 23
PQW#WT, Arab. HN . TL,
. o.l. QWLWQWNTYD".
Hebrew PQW#WT designates the fruit bitter apple, Citrullus colocyn-

this (L.) Schrad. and features in the Bible, e.g. in Kings :, and Rab-
binic literature, e.g. in mShab . (KB ; JD ; LW :; KA :,
:; BM ; AEY :, :; FM ; FO f.; LA f.:;
LF : ff.; PB ; cf. as well Het
. no. ).
Arabic han zal
. . designates the same plant (L f.; DT :; M ;
ID :; cf. as well Het . no. ) and features, for instance, in Mai-
monides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ; XXII, ), where it is translated
by N as: / (HN . TL/QLWQN
. TYD")
. and by Z as:
(QWLWQYNTYD"). .
For the identification, cf. LO Perushim on bShab b, p. ; IJ f.;
RJ and Maimonides on mShab . (MK : n. ).
For the vernacular term, see entry Het. . For its identification as Arab.
han
. . z al, cf. AdV , , GHAT :; in the latter we find the Hebrew
transcription QWLYQYNTYDH . for the Romance term.
23 : V
shem tov, glossary
. 25 24
PRGYN, Arab. KSK" S, o.l. P"P"BRY
The meaning of Hebrew PRGYN is uncertain. Originally PRGYN must

have designated the plant millet, Panicum miliaceum, just like its Syriac
counterpart (LW :; BM ; FM ; LA :). But in the Rabbinic
tradition and in Modern Hebrew, PRGYN (or its singular form PRG) does
not mean millet but rather poppy, Papaver somniferum L. (LW :;
KA :, :; BM ; EM ; AEY :; LF :). PRGYN
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mShebi ..
Arabic hashas designates different kinds of the plant poppy (DT
ID :). The Arabic term features in Maimonides Med-
:; M ;
ical Aphorisms (XXI, ; XXII, ) and is translated by N as:
(P"PBR) and (PP"BR) and by Z as: (P"PBYR) and
(P"P"WYR); and in Maimonides On Asthma (XII, ), where it is trans-
lated by Joshua Shatibi and Samuel Benveniste as: and by the anony-
mous translator as: (cf. BMA ).
For the identification, cf. the Arukh (KA :): [ . . . ]
(HPRGYN [ . . . ] and in Arabic KSK" S and in
o.l. PP"WWRW), and Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned above
(MK :).
The vernacular term in the Oxford MS is the Latin, O. Occ. or O. Cat.
word papaver for poppy, Papaver somniferum L. (NPRA ; RM ;
CB , , , among others; AdV ); the variant in the Vatican
MS is the Latin genitive singular form papaveris which is also used in
O. Occ. texts (CB , ; NPRA loc. cit.). The variant in the Paris
MS may represent a Latin inflected form like papavere(m) or a semi-
learned Romance form papavre or *papaure (for the O. Fr. papavre,
documented in the compound expression papavre sauvage, see FEW
:b).
For the identification of Arab. hashas as O. Cat. papaver or the same

term transcribed into Hebrew characters as PP"WYR cf. AdV , ,
GHAT :.
24 : V
25 : O V
pe
. 27 26
PLG, Arab. P"LG, o.l. PWLYTYQY .
Aram. PLG or PLG" means ) part, half and ) in the combination

the demon Palga, a disease (paralysis?) (JD ; LW :;
SDA , Aram. : apoplexy, a demon; BM ) and features in
Rabbinic literature. In medieval medical literature, the term assumes
the meaning of pain in one side of the head, hemiplegia or paralysis
(BM ; PB ) and features in medieval medical literature, for
instance, in Nathan Ben Joel Falaqueras S. ori ha-Guf (Balm for the Body),
MS Oxford, Hunt Don. , Uri , Neubauer , fol. b, where it is
explained as: (loss of sensation and movement
in a part of the body).28
Arabic falig means palsy or paralysis, whether partial or general:
hemiplegia or paraplegia (L f.; D :; KZ f.; SN ) and fea-
tures in medieval medical literature, e.g. Maimonides Medical Apho-
risms (III, ; XXII, ; cf. BMMa ) where it is translated and/or tran-
scribed by N as: / / and by Z as: , and in Maimonides On
Asthma (XIII, ) where it is translated by Samuel Benveniste as: (cf.
BMA ).
The vernacular term in the Oxford and Vatican MSS is unclear and
might correspond to a non-documented form related to the Latin adjec-
tive paralyticus. In O. Occ., we find the adjectives paralitics, paralitix, par-
alix and palazinos (FEW :b; RL :b; PSW :a) and in O. Cat.
paraltic (DECLC :aa); the latter is documented with the mean-
ing paralysis (DECLC loc. cit.; DCVB :b). The variants in the
Oxford and Vatican MSS could correspond to a hypothetical O. Occ. or
O. Cat. form like *paletic, *palatic, with syncope and loss of the -r-. The
syncope is frequent in O. Sp., where we find forms like parletico, par-
litico, perlaticos and perleticos where the -r- is preserved, however; see
DETEMA :b). The variant in the Paris MS seems to be a corrupt
variant of the Latin nominative plural or genitive singular paralytici.
26 : VO
27 : O V
28 On Nathan Ben Joel Falaquera and his medical encyclopaedia cf. G. Bos-R. Fon-
taine, Medico-philosophical controversies in Nathan b. Jo"el Falaquera Sefer Zori
. ha-
Guf , Jewish Quarterly Review, vol. XC, JulyOctober :.
shem tov, glossary
. 30 29
PRPRT, Arab. "LW"N T#"M.
Hebrew PRPRT means a minor dish; dish served with bread, appetizer,
dessert (JD ; LW :; KA :; BM f.; KT :, n. )
and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mBer ., bShab a.
Arabic alwan t. a#am means all kinds of food, for alwan, plur. of lawn
cf. WKAS : f.
For the identification cf. SAM :: . A Geonic commen-
tary on bSuk a (LO Nispakhim on bSuk a, p. ) explains the plural
form PRPR"WT as: kinds [of food] and cooked (flesh)-
meat. Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned (MK :) explains
as: (the term for a relish).
. 31
PTYGYL, Arab. GL"YL
Hebrew PTYGYL means gorgeous dress and features in the Bible in Is

: (KB ; BM ).
Arabic gilala, plur. gala"il, means a garment that is worn next to the
body, beneath the other garments, and likewise beneath the coat of mail; a
piece of cloth with which a woman makes her posteriors [to appear] large,
binding it upon her hinder part, beneath her waist-wrapper (L ;
DAS :; Stillman, Arab Dress ).32

(and theninstead of perfume, there shall be rot; and instead of an
apron, a rope; instead of a diadem of beaten-work, a shorn head; instead
of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; a burn instead of beauty):

(DS ). See as well IJ
.
29 : WY P
30 : O V
31 : V
32 Y.K. Stillman, Arab Dress. A Short
History. From the Dawn of Islam to Modern Times.
Edited by N.A. Stillman, Leiden-Boston-Cologne .
pe
. 33
PRS, Arab. #Q"B, o.l. WWLTWR .
Hebrew PRS means vulture, or bearded vulture, Gypaetus barbatus

(KB ; BM ; EM ; BAL ; BH s.v. index; LZ ), and
features in the Bible (Lev :), Rabbinic literature, namely in bHul
. a,
and in medieval literature (cf. BM ).
Arabic #uqab means eagle (L ; D :; BK , ; JAD : ff.;
StS f.).
(the following you
shall abominate among the birdsthey shall not be eaten, they are an
abomination: the eagle, the vulture and the black vulture):
(S ). See as well
IJ .
The vernacular term is the Latin vultur or the O. Occ. or O. Cat. voltor
for vulture (RL :a; DCVB :a; DECLC :b; FEW :a
b); the vocalisation in MS P rather suggests the Romance reading.
. 34
PLPL HKWSYYM, Arab. PLPL "LSWD"N, o.l. TRWP . S DYRWBYYS
Hebrew PLPL HKWSYYM literally meaning Cushite, negro or Ethio-

pian pepper is not attested in secondary literature. It was possibly coined
by Shem Tov as a loan translation of Arabic fulful as-sudan (cf. below).
For Hebrew PLPL, Piper nigrum, cf. JD ; LW : f.; SDA , Aram.
; KA : f., :; BM ; EM ; AEY :; FM ;
LA ff.:; LF : ff.).
Arabic fulful as-sudan is Sudanese pepper, designating both the fruits
of Xylopia aethiopica A. Rich., Guinea pepper, and the tubercles of the
edible galingale, Cyperus esculentus L. (L ; D :; DT :;
M ; ID :, :; cf. as well KZ ).
The vernacular term is documented in the O. Cat. variant xufles de
Rouax in the meaning Cyperus rotundus L. (= cyperus syriacus = cyperus
orientalis, cf. ARS , with reference to Lagunas translation of
Dioscorides I: in note ). This meaning is fairly close to one of the
meanings of the Arabic synonym (see above), and it can be noted that
33 : " P
34 : O D P V
shem tov, glossary
Cat. xufla without the epitheton has the meaning tubercle of Cyperus
esculentus L. according to DECLC (:a). In our MSS, the first element
appears as (O. Occ.) trufas, i.e. fungi, mushrooms, truffles (PSW :b
a; RL :b; DAO :). Rouax is the city of Edessa (Chaldea),
also known as Roays at the time of the Crusades (DECLC :b). The
toponym does not refer to the origin of this plant but rather seems to be
based on a play on words, which is extensively discussed by Coromines
(DECLC loc. cit.). The term in question as well as the pun xufles/trufas
de Roays (ridiculous story, joke, also cf. PSW loc. cit.) and the relation
between the two would need some further investigation against the
backdrop of our text and the Regimen sanitatis by Arnau de Vilanova
(ARS n. ), particularly because the DECLC (loc. cit.) does not
include the use of the expression as a plant name documented here in its
argumentation. The variant given in the Vatican MS shows an epenthetic
Waw; see the introduction for similar cases. In any case, it is noteworthy
that earth almonds (that is the tubercles of Cyperus esculentus, see above
with respect to the Arabic term) are subterranean like truffles.
. 36 35
PDGNG, Arab. DRYRH
The Hebrew term PDGNG could not be retrieved.

Arabic darra means perfume-powder; a kind of perfume; the par-
qasab at-tb or calamus aromaticus (false sweet-flag, Cym-
ticles of the . . .
bopogon martinii), also called qas. ab ad-darra (L ; DT :; FAQ

f.). The last term features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI,
. 38 37
PLYYTWN,
. Arab. G"LYH
Hebrew PLYYTWN . or PWLYYTWN, . from Latin foliatum (GH :;

KG : f.), means an ointment or oil prepared from leaves of spike-
nard (JD ; LW :; KA :, :; LF :; SMC f.) and fea-
tures in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mShab ., bShab a, b.
35 : V
36 : VO
37 : V
38 : O
pe
Arabic galiya is a perfume composed of musk and ambergris and

camphor and oil of ben (L ; FAQ ; KZ ) and features in
medieval medical literature, e.g. in Maimonides On Asthma (XII, ;
BMA ) where it is transcribed by all translators as: or .
For the identification, cf. LO Teshuvot on bShab a, b, p. , the Arukh
(KA :), and BT : :
(PYLYTWN:. fine spices, musk, ambergris, in Arabic: galiya).
Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned (MK :) explains PLYYTWN .
as: (musk).
. 39
PTRYWT,
. Arab. PTR,
. o.l. BWLYTS .
Hebrew PTRYWT
. means truffles, fungi and features in Rabbinic liter-
ature, e.g. in mUqz . (JD ; LW : f.; KA :, : f.; BM ;
AEY :; FM ; LF : ff.).
Arabic fut. r has the same meaning (DT :; M ) and features, for
instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XX, ; XXI, ), where it
is translated by N and Z as: .
For the identification, cf. EG : , HTG
:, and Maimonides on the Mishnah cited above (MK :).
Consequently, the vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. bolets. For
the references, see entry Kaf . For the identification of Arab. fut. r as the
Romance (O. Cat.) term transcribed into Hebrew characters as BWLYT. S
cf. GHAT :.
.
PRWTH,
. Arab. KRWBH
Hebrew PRWTH . means ) small change, small money (cf. KT ::

The smallest of copper coins is the peruta, that only accounts for /
of an ass (cf. bQid a)), and ) drop, dropping bottle and features
in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mQid . (JD ; LW :; SD ;
KA :, :; BM f.; KT :, n. ).
Arabic harruba also means very small money or coin (D :); cf.
Goitein, A Mediterranean Society :: The kharruba or carob seed
39 : VO P
shem tov, glossary
represented / of the dirhem. Normally, kharruba is used in the sense

of a very small amount of money.40
The term harruba features in Maimonides Guide of the Perplexed
(:)41 and is translated by Samuel IbnTibbon as: ,42 cf.
FrA .
Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned (MK :) explains the term
PRWTH . as: (half a grain (granule) of silver), while, in
his commentary on mEduy . (MK :), he remarks that his father
told him that the grains which are used for weights are always barley
grains. According to Sa#adya (HTG :), a is:
(a piece of silver that is / of an Arabic
dinar).
. 43
PT HDR"H, Arab. KBZ "LKSK"R
Hebrew PT HDR"H means bread made of seconds (i.e. coarse meal)

(for , see JD ; LW : s.v. (lat. hordeacea) Brot von
Gerstenmehl (bread of barley meal); KA : s.v. ; : s.v.
, :; LA :) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bPes
a.
Arabic hubz al-huskar means bran bread; cf. MT : Brot das aus
und grobem Mehl gebacken ist, also Kleienbrot
huskar, ungesiebtem
(bread made of unsieved, coarse meal, bran bread); for huskar see as
place
quotation mark after parenthesis?
well D :; DAS : ff., f., f.; KZ f.
Hubz al-huskar features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Apho-
(XX, ) where it is translated as: by N and as:
risms
by Z. A Hebrew synonym for PT HDR"H, namely PT KYBR
panis cibarius, which features in mMakhsh ., is explained by Mai-
monides (MK :) as Arabic huskar.

40S.D. Goitein, A Mediterranean Society, vols, Berkeley-Los Angeles-London

(vol. : Cumulative indices in collaboration with Paula Sanders).
41 Moses ben Maimon, Dalalat al-ha"irn. Arabic text established by S. Munk and
.
edited with variant readings by I. Joel, Jerusalem , p. , l. .
42 Sefer Moreh Nevukhim, ed. Y. Ibn Shmuel, Jerusalem , p. .
43 : O
pe
. 44
PLPL LBN is pepper which has not ripened sufficiently
Hebrew PLPL LBN means white pepper, obtained from the fully ripe
berries of Piper nigrum from which the outer layer of dark skin is
removed (EM ; FM ; LF :) and features in medieval medical
literature. For Hebrew PLPL, cf. no. above.
The Arabic counterpart fulful abyad. (D :; LA :) features in
medieval medical literature as well, e.g. in Maimonides On Asthma (IX,
; cf. BMA ), where it is translated by all translators as: .
. 45
PLPL "RWK, Arab. D"R PLPL, o.l. PYBRY LWNG
Hebrew PLPL #RWK means long pepper, the unripe spadices of various
types of pepper, Piper longum L., Piper chaba Hunt. (LW :; SDA ;
KA : f., :; BM ; EM ; FM ; LA :; LF :)
and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. bPes b and in medieval medical
literature (cf. BJ ).
Arabic darfulful, from Persian dr filfil (VL :), means long pep-
per, Piper longum L. (L ; DT :; M ; ID :) and features
in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XIII, ; XXI, , ), where it is
The vernacular term, which perfectly reflects the Hebrew and Ara-
bic synonyms, is the O. Occ. pebre lonc or the O. Cat. pebre llong
or pebre/pebra lonch, formed in an analogous way to the Latin piper
longum (RMM ; PSW :a; DCVB :b; AdV , , , ;
NPRA ). For the problem of graphically representing the Cat. word
initial palatal -l- in Hebrew spelling and the phenomenon of word final
devoiced obstruents see the introduction.
For the identification of Arab. darfulful as O. Cat. pebre/pebra lonch,
cf. AdV , ; also cf. GHAT where PYPRYS LWNGY (obviously the
genitive singular of piper longum) features in the Latin column as the
synonym for the Arabic term (GHAT :). This identification can
already be found in the index to the Latin translation of Ibn Snas Qanun
(see Sin :).
44 : O
45 : O V
shem tov, glossary
. 48 47 46
PLSLWS, these are field-lupines, Arab. TRMWS BRY
Hebrew PLSLWS, perhaps from Greek or a kind of

bean, calavance, Vigna sinensis (LS ; KG :, , s.v. ;
LW :; KR ; but cf. LF :: could be a Semitic formation, like
that directly precedes it, but it is not likely), means lupine,
Lupinum luteus L. (JD ; KA :; :; AEY :; FM ;
LA :; LF : f.) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mKil ..
Arabic turmus (from Greek ! (LS )) barr designates wild
lupine, possibly Lupinus angustifolius L. (L ; D :; DT :;
M ; DAS : f.; ID :).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya (SAM :): "%"t
, and Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned above (MK :).
. 49
PTDH,
. Arab. ZMRD, o.l. MYRGD"
Hebrew PTDH. means topaz (KB ; JD ; BM f.; EM )

and features in the Bible, e.g. in Ex :.
Arabic zumurrud or zumurrud, from Persian zumrud (VL :),
means emerald (L ; D :; E.I.2, : ff., s.v. zumurrud (Ghada
al-Hijjawi al-Qaddumi)).
(Set in it mounted
stones, in four rows of stones. The first row shall be a row of carnelian,
chrysolite, and emerald):
(S ); and IJ . According to
David b. Abraham al-Fas (SF :), PTDH . is identical to the
(corundum).
The vernacular word confirms the meaning of the Arabic word, i.e.
emerald. The form used in MS O corresponds to the O. Occ./O. Cat.
maracde or the variants miracde and meracde, documented for O. Occ
and O. Cat. respectively (DAO :; RL :a; PSW :a; DECLC
:a). The form in MS V reflects variants spelt with -g-, such as
46 : e!%"t P V
47 : O V
48 : V
49 : O V
pe
O. Occ. maragde (RL :a; FEW :b). The dictionaries quoted also
show forms ending in -a, e.g. maracda for O. Occ. and maragda for
O. Cat., to which we might add *meragda or *miragda as suggested by
MS P.
For the identification of Arab. zumurrud/zumurrud and the Romance

(O. Cat.) term transcribed into Hebrew characters as MR"QDY cf. GHAT
:.
. 51 50
PHYM,
. Arab. S. P"YH,
. o.l. LNDS
Hebrew PH, . plur. PHYM,

. means ) snare, trap; trapping net (KB ;
JD ; SD ; SDA , Aram. , ; KA :; BM ;
EM ; DAS :; KT :), or ) plate of metal (KB ; BM ;
EM ; DAS :) and features with this second meaning in the Bible
(Num :).
Arabic s. afa"ih. is the plural form of s. afha
. and means a wide or broad
stone, plank, board, plate (L ; for s. afha, . cf. Tet
. no. , for s. afa"ih.
min dahab plates of gold, cf. Gimmel no. ).
For the identification of PHYM in the sense of plates of metal as
.
s. afa"ih,
. cf. Sa#adya on Num ::

([Remove] the fire pans of those who have sinned at the cost of their
lives, and let them be made into hammered sheets as plating for the
altarfor once they have been used for offering to the LORD, they
have become sacredand let them serve as a warning to the people of
Israel):

(S ); and SF :. Ibn al-Janah. (IJ ) explains
(Ex :) as: IE D`% (ingots of gold). See as well ShT ,
no. .
The vernacular term in the Paris and Vatican MSS is the plural of Late
Lat., O. Occ. landa plate of metal, see entry Gimmel . The variant
given in the Oxford MS is the O. Cat. plural llandes (cf. DCVB :a;
DECLC :a). Note that the LY-spelling reflects the initial palatal l-
that is typical for Catalan.
50 : V
51 : O
shem tov, glossary
. 52
PYYLH, Arab. QS. RYH
Hebrew PYYLH should be read as PYYL" or PYYLY, from Greek

(LS ; KG : f.), meaning a broad, flat bowl; drinking vessel, and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mNeg . (JD ; LW :;
SD ; KA : f., :; BKH ff.; KT :, n. ).
Arabic qas. rya means pot, flower pot; barrel (D :; W ).
The Geonic commentary on Tohorot (EG ) explains as:
(bowls and cups); Maimonides on mSot . (MK :) as:
(earthern vessel); see as well BTJ .
. 53
PGWT, Arab. PG" GH
Hebrew PGWT, meaning the state of not being ripe or cooked and
which is related to PG (unripened fruit; KB ), PGH (JD hard,
undeveloped berry, fig, date etc.; LW :), is not attested in this sense
in the current dictionaries, as the only entry for this term in BM
merely includes the English equivalent of congelation. The term was
possibly coined as a loan translation of the Arabic fagaga and features
in medieval medical literature.
Arabic fagaga means the state of being unripe or not sufficiently
cooked (L ; D :) and features in medieval medical literature,
e.g. in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (X, ) where it is translated by
both N and Z as: .
For the identification of Hebrew PG as Arabic figg cf. SH : (Song
:): (its unripe fruit); IJ : (#H =) !wK ST ,
and IQR (:): :
: . ( = its unripe fruit. An unripe fruit and
everything that is unripe is called . It is also said: this is in a state
of being unripe); see as well WB . In his commentary on mShebi
., Maimonides (MK :) explains the term as:
(unripe fruit).
52 : O
53 : O V
pe
. 54
PRYSWT, Arab. #B"DH, o.l. "RMT. S.
Hebrew PRYSWT means ) separation, parting and ) abstinence,

restriction, self-restraint, piety and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g.
in bYoma b (JD ; LW :; BM f.).
Arabic #ibada means religious service; worship, adoration, devotion,
obedience (L ).
In his commentary on mAb ., Maimonides (MK :) explains
the term as: (to beware of impure things).
Judah Ibn Tibbon uses the term for the Arabic (abstinence)
in his translation of Bahya 55
. Ibn Paqudas Book of the Duties of the Heart.
The vernacular term in the Vatican MS is the O. Occ. (h)ermitan for
hermit (RL :b; PSW :b; FEW :b). The variant in the Paris
MS is the O. Occ. plural ermitas (RL loc. cit.), a misspelling of the singular,
(h)ermitan (based on the copyists confusion of final Nun and final Sade),
.
or represents the plural of O. Occ. or O. Cat. ermetat (PSW :a,
DCVB :a) uncultivated land.
. 57 56
59 58
PRWS. DWR, Arab. DHLYZ, the PRWS. DWR is a Greek word, and it is [the
area] between the gate and the kings court before one enters before the
king; and [a spot] in the pubic region of a woman, [namely] in the labia
is [also] called PRWS. DWR.
Hebrew PRWS. DWR or PRWZDWR, possibly hailing from Greek -

(LN ; LR ; BLS ; Segal, Grammar60); other etymologies:
! before the door (LS ; KG :; KA :; KT :,
n. ); going or coming to, approach (LS ; LW :),
means ) veranda, vestibule (JD ; LW :; KA : f., : f.;
DAS : f.; KT :), and features in this meaning in Rabbinic literature,
54 : !Y P V, om. O
55 Sefer Hovot ha-Levavot, ed. A. Zifroni, Jerusalem , p. ; Arabic text, ed.
.
J. Kafih,
. Jerusalem , p. .
56 : O V
57 : V
58 : O
59 : O V
60 M.H. Segal, A Grammar of Mishnaic Hebrew, Oxford , repr. , p. .
shem tov, glossary
e.g. in mAb ., and ) the forepart of the female genitals, the lower end
of the vagina or uterus and features in this meaning in Rabbinic litera-
ture as well, e.g. in mNid ., bHul
. a (JD ; LW :; KA : f.,
: f.; LN ; KT : n. ; Low LXXII; PB f.).
Arabic dihlz, from Persian dihlz (VL :), means an entrance-
passage of a house; an entrance-hall, a vestibule (L f.; D :).
For the identification, cf. EG , and Maimonides on mAb .
(MK :). The explanation of the Hebrew term ( . . . )
above stems from the Geonic Commentary on Seder Tohorot (EG ;
cf. KA :).
. 61
PLTR,
. Arab. PR"N, o.l. PWRNYYR
Hebrew PLTR,. from Greek seller (LS ; KG :; LR

), means shop-keeper, esp. seller of bakers wares (JD ; LW :;
SD ; KA : f.; KT :, :) and features in Rabbinic literature,
e.g. in mAZ ..
Arabic farran means a baker of bread (L ; DAS :; DRD ;
MT , ff.).
Sa#adya (SAM :) explains "t as: ]
[ (the owner of the oven who sells the bread in baskets
in the market); in ETP , is explained as: (merchant). In
his commentary on mDem ., Maimonides (MK : f.) explains the
term as: (someone who buys
bread from a baker and sells it to people).
The O. Occ. fornier has a meaning similar to the Arabic, namely
Backofenbesorger, -heizer, Bcker (i.e., the one who manages/heats the
oven, baker) (RL :b; PSW :b; FEW :a). The form given here
shows a double Yod, which indicates the diphthong /ie/. In O. Cat., we
only find forms without diphthong like forner (DECLC :b).
.
PRWR, Arab. BR"M
Hebrew PRWR means cooking pot (KB ; JD ; SD ; BM ;

BKH , ; DAS :; KT : n. ) and features in the Bible (Num
61 : V
pe
:), and in Rabbinic literature in the expression S. PRWR a wooden pot

ladle, e.g. in mBez. ..
Arabic burma, plur. biram, is a cooking pot of stone, or a cooking
pot in a general sense, of copper, iron, etc. (cf. Bet no. above).

(The people would go about and gather it, grind it between mill stones
or pound it in a mortar, boil it in a pot, and make it into cakes. It tasted
like rich cream):
(S ).
Cf. IJ and SF :.
. 64 63 62
PSPSYN, Arab. BQ, o.l. DNN"
Hebrew PSPS, plur. PSPSYN, can mean, amongst other things, bug, bed
bug (JD , LW :; KA :, :; BM f.; LZ f.) and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mTer ..
Arabic baqq means ) mosquitoes and ) bugs (L ; D :).
For the identification, cf. the Arukh (:), and Maimonides on the
Mishnah mentioned above (MK :).
The term indicated as vernacular, which is missing in both MSS O and
V, remains unexplained.
. 66 65
PDLQWN, Arab. HQNH,. o.l. QLSTRY
.
The Hebrew term could not be identified. Shem Tov uses the same
term in Sefer ha-Shimmush, Book (MS Paris , fol. b):
= Arab.: B_ Ku p,Q (On the manner of
irrigating the bladder) (SpLa ).
Arabic huqna
. means the administration of a clyster; enema (L ;
FAQ f.) and features in medieval medical literature, for instance, in
62 : V
63 : O P, om. V
64 : om. OV
65 : O
66 : O V (cf. entry ) add. P
shem tov, glossary
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (IX, , ; cf. BMMb ) where it is

transcribed by N as: and is translated by Z as: (QRYSTYRY).
.
O. Cat. clisteri for clyster (RL :b; RMA ; DECLC :a). The
variant given in the Oxford MS represents the more frequent O. Occ. or
O. Cat. forms with /r/ cristeri, crestiri, cresteri and cristiri (RL, RMA and
DECLC loc. cit.; FEW :b; CB , ; RPA ).
. 68 67
PRWNQ", Arab. KRQH
Aramaic PRWNQ" means rag (LW : f.; SDA f.; KA :, :)

and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bAZ a.
Arabic hirqa means a piece torn off, a rag, a ragged, patched garment
(L ; D:; DAS : f., f.: headscarf ). The term features in
medieval medical literature, for instance, in Maimonides On the Regimen
of Health (BMR III,) as: LnLn7
(a bag of fine linen) and is translated
by Moses Ibn Tibbon as: .
R. Hananel
. explains the term in bAZ a as: (rag).
In the sense of messenger, the term PRWNQ" features in BT : as:
and is explained as: .
. 71 70 69
PRGWD, Arab. H . G"B, and this is the diaphragm
Hebrew PRGWD means ) a curtain or the curtain of heaven and

features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKel .; ) a certain gar-
ment, tunic, from Greek garment with purple border
(LS ), and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mSheq ., and )
a sort of breeches, featured in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bShab a
(JD ; KA :, :; LW : f.; SD ; KG :; LR ). The
Hebrew term is not attested in the sense of diaphragm in secondary lit-
erature and was possibly introduced by Shem Tov as a loan translation of
the Arabic higab.
.
67 : O
68 : V
69 : V
70 : O V
71 : VO
pe
Arabic higab
. means ) a partition, a bar, ) a veil or curtain and
) diaphragm (L ; D :; DKT , ; FAL :). The term
features in medieval medical literature, e.g. in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (e.g. VI, ; cf. BMMb ), and is translated by N inter alia
as: , and by Z as: .
For the identification of Hebrew PRGWD as Arabic higab . with the
meaning curtain, cf. the Geonic Commentary on mKel . (EG ).
.
PQWQLYWT, Arab. QTN .
The Hebrew term PQWQLYWT is corrupt and should be read as PWQ-

LYWT or better PWQLYN or PQWLYN, the plural of PWQL". The term
possibly hails from Greek , diminutive of wool in its
raw state (LS ) (but cf. LW :: from Greek bundle
(LS ), and FH , n. : Latin poculum), meaning pod or capsule
of a plant, boll of flax (JD ; LW :; KA :, :; EM ;
SDA , s.v. ; KG :; LR ), and features in the plural form
in bNid a with the meaning cotton tufts (JD ), and is explained
by Rashi ad loc. as: cotton (cf. as well LF :).
Arabic qut. n designates the cotton bush, Gossypium arboreum L. and
Gossypium herbaceum L., and the product obtained from it, cotton (cf.
Mem no. and Samekh no. ).
. 72
PWQWT, Arab. PW"Q, o.l. SNGLWT.
Hebrew PWQH, plur. PWQWT, means hiccough and features in Rab-

binic literature (e.g. in Tos. Shab .) and in medieval medical literature,
e.g. in the Book of Medicines attributed to Asaph, (cf. BM f.).
Arabic fuwaq has the same meaning (L ; D :) and features, for
instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (e.g. VI, ; cf. BMMb )
and is translated by N as: and by Z as: (PYHWQ
in o.l. SWNGWLS. W).
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. sanglot for hiccough
(RL :a; PSW :ba; DECLC :a; CB , , ; RM
; RMM ).
72 : O
shem tov, glossary
. 73
PLS. WT, Arab. QS#R"R
Hebrew PLS. WT means shuddering, horror and features in the Bible,

e.g. in Is : (KB ; BM f.) and medieval medical literature (cf.
below).
Arabic QS#R"R seems to be corrupt and should be read either as
qus#arra, meaning tremor, quaking, quivering; shivering and esp.
trembling or shivering of the back preceeding fever (D :; L )
or as iqsi#rar, meaning tremor, quaking, quivering, shivering (L ).
Arabic qus#arra features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (e.g. VI, ;
cf. BMMb f.) and is translated by N as: and by Z as:
/ (PLS. WT in o.l. PLWRS/PLWRS).
For the identification, cf. SID : (on Is :):
(shudder and trembling); Sa#adya translates the term PLS. WT in the
same verse (DS ; RT ) as: (shaking, shivering), Ibn al-Janah.
(IJ ) as: Z) , (fear and anxiety), and David b. Abraham al-Fas
(SF :) as: (shudder of fear).
. 74
76 75
PYHWQ, Arab. TT"WB, o.l. BDLY"R, this is if someone opens his mouth
because of great fatigue, i.e. because of great weakness and tiredness from
suffering from fever
Hebrew PYHWQ means yawning and features in Rabbinic literature,

e.g. in bBer b (JD ; LW :; KA : f., :; BM f.;
Low LXX).
Arabic tata"ub means a state of relaxation and sluggishness; a yawning
or opening the mouth and stretching oneself on being affected by slug-
gishness or drowsiness or anxiety; or a yawning or opening the mouth
and emitting wind from the stomach by reason of some affection thereof
(L ), and features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms
(IX, ; cf. BMMb ) and is translated by N as:
73 : V
74 : O V
75 : O, om. V
76 : om. V
pe
(HPYHWQ called BD"YYL"R) and by Z as: (GYHWQ) (cf. as well

Gimmel no. ).
For the identification, cf. Maimonides on mNid .: :
(MK :).
badaillar, badalhar or the O. Cat. badallar for yawning (RL :a;
FEW :a; DECLC :a; DCVB :b). The variant in the Oxford
MS might be badalhair(e) or respectively badallier for someone who is
yawning or sighing, a derivate of O. Occ. badaill, badalh for yawning,
sigh (RL :b). It is more probable, however, that the Alef is misplaced
in this variant.
. 78 77
PT S. NWMH BQ#RH, Arab. KBZ MPTT PY "LS. HP" .
Hebrew PT S. NWMH BQ#RH means shrunk pieces of bread (soaked) in

a bowl and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bBer a (for S. NWMH
see JD , s.v. ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ).
Arabic hubz mufattat f-s. -s. ahfa
. means crumbled bread in a bowl

(L , ).
. 81 80 79
PYQH SL GRGRT, Arab. "LKRZH "LKBYRH which is R"S "LHLQWM .
Hebrew PYQH SL GRGRT means thyroid cartilage, Adams apple, lar-

ynx (JD ; LW : f.; KA :, :; BM ; Low LXXI; PB )
and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mNeg ..
Arabic haraza means vertebra (L ; FAL :; HA ) and
al-haraza al-kabra literally means the large vertebra.
Arabic hulqum means ) larynx and trachea, ) pharynx, ) ante-
.
rior and lower part of the neck (L ; DKT , , ; FAL :)
and features in medieval medical literature, e.g. in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (VII, ; cf. BMMb f.), where it is translated by N as:
and by Z as: .
77 : O
78 : P V
79 : O V
80 : V
81 : O
shem tov, glossary
Arabic ras al-hulqum

. literally means head of trachea.
Arabic harazat al-hulqum
. means the cartilaginous bars of the tra-

chea (L ; FAL :; HA ).
In his commentary on mNeg . (MK :), Maimonides cites the
Mishnaic as: and explains this as:
(the first vertebra of the vertebrae of the neck); in his
commentary on mNeg . (MK :), Maimonides explains
as: (head of the larynx).
. 85 84 83 82
86
PRS. WP, Arab. HLYH,
. that is, the shape of the face, i.e. the cheeks which
stretch to the nose from both sides
Hebrew PRS. WP, from Greek (LS ; KG :; LR ),

means face, visage, front; features (JD ; LW :; SD ; SDA
, Aram. ; KA : f.; Low LXXIII; PB ) and features in
Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mYeb ..
Arabic hilya
. means description of the face, countenance (L ).
monides explains PRS. WP as: (form, shape).
. 88 87
PTWMTY
. HSDYM, Arab. HLMTY
. "LTDYY
Hebrew PTWMTY
. HSDYM is the dual form of PTWMT. HSDYM and
means the nipples of female breasts. Hebrew PTWMT, . from Greek
! base, foundation; in anatomy fundus of the univales, lower parts
of the testes (KA :; LS ), means ) button at the top of the
fruit, and ) nipple (JD ; LW :; KA : f., :; BM ;
PB ) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in the meaning nipple
in mNid ., and in the meaning button at the top of the fruit in bBer
82 : eYt P
83 : O
84 : P
85 : VO
86 : O
87 : O V
88 : emendation editors O P
V
pe
b. Hebrew SDYM is the dual form of SD human and animal breast or

female breast (KB f.; JD ; BM ) and features in the Bible
(Job :) and in Rabbinic literature, e.g. bBer a.
Arabic HLMTY
. "LTDYY, i.e. halamatay
. at-tadyayn, the dual obli-
que form of halamata a t- tadyayn means of the breasts (FAL
nipples
.
:). Arabic halama
means ) a tick, and ) the head or nipple,
.
when small, of a womans breast (L , f.; FAL :). Arabic
tadyan is the dual form of tady the breast or mamma (L ; D :)
and features in medieval medical literature. e.g. in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (I, ; cf. BMMa ), where it is translated as: by both N
and Z.
For the identification of PYTWM", . a synonym for PTWMT,. with
halama,
. cf. LO Liqqu t
. ei Geonim on bBer b, p. . The Geonic Com-
mentary on Tohorot (EG ) explains as: (the head of
the breast); cf. Maimonides on the mentioned Mishnah (MK :):
(the head of the breast).
For the identification of as tadyan cf. Sa#adya on Job ::

(Why were there knees to receive me, or
breasts for me to suck?):
(SJ f.; BS ).
. 89
PTDH,
. Arab. Y"QWT, o.l. BLS
Hebrew PTDH . means topaz and features in the Bible (e.g. in Ex :)

(KB ; BM f.).
Arabic yaqut means ruby (D :; RS : f., f.; E.I.2 : f.,
s.v. yak. ut (Ghada al-Hijjawi al-Qaddumi)).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Ex : (S ):
(The first row shall be a row of carnelian, chrysolite and
emerald): , and SF :. Ibn Janah.
(IJ ) translates as: W
76.
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. balays for a kind of
rubin (DAO :; RL :b; DECLC :a; FEW :b). The form
in the Vatican and Paris MSS seem to be corrupt or a non-documented
variant.
89 : O " P
shem tov, glossary
. 90
PYTQ", Arab. PTQ
Syriac PYTQ" means rupture; hernia (BLS ).

Arabic fatq means ) a rent, a slit; ) a rupture, a hernia, or ) a rent,
or a gap in the clouds (L ; D :), and features in Maimonides
Medical Aphorisms (IX, ; cf. BMMb ) in the sense of hernia, where
it is translated by N as: and by Z as: (BQY#H in
Latin QRBTWR")
. (cf. Shin ).
.
PYTQWT, Arab. PTWQ
Hebrew PTQH, plur. PYTQWT, meaning hernia and derived from the
root PTQ to split; to release; to throw (LW :; KA :; BM )
is not attested in secondary literature.
Arabic fataq, plur. futuq; see previous entry.
90 : O
SADE
.
. 2 1
S. MH. SRTNY,
. Arab. SRT"N,
. o.l. QRNQ
Hebrew S. MH . means ) growth, sprout, plant, and ) morbid growth,

swelling, ulcer, eruption (JD ; LW :; KA : f., : f.; BM
f., Low LXXIV s.v. ). In the latter sense the term features
in medieval medical literature (cf. BM ). S. MH . SRTNY
. means a
cancerous growth (tumour) (for SRTNY, . cf. BM ).
Arabic sarat. an means ) crab, ) a certain sign of the Zodiac,
Cancer and ) the disease called cancer (L f.; DT :; M ) and
features in the meaning of cancer, for instance, in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (e.g. II, ; cf. BMMa ) and is translated by N and Z as:
/.
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. cranc(h) for crab, sign of
the Zodiac and the disease called cancer (RL .a; DAO :; FEW
:a; CB , , among others; RM , , ; RMA , among
others; [cranc daigua, literally water crab], [crancs fluvials for
crayfish]; RPA ; DECLC :b).
. 5 4 3
S. MWQY HHR, Arab. ZBYB "LGBL or MYWBZG, o.l. " STPYZQR" .
Hebrew S. MWQYM means raisins (KB ; JD ; LW :; SD

; KA :; BM f.; DAS :; FE ; KT :; LF :) and
features in the Bible ( Sam :) and in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mMaas
.. Hebrew S. MWQY HHR, literally meaning mountain raisins, was
possibly coined by Shem Tov as a loan translation of Arabic zabb al-
gabal and features subsequently in medieval medical literature, e.g. in
1 : V
2 : O
3 : O V
4 : VO
5 : O V
shem tov, glossary
Judah Ben Solomon Natans Kelal Qaz. ar mi ha-Sammim ha-Nifradim

(JNK :) (cf. LF :).
Arabic zabb al-gabal means staphisagria, lousewort, Delphinium
staphisagria L. (D :; DT :; M ; ID :). The Arabicised
mayubazag, from Persian mawzak small dry grape (VL :), has
the same meaning (D :; DT :; M ; ID :).
For the identification of zabb al-gabal as mayubazag cf. IJS :.
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. estafizagra for Delphinium staphis-
agria L. (DAO :; PSW :a; FEW :b). Von Wartburg points
out that the original meaning of this term was wild grape, but Pliny used
the term (Lat. staphis agria) for lousewort and from there it entered into
Gallo-Romance with this meaning (FEW loc. cit.). In O. Cat., forms with
the etymological diphthong /ia/ in the final syllable, (e)stafisgria or the
like, are more common (DCVB :b); we only find one documentation
of a form without the diphthong, stefizagra (AdV ).
For the identification of Arab. zabb al-gabal as O. Cat. stefizagra cf.
AdV , .
.
S. PYHT,
. Arab. QT"YP
.
Hebrew S. PYHT . means flat cake, pastry or a tenacious batter dripped

on a hot griddle, a sort of waffle and features in the Bible (e.g. in Ex
:) and Rabbinic literature as S. PHT,. e.g. in mMakhsh . (KB ;
JD ; LW :; KA :; BM ).
Arabic qat. a"if means pancakes with honey and butter (D :;
DAS :,; RAP , n. , f.) and features in medieval medical
literature, for instance, in Maimonides On Asthma (III, ) and is trans-
lated as: by the anonymous translator (cf. BMA ). For Arabic
qat. a"if, cf. as well Samekh no. .
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya (S ) on Ex ::
(The house of Israel named
it manna; it was like coriander seed, white, and it tasted like wafers in
honey): .
See as well IJ , and SID :.
sade
.
. 8 7 6
S. LBH", . o.l. "YNGYLS
. Arab. S. LB" H,
Aramaic S. LBH"
. (= S. LWBH")
. means eel and features in Rabbinic liter-
ature in bAZ a (JD ; LW :; SDA ; KA :, : f.; LFa
).
Arabic (read silbah;
. according to Fraenkel (FF ) it is derived
from the Aramaic term) also means eel (D :).
For the identification, cf. the Arukh (KA :):
( =) (What is ? An unclean fish
and its name in Arabic is the same).
In correspondence with the meaning of the Arabic and Hebrew terms,
the vernacular term in the Paris and Oxford MSS is the plural of O. Occ.
enguila for eel (RL :b), which existed alongside the more fre-
quent O. Occ. or O. Cat. anguila (RL loc. cit.; FEW :a; CB ;
DECLC :ab; DCBV :b); in O. Occ, we also find anguilla or
anguilha (CB , , , , ). The feminine plural ending -YS in
the Oxford and Vatican MSS might suggest an -es reading, which is the
usual Catalan ending, whereas the usual Occitan plural ending would be
-as (cf. Fernndez Gonzlez, p. ). However, it is more plausible that
the -LY- spelling reflects the variants with a palatal l (ll, lh) mentioned
above.
. 10 9
S. PWRN, Arab. " TP"R
. "LTB,
. o.l. "BL"QTY
. BZ"NTY .
Hebrew S. PWRN means, besides other things, onycha, unguis odorati

(JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ; LF :) and features in
Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bKer ab, and in medieval medical literature
(cf. below and references in BM ). Instead of S. PWRN, the biblical
term SHLT
. which features in Ex : indicates the same ingredient,
according to medieval commentators (see below, and KB ).
Arabic (read ) (az. far at. -t. b) designates fra-
grant nail, unguis odorati, a drug prepared from the opercula of
6 : O
7 : O
8 : O V
9 : O
10 : O V
shem tov, glossary
gastropods, such as Murex inflatus, Strombus lentiginosus among others

(D :; DT :, ; M ). The term features, for instance, in Maimonides
Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ) and is translated by N as: and
by Z as: .
Sa#adya (S n. ) and David b. Abraham al-Fas (SF :) translate
SHLT
. in Ex : as: , and Ibn Janah. (IJ ) translates it as: (H
I,M. Cf. AS , ASQ . For the identification of Hebrew S. PWRN as
Arabic az. far at. -t. b, cf. ShM :
(S. RY and S. PWRN is az. far at. -t. b and this is SHLT).
.
The term indicated as vernacular belongs to the Medieval Latin blatta
Bisancia, which is well documented for designating the murex or some
part of the murex, for example, in the Alphita; cf. Sin ba. These
molluscs were imported from Byzantium, and, when burnt, the smoke
was used to soothe discomfort of the uterus or the nerves (cf. ibidem).
The first element as it appears in our text reflects the variant blacta, which
is documented, e.g., in Alphita manuscripts (see Sin , n. and ).
The initial Alef is unexplained. The final -Y indicates a genitive singular
reading: *(a)blacte Bisancie. The term is documented in an O. Occ.
medico-botanical text as blacta bizancia opercule de divers coquillages
(operculum of diverse shells; RPA ).
The Romance synonym for Arab. az. far at. -t. b, which features in GHAT
is BL"QS" BYS"NS", is wrongly interpreted by Magdalena Nom de Du as
blanca vicensa (GHAT :).
. 12 11
S. MR GPN, Arab. QTWN, . o.l. QWTWN
.
Hebrew S. MR GPN means cotton, cotton tree, Gossypium herbaceum

L. or Gossypium arboreum L., and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in
mKil . (cf. Mem no. and Samekh no. above).
Arabic qut. n designates the cotton bush, Gossypium arboreum L. and
Gossypium herbaceum L., and the product obtained from it, cotton
(cf. Mem no. , Samekh no. and Pe no. above). Arabic qut. na
features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXII, ) and
is translated by N as: and by Z as: .
For the identification of Hebrew S. MR GPN as Arabic qut. n, cf. Mai-
monides on mKil . (MK :).
11 : O
12 : om. PV
sade
.
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. coton for cotton (DAO :;

RL :a; FEW :b; CB , ). For this words use in other
medieval Hebrew-Romance synonym lists, see HebMedSyn f.
The O. Cat. forms which are documented in the dictionaries do not
have a final -n (see the introduction).
. 14 13
S. WS. L", Arab. P"KTH
Aramaic S. WS. L" means dove or turtle dove and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in bShab b (JD ; SDA ; KA :, :; LZ
f.).
Arabic fahita means a certain well-known bird of those having neck-
of pigeon marked with a neck ring; a species of collared
rings; a species
turtle dove of a dull white colour, marked with a black neck ring (L ;
JAD : ff.; KSZ :: ring-dove; NB f.; StS ).
For the identification, cf. LO Teshuvot on bShab b, p. . See as well
ATG (= BT :).
. 16 15
S. YPY S. MR, Arab. ZWP" RTB, . and this is the grease in it, o.l.
"YSNWSRWNTWM .
Hebrew S. YPY S. MR means pieces of wool, hatchelled wool (JD ;

LW :; KA : f., :; BM ; KT : n. ) and features
in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bShab a, and in medieval Responsa
literature, cf. BT :.
Arabic zufa rat. b means the grease of wool, lanoline (DT :; M ;
LA f.:; cf. as well Dalet no. ) and features in medieval medical
literature, e.g. in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXIII, ) where it is
For the term indicated as vernacular, see Dalet .
13 : V
14 : VO
15 : O
16 : O V
shem tov, glossary
. 18 17
S. YS. HDRS. YN, Arab. ZRNB, o.l. PLWR DSNMWMW
Hebrew or Aramaic S. YS. HDRS. YN literally means blossom of cinna-

mon (for DRS. YN cf. as well Dalet no. ). The term is not attested in
secondary literature and was possibly coined by Shem Tov as the Hebrew
equivalent to the Arabic zarnab.
Arabic zarnab has not yet been identified satisfactorily. Lane (L )
explains it as a certain perfume; or a certain sweet-smelling tree; or a
species of sweet-smelling plant; leaves of a sweet-smelling plant which
has the name of W
0(, locusts foot; saffron. Issa (ID :) identifies
it as the common yew, Taxus Baccata L.. The association with the
Indian bixin, Flacourtia cataphracta Roxb., is discussed by Ibn al-Bait.ar
(IBF : f., ) and Lw (LF : ff.). According to Dozy (D :)
and Maimonides (M ; Medical Aphorisms XXI, ), it is identical
with the Persian falanga, a red seed used in the composition of perfumes
(VL :). For further references, cf. M .
or O. Cat. compound expression flor de cinamomi for blossom of cin-
namon, in accordance with the Hebrew term. The term cinamoni is
documented very late; von Wartburg dates the first documentation in
O. Occ. to (FEW :a); however, it can be found (with an ini-
tial s-) in earlier O. Occ. texts compiled in the middle of the th century
(RMA ; RPA , , , ); for the O. Cat. word, Coromines
indicates the end of the th century (DECLC :a). The Paris variant
seems to have the Latin cinamomum instead of the Romance form end-
ing in -i (cf. entry Dalet ). For the loss of final -m in this form as well
as for the epenthetic Waw in the Oxford variant of flor, see the introduc-
tion.
. 19
S. PY#Y BQR, Arab. RWT "LBQR

Hebrew S. PY#Y BQR means animals droppings, dung and features in the
Bible in Ez : (KB ; BM f.).
Arabic rawt al-baqar has the same meaning (L ).

17 : O
18 : O V
19 : VO
sade
.
For the identification, cf. IJ and SID :. David b. Abraham

al-Fas (SF :) translates the term as: .
. 20
S. NWN, Arab. PGL
Hebrew S. NWN means radish, Raphanus sativus L. (JD ; LW :;

KA :, :; BM ; AEY :, :; FH , , f., ;
FM ; LA f.:; LF : f.) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g.
mKil ..
Arabic fugl, or figl, or fugul designates the same plant (L ; D :;
DT :; ID :).
(in Arabic PGWL and in o.l. "RMWRS"), and Maimonides
on the Mishnah mentioned above (MK :).
.
S. YR or MWRYS, Arab. MRY "LHN . TH. or MRY "LHWT
.
Hebrew S. YR means juice, brine (of meat, fish or fruits) (JD ;

LW :; SD : fish brine; KA :; BM f.) and features in
Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mYom ..
Hebrew MWRYS, from Latin muries (KG :), means brine, pickle
(JD ; LW :; SD ; SDA , Aram. : muries, a chopped
fish food preserved in brine; KA :) and also features in Rabbinic
literature in mYom ..
Arabic murr is normally translated as garum, i.e. a fish sauce com-
mon in the classical Mediterranean world during Greco-Roman times.
But there were actually two varieties of murr in the Arabic/Islamic tra-
dition, one made from fish, and the other from cereals. The cereal-based
preparation was called murr al-hin
. t. a, while the fish-based condiment,
fish-brine, garum was called murr al-hut
. (D :; DT :; KZ ).
These two varieties of murr were often confused.
Arabic murr features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (e.g. XXII,
Maimonides on mYom . (MK :) explains Hebrew S. YR as:
(the juice which is exuded
from fish when it is preserved in salt), and Hebrew MWRYS as: .
20 : O V
shem tov, glossary
.
S. LWHYT,
. Arab. BRNYH
Hebrew S. LWHYT. means flask, bottle with a wide belly and a narrow
neck, vase and features in the Bible ( Kings :) and Rabbinic litera-
ture, e.g. in mParah . (KB ; JD ; LW :; SD ; KA :;
BM f.; BKH ; Low LXXIV; PB , ).
Arabic barniyya means a kind of vessel of baked clay; flask, bottle,
generally of glass (L ; cf. as well KZ and Sade
. no. below).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya (SAM :), and IJ . See as well
MCS :.
. 22 21
S. PHT,
. Arab. KWZ, o.l. BWTLYH .
Hebrew S. PHT. means pitcher and features in the Bible, e.g. in Kings
: (KB ; BM ; BKH , ; DAS :, :, ).
Arabic kuz, from Persian kuza (VL :), means pitcher, small jug
(WKAS : f.).
For the identification, cf. IJ . David b. Abraham al-Fas (SF :)
. as Arabic (see previous entry) or (recepta-
explains S. PHT
cle).
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. word botelha/botella for
bottle (RL :b; DECLC :b; FEW :a).
. 25 24 23
S. YLHT",
. Arab. SQYQH, and it is a pain in one side of the head
Aramaic S. YLHT". means pain in one side of the head, hemicrania,

migraine (JD ; LW :; SDA ; KA :, :; PB f.) and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. bGit b.
Arabic saqqa has the same meaning (L ; SN ) and features in
medieval medical literature, e.g. in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (e.g.
21 : O
22 : O V
23 : VO
24 : O V
25 : O V
sade
.
VI, ; cf. BMMb ) where it is translated by N and by Z as:

(MGRNY"H).
For the identification, cf. LO Perushim on bShab a, p. ; BT :.
. 26
S. YHWB KMW S#R DQ, Arab. ZGB
Hebrew S. YHWB KMW S#R DQ means fine yellow hairs, and is a

quotation from Maimonides Mishneh Torah (Maas .):
- ?
(What constitutes the completion of the preparation of produce?
For chate melons, pumpkins, and watermelons, when one rubs them with
his hand to remove the fine hairlike fuzz that makes them shine (trans.
Klein, p. ));27 cf. BM .
Arabic zagab means down, the yellow small hairs upon the feathers
of the young bird (L ).
In his commentary on mHul . . (MK :), Maimonides explains
the term S. YHWB as: (the beginning of the colouring
of the feathers).
. 28
S. PHT,
. Arab. KWZ, o.l. BWTYL" .
For Hebrew S. PHT

. and Arabic kuz, cf. Sade
. no. above.
For the vernacular term, see ibidem.
.
S. NS. NT, Arab. BRNYH
Hebrew S. NS. NT means basket or container, jug and features in the

Bible in Ex : (KB f.; BM ; BKH ff.).
Arabic barniyya means a kind of vessel of baked clay; flask, bottle,
generally of glass (cf. Sade
. no. above).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya (S ) on Ex ::

26 : O
27 The Code of Maimonides. Book seven: The Book of Agriculture. Translated from the
Hebrew by Isaac Klein, New Haven and London .
28 : om. OV
shem tov, glossary
(and Moses said to Aaron, Take a jar, put one omer of manna in it, and
place it before the LORD, to be kept throughout the ages):

. See as well IJ .
. 29
S. "T HSTN MBLY HP
. S. , Arab. DRB "LBWL
Hebrew S. "T HSTN MBLY HP . S. means unwanted flow of urine.

Arabic darab means an incurable disease; diarrhoea; a disease that
attacks thestomach, in consequence of which it does not digest the food
(L ). The term features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (VII, ;
cf. BMMb ) and is translated by both N and Z as: . The Arabic text
is possibly corrupt and should be emended into: , darr al-bawl
the copious flowing of the urine (L f.).
. 30
. BYN HS. L#WT, Arab. D"T "LGNB
S. MH
Hebrew S. MH . BYN HS. L#WT literally means growth between the sides/
ribs (for S. MH,
. cf. Sade
. no. ). It is possible that this term, which is not
attested in secondary literature, was coined by Shem Tov as an equivalent
to the Arabic dat al-ganb.

Arabic dat al-ganb means pleurisy, Pleuritis costalis, and is translated
in Bet no. as: . See also next entry.
. 34 33 32 31
S. MH
. BTRP
. SH, Arab. SWS. H, o.l PLBYRSYN WYR"
Aramaic S. MH . BTRP
. S" literally means growth in the diaphragm, mem-
brane. For Aramaic TRP
. S", diaphragm, membrane, cf. JD ; SDA ;
Low LIV; PB , ). It is possible that this term, which is not attested
in secondary literature, was coined by Shem Tov as an equivalent to the
Arabic saws. a.
29 : O
30 : VO
31 : VO
32 : VO
33 : O V
34 : T P
sade
.
Arabic saws. a means pleurisy, Pleuritis (D :; SN : Brustfel-

lentzndung; SpLA ; Ullmann, Rufus von Ephesos ),35 and features,
for instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (IX, ; XII, , ; cf.
BMMb ) and is translated by N as: and by Z as: /
. See as well Shin no. .
The vernacular term corresponds to an O. Occ. compound term
*plevesin/pleu(re)sin vera, which seems to designate the real pleurisy
in contrast to the illness treated in Bet and Shin . For further
information, see Bet ; for the letter Dalet in the Vatican MS, see the
introduction.
. 36
S. MH
. HMWH, . Arab. SRS"M
Hebrew S. MH . HMWH, . which literally means a growth in the brain and

which is not attested in secondary literature, was possibly coined by Shem
Tov as an equivalent to the Arabic sirsam or sirsam.
Arabic sirsam or sirsam, from Persian sarsam inflammation of the
head (VL :), means phrenitis (D :; SN ; Dols, Majnun
f.)37 and features in medieval medical literature, e.g. in Maimonides
Medical Aphorisms (VI, ; cf. BMMb ), where it is translated by N as:
/ and by Z as: .
. 38
S. MH
. BLWBN H#YN, Arab. WDQH
Hebrew S. MH . BLWBN H#YN, which literally means a growth in the white

of the eyes (for LWBN H#YN, cf. BM ) and which is not attested in
35 M. Ullmann, Rufus von Ephesos. Krankenjournale. Hrsg., bersetzt und erlutert.
Wiesbaden . Ullmann remarks: saus. a designates a disease that has not been
defined accurately. According to Ibn Wafid in Dozy suppl. I a, it is a growth in
the thoracic diaphragm. The pain caused by this disease can radiate as far as the
collarbones. According to Ibn Sna (Qanun I ,), saus. a is a growth in the membranes,
diaphragms, and muscles of the thorax. He names them in conjunction with birsam and
dat al-ganb. Ibn Manzur
. (Lis. ,b ff.) speaks of a wind that is trapped between the
ribs and is experienced as a shooting pain. On the whole, pleurisy can be considered
as the right translation. M.W. Dols, Medieval Islamic Medicine, Berkeley , p. ,
distinguishes between saus. a and dat al-ganb as: pleurisy and true pleurisy.
36 : V
37 M.W. Dols, Majnun: The Madman in Medieval Islamic Society. Edited by Diana
E. Immisch, Oxford .
38 : O
shem tov, glossary
secondary literature, was possibly coined by Shem Tov as an equivalent

to the Arabic zurqa.
Arabic WDQH is corrupt and should be read as zurqa, meaning green
cataract (SN ; cf. as well MH : blueness, glaucoma, ).
. 39
S. MH. "DMDM, Arab. PLGMWNY
Hebrew S. MH . "DMDM, which literally means reddish growth (for

"DMDM, cf. BM ) and which is not attested in secondary literature, was
possibly coined by Shem Tov as an equivalent to the Arabic falgamun.
Arabic falgamun, from Greek (UW ff.), means in-
flamed tumour (SN : felgamun) and features in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (X, ), and is translated by N as: .
.
S. MH
. GDWL W#MWQ, Arab. MKB", i.e. MHBW".
Hebrew S. MH . GDWL W#MWQ, literally meaning a big and deep

growth, is not attested in secondary literature and was possibly coined
by Shem Tov as an equivalent to the Arabic mahba".
Arabic mahba" means ulcus in carne, quo non afficitur os aut tendo

(an ulcer affecting the flesh, not the bones or tendons) (FL :)
or fistulous ulcer which spreads under the skin (Greek: ; cf.
LS ); cf. az-Zahraw, Kitab at-tas. rf, Book , Part , chapter
(SpLA ): 7 h T] s( 7 aI) ,'$L NJ/> v2 s() ;E] k
eE L) N/) +B\Q P(- h @K) 7 +,- Q 7 h, G
) F )
AHB C<
7) U( ) I*/ ) Cg/
<& & ^W- m [? d) (
{Q +,L/
(3B C? d) \n7 '? & i$T% (When an abscess occurs in any of the
fleshy parts and becomes chronic and eventually collects pus, and then it
breaks open or is perforated, and all the contained matter comes out and
the site is left hollow, like a vessel, and the overlying skin thinned like a
rag, but the suppuration has not gone so far as to involve bone or tendon
or ligamentand hence it merits the name of sinus and is not called
a fistula). The Arabic term features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms
(XV, ) and is transcribed both by N and Z as: .
39 : P
sade
.
. 41 40
S. MH
. BS. PWRN H" S. B#, Arab. D" HS,
. o.l. GL"YY
Hebrew S. MH . BS. PWRN H" S. B#, literally meaning growth in the finger-
nail, is not attested in secondary literature and was possibly coined by
Shem Tov as an equivalent to the Arabic dahis. .
Arabic dahis
. means paronychia or whitlow (D :; SN ), cf. az-
Zahraw, Kitab at-tas. rf, Book , Part , chapter (SpLA f.): z]
h3>
`% a? f() 0
)& , sn
H au a? U_Q C (Paronychia is
a growth of flesh under the nail of the thumb or big toe; it may also occur
in the other fingers and toes).
The vernacular term (only given in MS O) is not clear to us and might
be a corruption or a dialectal variant belonging to Provenal ungldo
(Haute Loire, FEW :a, variant oyda) engourdissement douloureux
du bout des doigts, cause par un grand froid/apostume aux racines des
ongles, panaris (painful numbness of the fingertips/abscess at the roots
of the fingernails, whitlow); cf. Middle and Modern French ongle.
. 42
S. MH
. MTHT
. HLSWN, Arab. S. PRD#
Hebrew S. MH . MTHT . HLSWN, literally meaning growth under the

tongue, is not attested in secondary literature, and was possibly coined
by Shem Tov as an equivalent to the Arabic dafda#..
Arabic is corrupt, as it is not Arabic but rather Hebrew, cor-
responding to Arabic: , dafda#, . meaning ranula (SN ; cf. az-
Zahraw, Kitab at-tas. rf, Bk. , Part , ch. (SpLA f.)): ;
@2,M +L2- / L h'? Ul* hJHJ +o? s() L au (Sometimes there
occurs under the tongue a swelling resembling a small frog which hin-
ders the natural movements of the tongue)); cf. Hebrew text, MS Paris
, fol. a:
. For the Hebrew term meaning ranula, a semantic bor-
rowing from the Arabic, see BM .
40 : O
41 : om. PV
42 : VO
shem tov, glossary
. 44 43
S. MHYM,
. Arab. "NB"T or DM"MYL, o.l. PLYRWNQS
Hebrew S. MH, . plur. S. MHYM,

. means ) growth, sprout, plant and )
morbid growth, swelling, ulcer, eruption and features in the second
meaning in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bBQ a (cf. Sade
. ).
Arabic nabt, plur. anbat, means abcess, ulcer, boil (D :) and
Arabic dummal, plur. damaml, means a kind of purulent pustule, or
imposthume (L , SN ). The term dummal features in Maimonides
Medical Aphorisms (XXIII, a) and is transcribed by N as: , while
Z translates it as: .
All variants of the vernacular term given here are derivates of Lat.
FURUNCULUS for furuncle (FEW :a). The variants given in the
Paris and Vatican MSS are the O. Occ. form flayronx or flayrons (CB ,
, ). The variant in the Oxford MS seems to correspond to the
O. Occ. form floiron(c)x (CB ; RL loc. cit.), spelt with an epenthetic
Waw between the consonant cluster Pe + Lamed (for this phenomenon,
see also the introduction). Von Wartburg points out that the forms
corresponding to these variants underwent a metathesis of the l, perhaps
due to a popular etymology, by tracing them back to FLOS (FEW
:b).
.
S. MHYM
. DQYM BKL H#WR, Arab. BTWR
Hebrew S. MHYM . DQYM BKL H#WR, literally meaning small growths

everywhere in the skin, is not attested in secondary literature, and was
possibly coined by Shem Tov as an equivalent to the Arabic butur.
(L ;
Arabic batr, plur. butur, means pimples, or small pustules

SN , SpLA , ). Arabic batr features in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (VI, ; cf. BMMb ) and is translated by N as: , while
it is transcribed by Z as: .
43 : O
44 : O V
sade
.
.
S. RBT, Arab. TSYYT.
Hebrew S. RBT means scar, scald and features in the Bible (e.g. Lev
:), while in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mNeg ., it features as S. RBH
(KB ; JD ; KA :; BM f.; Low LXXV; PB f., ).
Arabic tasyt. means something burned; flesh-meat roasted (L
f.).
(But if
the discoloration has remained stationary, not having spread on the skin,
and it is faded, it is the swelling from the burn. The priest shall pronounce
him clean, for it is the scar of the burn):

(S f., cf. as well n. ), and SF :. Ibn Janah. (IJ ) translates S. RBT
as: 1] (burning). See as well MCS :.
. 46 45
S. LS. LWT, Arab. ZNGLH, o.l. S. MBS
Hebrew S. LS. LWT, read S. LS. LYM, means cymbals and features in the
Bible (e.g. in Sam :, and Ps :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in
mSheq . (KB ; JD ; LW :; KA :; BM ).
Sa#adya (ST ) translates the term in Ps : as: (chains),
Ibn Janah. (IJ ) merely explains it as an (instrument), while Jephet
Ben #Eli translates it as: G3 (cymbals).47
The Arabic term ZNGLH should be read as S. NGLH, which is possibly
the result of the faulty combination of two explanations of the term
in the Hebrew tradition mentioned above, namely s. ang (cymbal) and
ala (instrument) (ZNGLH S. NGLH S. NG "LH). For s. ang (cymbal), cf.
E.I.2 : ff., s.v. s. andj (H.G. Farmer).
The vernacular term is the plural of O. Occ. or O. Cat cemba or semba
for cymbals, documented for the first time in the th century (FEW
:a; DECLC :ab).
45 : O V
46 : O " P V
47 Kitab al-zabur. Libri Psalmorum David Regis et Prophetae. Versio R. Yapheth ben
Heli Bassorensi Karait, auctore decimi seculi, arabic concinnata. Ed. by J.J.L. Bargs,
Paris , p. .
shem tov, glossary
. 48
S. B, Arab. DB
.
Hebrew S. B means thorntail lizard, Uromastix aegyptius, and features in

the Bible (Lev :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bHul
. a (KB ;
JD ; LW : f.; BM ; BAL ; BH s.v. index; FAB f.;
LZ ).
Arabic dabb
. means a species of lizard, lacerta caudiverbera, lacerta
Aegyptia (L f.; BK , , ; JAD : ff.; KSZ : thorntail
lizard; StS ).
For the identification, see Sa#adya on Lev ::
(The following shall be unclean
for you from among the things that swarm on the earth: the mole, the
mouse, and great lizards of every variety):
(S); see as well
IJ , IQR : and SID :.
. 49
S. BT, Arab. KLBTYN, o.l. TN"LY
. S
Hebrew S. BT means ) couple, pair, set, and ) a pair of tongs (KB

; JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ; KT :, ) and
features in the Bible (Ru :) and in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mErub
..
Arabic kalbatayn is the oblique form of kalbatan, meaning tongs,
smiths tongs (L ; WKAS :; DAS :).
For the identification, cf. IJ , gloss MS Rouen (n. ), and Mai-
monides on mErub . (MK :). See as well MCS :.
The vernacular term is the plural of O. Occ. or O. Cat. tenalha/ tenalla
for tongs (RL :b; DCVB :b; FEW :a).
. 50
S. MR SW#, Arab. S. WP MNPWS, o.l. L"N" QRPYN" TH
.
Hebrew S. MR SW# literally means smooth, soft wool (for Hebrew S. MR,
cf. Mem no. , Samekh no. and Sade . no. and above; for Hebrew
SW#, cf. JD f.; KA : ff., :).
48 : VO
49 : O V
50 : O V
sade
.
Arabic s. uf manfus means wool separated, or plucked asunder or

loosened, so that it became spread, or sparse, or dispersed (for manfus
see L f.; cf. as well Het
. no. above).
For the vernacular term, cf. Het. no. above. For the graphic repre-
sentation of Western Romance intervocalic -d- by the Hebrew letter Tet.
(cf. the variant in P), see the introduction.
.
S. R#H, Arab. ZNBWR
Hebrew S. R#H means hornet and features in the Bible (e.g. Ex :) and
Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mMakhsh . (KB ; JD ; LW :;
KA :, :; LZ f.).
Arabic zunbur means hornet or hornets; a large sort of wasp (cf.
Zayin no. above).
For the identification, cf. IJ , SID : and Maimonides on the
Mishnah mentioned (MK :): : (honey from
hornets). Sa#adya (S ) translates S. R#H in Ex : as: (scourge,
disease).
QOF
. 4 3 2 1
QYNBS, Arab. S"HD"NG, that is "LQNB, o.l. QNBWNS
Hebrew QYNBS or the more common form QNBWS, from Greek -

(LS ; KG : f.; LR ), designates hemp, Cannabis sativa L.,
and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKil . (JD ; LW :;
KA :, :; AEY :; FM ; LA :; LF : ff.).
Arabic sahdanag, from Persian sahdanag or sahdanaq (VL :),
means hemp, or seed of the hemp. Arabic qinnab, from Greek ,
is its synonym (DT :, :; M ; IJS :; cf. as well E.I.2 : f.,
s.v. hashsh
. (M. Levey)).
For the identification of Hebrew QNBWS as Arabic sahdanag, cf.
the following Geonic Responsum by Hai Gaon (Horovitz, Toratan shel
Rishonim :,5 following LF :): (sic); for the
identification of Hebrew QNBWS as Arabic qinnab, cf. Maimonides on
mKil . (MK :).
The vernacular term is the plural of O. Occ. canabo(n) for hemp
seed (FEW :b; DAO :; CB , ). The word is not doc-
umented in Cat. For O. Cat., canabe, see AdV , for Cat. cnem see
DECLC :b; DCVB :b. Alternatively, the form QNBWS in MS
O might be interpreted as the Lat. cannabus with the same meaning
(NPRA ).
1 : N P
2 : O V
3 : O P
4 : O
5 Ch.M. Horowitz, Toratan shel Rishonim. Halakhische Schriften der Geonim. parts.
Frankfurt a.M. .
shem tov, glossary
. 9 8 7 6
[] 10
QSW"Y HHMWRYM, Arab. QT" "LHMYR, . o.l. QWGWMRY "M"R,

Lat. "LS. YTY"YN and its juice is called in Lat. "LQTYRY"W S [or]
. .
"LQTYRY"WM
.
Hebrew QSW"Y HHMWRYM and its synonym YRWQT HMWR . (cf. Yod

no. above) designate the plant Ecbalium Elaterium Rich., squirting
cucumber (KA :; BM ; AEY :; LF : f.).
Arabic qitta" al-hamr,
. lit. donkeys cucumber, designates the same

plant (DT :; M ; DAS :; cf. Yod no. above).
For the identification, cf. the Geonic Commentary on Tohorot (EG ).
The vernacular plant name is cogom(b)re amar, for the commentary
see entry Yod . The term SYQTYRY"WM
. in MS V seems to be corrupt,
although the beginning of this word resembles the Lat. citrolus, citrullus
pumpkin (DuC :b). Note that several Romance names for the
squirting cucumber contain the Lat. element citr- (cf. PFlor :).
Another possible interpretation of the beginning of this word is sicida, of
which the Alphita says nomen est equivocum ad cucumerem agrestem
et curcubitam agrestem (Sin , n. ; CA ); in the Spanish version
of the Alphita, this term is explained as the oil of the root of cogombrillo
amargo (probably Ecbalium elaterium Rich., see Sin :). According
to NPRA , sicys agria indeed designates the same plant. Note that
the root of cogombrillo amargo is called olium siionum with the variants
oleum sionu[m] and oleum citionum in Sin : and n. . The name
indicated as its juice/oil corresponds to ela(c)terius or ela(c)terium (Sin
: fn. ; NPRA b): Elatericum [read: Elacterium] i. umo (seco)
de cogonbrillo amargo (Sin :, an adaptation from an Alphita
entry, see CA ; i. e. elaterium that is (dried) juice of cogonbrillo
amargo, Sin b). Andr points out that this name was used in Ancient
Rome to designate firstly the drastically purgative juice taken from the
pulp of the fruit of the squirting cucumber and then the plant itself
(NPRA loc. cit.). The variant in P, "LS. YTY"YN,
. looks like a blend of
6 : O
7 : O V
8 : O V
9 [] :
V, om. O
10 : XO P V, om. O
qof
SYQTYRY"WM
. (see above) with elacterium. Alternatively, the element
"L- could be an agglutinated Arabic article, see, e. g., the variants in Alef
and Ayin of this edition.
. 11
QRWSTMLYN,
. Arab. KMTRY, o.l. PYRS
Hebrew QRWSTMLYN,
. plur. of QRWSTML. or QRWSTMYL,
. from Greek
(LS ), means Crustamenian pears, quinces, Crustu-
mina pira (JD ; LW :; KA : f., :; FE f.; FH ;
FM ; LA f.:; LF :, :) and features in Rabbinic litera-
ture, e.g. in mKil ..
Arabic kummatra, from Syriac kummatra (BLS ), means pear;

pear tree, Pyrus Communis
L. (L ; D :; WKAS : f.; DT :;
M ; ID :; LA :).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya (SAM :), and Maimonides
The vernacular term is the plural of O. Occ. or O. Cat. pera for pear
(CB , ; DECLC :ab; RL :a; DAO :). For the
identification of Arabic KMTRY as Romance PRYYS (the Cat. plural
peres), see GHAT :.
. 12
QNYBT YRQ, Arab. TQTY# . "LBQL
Hebrew QNYBT means those parts of vegetables which are stripped off,
refuse and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mEduy . and bShab
b (JD ; LW :; SD ; KA :, :; BM ; KT :,
n. ).
Arabic taqt. # al-baql means cutting up vegetables (for baql see L ;
for taqt. # see D :).
Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned gives the following expla-
nation: :
(those parts of the vegetables which are cut up and thrown away
at the time of cutting for cooking) (MK :).
11 : VO
12 : V
shem tov, glossary
. 15 14 13
QNH BSM, Arab. QS. B "LDRYRH, o.l. Q"LMWS "RWM" TYQW . S
Hebrew & , which means wohlriechender Kalmus; Kahnbartgras

(aromatic sweet calamus), Andropogon nardus, and features in the Bible
in Ex : (KB , : aromatic cane, Cymbopogon); BM ;
AEY :; FO f.; LF : ff.).
Arabic qas. ab ad-darra means Calamus aromaticus; perfumed reed;

false sweet-flag, Andropogon or Cymbopogon Martinii Roxb. (L ;
DT :; M ).

(Next take choice spices: five hundred weight of solidified myrrh, half
as muchtwo hundred and fiftyof fragrant cinnamon, two hundred
and fifty of aromatic cane):

(S ); see as well Ibn Janah. (RJ and
IJ ), and SID :.
The vernacular term is the (Late) Latin calamus aromaticus for Acorus
calamus L. (MLWB :; for further documentation see NPRA ). We
also find this Latin compound term in O. Occ. and O. Cat. medical recipes
(RMA ; AdV ; also in the genitive singular: RM ; RPA ).
. 17 16
QDH, Arab. QWST, . o.l. QWSTW. S
Hebrew QDH means cinnamon blossom, clove of cinnamon, Flores

Cassiae, Laurus Cassia, and features in the Bible (e.g. Ex :) and
Rabbinic literature (e.g. bKer a) and, as QDH LBNH, in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in mKil ., where it designates the tree Poncirus trifoliata,
Trifoliate Orange (KB ; JD ; LW :; KA :, : f.;
BM ; AEY :; FEB f.; FM ; FO ff.; LA :;
LF :, :, ).
Arabic qust. means costus (DT :; M ).
13 : V
14 : O V
15 : O V
16 : VO
17 : VO
qof
For the incorrect identification, cf. Sa#adya on Ex ::

(five hundredby the sanctuary weight
of cassia, and a hin of olive oil):
(S ); see as well Ibn Janah. (IJ and
RJ ). The source of this incorrect identification is probably the Aramaic
translation of in the Targum Onkelos as: (= cassia; cf.
Dalman, Aramisches-Neuhebrisches Handwrterbuch, p. ).18 Cf. as
well LO Perushim on bErub b, p. . In his lexical commentary on the
Mishnah, Sa#adya (SAM :) gives the correct interpretation of the
term as cinnamon but adds that, according to some, it is identical
to costus: .
The vernacular term is the (Late) Latin costus for Tanacetum balsamita
L. (FEW :a; for further documentation see MLWB :;
NPRA ; DuC :c costum radix amara). Von Wartburg points out
that the Lat. costum (rarely costus, from Gr. ) is an Indian bush, but
that the name was transferred to the plant Tanacetum balsamita, which
grows in a moderate climate and the seeds of which were used in a simi-
lar fashion (cf. FEW loc. cit.). This word is also used in O. Cat. texts, see
AdV .
. 19
QWMWS, Arab. S. MG #RBY, o.l. GWMY "R"BYQWM
Hebrew QWMWS, from Greek (LS ; KG : f.; LR ),

means gum, resin (JD ; LW :; SDA , Aram. : gum
arabic; KA :, : f.; KT :; LA :; LF : ff.; SB :)
and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mShab ., bGit a.
Arabic s. amg #arab means gum arabic, viscous secretion gained from
the bark of the acacia tree which represents several varieties of the acacia
imported from Africa: Acacia senegalensis, Acacia abyssinica and Acacia
nilotica and many others (L ; M ; LF : f.; E.I.2 : f., s.v.
s. amgh (A. Dietrich)) and features in medieval medical literature, e.g. in
Maimonides On Asthma (XII, ), where it is translated by Joshua Shatibi
as: and by Samuel Benveniste as: (GWM" "RBYQH)
(cf. BMA ).
18 G. Dalman, Aramisches-Neuhebrisches Handwrterbuch. nd rev. and enl. ed.
Frankfurt a. Main .
19 : O V
shem tov, glossary
For the identification of QWMWS as Aramaic QWM", cf. LO Perushim

on bGit a, p. . For the identification of QWM" as s. amg #arab, cf. LO
Teshuvot on bShab a, p. .
The vernacular term in the Paris MS is the Latin compound expression
gum(m)i arabicum (AdV ) (for gummi/ gumma/ cummi/ commi gum,
cf. GH : and LLMA b). The variant in the Vatican MS is the O.
Occ. or O. Cat. goma arabic(h)a (RPA ; CB , ; DCVB :b).
The variant in the Oxford MS might represent a Romance-Latin blend
(goma arabicum), but note that it could also be completely Latin, in which
case the first element would represent the Lat. gumma, which was not
declined and neuter. See also the same Lat. term in the Hebrew spelling
(GWMH "aRaBiQWM) in PJP . In GHAT :, we find the Arabic
term that appears in this book glossed by the Romance (O. Cat.) GWM"
RYSYNH (gomma resina, gum-resin) and the Latin GWMH "R"BYQ".
Also cf. Sin :, adapted from the index to the Latin translation of Ibn
Snas K. al-Qanun: Azemayze, i. alazabe [read: Azamac alarabi], i. goma
arabica. (cf. Sin ).
. 22 21 20
QNMWN BSM, Arab. QRPH QRNPLYH, o.l. QNYL"
Hebrew & means sweet cinnamon and features in the Bible in

Ex : (KB ; BM ; for Hebrew QNMWN, cf. Qof no. below;
for Hebrew &, cf. Bet no. above).
Arabic qirfa qaranfulya means clove-cinnamon (D :, ; DT
:, :; M , ; LF :; for Arabic qaranful and its identification
as , cf. Bet no. above).
Sa#adya on Ex : (S ) explains as: (aloes-
wood); Ibn Janah. likewise (IJ ); Se#adyah Ibn Danan (SID :)
explains it as: (Indian aloeswood), and David Kimhi, . Sefer
ha-Shorashim, col. as: (this is the
fragrant substance which is called Indian aloeswood in vernacular).23
In his commentary on mUqz ., Maimonides (MK :) explains the
20 : O
21 : O
22 : om. PV
23 David Kimhi,
. Sefer ha-Shorashim. Ed. Jo.H.R. Biesenthal and F. Lebrecht, Berlin
. Repr. Jerusalem .
qof
Hebrew (cf. Ex. :: ) as all kinds of fragrant

plants, such as: qirfa, qaranful, and others.
For the commentary on the vernacular term, see Dalet .
. 24
QNMWN, Arab. QRPH
Hebrew QNMWN means cinnamon, cinnamon tree, Cinnamomum

zeylanicum, and features in the Bible (e.g. Prov :) and Rabbinic litera-
ture, e.g. bShab a (KB ; JD ; LW :; SD ; SDA and
KA :, Aram. ; BM ; AEY :; FEB ff.; FO f.;
LA :; LF : ff.).
Arabic qirfa means canella, Cortex cinnamomi cassiae (DT :, n. ;
M ).
Sa#adya on Prov : (SM ), Ibn Janah. (IJ ), and Joseph Ben
Judah Ibn Aknin on Song : (Hitgallut ha-Sodot, p. , l. )25 explain
QNMWN as: (aloeswood) (cf. LF :). Sa#adya on Song
: (SH ) translates it as: (sandalwood). Lws remark (LF
:) that in addition to the false identification of QNMWN as qaranful,
Maimonides correctly identifies it as qirfa, could not be retrieved.
. 27 26
QPRS, Arab. KBR, o.l. Q"PRYS
Hebrew QPRS, from Greek (LS ; KG :; LR ), means

caper bush, Capparis spinosa L., and especially the floral buds of the
caper bush, i.e. capers (JD ; LW :; KA : f., : f.; FM ;
LA ff.:; LF :), and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mMaas
..
Arabic kabar, qabar, kabbar or qabbar (cf. MS O) is derived from
the same Greek word and also designates capers (L ; D :;
WKAS :, ; DT :; M ; ID :).
24 : om. OV
25 Hitgallut ha-Sodot we-Hofa#at ha-Me"orot. Perush Shir ha-Shirim. Ed. A.S. Halkin,
Jerusalem .
26 : O
27 : V
shem tov, glossary
For the identification, cf. Teshuvot Rav Palt. oi, p. :28

[ . . . ] (what is caper
wine in Arabic? It is called in Arabic: ). Cf. as well ATG :
[ . . . ] (caper wine is called in Arabic:
) and ShM :
(QPRS is al-qabbar and is called kabar and it is mentioned in
entrance "BYWNWT and in entrance S. LP); Maimonides on mMaas .
identifies kabar as Hebrew caper bush (MK :).
The vernacular term is the Latin capparis for Capparis spinosa L., the
O. Occ. caparis or the O. Cat. caperis, which designates the fruit of this
plant (NPRA ; DAO :; AdV and ). The usual Cat. form is
tpera (also documented in O. Occ.; see FEW :a) or, in the Eastern
varieties, caparra (DECLC :ab; DCVB :a).
. 30 29
QLQNTWS, Arab. QLQNT, o.l. "GRYMNT. or WYTRYWL .
Hebrew QLQNTWS, from Greek ! (solution of blue vit-

riol (copper sulphate), LS ; KG : f.; LR ) means vitriol
(JD ; LW : f., ; KA :, :; KT :, :; LFa ;
cf. Qof no. below) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mGit ..
Arabic qalqant or qalqand comes from the same Greek term and
means green vitriol (D :; M ; GS ).
above (MK :): : (QLQNTWS is al-
qalqant and it is a kind of vitriol), and idem on mNeg . (MK :).
The first vernacular term seems to correspond the O. Occ. airamen
or airemen for black liquid, ink (RM index and , < Lat. ATRA-
MENTUM, see FEW :a). The DAO (:, also see FEW :a
b) includes an O. Occ. form atramen as a synonym for vitriol (this is
RPA ); see also CB , , for atrament or atreme(n)t); for
the O. Cat. atrament, see DCVB :b; however, no forms with -t- are
present in our text. The variant in the Paris MS seems to be corrupt
or contaminated by a confusion with O. Occ. and O. Cat. a(i)gramen(t)
sourly (RL :b; DCVB :ab), because sulfate (vitriol) is sour.
28Ed. M.Z. Weiss, in Festschrift des Rabbinerseminars in Budapest, following ATG

, n. .
29 : O V
30 : O V
qof
The second vernacular term is the O. Occ. vetriol or the O. Occ. and
O. Cat. vitriol for sulfate, which is documented in an O. Occ. recipe for
the production of writing ink (PSW :b, for further documentation
see DAO loc. cit.; DCVB :a; RL :ba). For the identification
of Romance (O. Cat.) WYTRY"WL . as Arabic QLQNT, see GHAT :.
See also, for the identification of the O. Cat. text fragment: [C]alcatar fa
aquela obra matexa que fa vedriol, e s spcie de atrament, id est, vedriol
(AdV ) (i.e., calcatar works in the same way as vedriol, and it is a type
of atrament, id est, vedriol).
.
QWRTMYN,
. Arab. QRTM
.
Hebrew QWRTMYN . either designates the plant safflower, Carthamus

tinctorius L. and Var., or its seeds (cf. Het
. no. above).
Arabic qirt. im, from Aramaic (SDA f.: safflower seed),
designates the same plant and its seeds (cf. Het
. no. above).
. 31
QWRNYT, Arab. H" . S", o.l. SDRWG"
Hebrew QWRNYT means thyme, Thymus capitatus L. (KA :, :;

BM f.; AEY :; FEB ; FM ; LA :; LF :) or
thyme or origanum (JD ; LW :) and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. mMaas ., bShab a.
Arabic hasa
. from Aramaic H"
. S" also means thyme, Satureja calamin-
tha (L.) Scheele and Var., or Thymus serpyllum L. and Var. (D :;
SDA ; DT :; M ; ID :; LA :; LF : f.) and
features in medieval medical literature, e.g. in Maimonides On Asthma
(XII,, , cf. BMA , ).
, and Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned above (MK :).
The vernacular term in the Oxford MS is the O. Occ. sadreja or
sadriega for Satureja hortensis (DAO :; RM , ; FEW :a;
PSW :a). For O. Cat., the non-syncopated form sadoria is only
documented in one text (Tresor de Pobres, th c.), and Coromines says
that it might be a word from the extreme Western Catalan varieties,
31 : O V
shem tov, glossary
whereas the common form is sajolida or the like (DECLC :b; DCVB
:b). For the identification of Romance (O. Cat.) SDRYGH as Ara-
bic H"
. SSH, see GHAT :. The variants in the Paris and Vatican MSS
might be corrupt or represent forms that are not documented in our
sources.
.
QSWT, Arab. QT"
Hebrew QSWT means cucumber (JD ; LW :; KA :;

BM ; FM ; LF : ff.) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g.
mKil ..
Arabic qitta" designates a species of cucumber, Cucumis sativus L.
confused with pumpkin and melon. (cf. Mem no.
and was often
above).
above (MK :).
. 33 32
QWBLY, Arab. B"BWNG, o.l. QMWMYL"
Aramaic QWBLY means camomile, Matricaria chamomilla L., or wild

camomile, feverfew, Matricaria Parthenium L. (SDA ; LA f.:;
LF :).
Arabic babunag from Persian babunah (VL :) means camomile,
Matricaria chamomilla L., or Roman camomile, Anthemis nobilis L.
(L ; D :; DT :; M ; ID :) and features in medieval medical
literature, e.g. Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ; XXIII, ) and
is translated by both N and Z as: (QMWMYL").
For the identification cf. Rav Hai Gaons commentary to bBer b:
(a
decoction of dry sisin is explained as a decoction of QWBLY and these
are herbs called babunag in Arabic34); see as well HTG .
The vernacular term is the Late Lat., O. Occ. or O. Cat. camomilla
for Anthemis arvensis, among others (DAO :; RPA ; CA ;
32 : O V
33 : V
34 Cf. Portions of Hai Gaons Commentary to Berakhot, in J. Mann, Texts and Studies
in Jewish History and Literature, vol. I, Cincinnati , p. .
qof
DCVB :b; DECLC :a). For the identification of Romance (O.

Cat.) QMMYLL" as Arabic BBWNG, see GHAT :.
. 36 35
QWRQS, Arab. QLQ"S
Hebrew QWRQS or QWLQS, from Greek (LS ; KG

: f.; LR ), means colcas, colocasia, the Egyptian bean, or its edi-
ble root, Colocasia antiquorum Schott (JD ; LW :; KA :,
, :; AEY :; FM ; LA f.:; LF :) and features
in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mMaas ..
Arabic qulqas has the same meaning (L ; D :; DT :;
ID :).
For the identification, cf. the Arukh (KA :), and Maimonides on
mMaas . (MK :).
. 37
QS. H,
. Arab. SWNYZ, o.l. GYT.
Hebrew QS. H . means black cumin, Nigella sativa L. and features in the
Bible (Is :, ) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mUqz . (KB ;
JD ; LW :; KA : f., :; BM ; AEY :; FH ;
FM ; FO f.; LA f.:; LF : ff.).
Arabic sunz, from Persian sunz (VL :), also means black cumin,
Nigella sativa L. and Var., Nigella damascena L. and Var., Nigella hispan-
ica L. and Var. (DT :; M ).
); Ibn Janah. (IJ ; RJ ) and David b. Abraham al-Fas (SF :)
on Is :, , and Maimonides on the Mishnah cited above (MK :).
The vernacular term is the Late Latin git for Nigella sativa L. (NPRA
; Sin b; DETEMA :c).
For the identification of Romance (O. Cat.) or Lat. GYT. PYPRYNH as
Arabic SWNYZ and Hebr. QS. H, . see GHAT :. The variant in the
Vatican MS seems to be corrupt.
35 : VO
36 : V
37 : O V
shem tov, glossary
. 40 39 38
QRBS, Arab. KRWYH, o.l. KRWY
Hebrew QRBS or QRBWS means caraway, Carum carvi L.. The term
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKil . (FM ; LA :;
LF :).
Arabic karawya or karawiya or karawya, from Syriac karwaya (BLS
f.), designates the same plant (WKAS :; DT :; M ).
For the identification, cf. SAM :, and Maimonides on the
The vernacular term is the Lat. or the O. Occ./ O. Cat. carvi for
fruit of caraway (AdV ; RPA ; RMA ; RM , (here as
carvit); AdV ; Sin :). In addition to these, in O. Cat., we find the
forms alcarahuia and alcaravia, from Arabic, to designate the same plant,
Carum carvi L., documented for the first time in (DECLC :b;
DCVB :a). For the O. Sp. carvi and alcaravea see DETEMA :a
and :c; for the O. Fr. karvy (th c.), see AdOr .
. 41
QNH, Arab. #WD "LRTB, . o.l. LYNY" LWB"
Hebrew QNH (cf. Greek or (LS )) means inter alia

reed, Arundo donax L., or spice reed and features in the Bible (e.g. in Is
:) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShebi . (JD f.; LW : f.;
SD f.; SDA f., Aram. ; KA :; BM f.; AEY :;
FM ; LA f.:; LF : ff.).
Arabic #ud ar-rat. b or al-#ud ar-rat. b literally means tender wood and
designates, just like the term #ud or al-#ud al-hind, Indian aloeswood
(Aquilaria agallocha Roxb.) (D :; DT :; M ; LF :; cf. Qof
above).
Sa#adya on Is : (S ) or Song : (SH ) translates the term
as: (costus). Joseph Ben Judah Ibn Aknin on Song : (Hitgallut
ha-Sodot, p. , l. ) remarks that QNH is the same as
(Calamus odoratus; false sweet-flag); the same interpretation can be
38 : O aYN P V
39 : V
40 : O V
41 : O V
qof
found in Sa#adya (S ) and Ibn Janah. (IJ ) for (aromatic

cane) (Ex :); cf. Qof above.
The vernacular term in the Oxford MS seems to be the plural of
the Late Latin compound expression lignum aloes, documented, e.g., in
the Alphita (see Sin , n. ), where the synonym lignum amarum
is given. As an explanation to this entry, Creutz indicates agallochum,
among others, which would be consistent with the Arabic term discussed
above (cf. CA ). This meaning (Aquilaria agallocha Rox), according
to NPRA , is due to a confusion between aloe and the Gr. .! that
appears in the Septuagint. For the occurrence of the term in O. Occ.
and O. Cat. texts, see RPA ; AdV , , , , , ;
for the genitive singular ligni aloes, see RPA , , . The RPA
gives the explanation aloe wood. The variant in the Vatican MS seems
to be a Romance form similar to Cat. lignloe (DECLC :b) or
O. Fr. lignaloe (FEW :b). We find an almost identical compound
expression labelled as Romance (O. Cat.) in the transcription LYQN"
"LW"YN given as a synonym of Arabic #WD and Hebr. #S. BSMYY in
GHAT :. The variant in the Paris MS seems to be corrupt.
. 42
QWM HHLB,. Arab. MYS "LLBN, o.l. GSP"
Hebrew QWM HHLB . means curdled milk, whey and features in Rab-
binic literature, e.g. in bNed b (JD ; LW :; SDA , Aram.
; KA :, :; BM ; DAS : f., ).
Arabic ms or ms. al-laban means whey (D :; DAS :, ).
For the identification, cf. the Arukh (KA :): [ . . . ]
(QM [ . . . ] i.e. al-ms. ); Maimonides on mNed .: ,
(QWM is whey and in the Maghreb we call it ms)
(MK :).
The vernacular variant seems to represent a non-documented O. Occ.
*gaspa. In DFO :b and TrFel :c, we find the Mod. Occ. gaspo (with
the variants galaspo, guispo) whey, serosity, cheese that one makes with
skimmed milk corresponding to the meaning of the Hebrew and Arabic
variants.
42 : VO
shem tov, glossary
. 44 43
QYQ or QYQYWN, Arab. KRW#, o.l. Q" TPWSY" .
Hebrew QYQ or QYQYWN, from Greek (LS ), means recinus

tree, castor oil plant, Ricinus communis, and features in the Bible (Jh
:) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShab . (KB ; JD ;
KA :, : f.; BM ; AEY :; FEB ff.; FM ; FO
ff.; LA ff.:; LF : ff.).
Arabic hirwa# has the same meaning (DT :; M ).
For theidentification, cf. IJ and Maimonides on the Mishnah cited
above (MK :).
The vernacular term is the Late Lat., O. Occ. and O. Cat. catapucia
for Euphorbia lathyris (DCVB :b; for further documentation see
CB , , ; DECLC :a; Sin a; MLWB :). For the
meaning recinus, see, e. g., M. Fr. grande catapuce and Mod. Occ.
cacapuo (FEW :b). In AdV , the Lat. catapucia minor is
identified as the Arabic habb
. al-hirwa#.

. 46 45
QYLWR, Arab. SY"P, o.l. QWLYRY
Hebrew QYLWR or QYLWRYT, from Greek (LS ; KG

:; LR ) means eye-salve, collyrium and features in Rabbinic lit-
erature, e.g. in mShab . (JD ; LW :; KA : f.; Low LXXVII;
PB ).
Arabic siyaf means medicaments for the eye, eye-salve (L ;
FAQ ff.; MH ()).
above: , (water enough to rub off an eye-salve):
(an amount of water enough to dissolve an eye-
salve) (MK :).
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. col(l)iri for eye-salve
(FEW :b; for further documentation see CB ; RMM ;
RPA ; RMA ; RL :b; DECLC :a).
43 : V
44 : O V
45 : (cf. entry ) O
46 : (cf. entry ) O
qof
. 49 48 47
QYSWS, Arab. LBL"B, o.l. QWRYWLH
Hebrew QYSWS, from Greek (LS ; KG :; LR ), means

ivy, Hedera helix L., and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKil .
(JD ; LW :; SD ; KA : f., :; AEY :; FM ;
LF : ff.).
Arabic lablab, from Syriac hbelbla
. (BLS ; LA ff.:), originally
a general term for twining, climbing plants, then especially for ivy,
Hedera Helix L., but also bindweed, Convolvulus arvensis L., and other
species (WKAS : ff.; DT :; M ; LF :).
(MK :). See as well EG .
The vernacular term in the Paris MS is O. Occ. correiola or the O. Cat.
corriola for Convolvulus arvensis L. (DCVB :a; DECLC :a;
CB , ). For the identification of Romance (O. Cat.) QWRYWLH as
Arabic LBLB, see GHAT :. The variant in the Vatican and Oxford
MSS is the O. Occ. corrigiola or the O. Cat. corretjola (DAO :;
DECLC loc. cit.; DCVB loc. cit.).
. 50
QWR SL HWS. YN, Arab. GM"R "LDWM
Hebrew QWR means heart or palm cabbage or terminal bud of a palm

and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mUqz . (JD f.; LW :;
SDA f.; KA : f., :; BM ; FE f.; LF :). QWR
SL HWS. YN means terminal bud or palm cabbage of palm leaves (for
HWS. /HWS. " cf. JD ; SDA ; FE f.).
Arabic gummar ad-dawm means either core or palm cabbage of the
date palm or its terminal bud (DT :; M ; LF : f.).
), Hananel on bErub b, and Maimonides on the Mishnah men-
tioned (MK :).
47 : om. O
48 : for O cf. entry
49 : V, for O cf. entry
50 : O
shem tov, glossary
. 51
QWR SL DQL, Arab. GM"R "LNKL
Hebrew QWR SL DQL means heart or palm cabbage or terminal bud

of a palm tree (for Hebrew QWR, cf. references above no. and for
Hebrew DQL, cf. Dalet no. above).
Arabic gummar an-nahl means either core or palm cabbage of the
date palm or its terminal bud (for references, cf. above no. : gummar
ad-dawm).
For the identification of Hebrew DQL as Arabic nahl, cf. Maimonides
commentary on mPeah . (MK :).
. 53 52
QYNRS, Arab. B"DNG"N, o.l. BLYG"N
Hebrew QYNRS, from Greek (LS f.; KG :: ;

LN ), means artichoke, Cynara cardunculus L. or Cynara scolymo L.,
and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKil . (JD ; LW :,
; SD ; KA : f., :; AEY :; DAS :; FM ;
LF : ff.).
Arabic badingan, from Persian badingan (VL :), means egg-
plant, Solanum melongena L. (DT :; ID :; DAS :; LF
: ff.).
The identification of QYNRS as badingan can probably be traced back
to the fact that the plant called , which was in the Jewish tradition
identified as artichoke, was considered to be similar to the badingan
according to a statement attributed to Sherira Gaon by Ibn Janah. (IJ ):
ABW +o?
AQ '? ) [] 5[2 UH [] ).
Cf. Ayin no. , .
The form BLYG"N, indicated as vernacular, is most probably a corrupt
repetition of the Arabic term, which is particularly plausible because this
form is missing in MSS O and P. The Romance names for the egg-plant,
all derived from Arabic, are all feminine and should thus be represented
with Alef or He at the end. Cf. (O.) Cat. albergina (DECLC :b),
Mod. Occ. ouberjhno, aubrgino (DAO :: first documentation of
51 : O V
52 : O V
53 : om. OP
qof
this word only in ), (O.) Sp. berenjena (DETEMA :c), M. and

Mod. Fr. blingne (FEW :a).
. 57 56 55 54
. Arab. SGRH "LBLS"N BL" SK, o.l. SYLW BLSMY
QTP,
Hebrew QTP . means balsam, balsam tree, Commiphora opobalsamum,

and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShebi .. (cf. Gimmel no.
above).
Arabic sagarat al-balasan bi-la sakk means balsam tree without
doubt (cf. Gimmel no. above).
The identification as stated by Shem Tov is a literal quotation from
Maimonides commentary on the Mishnah cited above (MK :):
: (QTP . is without doubt the balsam tree).
For the commentary on the vernacular term, see entry Ayin .
. 59 58
QSYSYM, Arab. GB"YR, o.l. " STYL
. S
Hebrew QSYSYM or QSYSYN or GSYSYN means splints put around a

fracture and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bShab a:
(But he may go out [on a
Sabbath] with a bandage on a wound or with splints on a fracture), and
in Tos. Miqw. : (splints on a fracture) (JD f., ;
LW :, :; KA : f., : f., :; BM , ). Cf. as well
EG .
Arabic gaba"ir means splints; pieces of wood with which bones are
set, or reduced from a fractured state (L , SpLA f.).
The vernacular term is the plural of O. Occ. estela or O. Cat. estella
for splints, oddments of wood, latte de bois mince sur laquelle on
met ltoffe du fourreau (i.e., small wooden slat, on which the cloth of
the sheath is put) (PSW :; FEW :b; DCVB :b; DECLC
:b).
54 : L P
55 : O V
56 : om. OV
57 : O ! P, om. V
58 : O V
59 : VO
shem tov, glossary
. 61 60
QBSH, Arab. TKMH
Hebrew QBSH means indigestion and features in medieval medical lit-

erature (cf. BM : Brechdurchfall; cholerine (diarrhoea with vom-
iting)), and in medieval philosophical literature, e.g. in Judah Ibn Tib-
bons Hebrew translation of Sa#adyas Book of Beliefs and Opinions where
the original text has tuhm.62 The Hebrew term was possibly coined by

Judah Ibn Tibbon () on the basis of an interpretation of the
Rabbinical Hebrew term as it features in the Arukh (KA :; cf.
BM ):
(the essence of this term
is: [when] someone overeats and then feels unwell and is affected by diar-
rhoea and vomit it is called QYBS" in Aramaic).
Arabic tuhama means indigestion, or heaviness of the stomach aris-
ing from food which it is too weak to digest; a disease produced by unsuit-
able food or by fullness of the stomach (L ; KZ ; SN : tuhm).

The term features in medieval medical literature, e.g. in the example men-
tioned from Sa#adyas Book of Beliefs and Opinions and in Maimonides
Medical Aphorisms (e.g. II, , VII, , ; VIII, ; IX, ; cf. BMMa
and BMMb , , , ), where it is translated by N as: and by Z
as: / /.
. 66 65 64 63
67
QDQD, Arab. Y"PWK or H"MH, that is, the middle of the head, and the
pulsating place in the case of a child before his head becomes hard
Hebrew QDQD means vertex, skull, head, crown, fontanel and features
in the Bible (e.g. Gen :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. bMen a
(KB ; JD ; LW :; KA :; BM f.; Low LXXV; PB f.).
60 : O V
61 : O V
62 Sefer ha-Emunot we-ha-De#ot, ed. Y. Fischel, Leipzig , p. ; Arabic text, ed.
J. Kafih,
. Jerusalem n.d., p. .
63 : V
64 : O
65 : O
66 : om. O
67 : V
qof
Arabic yafuh means the top of the head, the part where the ante-

rior and posterior bones of the head meet (L ; DKT , ,
; FAL :), and Arabic hama means fontanel (D :; FAL
:).
For the identification, cf. Ibn Janah. on Gen :: .
, (QDQD is the middle
of the head and it is called yafuh in Arabic and others explained it as
Arabic hama) (RJ ). Cf. as well Sa#adya on Gen : (S ), who
translated the Hebrew term as Arabic hama.
. 68
QMTY . HPNYM, Arab. TSNG "LWGH
Hebrew QMT. means fold, crease, wrinkle, crumple and features in

Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mNeg . (JD ; LW :; KA : f.,
:; BM ; cf. as well Qof no. below). Hebrew QMTY . HPNYM
means folds/wrinkles of the face.
Arabic tasannug means contraction, shrivelling, shrinking, convul-
sive contraction, spasm, fit, cramp (L ), and tasannug al-wagh con-
traction, etc. of the face. Arabic tasannug features in Maimonides Medi-
cal Aphorisms (e.g. III, , , ; IV, ; VI, ; cf. BMMa and BMMb
), where it is translated by N as: , , , and by
Z as: , . Cf. as well KZ and SN .
. 70 69
QWRNS, Arab. MTRQH .
Hebrew QWRNS means mallet, hammer, from Greek (LS ;

LN ; LR ) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKel .
(JD ; LW :; SD ; SDA , Aram. ; KA :,
:).
Arabic mit. raqa means rod or stick; hammer of the blacksmith (L
f.).
(MK :).
68 : VO
69 : pYe P
70 : VO
shem tov, glossary
. 71
QSQWS BHZH,
. [Arab.] KRKRH P#LS. DR
Hebrew QSQWS BHZH . means a rattling [sound] in the chest (for

cf. JD f.; LW :; BM ) and was possibly coined by Shem Tov
after the Arabic harhara fi-s. -s. adr.
Arabic
should be read as , harhara fi-s. -
s. adr, and means a rattling [sound] in the chest (cf. D ::s.v.harhara:
le bruit qui sort du poumon quand il y a trop de pituite (the sound

coming from the chest when there is too much phlegm)).
. 74 73 72
QLYPH, Arab. QSR SLYKH, o.l. Q" SY" LYNGY"
Hebrew QLYPH should be emended into QYLWPH, which means cas-

sia-rind and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bKer a (JD ;
LW :; KA :, :; BM ; LF : ff.).
Arabic salha designates cinnamon, Cinnamomum cassia (DT :)
and qisr salha cassia-rind (D :; KA :). Arabic salha features
in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, , , ) and is translated

by N and Z as: / / / (QSY"
LYQNY"H/QSY" LYNY"H/QSY" LYGNY"/QSY"H LYNGY"H).
The identification goes back to Maimonides mKer . (MK :):
; see as well his Mishneh Torah, Klei ha-miqdash ,
where he explains the term used by him in the passage mentioned
as: ( =) .
The vernacular term is the Late Latin, O. Occ. and O. Cat. cassia
lignea probably meaning Cinnamomum cassia (DAO :; CA ;
in DCVB :b as cassia ligna; DECLC :a). For the identification
of Romance (O. Cat.) Q" SY"H LYGNY"H as Arab. SLYK", see GHAT
:.
71 : V
72 : O
73 : O
74 : O V
qof
.
QMSWNYM, Arab. #LYQ, o.l. RWMZY
Hebrew QYMWS, plur. QMSWNYM, means weed; thorn, nettle and

features in the Bible (e.g. Is :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. bBQ a
(KB ; JD ; BM ; LF : f.).
Arabic #ullayq designates ) raspberry, Rubus idaeus L. and Var.
(L ; DT :), ) common bramble, Rubus fructicosus L. (L ;
M ; DAS :), ) weed (DAS :) and ) bindweed (L ;
DAS :). The term features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (e.g.
XXI, ) and is translated by N as: / and by Z as: /
(RWMYG).
Sa#adya (SM ) and Ibn Janah. (IJ ) on Prov : translate
as: ; David b. Abraham al-Fas (SF :) explains the term
as: (a kind of thistle). Both these explanations feature in
Tanhum
. Yerushalmis commentary on Hos :.75 Jephet Ben #Eli on the
same verse explains QYMWS as: (lycium).76
The vernacular term seems to correspond to the O. Occ. romeze
or the syncopated form ronze for Rubus fructicosus (DAO :;
FEW :b; CB ). In O. Cat., this plant is called romeguera (see
DECLC :bb, and for the identification of RWMGYRH as Arabic
#LYQ, see GHAT :).
. 78 77
QNTR. SLBNY, Arab. TLH "LBN
Hebrew QNTR . SLBNY should be emended into QNTR . SL BN"Y, which

means builders pronged tool, bit, or auger and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in mKel . (JD ; KA :, :).
Arabic atalat al-banna means builders auger, wimble, gimlet (L
).
For the identification of Hebrew as Arabic #atala, cf. Maimonides
on the Mishnah mentioned (MK :). The Geonic Commentary on
75 H. Shy (ed.), Tanhum ha-Yerushalmis Commentary on the Minor Prophets. A critical

.
edition with an introduction translated into Hebrew and annotated, Jerusalem ,
p. .
76 P. Birnbaum (ed.), The Arabic commentary of Yefet Ben #Ali the Karaite on the Book
of Hosea, Philadelphia , p. .
77 : pa K P
78 : O V
shem tov, glossary
Tohorot (EG ) explains the term as:

(7
=) =) (a sort of iron rod which
please check the parentheses in this paragraph
builders use to drill a hole in a wall and its Arabic name is: BWRSY (=
BURMY) (= Arabic burma (drill))).
. 80 79
QYRBS HRYM, Arab. QRDM"N", o.l. K"RWY SLB" GY
Hebrew QYRBS or QRBWS means caraway, Carum carvi L. (cf. Qof

no. above). Hebrew QYRBS (QRBWS) HRYM literally means moun-
tain caraway and seems to be a loan translation of Arabic karawiya
gabal, which was identified as Arabic qardamana (cf. LF :).
Arabic qardamana designates either bastard cumin, bastard car-
away, Lagoecia cuminoides L. or cardamom, Elettaria cardamomum
L. (DT :). In their translation of Greek botanical literature, Arabic
botanists confused (cf. DT :), and
( (cf. DT :) and called wild or bastard cumin, Lagoecia cumi-
noides L., qardamana < Syr. qurdemana < Gr. (DT :;
M ). In addition to this name, wild or bastard cumin was also called
karawiya barr wild caraway or karawiya gabal mountain caraway
(DT :; M ). Arabic karawiya is given by Maimonides as a synonym
for Hebrew QRBWS (cf. Qof no. above).
The vernacular term seems to be a non-documented O. Occ. or O. Cat.
compound expression *carvi salva(t)ge for wild, non-cultivated caraway.
For carvi, see the commentary on entry Qof , for salva(t)ge, the entries
Alef and Ayin of this edition.
For the identification of a Romance (O. Cat.)-Hebrew blend
"LKRWBY"H MDBRYT (alcarovea midbarit for wild, uncultivated car-
away) with Latin QRW"Y "GRYSTY . and Arabic QRDM"NH, see GHAT
:; for the identification of Romance (O. Cat.) QRDMWNY SLW" GY
(cardamoni salvatge) as Arabic KRBY", see GHAT :.
79 : V
80 : VO
qof
. 83 82 81
QWSYH, Arab. MDHN, that is, a vessel that women use for their fra-
grance oil
QWSYH, read Q"SWH/QY"SWH or QYSYH/QSWH, features in the Bible

(only in the plur.), e.g. in Ex :, and in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in
mSanh . with the meaning jug, vessel for libation (KB ; JD ;
LW :; KA : f., , : f.; BKH ).
Arabic mudhun means utensil for oil; a flask or phial (L ).
For the identification cf. Sa#adya on Ex : (S ): (and
jars): ; see as well IJ .
. 84
QWDRYM, Arab. MKDRH
Hebrew QWDRYM, plural of QWDR, means being dark, unclean and

features in the Bible (e.g. Job :) (KB ; BM ; Low LXXV;
PB ). The verb QDR features in the Hif#il as: in Rabbinic
literature (e.g. yShabc) and means to be sad.
Arabic mukaddira means to be turbid, unclean; sad (WKAS : f.;
L ; D :).
For the identification, cf. Ibn Janah. (IJ f.) on Job :
(They are dark with ice; snow obscures them): ^27
NfL ([ , a E (Q IB fB) .,L NT 7 (Q @ @T
[+,-] [ (Its meaning is: which are dark from the beginning of the frost.
Its darkness is ascribed to this time [of the year] because of the streams
which darken the water occur [in it].) See as well MCS :.
. 85
QWP" DMH . Arab. YN "L"BR
. T",
Aramaic QWP" DMH . T"

. means eye of a needle and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in bBer b (JD ; LW :; SDA ; KA :;
DAS :).
Arabic #ayn al-ibra has the same meaning (L f., f.).
81 : VO
82 : O
83 : O
84 : O, (cf. entry ) V
85 : O P om. V
shem tov, glossary
. 87 86
QWRSYL, Arab. K#B, o.l. TLWN.
Hebrew QWRSYL or QRSWL means bent, joint, ankle and features in

the Bible (only in the plur.; e.g. Ps :) and in Rabbinic literature, e.g.
in mOhol . (KB ; JD ; LW :; SD ; SDA , Aram.
; KA :, :; BM ; Low LXXVIII; PB , ).
Arabic ka#b means inter alia anklebone (of the foot); talus, astragalus;
malleolus (WKAS :; L ; DKT , , ; FAL :).
The Arabic term features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XVI, ),
where it is translated by N as: . For the identification, cf. the Geonic
Commentary on Tohorot (EG ): (and this is the place
of the ka#b); see as well Maimonides on mOhol . (MK :). See as
well MCS :.
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. or Cat. talo(n) for heel (see
FEW :a; RL :a; DCVB :ab; DECLC :ab). For the
discussion on the representation of the n-mobile, see the introduction to
this edition.
. 89 88
QWRT. DM, Arab. NQTH . DM
Hebrew QWRT. DM means drop of coagulated blood, a particle of

blood and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bHul
. b (JD ;
LW :; SDA , Aram. ; KA :, :; BM ).
Arabic nuqt. at dam has the same meaning (for nuqt. a see L ).
. 92 91 90
QLYPY HNH . ST, these are filings which fall down during the craftsmans
striking with the hammer
Hebrew QLYPY HNH . ST means filings of copper. Hebrew QLYPH,

plur. QLYPYN or QLYPWT means peeling, shell, peel and features
86 : O Ye P om. V
87 : " P
88 : om. V (cf. Qof )
89 : O
90 : O
91 : om. O
92 : O
qof
in Rabbinic literature, especially in combination with fruits and pulses,

e.g. mShab .: (pomegranate peel) (JD ; LW : f.;
BM f.). Aramaic QLYP" or QYLP" means ) split parchment, )
scaly surface, scab; ) streak made by peeling; ) plur.: scales, scaly
shield (JD ; LW : f.; KA : f., :; BM f.). The Hebrew
term features as (copper filings) for the Arabic $ (o
in the Sefer Zedat
. ha-derakhim ., i.e. Moses Ibn Tibbons Hebrew
translation of Ibn al-Jazzars Zad al-musafir, which Moses Ibn Tibbon
completed in the year .93
. 94
QNWH . S#WDH, Arab. "LTNQL B"LP"KHH B#D "LT#"M.
Hebrew QNWH . S#WDH means dessert and features in Rabbinic liter-

ature, e.g. in bPes a (JD ; LW :; KA :; BM ).
Arabic at-tanaqqul bi-l-fakiha ba#da at. -t. a#am means eating fruits after
the food (L , ; D :). The Arabic term at-tanaqqul in the
sense of dessert features in Maimonides On Asthma (III, ; XI, ; cf.
BMA , ), where it is translated by Joshua Shatibi as: (),
by Samuel Benveniste as: , and by the anonymous translator
as: /.
. 95
QYS. WNYM belongs to HQYS.
Hebrew QYS. WN, plur. QYS. WNYM, means belonging to the summer
and features in Rabbinic literature, for instance, in mShebi . as:
summer-onions (JD ; BM ); cf. as well Maimonides
93 Cf. Ibn al-Jazzar on Skin Diseases and Other Afflictions of the Outer Part of the Body.
A New Parallel Arabic-English translation of Bk. chs. with a Critical Edition
of Moses Ibn Tibbons Medieval Hebrew Translation by Gerrit Bos and a Study of the
Romance Terminology by Guido Mensching and Julia Zwink (forthcoming).
94 : O V
95 : P
shem tov, glossary
. 97 96
QYSM, Arab. KL"L
Hebrew QYSM means chip (of wood), fragment, splinter, toothpick

and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mBez. . (JD ; LW :;
SDA , Aram. ; KA :, :; BM f.; KT :, :;
Low LXXVII, PB ).
Arabic hilal means a thing with which one perforates or transpierces;
a woodenthing or pin with which one pins a garment; a toothpick; a long
thorn or prickle (L ).
as: (a small piece of wood), and on mHul . . (MK :)
as: (a small piece of wood like a spindle).
. 100 99 98
QLH, . #SLWG MN "LKRNB "W MN "LSLQ "W MN "LKS
. Arab. DL#
Hebrew QLH, . means tube, stem, stalk and features in Rabbinic liter-
ature, e.g. in bKet b (JD ; LW :; SDA , Aram. ;
KA : f.; BM ; FH ).
Arabic dila#
. #uslug min al-kurunb aw min as-silq aw min al-hass means

rib/stalk of the shoot of cabbage or of beet or of lettuce (L , ;
DT :, :, :; for Arabic kurunb, cf. Kaf no. above; for silq, cf.
Het
. no. above; for hass, cf. Het . no. above).
Sa#adya (SAM :) explains the term as:
[ . . . ] (when two or three stalks grow from one root, they
are called QLHYN);
. cf. EG . Maimonides on mShab . translates
as: (stem, stalk).
. 101
QLWSQYN, Arab. KBZ MBZR MHKM . "LS. N#H
Aramaic QLWSQ" or GLWSQ", plur. QLWSQYN or GLWSQYN, from

Greek (LS ; KG :,; LR ), means ) a white and
96 : V
97 : V
98 : V
99 : VO
100 : V
101 : O
qof
delicate bread and ) a superior sort of olives already pressed and

formed like a bread and features in Rabbinic literature, for instance, in
the first meaning in mDem . (JD ; LW :; SD ; KA :;
DAS :, ; KT :).
Arabic hubz mubazzar muhkam . as. -s. an#a means seasoned, perfectly
baked bread (L , , , ). The term features as hubz muhkam
.
as. -s. an#a in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XVII, , ) and is trans-
lated by N as: and by Z as: .
The Arabic equivalent hubz mubazzar muhkam . as. -s. an#a is a literal

quotation (with a small variation) from Maimonides on the Mishnah
cited above (MK :): :.
. 104 103 102

QWLSY KRWB, Arab. " DL"#
. KRNB, o.l. QWST" . S DQ"BLS
Hebrew QWLSY KRWBHebrew QWLS is derived from Greek

(KG :; LS f.)means cabbage heads or cabbage stalks and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mUqz . (JD ; LW :;
SDA , Aram. ; KA : f.; DAS :; for Hebrew KRWB, cf.
as well Kaf no. above).
Arabic adla#
. kurunb has the same meaning (L ; DT :, ;
M ; for Arabic kurunb, cf. as well Kaf no. above).
Maimonides on mOrl . (MK :) translates as:
(cabbage stalks), while on mUqz . (MK :) he translates
as: (large cabbage heads). See as well
Qof above.
costas de cauls. For the O. Occ. cauls for cabbage, see entry Kaf ; for the
O. Occ. costas for lateral parts, leaf vein, see entry Het
. . The variant
given in the Paris MS seems to be corrupt.
. 105
QMTYM,
. Arab. #KN
Hebrew QMT, . plur. QMTYM,

. means fold, crease, wrinkle, crumple (cf.
Qof no. above).
102 : V
103 : O V
104 : P
105 : !J P VO
shem tov, glossary
Arabic #ukna, plur. #ukn, means a crease or wrinkle in the belly,

originating from fatness (L ).
Maimonides on mNeg . (MK :) explains the term as:
(wrinkles and creases of the flesh).
. 106
QMT, . Arab. #KNH
For Hebrew QMT. and Arabic #ukna, cf. Qof no. above.
. 108 107
QWTLYT,
. Arab. G
Hebrew QWTLYT . or QTLYT,

. possibly from Greek (LS ;
KG :; LR ), means the thigh with the knee pan; hip joint; hip
bone; lumbar region or sacrum region; socket of hip bone (JD ;
LW :; KA :, :; Low LXXVI; PB ) and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in mOhol ..
Arabic #ugan or #ug, plural of #ugaya, means a piece of the size of a
gobbet of flesh conjoined with a sinew which descends from the knee
of the camel to the foot; all sinews that conjoin with the solid hoof; any
sinew in a fore leg or in a hind leg; or a sinew in the interior of the shank
of the horse and of the bull (L ).
Maimonides on mOhol . (MK :) explains as:
(lumbar region), and AQ, fol. b, as: (socket of
the hip and what is connected to it). Cf as well ShM f.
.
Q"NWN, Arab. TBQ .
Hebrew Q"NWN should be emended into QNWN, from Greek 7

(LS ; KG :; LR ), meaning reed basket and features in
Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKel . (JD ; LW :; KA :,
:; KT :, f.).
Arabic t. abaq means a certain household utensil; a dish, or plate
(L ).
106 : O V
107 : om. P
108 : O V
qof
For the identification cf. the Geonic Commentary on Tohorot (EG ):

; see as well Maimonides on the Mishnah
mentioned (MK :).
. 110 109
QTRY
. . S. YH, Arab. PQ"R "LTHR
HR .
Aramaic QTRY
. HR
. S. YH means the joints of his hips and features in the
Bible, namely in Dan : (KB ; PB ).
Arabic faqar az. -z. ahr means vertebra of the back (L , ;
FAL :, :).
For the identification, cf. Ibn Janah. on the verse mentioned (IJ ).
David b. Abraham al-Fas (SF :) translates the term as:
.
. 112 111
QWRY #SN, Arab. #NKBWT, o.l. TRNYYNH
Hebrew QWRY #SN should be emended into QWRY #KBYS, which means
spiders web and features in the Bible, namely in Is : (KB ;
BM ).
Arabic #ankabut means spider (L ; E.I.2 :, s.v. #ankabut
(J. Ruska)); BK , ; JAD : ff.; StS f.).
For the identification of as #ankabut, cf. Sa#adya on Is .:

(They hatch adders eggs and weave spider webs; he who eats of those
eggs will die, and if one is crushed, it hatches out a viper):

(DS ); cf. as well IJ ; MCS :; SF :;
SID :.
The vernacular term in the Paris and Oxford MSS might be a medieval
predecessor of the Mod. Occ. taragnino or Mod. Cat. taranyina/teranyina
for toile daraigne (spiders web) (TrFel :b; DCVB :a; DECLC
:a; for other modern Gallo-Romance forms, see FEW :b). The
Catalan terms are documented for the first time at the end of the th
century. In O. Occ., we find the form telarina, documented in the th
109 : O V
110 : O
111 : VP
112 : O V
shem tov, glossary
c. (RM ), and, in O. Cat., tela aranyina is documented in the th

century (DECLC loc. cit.). The variant in V probably represents a non-
documented form such as *tararinha/ terarinha.
. 113
QWSSYM, Arab. MWZ
Hebrew QWSSYM, part. plur. of QWSS, means being sourish and

features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mBB . as in connection
with wine (JD ; LW :; KA :; BM f.). According to
Lw (LF : ff., LN f.; cf. KA :), Krauss Greek etymology
(from 9; KG : f.) and interpretation of the term is wrong, as it is
related to Hebrew (scale) and means becoming scaly, indicating
a disease affecting wine whereby it turns mouldy. See as well Qof .
Arabic muzz means having a taste between sweet and sour; especially
wine in which is a sour taste (L ).
Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned (MK :) translates the
term (pungent [wine]) as: (sour).
. 116 115 114

QLQNTWSYT, Arab. ZNG"RYH, o.l. WYTRYWLH .
Hebrew QLQNTWSYT, fem. adjective form of QLQNTWS vitriol (cf.

Qof no. above), means vitriolic. QLQNTWS is usually identified
as Arabic zag vitriol (cf., for instance, Maimonides on mShab .
(MK :); LW :; KA :, :; KT : n. ).
Arabic zingarya is the fem. adjective form of zingar, from Persian
zangar (VL :), meaning verdigris. A synonym of zingar is zahr an-
nuhas,
. literally flower of copper (D :, M ; GS f.; RS :;
cf. as well Pe no. above).
The identification seems to go back to a confusion between Greek
! solution of blue vitriol (copper sulphate) (LS ), which
is Arabic zag vitriol, and Greek 7 (!literally flower of
copper (LS , ), Arabic zahr an-nuhas . or zingar.
113 : V
114 : V om. O
115 : V
116 : V
qof
The vernacular term seems to be the plural of M. Lat. vitriolum for

sulfate (LLMA b). Since the Hebrew and Arabic synonyms indicate
feminine adjective forms, we might also consider a non-documented
O. Occ. or O. Cat. feminine adjective form *vitriola, derived from O. Occ.
or O. Cat. vitriol (see entry Qof of this edition), if we suppose that
vitriol existed as an adjective in these languages.
In GHAT :, the Arabic term ZNG"R is identified as the Romance
(O. Cat.) WYRDYT. (verdet, for flower of copper; for a commentary on
this word, see entry Pe of this edition), for the identification of Arabic
QLQT"R. or QLQNT, which seems to go back to the same basis as the
Hebrew lemma given here, as Romance (O. Cat.) WYTRY"WL . (vitriol,
see entry Qof ), see GHAT :.
. 118 117
QTN
. PRH, . Arab. "LS. BY "D" "DRK
Hebrew QTN . PWRH . designates a boy developing signs of puberty and

features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bBer b (JD ; LW :;
KA :; BM ).
Arabic as. -s. aby ida adraka means a boy when he attained to puberty
(L , ).
. 120 119
QWR", Arab. H . GL, o.l. PRDYS.
Hebrew QWR" means partridge, Ammoperdix heyi, and features in

the Bible (e.g. Jer :) and in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mHul . .
(KB ; JD ; LW :; KA :; BM f.; BAL f.; FAB f.;
LZ f.).
Arabic hagal also designates partridge, the Barbary partridge and the

Greek partridge (L ; BK ; JAD : ff.; KSZ :, :, :).
For the identification, cf. Ibn Janah. (IJ ); SF :; SID :,
and Maimonides on the Mishnah cited above (MK :).
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. perditz, perdiz or perdis for par-
tridge (CB , , ; RMM ; FEW :a; PSW :a; RL
117 : V& P VO
118 : O
119 : VO
120 : om. P
shem tov, glossary
:a). Only forms like perdiu or (a)pardiu existed in O. Cat. to desig-

nate the same bird (DECLC :a; DCVB :b). For the discussion of
the development of word final /ts/ to /-u/ in O. Cat., see the introduction.
. 122 121
QWSSWT, Arab. PYH" QRWSH WHMW . S. H
For Hebrew QWSSWT, part. fem. plur. of QSS, meaning being sourish,
cf. Qof no. above.
Arabic fha qurus. a wa-humu
. da
. means in it is a biting quality, affecting
the tongue and tasting like vinegar (L , ).
. 124 123
QTRY
. . S. YH, Arab. PQ"R "LTHR
HR .
For Hebrew QTRY

. HR
. S. YH and Arabic faqar az. -z. ahr, cf. Qof no.
above.
. 126 125
QM#H, Arab. GR#H
Hebrew QM#H should be emended into: or , meaning a

quaffing, full draught (JD ; LW :; BM ), which features in
Rabbinic literature, e.g. mShab ..
Arabic gur#a means a gulp, a sup, or sip, or a mouthful (L ) and
features in medieval medical literature, e.g. in Maimonides On Asthma
(IX, ) as: t/
, which is translated as: by Joshua Shatibi and
the anonymous translator and as: (MLW" LWGMY) by Samuel
Benveniste (cf. BMA ).
(MK :): :.
121 : ! P
122 : O
123 : V om. O
124 : V
125 : VO
126 : V
RESH
. 2 1
RBH, Arab. KTYR", o.l. DRGGNT
Hebrew RBH, literally meaning numerous, many, great, much, is pos-

sibly a loan translation coined by Shem Tov from Arabic katra (cf.
below).
Arabic katra, literally meaning numerous, many, great, much, means

as well tragacanth, gum resin from some kinds of astragalus (e.g. Astra-
galus gummifer Labill., A. microcephalus Willd., A. stomatodes Bge.); it
can also refer to the plants themselves (WKAS :; M ; DT :;
LF : ff.). The term features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (III,
; XXI, ; cf. BMMa ) and is translated by N as: (DRG"G"N)
and by Z as: () (GWM" DRG"NT(Y)).
The vernacular term in the Paris and Vatican MSS is the O. Occ. and
O. Cat. dragagan(t) for matria gomosa que surt naturalment de larbust
oriental tragacant [arbust asitic del gnere Astragalus; DCVB :a]
(i.e., gummy matter that leaks naturally from the oriental bush traga-
canth [Asian bush of the genus astragalus]) (DCVB :ba; for
further documentation see RMA (guoma dragagan); CB , ;
DAO :). The variant in the Oxford MS seems to reflect a misinter-
pretation of the -n in dragagan as a n-mobile. In GHAT :, we find
the identification of Romance (O. Cat.) DRGG"N as the Arab. KTYR"; see
also the identification of Arab. katra as O. Cat. dragagant (among other
variants) in AdV , . See also Sin :: Achizira (o achizia) i. dra-
gagantum i. alquitira, which is an adaptation of an entry in the index to
the Latin translation of Ibn Snas K. al-Qanun.
1 : V
2 : O V
shem tov, glossary
. 4 3
RYMYN, Arab. NBQ, o.l. QWRNY"L, Lat. "WRNGS
Hebrew RYM, plur. RYMYN, designates the fruit of the Christs thorn,
Zizyphus spina Christi, and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mDem
. (JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ; AEY :; FE ;
FM ; LF : ff.).
Arabic nabq or nabiq designates the fruit of the Christs thorn,
Zizyphus spina Christi or Zizyphus Napeca Lam. (DT : n. ; M ;
LF : ff.).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya, Alfaz. al-Mishnah (SAM :); see
as well Maimonides on the Mishnah cited above (MK :).
The vernacular term seems to represent a non-documented O. Occ.
term *corneal, *cornial or *cornhal for the fruit of the Cornelean cherry
(Cornus mas). In Italian dialects, we find similar forms to designate this
fruit, all derivates of the Late Latin CORNALIS; e.g. the Piemontese cor-
nal (cf. FEW :b). DAO : quotes the common O. Occ. name
cuernia besides others to designate this fruit. In Cat., the form corniol
exists (with the meaning Cornus sanguinea or sativa, DCVB :a),
which is quite near to our form here.
The term labelled as Latin might be the plural of O. Occ. auranja or
orenga (DAO :), variants of the more common arange for Citrus
aurantium amarum (FEW :ab).
The synonymy of the Hebrew and Arabic terms on the one hand
(both with the meaning fruit of the Christs thorn) and of the forms
labelled here as vernacular and Latin on the other hand needs some
further investigation. However, GHAT : identifies the Arab. NBQ
as the Romance (O. Cat.) serbes (i.e., the fruit of Sorbus domestica; cf. the
commentary on Ayin of this edition) and corneas labelled as Latin, a
form also derived from the basis CORNUS.
3 : V
4 : om. PV
resh
. 9 8 7 6 5
RGYLH, Arab. BQLH "LHMQH, . and this is the species whose leaves are
tender, o.l. BYRDWLG"
Hebrew RGYLH means portulaca, purslane, Portulaca oleracea L., and

features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShebi . (JD ; LW :,
; KA :, :; BM ; FM ; LA ff.:; LF : ff.).
Arabic baqlat al-hamqa"
. also designates portulaca, purslane, Portu-
laca oleracea L. (DT :; M ).
(MK :): :; cf. the Arukh (KA
:): (a plant which is called
PWRQQL" and in Arabic RGL"). See as well SAM f.:
The vernacular term is the same word as in Het . . The form in the
Paris MS is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. variant verdolaga (DAO :; CB ,
, among others; DECLC :a; DCVB :a).
The variant in the Vatican MS should be read as bortolaiga (see entry
Het
. ).
For the identification of Arab. baqla al-hamqa"
. as O. Cat. verdolaga, cf.
AdV , .
. 12 11 10
RWBY", Arab. LWBY", o.l. PYSWLS
Aramaic RWBY" designates a type of legume (SDA f.) which features

in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bShab b, and which is identified by
some as fenugreek or flax-seed (cf. JD f.; LW :; KA :,
:) and by others as string-bean, Vigna sinensis (L.) Endl., also called
Egyptian bean ( ) or Libyan bean () (cf. LF : ff.; LO
Teshuvot on bRH b, p. ). According to Brll, Jahrbcher I, the
5 : O Y P V
6 : VO
7 : O V
8 : om. O
9 : V, om. O
10 : O
11 : O
12 : O V
shem tov, glossary
term is not derived from , i.e. Lybia but from Greek 7,

(see below).13
Arabic lubiya, from Greek , singular (LS ), that
passed through Syriac into Arabic (LA :; BLS ), designates
Vigna sinensis (L.) Endl. and Var. (DT :; M ). The term features
in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ) and is transcribed by N as:
and translated by Z as: (PSWLYY).
The vernacular variant in the Vatican MS is the plural of O. Occ. faizol
bean (FEW :a, which also mentions faisol characterized as Judeo-
French). The O. Cat. variant, which might be represented by MS P, is
fes(s)ol, glossed by the medieval missionary and Arabist Ramon Mart
(who died around ) as Arab. lubiya (DECLC :a).
For further identification of Arab. lubiya as the O. Cat plural form
fesols, cf. AdV , and of the Romance (O. Cat.) PYYSWL as Arab.
LWBY", see GHAT :.
The variant in the Oxford MS seems to be corrupt.
. 15 14
RKP", Arab. SGRH MRYM, o.l. TNRYD"
.
Aramaic RKP" means dyers weed, Reseda luteola L., and features in
Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShebi . (JD ; LW : f., ; SD ;
KA :, :; BM ; AEY :; FM ; LA :; LF
: ff.).
Arabic sagarat maryam is a name common to several plants, such as
Cyclamen, parthenium, Vitex, Cachrys etc. (M ; DT :: Chrysan-
themum balsamita L. and Var.).
For the identification cf. the Arukh (KA :) s.v. : :
; according to the Arukh (ibid.), others identify it with Hebrew
, Arabic (box tree); according to Maimonides on mShebi .
(MK :), RKP" is Arabic baqqam brasilwood. Cf. as well ShM f.
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. tanarida. For Catalan, the
DCVB (:a) indicates the meaning Tanacetum vulgare. For O. Occ.
this word is documented only in one MS in a recipe against itching:
Bevenda az ome nafrat per conoiser si deu guerir. Pren cauls vermeils,
tanarida, betonica, [ . . . ] (i.e., beverage for an injured man to know if he
13 N. Brll, Jahrbcher fr jdische Geschichte und Literatur. Jahrgang I, .

14 : VO
15 : V
resh
is going to be healed. Take red cabbage, tanarida, betony, [ . . . ], RM ).

The editor glosses it as tamarin (lgumineuse) (RM ). It would thus
be the tamarind, which might be an error of interpretation. But note
that, in AdV , the Arab. term sagarat maryam is translated into Latin
as thamarindi, a fact that the editor of AdV found strange and marked
with sic! in the edition. The meaning of this term thus remains obscure.
. 17 16
RTYH,
. Arab. MRHM, o.l. "YNGNT.
Hebrew RTYH . means emollient, plaster, compress and features in

Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mMiqw . (JD ; LW :; KA :;
BM f.; Low LXXX; PB f.).
Arabic marham means a certain application for wounds; soft plaster
or dressing; an unguent or the like with which a wound is plastered,
dressed, overspread, or anointed (L ; FAQ ff.).
(MK :).
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. eng(u)en(t) for onguent, empltre,
pommade (i.e., ointment, plaster, pomade) (RL :a; for further doc-
umentation see PSW :a; FEW :a; RM and the compound
expressions enguent blanc or enguent vert in RPA , , ). The
vernacular forms that we find in our MSS, and the vocalized form in the
Paris MS in particular do not have a diphthong in the second syllable like
in the O. Cat. form engent (DECLC :a, DCVB :ab). How-
ever, the phonetic reduction of Latin [kw] and [gw] to the simple velars
[k] and [g] respectively is characteristic for the Gallo-Romance languages
and not for Ibero-Romance (see, for example, Cat. llengua, Sp. lengua vs.
Occ. lenga/linga and Fr. langue; cf. GHP ).
. 18
RTYT
. HTWMR, Arab. MRHM NKLY
Hebrew RTYT . HTWMR, literally meaning date ointment and not

attested in secondary literature, is possibly a loan translation coined by
Shem Tov after Arabic marham nahl (cf. below).

16 : O
17 : O ! P V
18 : O V
shem tov, glossary
Arabic marham nahl means date ointment and features in medieval

medical literature, e.g. in Maimonides On Hemorrhoids (BMH V, , ),
where it is transcribed as: by Moses Ibn Tibbon, as:
(HMSYHH . HDQLYYT, in o.l. DY"PLMH) and
(HDY"PLMH) by Z; for Arabic marham, cf. no. above).
.
RQYQYM, Arab. RQ"Q
Hebrew RQYQ, plur. RQYQYM, means wafer; thin bread; flat cake and
features in the Bible (e.g. Ex :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. mMen .
(KB ; JD ; LW :; KA :; BM ).
Arabic ruqaq means thin bread (L ; D :; MT ).
(also unleavened bread,
unleavened cakes with oil mixed in, and unleavened wafers spread with
oilmake these of choice wheat flour):
(S ); IJ , gloss
MS Rouen (n. ). See as well MCS :.
. 22 21 20 19

RMS. , Arab. RM"D SHN "LDY PYH BQYH N"R, i.e. RMS. hot ashes in

which [some] fire remains
Hebrew RMS. means hot ashes, embers and features in Rabbinic litera-
ture, e.g. in bNid b (JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM f.;
KT :, :).
Arabic ramad suhn allad fhi baqya nar means hot ashes in which
[some] fire remains (cf. L ).
For the identification, cf. Qiz. z. ur al-Kafi (AQ, fol. a):
(= Nathan, Ein anonymes Wrterbuch, p. ,
n. ).23 Cf. as well ShM : .
19 : T P
20 : O
V
21 : V
22 : om. O
23 N.M. Nathan, Ein anonymes Wrterbuch zur Misna und Jad Hahazaka. Berlin .
.
resh
. 26 25 24
RBWY HSTN WS. "TW MBLY HP . S. , Arab. SLS "LBWL
Hebrew RBWY HSTN WS. "TW MBLY HP . S. means increase and un-
wanted flow of urine (cf. Sade
. no. above).
Arabic salas al-bawl means Diabetes Spasticus; Krampfhafte Harn-
ruhr (spasmodic diabetes) (SN ).
. 27
RH. S, Arab. RSH,
. derived from my heart is astir with gracious words
(cf. Ps :)
Hebrew RH . S means to be moved, to feel, to think and features in the

Bible, e.g. in Ps :, and in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in Midrash Tehillim
to Ps : (KB ; JD ; LW :; KA :; BM ).
Arabic rasaha . means he was or became moist with sweat (L f.).
For the identification, cf. Ibn Janah. (IJ ): E) FB

/ +BQ 0, 7 wF
? 7 N wTH F)
H +
c N FB K? .(2T% M/
wF
L zB 2 E) HL E) .
y* 7 G
(my heart is astir with gracious
words (Ps :), to cause to well forth, that is metaphorically. It is said: to
let the water well forth, that is to make it stream forth through digging
and nabat. has a fatah. [as vowel] for the ba"; it is like the sweat that is
exuded from the rock. And this term and its meaning are related to ar-
rash).
. See as well MCS :, :.
. 28
RPPWT, Arab. "KTL" G
Hebrew RPPWT, from the root RPP to vibrate, to shake, to tremble

(JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ; cf. as well Low LXXX and
PB ), is only attested in secondary literature as refafot, plur. of refafah
(cf. BM ), with the meaning convulsion. The term is particularly
prevalent in medieval magical literature for the art of palmomancy, that
is, the art of prognostication from twitchings in the limbs, called ihtilag in

24 : O
25 : O
26 : O
27 : O V
28 : VO
shem tov, glossary
Arabic. RPPWT, to be read as refafut, i.e. an abstract noun, is not attested

in secondary literature.
Arabic ihtilag means twitching, palpitation (L ) and features in

medieval medical literature, e.g. in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (cf.
for instance III, ; cf. BMMa ), where it is translated by N as:
and Z as: .
.
R#YSH, Arab. R#SH
Hebrew R#YSH, from the root R#S to tremble, to shake (KB f.;
JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM f.), meaning trembling
or shaking, is attested in medieval literature (BM ).
Arabic ri#sa means a tremour, quivering, quaking or shivering that
befalls a man in consequence of a disease that attacks him, not quitting
him (L ) and features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Apho-
risms (VII, ; cf. BMMb ) and is translated by N and Z as: .
For the identification of Hebrew R#S as Arabic ra#asa or irta#asa, cf.
Ibn Barun (WB ), and Judah Ben Quraysh (IQR :). See as well
MCS :.
. 29
R#YMT PNYM, Arab. QTWB . "LWGH
Hebrew R#YMT PNYM, derived from Biblical Hebrew and not attested
in secondary literature, was possibly coined by Shem Tov on the basis of
the expression in Ez :: (Their faces contorted) (cf. KB :
to be troubled).
Arabic qut. ub al-wagh means frowning or contracting the face, and
looking sternly, austerely, or morosely (L ).
Hebrew is explained by Ibn Janah. (IJ ) as Arabic qut. ub.
.
RS. PH, Arab. BL" TH
.
Hebrew RS. PH means stone pavement; block pavement; mosaic floor

and features in the Bible (e.g. Ez :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g.
29 : O V
resh
yNaz VII,b (KB ; JD ; LW : f.; KA :; BM ;

KT :; Low LXXX; PB ).
Arabic balat. a means flag stones, or flat stones for pavement; and
baked bricks for pavement (L ).
For the identification, cf. the Geonic Commentary on Tohorot (EG ):
; cf. as well KA : n. . Ibn Janah. (IJ )
explains the Biblical RS. PH as: p3( (stone-work in a stream). Mai-
monides on mYom . (MK :) explains as: (marble
slab).
. 30
. Arab. WG# "LMP" S. L
RT. T,
Hebrew RT. T. features in the Bible (Jer :) in the sense of terror,

shock (KB ; BM ), and also in medieval literature in the sense
of arthritis (cf. BM ). For the root RT. T. to tremble, to shake, cf.
JD ; LW :; KA :.
Arabic waga# al-mafas. il means arthritis (SN ) and features, for
instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (II, ; XII, ; cf. BMMa
) where it is translated by N and Z as: (cf. MS O; cf. as well
KZ ).
For the identification of Hebrew RT. T. as Arabic waga# al-mafas. il,
cf. Ibn Janah. on Jer : (IJ ), and SID :. See as well
MCS :.
. 31
R#PYM, Arab. QR"MYT.
Hebrew R#P, plur. R#PYM, means ) flint and ) glazed tile and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mBez. . (JD ; LW : f.;
KA :; BM ; KT :, , , ). Cf. as well Resh no. below.
Arabic QR"MYT. seems to be corrupt and should be emended into
QR"MYD, i.e. qaramd, plur. of qarmad, meaning baked bricks (L ;
DAS :).
For the identification, cf. Maimonides on mBez. . (MK :).
30 : O V
31 : !Y P
shem tov, glossary
.
RH. S, Arab. DBYB
Hebrew RH . S means a creeping thing, reptile and features in Rabbinic

literature, e.g. in mTer . (JD ; LW :; SDA , Aram. :
) maggot, vermin; ) reptile; KA :; BM ; LZ ).
Arabic dabb means anything that creeps or crawls upon the earth
(L ).
(MK :).
. 32
RQW#Y PHYM,
. Arab. S. P"YH
. RQ"Q
Hebrew RQW#Y PHYM . means plates which have been beaten flat and
features in the Bible in Num : (KB ; KA :; BM ).
Arabic s. afa"ih. riqaq means thin planks, boards, leaves (L , ;
for s. afa"ih,
. cf. as well Gimmel no. ).

([remove] the fire pans of those who have sinned at the cost
of their lives, and let them be made into hammered sheets as plating for
the altarfor once they have been used for offering to the LORD, they
have become sacredand let them serve as a warning to the people of
Israel):

(S ).
. 34 33
RBYDWT, Arab. MH" . GM, i.e. cupping glasses
Hebrew RBYDH, plur. RBYDWT, was possibly coined by Shem Tov in the
sense of cupping glass on the basis of the Aramaic , which means
incision, scratch (JD ; LW : f.; SDA ; KA : f., :;
Low LXXX) and features e.g. in bShab a as: incision
of a scalpel.
32 : O V
33 : O V
34 : O
resh
Arabic mihgama,
. plur. mahagim,
. means glass vessel of the sA]; the
utensil in which the blood produced by the operation of 7A] is collected
by sucking (L ). Arabic mihgama
. features in Maimonides Medical
Aphorisms (e.g. III, ; cf. BMMa ) and is translated by N as:
and by Z as: /.
For the identification, cf. LO Perushim on bShab b, p. , where
is explained as Arabic mihgama
. cupping glass; see as
well the Arukh (KA :), s.v. : .
.
RTT, Arab. R#DH
Hebrew RTT means trembling and features in the Bible (Hos :)

and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bBer a (KB ; JD ; LW : f.;
SD ; KA : f.; BM ; PB ).
Arabic ra#da or ri#da means a tremor, quivering, quaking, shivering,
or commotion (L ), and features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms
(VII, , ; XXII, ; XXIII, ; cf. BMMb f., f.) where it is
translated by N as: / and by Z as: /.
For the identification, cf. Jephet Ben Eli,35 David b. Abraham al-
Fas (SF :), and Tanhum. Yerushalmi36 on Hos :; see as well
SID :. According to Ibn Janah. (IJ f.), is somewhat
similar to a pain in the joints called: ,<( (cf. Ibn Barun ).
. 37
R"MWT, Arab. H . GR "LM"S
Hebrew R"MWT features in the Bible, e.g. in Job :. Its meaning is not
clear; it possibly designates black corals, sea shells, pearls, (KB ).
Arabic hagar
. al-mas means diamond (see Alef no. above).
Sa#adya on Job : (BS ; SJ ) translates the term as:
(coral).
35 P. Birnbaum (ed.), The Arabic commentary of Yefet Ben #Ali the Karaite on the Book
of Hosea, Philadelphia , p. .
36 H. Shy (ed.), Tanhum ha-Yerushalmis Commentary on the Minor Prophets. A critical
.
edition with an introduction translated into Hebrew and annotated, Jerusalem ,
pp. .
37 : O V
shem tov, glossary
. 38
R" S H#YN, Arab. "LM"Q "L"KBR
Hebrew R" S H#YN literally means head of the eye and features in
medieval literature, for instance, in Maimonides Mishneh Torah (Beit
Miqdash :):
(if moisture oozed out of the head of his eye near his nose or out of
the tail of his eye near his temples)39 (BM ). The English translation
should be emended to: if moisture oozed out from the inner angle of his
eye near his nose or from the outer angle of his eye near his temples. For
cf. Zayin .
Arabic al-ma"q al-akbar means the inner angle of the eye (DKT ;
FAL :). The Arabic term features in Maimonides Medical Apho-
risms (XXIII, ; XXV, ), where it is translated by N as:
/ and by Z as: /
. See as well Zayin : (the outer angle of the
eye).
.
RDYDYM, Arab. "RDYH
Hebrew or Aramaic RDYD, plur. RDYDYM, means shawl, headcloth

and features in the Bible (e.g. Is :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. mKel
. (KB ; JD ; LW :; SD ; KA :, :; BM f.;
KT :, , , ).
Arabic rida", plur. ardiya, means a certain garment, being of a single
piece, covering the upper half of the body; or lying upon the shoulders
and back; or falling upon the belly and there ending (L ; Kalfon
Stillman, Index).40
(the lace gowns and the linen vests; and the kerchiefs and the
capes): (DS ); see as well the Arukh
(KA :); IJ ; SF :; and WB .
38 : O P
39 The Code of Maimonides, Book Eight, The Book of Temple Service, transl. from the
Hebrew by M. Lewittes, New Haven, London , p. .
40 Y. Kalfon Stillman, Arab Dress. A Short History. From the Dawn of Islam to Modern
Times. Ed. by N.A. Stillman, Leiden .

resh
. 42 41
RTM, Arab. RTM
Hebrew RWTM (cf. MSS O and V) means gorse, broom, Retama

roetam, and features in the Bible, e.g. in Ps : (KB ; KA :,
:; BM f.; AEY :; DAS :; FEB ff.; FO f.;
LA :; LF : ff.).
Arabic ratam designates the same plant (DT : n. , :; DAS :,
, , ).
For the identification cf. Sa#adya on Ps ::
(a warriors sharp arrows, with hot coals of broom-wood):
(ST ); IJ ; SID :; SF :
and WB , (n. ). See as well MCS :.
. 43
RMWN HRYM, which grows overseas, Arab. M#"D
Hebrew RMWN HRYM literally means mountain pomegranate and

was possibly coined by Shem Tov as a loan translation of the Arabic
ar-rumman al-barr wild pomegranate tree (cf. M ). For Hebrew
RMWN, cf. FE ff.; LF : ff.
The Arabic term mugad or mugat or mu#at designates the root of
glossostemon, Glossostemon Bruguieri D.C.44This identification is the
result of modern research undertaken by Schweinfurth. In medieval
Arabic medical literature, the term is used erroneously for the rind of the
root of the wild pomegranate tree (cf. Maimonides Medical Aphorisms
(XXI, ) and L ; D :; DT : n. ; M ; LF : f., ; cf. as
well Shin no. ).
41 : ] P VO
42 : Y PO
43 : P
44 Cf. El. S. Amin, O. Awad, M. Abd El Samad and M.N. Iskander, Isolation of estrone
from moghat roots and from pollen grains of Egyptian date palm, Phytochemistry, vol.
(), pp. .
shem tov, glossary
. 46 45
47
R#P R#PYM, i.e. stones with which one lights a fire, as it is written in
Genesis Rabbah (cf. :): He, the Holy One, blessed be He, made him
find two flints which he struck against each other and light came forth,
Arab. H. GR "LZN"D
For Hebrew R#P or R#PYM, cf. Resh no. above.

Arabic hagar
. az-zinad means flint (L ; D :).
. 48
RHM,
. Arab. RKM
Hebrew RHM. means vulture, the Egyptian vulture, Vultur percnopte-

rus or Neophron percnopterus, and features in the Bible (e.g. Lev :)
and Rabbinic literature, e.g. bHul
. a (KB ; JD ; BM ;
BAL , ; BH s.v. index; FAB f.; LZ ).
Arabic raham designates the same bird (L ; BK ; JAD :
:; StS f.).
; KSZ :,
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Lev : (S ); IJ ; SID
:; WB . See as well MCS :.
. 49
R" S HHW
. TM,
. the tip of the nose; i.e. the end which extends to the lip
In secondary literature, R" S HHW

. TM
. is only attested as: the top (central
circle) of the oblate part of a female breast (JD ; LW :; KA :;
BM ).
45 : om. O
46 :

O
V
47 : O V
48 : O
49 : om. O
resh
. 50
RWH . #W#YM, Arab. TSWYS
Hebrew RWH . #W#YM means spirit of confusion and features in the

Bible in Is : (KB ; BM ).
Arabic tasws means disorder; disturbance, ailment, indisposition
(L ; D :; HaF ).
(The LORD has mixed
within her a spirit of distortion, which shall lead Egypt astray in all her
undertakings as a vomiting drunkard goes astray):

(DS ). Ibn Barun remarks that the term #W#YM is related to N-P men
of the lowest class of society; also the foolish and the fickle, and that it
basically means the same as W, i.e. small species of ants, small locusts
(WB , see as well f., n. , and , n. ). David b. Abraham
al-Fas (SF :) explains the term as: (tortuosity). See as well
MCS :.
. 51
RMWN HRYM, which grows overseas, Arab. M#"D
For Hebrew RMWN HRYM and Arabic M#"D, cf. Resh no. above.
50 : om. O
51 : om. OV
SHIN
. 2 1
SBT, Arab. SBT, o.l. "NYT.
Hebrew SBT means dill, Anethum graveolens L., and features in Rab-
binic literature, e.g. in mUqz . (JD ; LW :; SDA s.v.
; KA : f., :; BM ; AEY :; FH ; FM ;
LA f.:; LF : ff.).
Arabic sibitt or the vulgar form sabat designates the same plant. The
to Aramaic sbitta (BLS
Arabic goes back ; L ; DT :; M ;
DAS :).
(MK :).
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. anet for Anethum grave-
olens (DAO :; for further documentation cf. RL :b; FEW :a;
CB , , , , , , , , , ; DECLC :a;
DCVB :a).
For the identification of Romance (O. Cat.) "NYT. as Arab. SBT, see
GHAT :.
. 4 3
SMSWQ, Arab. MRZNGWS or "D"N "LP"R, o.l. MGWR"NH
Aramaic SMSWQ or SYMSQ means marjoram, Origanum majorana L.,

and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bShab b, where the biblical
is explained as (JD ; LW :; SDA f.; AEY :;
FH ; FO ; LA :; LF :).
Arabic marzangus designates the plant marjoram, Origanum majo-
rana L. A corrupt form of the same Arabic term is mardaqus (L f.;
D : s.v. Y)WW
7; DT :; M ; DAS :; LA f.:).
1 : P
2 : " P
3 : O
4 : O V
shem tov, glossary
For the identification of Hebrew SYMSQ as Arabic mardaqus (mar-

dagus), cf. LO Teshuvot on bShab b, p. :
(SYMSQ is called mardagus where we live) and BT .
The vernacular term is the Late Latin maiorana (cf. FEW :a)
or O. Occ. majorana, maiorana or majurana for Origanum majorana
(DAO :; for further documentation, see RL :a; FEW :b;
RMA ; CB ). In O. Cat., we usually find Arabisms such as (a)mora-
duix (cf. DECLC :a) to designate the same plant, but the DCVB
:a gives us the O. Cat. form majorana (var. mayorana), which is
documented both in medical recipes and as a diatopic synonym (used,
for example, in the Eastern Pyrenees) for Cat. moraduix.
In GHAT :, we find the Arab. entry MRZNGWS, which corre-
sponds to the Arab. synonym in our text. This Arab. entry is glossed by
the Romance (O. Cat.) terms MWRDWSY (which might correspond to
the O. Cat. moraduix) and MGWR"NH (majorana, the vernacular term
which features in our edition). This text indicates SMSWSY as a Latin
synonym (samsuci or the like, possibly the genetive singular of Latin
sam(p)suc(h)um or -us for Majorana hortalensis Moench, cf. NPRA
and FEW :a). The same Latin synonym, samsuci, is represented in
the Oxford MS of our text as SMSWSY.
. 6 5
SYT, Arab. QYS. WM, o.l. "BRWNTNWM .
The meaning of Hebrew SYT, featuring in the Bible (e.g. Is :), is

uncertain (cf. KB ; BM ). Dalman suggests a species of achillea,
comparable to European sharp-sheath (DAS :), while Lw explains
the term as Dorngestrpp (thorny undergrowth) (LF :) (cf. as well
FO and AEY :: Ononis antiquorum L.). The term is always
used in combination with Hebrew (cf. Shin no. below).
Arabic qays. um or qaysum (cf. Ms O) means southern wood, Arte-
misia abrotanum L. and Var. (DT :; M ; DAS :; LA ff.:;
LF :).
(And I will make it a
desolation; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with
briers and thistles. And I will command the clouds to drop no rain on it):
5 : O V
6 : O V
shin

(DS ); see as well IJ , SID :; SF :.
The vernacular term in the Paris and Vatican MSS is the Lat. abrota-
num (wrongly spelt *abrontanum in the Paris MS) for Artemisia abrota-
num L. (NPRA ; DuC :a), which also appears in O. Occ. recipes
(see RMM ). The first vernacular synonym given in the Oxford
MS might be read as the Latin variant abrotonum (NPRA loc. cit.;
FEW :a); the second synonym in MS O seems to belong to O. Occ.
alambroze (DAO :). For the ending Alef, cf. broyda (loc. cit., also
Cat. (broida/broyda), cf. DCVB :b; AdV , both words stem
from Lat. ABROTANUM, cf. FEW loc. cit. and DCVB loc. cit.). We
might hypothesise a term like *alambroy(d)a, which would be a blend of
alambroze and broyda with a loss of the intervoalic -d- and an epenthetic
-o- (see the introduction).
For the identification of Latin "BRWT"NWM
. with Arab. QYSWM, see
GHAT :, and for Romance (O. Sp.) abrotano with Arab. keysen,
kaysem, keison, keisum, see Sin : and n. .
. 8 7
SMYR, Arab. HSK,
. o.l. " TRYPWLY
. MRYNY
The meaning of the biblical term SMYR, featuring, for instance, in Is :,

is uncertain (cf. KB ; BM ). Dalman explains SMYR in Is :
as wild carrot, Daucus aureus (DAS :; cf. as well FO f.: Daucus
maximus) and Lw explains it as Christs thorn, Paliurus aculeatus Lam.
(LF :; cf. as well AEY :). The term is often used in Isaiah
together with Hebrew (cf. Shin no. above).
Arabic hasak
. designates several types of thorny plants, such as Tribu-
lus terrestris L. and Var., which are widespread in Europe, and Tribu-
lus lanuginosus L. and Var., which grows in India (DT :; M ;
LF : f.).
(And I will make it a
desolation; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with
briers and thistles. And I will command the clouds to drop no rain on it):

(DS ); see as well IJ and SF :.
7 : j P
8 : O V
shem tov, glossary
The vernacular term in the Oxford MS seems to correspond to the gen-

itive singular of a Lat. compound term *trifolium marinum. Although
the identification of Arab. HSK. as TRYPWLLY
. can also be found in
GHAT :, it is probable that trifolium is an error for tribulum. As
stated in NPRA (, tribulus: nom donn certaines plantes pour
leur fruit pineux ou angouleux, i.e. tribulus: a name given to certain
plants because of their thorny and angular fruit), the description corre-
sponds quite closely to the meaning of the Arabic term. The other MSS
include an initial Alef, which might be due to a confusion of trifolium
and Lat. agrifolium (DuC :b: pomme pineuse, i.e. thorny apple;
NPRA : Ilex aquifolium L., Bryonia dioca Jacqu., Celtis australis L.)
or a Romance equivalent (cf., e.g., Cat. agrifoli/agrifoll (DECLC :b)
or Occ. ag(g)ref(f)o(i)l (DAO :; FEW :a); all these seem to
be modern forms). The epitheton M"RYNY (marini) might have been
inspired by the first element of aquifolium, a synonym for agrifolium
(NPRA ). On the basis of the Hebrew and Arabic synonyms, it does
not seem probable that tribulus marinus is used here with the standard
meaning (Trapa natans L., NPRA ). The term tribulus marinus often
appears in O. Occ. texts, e.g., RPA : tribuli marini, DAO Suppl. ::
tribulus marinus (= RPA loc. cit.).
. 13 12 11 10 9
SRP H"LH, Arab. S. MG "LS. NWBR, i.e. #LK "LBTM,
. o.l. TRBN
. TYN"
.
Hebrew means resin of the terebinth tree, Pistacia Tere-

binthus L. (for Hebrew , cf. Alef ; for Hebrew , cf. Shin no.
below; for Hebrew , cf. FEB ; FO ; cf. as well Lamed
no. above).
Arabic s. amg as. -s. anawbar means resin of the pine tree, Pinus hale-
pensis Mill. or Pinus pinea L. (L ; DT :; M , DAS :, ),
and Arabic #ilk al-but. m means mastic of the terebinth tree, Pistacia
Terebinthus L (L ; DT :; M ; DAS :). For Arabic s. amg, cf.
Shin no. below; cf. as well Alef no. and Lamed no. above. In
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (e.g. XVII, ), we find the expression
9 : W P
10 : O
11 : O V
12 : O V
13 : V
shin
CM m'3 which is translated by N as: and by Z as:

/ / .
For the identification of Hebrew as Arabic s. amg, cf. Maimonides
on mOrl . (MK :); of Hebrew "LH as Arabic s. anawbar and of
Arabic s. anawbar as Arabic but. m, see Alef , and of Hebrew "LH as
Arabic but. m, see Alef .
For the vernacular term, see entry Lamed .
. 14
SHLT, Arab. L"DN, o.l. L"DNWM

Hebrew SHLT means onycha, unguis odorati and features in the Bible
and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bKer b (KB ; JD ;
(e.g. Ex :)
LW :; KA :; BM f.; KT :).
Arabic ladan means ladanum, the resin of Cistus creticus L., Cistus
ladaniferus L. and others. The term is Semitic: Akkadian ladinnu, ladnu,
ladunu; Syriac ladna (BLS ; WKAS :; DT :; M ; LF : ff.).
(And the LORD
said to Moses: Take the herbs stacte, onycha, and galbanumthese herbs
together with pure frankincense; let there be an equal part of each):

(S ). Ibn Janah. (IJ ) explains in the verse mentioned
as: I,M (H (fragrant spices); cf. David b. Abraham al-Fas (SF :):
.
The vernacular term is the Latin ladanum or the Cat. ldanum for
substncia resinosa aromtica que flueix de certs arbusts del gnere
Cistus (i.e. aromatic resinous substance that flows from certain bushes
of the genus Cistus) (DCVB :b; for further documentation see
NPRA ; FEW :a). For the identification of Romance (O. Cat.)
L"DNWM as Arab. L"DN, see GHAT :. In O. Occ., we find the forms
laudanum (), lacdanum () and lapdanum (), in addition
to the form lapdan without the Latin ending (DAO :; for further
documentation, see PSW :a, RMA : olei lapdami). In O. Cat.,
there are the forms lapdanum (around ), laudano, ldan (th c.)
and lpadanum (DECLC :a, for further etymological analysis, see
DCECH :ab).
14 : V
shem tov, glossary
. 15
SSR, Arab. ZNGPWR
Hebrew SSR means vermillion, minium and features in the Bible, e.g.
in Ez : (KB ; BM ; DAS :, :).
Arabic ZNGPWR, possibly a corruption of Persian sangarf (VL :),
should be emended as ZNGWPR, zungufr, meaning a certain dye of a red
colour, with which one writes as well as dyes; cinnabar (L , M ;
DAS :; GS ff.; RS :, :).
For the identification, cf. Ibn Janah. on Ez : (RJ ); a gloss to
in MS Rouen in IJ (n. ) reads: ^
H? ) .
HAB6 +,-
-
W()6 (this has been explained as: zungufr. And Sa#adya explains it as:
lazuward/lazaward (lapis lazuli)); David b. Abraham al-Fas (SF :)
explains the term SSR as: (verdigris and vermillion).
. 17 16
SMN "PRSMWN, Arab. DHN BLS"N, o.l. BSMY
Hebrew SMN "PRSMWN means oil of the balsam tree, Commiphora

opobalsamum, and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bBB b (for
Hebrew "PRSMWN or Aramaic "PRSM", cf. JD ; LW :, ;
SDA f.; KA : f., :; FEB ff.; FO ; KT : f.; LF :).
Arabic duhn balasan has the same meaning (DT :; MS : ff.;
cf. as well Gimmel no. , Ayin no. and Qof no. above).
For the identification of "PRSM" as Arabic balasan, cf. LO Liqqut. ei
Geonim on bBer a, p. .
The vernacular term in MSS P and V is the O. Occ. or O. Cat. basme
(or O. Occ. bazme) for substance odorifrante qui dcoule par incision
de diffrents arbres (i.e. odoriferous substance that flows out of different
trees after incision) (DAO :; for further information see FEW :a;
PSW :b; RL :b; RMM , ; DCVB :b). The variant
given in the Oxford MS is the genitive singular of Late Latin balsamum
(balsamum est liquidum medicamentum oculorum curationi necessar-
ium, quod arboribus destillat in modo picis, Probus commentary on
Virgils Georgics :; cf. ThLL :) which is identified as Arab. duhn
al-balasan by Arnau de Villanova (cf. AdV ).
15 : V
16 : O
17 : O
shin
. 18
SYPWN, Arab. SLT, o.l. SYGL, i.e. oats
Hebrew SYPWN, from Greek . (KG :; LW : and LA

f.:: Gr. ; KA :: Gr. ), is identified as ) oats, Avena
sativa L., ) spelt wheat, Triticum spelta and ) rye and features in
Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKel . (JD ; LW : f.; KA :;
BM ; DAS : ff.; FH , f.; FM , ; KT :,
n. ; LA f.:; LF : ff.).
Arabic sult means naked barley (L ; D :: rye; DT ::
shucked barley grains that have been separated from their husks during
threshing).
Sa#adya (SAM :) explains as: (darnel); Maimonides
on the Mishnah mentioned (MK :) translates the term as:
(darnel, cf. DT :), while, on mKil . (MK :), he remarks that
it is: (a kind of wild barley).
seg(u)(i)el, seg(u)il(h), sigil or the O. Cat. sguel for rye (PSW :a;
for further documentation, see DAO :; RL :b; FEW :b;
CB , , , , , ; DCVB :ba). The vernacular
term in the Paris MS may represent some of these variants (except for
forms with an i or a diphthong in the second syllable), and, in addition,
the O. Occ. variants seg(u)al, segalh or the O. Cat. sgal (FEW loc.
cit.; PSW loc. cit.; DAO loc. cit.; DCVB loc. cit.). In O. Cat., forms
like sgol or segle seem to be more frequent (DCVB loc. cit.; DECLC
:b).
. 20 19
SBWLT HWDYYT, Arab. SNBL HNDY, o.l. " SPYQ" N"RDY
Hebrew SBWLT means ear of corn and features in the Bible (e.g. Gen
:) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mPeah . (KB ; JD ;
LW :; SDA ; KA :, :; BM ; AEY :; DAS :;
FH , , ; FO ; KT :; LA :). In Rabbinic literature,
the term features as SBWLT NRD (e.g. in bKer a) and designates
spikenard (cf. BM ; FO ; LA :; LF :). Hebrew
18 : O V
19 : V
20 : O V
shem tov, glossary
SBWLT HWDYYT is not attested in secondary literature and was possibly

coined by Shem Tov after Arabic sunbul hind Indian nard (cf. below).
Arabic sunbul hind means Indian nard, Nardostachys jatamansi DC
and Var. (L ; DT :; M ; DAS :; LF : ff.). The term also
features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ) and is translated
by N as: and by Z as: (H" SPYQ" HHWDYY).
For the identification of Hebrew SBWLT as Arabic sunbul, cf. Sa#adya
on Is ::
(After being like the standing grain harvested by the reaperwho
reaps ears by the armfulhe shall be like the ears that are gleaned in
the valley of Rephaim):
(DS ); see as well IJ .
The vernacular term in the Paris and Vatican MSS is the (Late) Lat.
(e)spic(c)a nardi, O. Occ. or O. Cat. (e)spicanardi for Nardostachys Jata-
mansi (DCVB :b; AdV ; for further documentation, see DAO
:; NPRA ; RPA : spice nardi; RPA : espicce nardi; Sin
: and , n. ; CB ). The same form appears in GHAT : as
" SPYQ "NRDY (O. Cat.), where it is identified as Arab. SNBL HYNDY.
. 21
SBWLT RWMYYT, Arab. SNBL RWMY, o.l. " SPYQ" S"LTYQ" .
Hebrew SBWLT RWMYYT, which is not attested in secondary literature,

was possibly coined by Shem Tov after Arabic sunbul rum Greek nard
(cf. below). For Hebrew SBWLT, cf. Shin no. above.
Arabic sunbul rum means Greek nard, Valeriana celtica L. and Var.
(L ; DT :; :; M ).
For the identification of Hebrew SBWLT as Arabic sunbul, cf. Shin
no. . above.
The vernacular term is the (Late) Lat. (e)spica celtica for Valeriana
celtica L. (NPRA ; for further documentation see Sin , n. , and
, n. ).
For the identification of the Romance (O. Cat.) " SPYQ SLYTYQ"
. (sic!)22
and Arab. SNBL, see GHAT :.
21 : O V
22 The Romance form seems to be spelt in a corrupt way. Here, we have espic instead
of espica as in the variant in the Oxford MS in entry Shin , the erroneous agreement in
gender reflects an error by the copyist.
shin
. 23
SHL
. or SHLYM,
. Arab. HRP,
. o.l. NSTWR
. S
Hebrew SHL, . only attested in the plural form SHLYM . in secondary

literature, means garden cress; pepperwort, Lepidium sativum L., and
features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mMaas . (KB ; JD ;
LW :; KA :, :; BM ; AEY :; DAS :; FM ;
KT :; LA ff.:; LF : ff.).
Arabic hurf
. designates the same plant (DT :; M ). The term
features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (e.g. XX, ) and is translated
by N as: // (NSTWR . S. /NRYTWR
. T/
. HRP)
. and by Z as:
(MSTWR. S. W).
Sa#adya (SAM :) identifies as , which is a syn-
onym for hurf,
. as is explicitly stated by Maimonides on the Mishnah men-
tioned (MK :). Menahem ben Judah de Lonzano ( ca. )
states in his Sefer ha-Ma#arikh that Hebrew SHLYM . is Arabic hurf
. or
rasad (garden-cress) (cf. M ).24
The vernacular term corresponds to the plural of O. Occ. nazitor(t)
(th c.) or na(s)sitor(t) for Lepidum sativum (DAO :; for fur-
ther documentation see PSW :b; FEW :b; RMA , , ;
CB , , , , , , ). The DCVB also lists a Cat. nasitort
for the Roussillon area (DCVB :a), but Coromines suggests that this
form corresponds to the O. Occ. word, whereas the usual Cat. form is
morritort (DECLC :a; for morritort also see DCVB :b). The
form we have here in our MSS does not include an -Y-, so that we might
read *nastort, *naztort or the like, a form that is nearer to the Lat. ety-
mon NASTURTIUM (for the etymon see FEW loc. cit.). A similar case is
the O. Occ. naustor (CB ); also cf. the Cat. Latinism nasturci whichis,
however, documented for the first time in at the earliest (DECLC
loc. cit.).
For the identification of Romance (O. Cat) MNYTWR . T,
. perhaps a
misspelling of Cat. morritort, as Arab. HRP . and Latin NSTWR
. S. Y"WM,
see GHAT :.
23 : O
24 Ed. Tel Aviv , p. .
shem tov, glossary
. 27 26 25
SWMR, Arab. R"ZY"NG or BSB"S, o.l. PNWLYY
Hebrew SWMR means fennel, Foeniculum vulgare and its varieties (cf.
Zayin above).
Arabic raziyanag has the same meaning (cf. Zayin above). Raziyanag
is common in Egypt and the East, whereas, in the Maghreb, the Arabic
name basbas is used for fennel. The Arabic term features, for example, in
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XX, ; XXI, , ) and is translated
by N as: and by Z as: and (PYNWQLY). Cf. as well Shin
no. below.
For the identification of SWMR as raziyanag, cf. Estori ha-Parhi .
(?), Sefer Kaftor va-Ferah, p. 28 (cf. LF :, :).
.
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. fenol(h), fenhol(h), fenoil(h), fenoyl
or fenoil(l) or the O. Cat. fenoll or fenoyl for Foeniculum officinale
(DCVB :a; for further documentation, see DAO :; RL :b;
DECLC :a; FEW :ab; RPA , , ; RM , , , ,
, ; RMM , , , , , , ; RMA , , ,
; CB , ).
For the identification of Romance (O. Cat.) PNWL, Latin PNYQWLY
and Arab. R"ZYNG, see GHAT :.
. 29
SBR", Arab. HRML,
. o.l. SQWT"
.
Aramaic SBR" means Syrian rue, Peganum harmala L., and features in
Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bShab b (JD ; LW :, ; KA : f.,
:; SDA ; AEY :; LA f.:, ff.:; LF : ff.).
Arabic harmal
. designates the same plant (DT :; M ).
For the identification, cf. LO Teshuvot on bShab b, p. ; BT ,
and Arukh (KA :).
The vernacular term is the Latin cicuta for Conium maculatum L.
(NPRA ), which also appears in O. Occ. recipes (see RMA )30 or the
25 : V, O not readable
26 : O V
27 : O V
28 Ed. A.M. Luncz, Jerusalem .
29 : VO
30 Oppi qui la manjat ho cicuta o jusquiamo, rases lo cap et onhes lo amb suc apii
mescle am vinaigre et fretas en las mans et los pes, e guerra (i.e. Opium: who has eaten
shin
O. Occ. cicuda (RL :b; DAO :). For the graphical representation
of Romance /d/ by Hebrew Tet,. see also the introduction. In Cat., the
learned word cicuta is documented for the first time in the th c., the
hereditary ceguta in and ceguda in (DECLC :b).
. 31
SMN QYQ, Arab. DHN "LKRW#, o.l. "WLY DYQT"PWSY" .
Hebrew SMN QYQ means oil of the recinus tree or castor oil plant,
Ricinus communis L., and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShab
. (JD ; LW :; KA :; BM ; DAS :, :; FEB ff.;
FM ; LA ff.:; LF :).
Arabic duhn al-hirwa# has the same meaning (L ; DT :; M ).

above (MK :).
The vernacular term is the O. Cat. compound expression oli de cata-
pucia ricinus oil (AdV Index : oli de catapucia = olis de catapcie
pro oleum de catapucia majori) or a corresponding O. Occ. term. For the
O. Occ. and O. Cat oli oil, see RL :a; FEW :b; DECLC :ab;
DCVB :ab; for the commentary on O. Occ. and O. Cat catapucia,
see the entry Qof .
For the identification of Arabic duhn al-hirwa# as Latin oleum catapu-
ciarum, see AdV .
. 36 35 34 33 32
SWMNYT, Arab. TWM BRY, i.e. " SQWRDYWN, o.l. "LYY "GRST

Hebrew SWMNYT means wild garlic, Allium sativum L., and features
in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKil . (JD ; LW :; KA :;
BM ; AEY :; DAS :; FM ; KT :; LF : f.).
it or [who has eaten] cicuta or henbane should have his head shaved and anointed with
the juice of celery mixed with vinegar and should have rubbed his hands and feet and
he shall be healed): in this example, it is difficult to decide if the drug names are clearly
O. Occ., Latin or Latinisms in O. Occ.
31 : O V
32 : VO
33 : O
34 : V
35 : V, om. O
36 : add. O
shem tov, glossary
Arabic tum barr has the same meaning (D :; DT :; M ;

DAS :). Arabic asqurdiyun is the transcription of Greek
(LS ), which designates garlic germander, Teucrium scordium
L. The translator of Galen and most of the Arabic translators after him
translate Greek as Arabic tum barr (cf. DT :; M ,
ID :). The correct Greek term for wild garlic, Allium sativum L,
is () (LS ), which is transcribed in Arabic as squrdiyun (cf.
DT :). For the identification of Arabic tum barr as squrdiyun, see
IJS :.
For the identification of Hebrew SWMNYT as Arabic tum barr, cf.
Sa#adya (SAM :), and Maimonides on mKil . (MK :).
The vernacular term is documented in O. Cat. as all agrest, modelled
probably on the Latin basis alium agreste for the genus Colchicum L.
(NPRA ). In DCVB :b and DECLC :b, we find the follow-
ing quotation: alls agrests, o sien porrines de aquels ques fan en
vinyes (i.e. alls agrests, these may be (the leaves of) those [garlics] that
grow in the vineyards).37 For O. Occ., we did not find any documen-
tation of this compound term, but it is very probable that it existed:
for a(y)lh, a(i)l(l) etc., see RL :a; DAO :; FEW :a; CB ,
, , , among others, and, for the adjective agrest for wild, RL
:a.
. 39 38
SYBWT",
. i.e. a big fish like a big mammal in the sea
Aramaic SYBWT" . means a scaled fish and features in Rabbinic liter-

ature, e.g. in yTaan IV, b, where it is described as one of the pure
fishes which did not return with the Israelites from their Babylonian exile.
The exact identification of the species is uncertain (JD f.; LW :,
f.; SDA ; KA :, :; BM ; KT :, n. ; LFa
ff.; LZ f., f., f.).
37Receptari de Micer Johan, MS. del segle XV, published by E. Molin i Brass in
BABL, VII, , .
38 : V
39 : O
shin
. 41 40
SMN "LWNYM, Arab. DHN "LS. NWBR, o.l. "WLY DPYNY" S
Hebrew "LWN, plur. "LWNYM, can refer to different kinds of big trees,
such as: oak (= "allon) and terebinth (= "elon or "elah) (cf. Alef no.
above). Hebrew SMN "LWNYM means oil of the terebinth or oak tree.
Arabic duhn s. anawbar means oil of the pine tree, Pinus halepensis
Mill. or Pinus pinea L. (cf. Alef no. and Shin no. above).
For the identification of "LWN as s. anawbar, cf. Alef above.
The vernacular term in the Paris and Oxford MSS is a non-docu-
mented O. Occ. or O. Cat. compound term *oli de pinhas/pinyes for oil
of pine cones (for the commentary on oli, see entry Shin , and for
pinhas/pinyes, see Alef and ). The variant given in the Vatican MS
seems to be a non-documented O. Cat. compound expression *oli de
pinyons for oil of pine nuts (for pinyons see entry Gimmel ).
. 43 42
SMN "NPQNYN, i.e. SMN HHWS. "H, Arab. ZYT "L"NP"Q, that is, oil for
consumption
Hebrew SMN "NPQNYN or "NPQNYN which is also spelt as:

spelled?
"NPQYNWN, from Greek % (LS ; KG : f., ; LR ),
means oil made of unripe olives (JD ; LW :; KA : f.; :;
DAS :) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mMen .. Hebrew
SMN HHWS. "H is a literal translation of Arabic zayt al-infaq.
Arabic zayt al-infaq also means oil made of unripe olives. Arabic
infaq or unfaq is the Arabic transcription of the Greek %,
which designates the oil extracted from olives before they are mature (cf.
D : f.; M ; HS ; IBA :; IBF:,). See as well Shin no.
below.
(MK : f.), where he explains as:
(that is, the oil which the physicians call: zayt al-infaq).
40 : O
41 : O V
42 : V
43 : V
shem tov, glossary
. 45 44
SWSNT HMLK, Arab. SQ"YQ "LN#M"N, o.l. RWSYLS
Hebrew SWSNT HMLK means kings lily, white lily, Lilium candidum
L., and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKil . (JD ; LW
:; KA :; BM ; AEY :; DAS :; FM ; LA
:; LF : f., , :).
Arabic saqa"iq an-nu#man means anemone, Anemone coronaria L.
or Anemone hortensis L (DT :; M ; DAS : ff.).
(MK :).
The vernacular term is the plural of O. Occ. rozel(l)a or O. Cat. rosella
(for the documentation, see DAO :; RL :b; DCVB :ab;
DECLC :b). For the O. Occ. term, Raynouard gives the meaning
roselle, nom donn la fleur du pavot (i.e. roselle, name given to the
poppy flower) (RL loc. cit.), while the DAO gives the meaning Papaver
rhoeas (DAO loc. cit.). The DCVB lists different meanings: firstly, in
ancient times, small rose, thenamong othersthe flower of Papaver
rhoeas and Anemone nemorosa (DCVB loc. cit.). This last meaning
corresponds to the Arabic synonym commented upon above. Note that
Papaver rhoeas and Anemone coronaria look similar. However, the latter
is white and has different petals.
For the identification of the Romance (O. Cat.) RWSYLH, and the
Latin P"PWYRYS as the Arabic saqa"iq an-nu#man, see GHAT :.
. 48 47 46
S#W#YT, Arab. GLB"N, o.l. PYSWLS
Hebrew S#W#YT means a species of beans, perhaps Vigna sinensis or

nilotica, Lathyrus cicera or Phaseolus vulgaris, and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in mKil . (JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ;
AEY :; DAS : f., ; FM ; LF : ff.).
Arabic gulubban or guluban or gulaban or gilban designates vetch,
Lathyrus sativus L. (cf. Tet
. no. above).
44 : VO
45 : O
46 : V
47 : O V
48 : O V
shin
According to Sa#adya (SAM :) and Maimonides on the Mishnah

mentioned (MK :), is identical to , while gulubban
is considered by Maimonides (ibid.) as the Arabic equivalent for
(Red Grasspea; Lathyrus cicera).
For the vernacular term, see the commentary to entry Resh no. .
. 50 49
SRP HTY
. TM"L,
. i.e. the milky juice which flows from it when it is cut,
Arab. LBN "LYTW#"T
For Hebrew , meaning resin, gum, cf. Shin no. below. HTY . TM"L
.
does not feature in any secondary literature on Hebrew. It corresponds
to O. Occ./O. Cat. titimal (FEW :a; PSW :ab; DECLC :a
< Latin tithymallus < Greek !, LS ). The Romance word,
also transcribed into Hebrew, is listed in two other synonym lists, namely
in MS Parma (De Rossi , Richler ) and in MS Mich. Ad.
(Neubauer ). In the latter, it appears as a synonym for Arabic HYTW#
(= ALYTW#), which is the generic name for spurge (see LHMS ,
). The term features subsequently as: (for ; i.e.
spurge) in Judah Ben Solomon Natan, Kelal Qaz. ar mi ha-Sammim ha-
Nifradim (JNK :).
Arabic yattu#at designates firstly all those plants which produce a
milky juice, latex, and then the species Euphorbia. Arabic laban al-
yattu#at designates the milky juice or sap of these plants (WKAS :;
DT :; M ). For the etymology of Arabic yattu#at, cf. LF :.
. 52 51
SMN SMLQ, Arab. DHN "LY"SMYN, o.l. "WLY ZNBRY
Hebrew SMN SMLQ means jasmine oil, just like Arabic duhn al-
yasamn.
For Hebrew SMLK and Arabic duhn al-yasamn, cf. Samekh no.
above.
The vernacular term could not be identified. Whereas the first item
corresponds to O. Occ./O. Cat. oli oil, (cf. entry Shin ), the second
49 : O V
50 : O
51 : O
52 : VO
shem tov, glossary
part could not be found in any of our sources. A reading ginebre (cf. entry
Alef ) does not seem probable, both because of the meaning (ginger)
and the spelling with initial Zayin. The first argument would also exclude
Cat. senabre (mustard). What we find here might instead be a non- doc-
umented noun or adjective *sambre or *sambri (spelt *sanbre/ *sanbri),
related to Arabic zanbaq (cf. O. Fr. sambac(e) jasminum sambac, M. Fr.
oile de sambac(in), O. Fr. sabacin, oile sabacin in FEW :b). For the
M. Lat. term oleum sambacimun, see CA . But perhaps the most plau-
sible explanation for this rather strange form with its unetymological r
would be that the letter Resh is erroneous for Samech, so that we would
obtain a reading oli(i) sanbaci (for M. Lat. sambacus, see CA loc. cit.).
.
SPN, Arab. QWNYYL
Hebrew SPN means rock badger, hyrax, dassie, Procavia syriaca, and
features in the Bible. e.g. in Lev : (KB ; BM ; BAL f.; BH
index, s.v.; FAB f.).
Arabic QWNYYL is a corruption of QNLYH (,L) meaning rabbit
(D :).
Sa#adya (S ) and David b. Abraham al-Fas (SF :) translate SPN
as wabr (HaF : Kind of weasel. Syrian hyrax). Ibn Janah (IJ f.)
gives the same Arabic equivalent, remarking that it is a small animal that
is rare in the East, but frequent in the West where he lives and is known
amongst the people not as wabr but as QNLYH.
. 54 53
SRP HKRM, Arab. S. MGH QDB"N. "LKRM
Hebrew KRM means vineyard and features in the Bible (e.g. Is :) and
Rabbinic literature, e.g. bBer a (KB ; JD ; LW :; KA : f.,
:; DAS : ff.; FH s.v. index). Hebrew SRP HKRM, read "SRP
HKRM, is probably a loan translation of Arabic s. amg [ . . . ] al-karm (cf.
below), meaning resin [extracted] from the vine; cf. Shin no. below).
Arabic s. amga (read s. amg) qudban
. al-karm means resin [extracted]
from the boughs of the vine (L , ; for karm, cf. DT :).
53 : W P
54 : O V
shin
For the identification of Hebrew "SRP as Arabic s. amg, cf. EG

and LO Teshuvot on bShab a, p. (cf. Shin no. below); for the
identification of Hebrew KRM as Arabic karm, cf. Sa#adya on Is ::
(Let me sing for my beloved. A song of my lover
about his vineyard): (S );
cf. IJ n. : I/ s
Q (gloss MS Rouen), and MCS :.
.
SRPYM, Arab. S. MWG"T, o.l. GWM" S
Hebrew , plur. , means resin; gum and features in Rab-

binic literature, e.g. in bBer a (JD ; LW :; KA :, :;
BM f.).
Arabic s. amg, plur. s. umugat, has the same meaning (D :; IR f.).
Arabic s. amg features, for instance, in Maimonides On Asthma (XII,
) and is translated by the anonymous translator as Hebrew: (cf.
BMA ).
For the identification, cf. previous entry.
The vernacular term is the plural of O. Occ. gom(m)a, guoma or guome
or of the O. Cat. goma for gum (FEW :a; DCVB :b; for further
documentation see DAO :; RL :b; DECLC :; RPA , ,
).
.
SWSN, Arab. SWSN, o.l. "YLY
Hebrew SWSN or SWSNH, featuring in the Bible (e.g. Hos :) and

Rabbinic literature (e.g. mToh .), means lily, a flower which has many
different species, such as Lilium canditum L. (KB f.; JD f.;
LW :; BM f.; AEY :; DAS : ff.; FH ; FM ;
FO ff.; LA f.:; LF : ff.).
Arabic sawsan means ) iris and ) lily, Lilium canditum L. (L ;
DT :; M ).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Song ::
(I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys):
(SH ); see as well IJ ; IQR :; MCS :;
SF :.
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. ili, yli, ile or iele for iris (RL :a)
or lily (DAO :; for further documentation see RM ). These
forms existed besides the ones with initial l-: lili, liri, lis, lir, liris and lire
shem tov, glossary
(DAO loc. cit.; RL loc. cit.; PSW :b; FEW :a). In O. Cat., we only
find forms of this type: l(l)iri and lir (DECLC :a; DCVB :b). All
these forms are derived from Lat. LILIUM (cf. DAO loc. cit.,; FEW loc.
punctuation correct?
cit.; DECLC loc. cit.).
. 57 56 55
SRP HT"NYM, i.e. the milky juice which flows from them when they are
unripe, Arab. LBN "LTYN
Hebrew T"NH, plur. T"NYM, means fig tree; fig, Ficus carica L., and
features in the Bible (e.g. Num :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. mKil
. (KB ; JD ; LW :; KA : f., :; BM f.; AEY
:; DAS :; FE ff.; FH index, s.v.; FM ; FO ff.; LF
: ff.). Hebrew means resin of figs and features in Rab-
binic literature, e.g. in Tos. Miqw . (BM ; FE ; LF :; cf. as
well in mOrl .). For Hebrew , cf. Shin no. above.
Arabic laban at-tn means the milky juice or sap of Ficus carica L.
(WKAS :; DT :).
For the identification of Hebrew T"NH as Arabic tn, cf. Sa#adya on
Gen ::
(Then the eyes of both of them were opened and they perceived that
they were naked; and they sewed together fig leaves and made themselves
loincloths):
(S ); see as well IQR :; MCS :; SF :;
WB .
. 58
SRP S#WRYM, Arab. HSW. S#YR
Hebrew , plur. , featuring in the Bible (e.g. Ex :) and Rab-

binic literature (e.g. mPes .), means barley, Hordeum sativum L. (KB
f.; JD ; SDA : Aram. ; KA :; BM ff.; AEY
:; DAS : f.; FO ff.; FM ; LA f.:; LF : ff.). He-
brew means resin, gum (cf. Shin no. above) and seems to be used
as a loan translation of Arabic hasw
. (cf. below).
55 : O
56 : O
57 : O
58 : O
shin
Arabic hasw
. sa#r means barley broth (for sa#r, cf. DT :) and
features, for instance, in Maimonides On Asthma (IX, , XI, ; cf.
BMA ), where it is translated by Joshua Shatibi as: /
, by Samuel Benveniste as: / , and by the
anonymous translator as: .
For the identification of Hebrew as Arabic sa#r, cf. Sa#adya on
Deut :: (a land of wheat
and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and
honey): (S );
cf. IJ n. : U2F (gloss MS Rouen), and MCS :.
. 61 60 59
SBBYM, Arab. ST"Y",
. o.l. " SQYRLS
Hebrew SBBYM means splinters and features in the Bible in Hos :

(KB ; KA : f., :; BM f.).
Arabic saz. aya, plur. of saz. ya, has the same meaning (L ).
Ibn Janah. (IJ f.) explains the term SBBYM as: W)
M7 (driven
away), but adds that a better explanation is that given by the Targum and
Rav Hai Gaon, namely broken into pieces, cf. Tanhum . ha-Yerushalmi:
.62 Yefet ben #Eli explains the term as: (sparks of
fire),63 cf. David b. Abraham al-Fas (SF :), who explains the singu-
lar as: (flame). Ibn Barun (WB ) explains as being
derived from I% (to cut, wound); for a detailed discussion of the term,
cf. WB n. ; see as well MCS :.
The vernacular term in the Paris and Oxford MSS is the plural of
O. Occ. esquirle (PSW :a) or Cat. esquirla for splinter: Esquirla de
os romput, estelleta llarga y menuda de os romput (i.e. esquirla of bro-
ken bone, long and small splinter of broken bone), see DCVB :a.
The variant in the Vatican MS seems to be a misspelling by the copy-
ist.
59 : V
60 : V
61 : V
62 Commentary on the Minor Prophets. A critical edition with an introduction trans-
lated into Hebrew and annotated by Hadassa Shy, Jerusalem , pp. .
63 Cf. Ph. Birnbaum (ed.), The Arabic commentary of Yefet Ben Ali the Karaite on the
Book of Hosea, Philadelphia , p. .

shem tov, glossary
. 64
STWT,
. Arab. M"LNKWNY"
Hebrew STWT. means madness; folly and features in Rabbinic litera-

ture, e.g. in bSot a (JD ; LW :; SDA ; KA : f., :;
BM f.). In medieval medical literature, Hebrew STWT. is used for
the Arabic madness; insanity (cf. Maimonides Medical Aphorisms
VI, , ; XVI, ; cf. BMMb , ).
Arabic ,By7 or ,y7 means melancholy (D : s.v. ,[,7;
IR , ; KZ ; SN ) and features, for instance, in Maimonides
Medical Aphorisms (e.g. II, ; cf. BMMa ) where it is transcribed by N
as: and by Z as: .
. 66 65
SQWY, Arab. "STSQ", o.l. "NDRWPSY" or "YNGNWS
Hebrew SQWY features in medieval medical literature and philosophical

literature, e.g. in Sefer Emunah Ramah (The Exalted Faith) composed
by Abraham Ibn Daud (),67 and means dropsy (BM ;
KTP :).
Arabic istisqa" has the same meaning (D :; IR , , , ;
KZ ) and features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms
(e.g. XI, ) and is translated by N as: and by Z as: (for Hebrew
, cf. He no. above).
The variant in the Paris MS seems to be a non-documented *endrope-
sia or *indropesia for dropsy; the variant in the Oxford MS seems
to be corrupt. The usual forms in O. Occ. are ydropisia and ydropizia
(RL :a). For O. Cat., the forms hydropesia and ydropisia are doc-
umented (DCVB :ab; DECLC :a). The nasal element which
our forms show is documented in the Norman French form hyndropisie
(FEW :b).
The second vernacular term in the Paris MS might be read as *ainganos
or the like and seems to correspond to the O. Occ. aiganos, which
designates the same illness (CB , ). In O. Cat., we find the forms
ayguanus, aiguanuz or aiguans, idem (DCVB :a; DECLC :b).
64 : O V
65 : O, om. V
66 : O V
67 Ed. S. Weil, Berlin , p. .
shin
The variants in the Vatican and Oxford MSS might be interpreted as non-
documented forms.
. 68
SSW#, Arab. PTQ
Hebrew SSW# means rending, splitting and features in Rabbinic litera-

ture, e.g. in bZeb b (JD ; LW :; KA :).
Arabic fatq means ) a rent, a slit; ) a rupture, a hernia, or ) a
rent, or a gap in the clouds (cf. Pe no. above).
In medieval medical literature, Hebrew SSW# is used by Nathan ha-
Me"ati for Arabic iF (incision) (cf. Maimonides Medical Aphorisms XV,
, ), while for iT- he uses: (cf. Maimonides Medical Aphorisms
IX, ; cf. BMMb ).
. 69
SRP HBSM, Arab. #LK "LQRNPL
Hebrew probably designates the resin of the balsam tree (for

cf. Shin above, and for cf. Bet no. above).
Arabic #ilk al-qaranful probably refers to the resin of clove (for #ilk
resin cf. L ; for qaranful cf. Bet no. above). The term #ilk features in
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XV, ) in the combination: CM DL/,
and is transcribed by N as: and translated by Z as:
(TRBYNTYN").
.
For the identification of as qaranful, cf. Bet no. above.
. 72 71 70
SRSY HBK"YM, Arab. " S. WLY "LTWT "LKBYR
The Biblical Hebrew term BK" featuring, for instance, in Sam :, is

identified as ) mulberry tree, Morus nigra L. (KA :, :; BM f.;
LA :; LF :), ) mastic terebinth, Pistacia lenticus (KB ;
DAS :; FO f.; cf. as well CD : and LA :), ) nettle
68 : V
69 : VO
70 : O
71 : O, om. P
72 : P (= no. ) V
shem tov, glossary
tree, Celtis australis L. (AEY :) and ) pear, Pirus communis

L. (LA :, LF :, but cf. :). Cf. as well FEB ff. Hebrew
SRSY HBK"YM means roots of BK"YM.
Arabic us. ul at-tut al-kabr means roots of the large mulberry tree,
Morus nigra L. (DT :).
For the identification of Hebrew BK" as Arabic tut, cf. Ibn Janah. (IJ );
SID : and SF :.
.
SHPT,
. Arab. SL
Hebrew SHPT
. means consumption and features in the Bible, e.g. in Lev
: (KB ; KA :, :; BM ; Low LXXXII; PB ).
Arabic sill or sull means consumption or phthisis (L ; IR ;
SN ).

(I in turn will do this to you: I will wreak misery
upon youconsumption and fever, which cause the eyes to pine and the
body to languish; you shall sow your seed to no purpose, for your enemies
shall eat it):

(S ); see as well IJ and MCS :.
.
SDPWN, Arab. DQ
Hebrew SDPWN means scorching, burning; blast, blight, a sudden

damaging epidemic or natural phenomenon which seems to be caused by
a blast of wind, and features in the Bible (e.g. Deut :) and Rabbinic
literature, e.g. bBM a (KB ; JD f.; LW :; KA :;
BM ; DAS :, , :; FH , , ; Low LXXXI; PB ,
).
Arabic diqq means hectic fever (L ; SN ; cf. as well Maimonides
Medical Aphorisms, e.g. III, : , cf. BMMa ), which is translated
by N as: , and by Z as: .
Sa#adya (S ) on the verse mentioned translates as:
(dryness and heat); but cf. ibid. n. : :.
shin
. 73
SLPWHYT,
. i.e. the womb of a woman
Hebrew SLPWHYT . means, besides other things, womb and features

in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bHul
. b (JD f.; LW :; KA :,
:; BM f.; Low LXXXIII; PB , ).
. 75 74
SRPT HSTN, Arab. HRQH
. "LBWL
Hebrew (burning of urine), is not attested in secondary

literature and is possibly a loan translation coined by Shem Tov from
Arabic harqat
. al-bawl (cf. below).
Arabic harqat
. al-bawl means Harnbrennen; Dysuria (SN ).
. 78 77 76
SWHM, Arab. BL"R, o.l. QRYST"L
.
Hebrew SWHM, featuring in the Bible (e.g. Gen :), designates differ-
ent kinds of stones, such as Beryllion, Sardius, Sardonyx, Aquila, Sym-
machus etc. (KB ; BM f.).
Arabic billawr, bullar or ballur means rock-crystal (L ; D :;
E.I.2 : f., s.v. billawr (J. Ruska-[C.J. Lamm])).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya on Gen ::
(The gold of that land is good; bdellium is there,
and lapis lazuli): (S );
see as well IJ ; SID :; SF :. For a general account, cf.
ShT : f.
The vernacular term in the Paris MS is the O. Occ. cristal or the O. Occ.
and O. Cat. crestal for crystal, glass (RL :b; for further documen-
tation, see DECLC :a; FEW :b; DAO :; DCVB :b).
The variant given in the Oxford MS clearly shows the result of palatali-
sation in the word final liquid sound, indicated by the spelling with dou-
ble Yod, which corresponds to the O. Occ. crestail(l), crestalh, cristall or
73 : O
74 : V
75 : O V
76 : om. V
77 : O
78 : O
shem tov, glossary
cristalh (RL :a; DAO loc. cit.; CB , , , , ) or to the

O. Cat. crestall, crestayl(l) or c(h)ristall (DECLC loc. cit.; DCVB loc. cit.).
But in the Middle Ages, the spelling of Romance palatal sounds was not
yet fixed (not even for the Latin alphabet, as can be seen from the vari-
ants above), so that Lamed not followed by Yod (like in the Paris MS)
might not exclude a palatal pronunciation (for further comments, see the
introduction). The vernacular forms with the vowel -e- in the first sylla-
ble seem to be older: O. Occ. crestalh is documented for the first time in
and crestal in , O. Occ. cristail in (see DAO loc. cit.); sim-
ilarly, O. Cat. crestall is documented in the th c., whereas cristall does
not appear before the th c. (DECLC loc. cit.). Thus, the usual forms
in Shem Tovs time were most probably the ones with -e-. The DCVB
provides us with an interesting piece of information with respect to the
meaning: besides the usual meaning glass (DCVB :a), it mentions
the ancient meaning precious stone (DCVB :b), which corresponds
to the Hebrew and Arabic synonyms given in the entry here.
. 80 79
SPWPRT HQNH, Arab. "NBWB "LQS. BH
Hebrew SPWPRT HQNH means tube of reed and features as SPWPRT

SL QNH in Rabbinic literature in bHul . b (JD ; LW :; KA
:, :; BM f.; LF :).
Arabic unbub al-qas. aba has the same meaning (L , ; DT:).
See as well Alef no. .
For the identification, cf. Maimonides on mPar . (MK :).
. 83 82 81
SPYR MRWQM, i.e. the first form the foetus assumes in the amniotic sac
and it conceals the form of a human being
Hebrew SPYR MRWQM means a foetus having an articulated shape

and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKer . (JD ; LW : f.;
BM ; Low LXXXIV; PB ).
79 : om. V
80 : (cf. entry ) V
81 : VO
82 : VO
83 : V
shin

as follows: .
(A piece of flesh. And when one can discern the minimal
shape of a human being, it is called .
.
SS MSZR, Arab. KT"N MPTWL
Hebrew SS MSZR means twisted linen and features in the Bible (e.g. Ex
:) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. bYom b (KB , ; JD ;
BM ; DAS :, , ).
Arabic kattan maftul means twisted flax, Linum usitatissimum L.
(WKAS : f.; DT : n. ; LF :).
For the identification, cf. Ibn Janah. (IJ and ); SID :,
:. See as well MCS :.
.
SLHBT, Arab. S#LH
Hebrew SLHBT means flame, flaming fire and features in the Bible
(e.g. Job :) and Rabbinic literature, e.g. bBQ b (KB ; JD ;
LW :; SDA , Aram. ; KA : f.; BM f.; KT :).
Arabic su#la means a firebrand; a piece of wood in which fire is
kindled; a lighted wick; flame of fire (L ).
Sa#adya on Job : (BS ; SJ ) and David b. Abraham al-Fas
(SF :) translate the term as: (blaze); Ibn Janah. (IJ )
remarks that is Syriac, meaning (flame).
shem tov, glossary
. 90 89 88 87 86 85 84

SW#, i.e. [Arab.] "LTLBYD, because he rubs the surface of something [to
be] mended and Targum Onkelos has for (Lev :):
.
Hebrew SW# means to smooth, to plaster (JD ; LW :; SD ;

KA :; DAS :, ; KT :, f. n. ) and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in mKil ..
Shem Tovs explanation is a literal quote from Maimonides on the
Mishnah mentioned (MK :):
.
Arabic talbd means ) to form, press, felt, make ones hair stick
together; ) to line, cover, mend (WKAS : f.).
. 92 91
SRSY WRDY HHMWRYM,
. Arab. P"WNY", o.l. P"WNYH
Hebrew SRSY WRDY HHMWRYM . means the roots of peony. Cf. Waw
no. above.
Arabic fa" uniya or afa" uniya, from Greek (LS ), means
peony, Paeonia corallina Retz. or Paeonia foemina Garsault (D :;
DT :; LF :), and, according to Maimonides (cf. M ), it also
designates the roots of ward al-hamr. (cf. Waw no. above).
The Arabic ,B)- features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (e.g. XXI,
) and is transcribed by N as: (P"WYN") and by Z as:
(PY"WNY"H).
The vernacular term in the Paris and Vatican MSS corresponds to the
O. Occ. and Cat. peonia for peony (DAO :; for further documenta-
tion, see RM ; DCVB :a; DECLC :b) or Lat. paeonia (idem)
(NPRA ; GH :). The O. Occ. term is documented for the first
84 : VO
85 : V
86 : O
87 : O j P V
88 : O V
89 : O
90 : V
91 : P V
92 : O V
shin
time in the th c. (DAO Suppl. :). In Cat. this word does not appear
before the th c. (DECLC loc. cit.).
. 93
SYTH,
. Arab. S. P, o.l. SWL
Hebrew SYTH . means, besides other things, row, line and features in
Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mNeg . (JD ; LW :; SD ;
BM ; KT :, ).
Arabic s. aff means a rank, row or line (L ).
Since Occ./Cat. sol, meaning both sun and soil (for sun see DAO :;
DCVB :bb; for soil see RL :b; DAO :; DCVB
:b), matches neither the Hebrew lemma nor the Arabic synonym,
we might consider instead some form related to O. Cat. solc furrow
(from Lat. SULCUS; cf. DCVB :a; DECLC :b). DCVB (loc. cit.)
mentions some meanings corresponding to line (see the meaning of
the Arabic and Hebrew words above) in a figurative sense, e. g. wake.
However, a variant without the final /-k/ could not be found. Instead,
we find variants in which the -l- is missing (cf. DECLC :a: soc(h)
and [sk], Roussillon area). For Occ. this word is only documented later
(cf. solco in the same meaning, see TrFel :c, and solc in the modern
Limousin dialect, see FEW :b). Note that here as well the final /-
k/ is always present. We therefore have to suppose a corruption in our
MSS.
.
SYPWT, Arab. SNWN"T
Hebrew SYPH, plur. SYPWT, means, amongst other things, rubbing,

smoothing and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. mMen . (JD f.;
BM ). Shem Tov possibly uses this term in the non-documented
sense of dentifrice, a semantic borrowing from the Arabic sanun (see
below).
Arabic sanun, plur. sanunat, means a dentifrice; a medicine with
which the teeth are rubbed and cleansed, compounded for the purpose
of strengthening and freshening them (L ; FAQ ).
93 : om. O
shem tov, glossary
. 94
SYPH, Arab. SNWN
For Hebrew SYPH and Arabic sanun, cf. Shin no. above.
. 97 96 95
SWR HYRQWT, Arab. S"HTRG, o.l. PWMWSTYR" .
Hebrew SWR HYRQWT should be emended into "SR HYRQWT, literally

meaning prince of vegetables. The term is not attested in secondary
literature and is possibly a loan translation coined by Shem Tov after the
Arabic sahtarag = Persian sah-tara or sah-tarra (cf. below).
Sahtarag is the Arabic form of the Persian sah-tara or sah-tarra (VL
:), which literally means king of vegetables and designates fumi-
tory, Fumaria officinalis L. (D :; DT :, :; M ; LF :).
The Arabic G1F features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI,
) and is translated by N as: (PWM TYR") . and by Z as:
(PWMW).
The vernacular term is the Late Latin, O. Occ. or O. Cat. fumus terre,
fumusterre or the O. Occ. fumosterre for Fumaria officinalis (DAO :;
for further documentation, see RMA ; CB and ; DECLC
:a; Sin :, :, :). For the identification of Romance
(O. Cat.) PWMSTYRH . as the Arab. SHTRYG, see GHAT :.
. 99 98
SWRSY HSWS, Arab. #RWQ "LSWS, o.l. RYQLYSY"
Hebrew SWRSY HSWS means roots of licorice, Glycyrrhiza glabra L.

SWS is the Hebrew form of Aramaic SWS", which features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in bSuk b (JD ; LW :; SDA ; KA :, :;
BM f.; AEY :; LA f.:; LF : ff.).
Arabic #uruq as-sus has the same meaning (DT :; M ; DAS :,
). The term features as %
/ in Maimonides On Asthma (VII,
; XII, , ; cf. BMA , , ) and is transcribed by Joshua Shatibi
94 : O
95 : O
96 : VO
97 : V
98 : O V
99 : O V
shin
as: and is translated by Samuel Benveniste as: /

(RQLSY"/RQLS. Y") and by the anonymous translator as: .
The vernacular term is the O. Occ. recales(s)ia for licorice (PSW
:b), Glyzyrrhiza glabra L., which is documented for the first time
around the year (DAO :; for further documentation see FEW
:a). But variants like regalecia () or regalis(s)ia (th c.) seem to
be more frequent and older (for the dates, see DAO :; for further
documentation, see RL :a; FEW loc. cit.). In O. Cat. we only find
variants of the latter type, i.e. with Western Romance lenition: regalcia,
regalssia or regalssia (the first variant is documented for the first time in
, see DECLC :b; for further documentation, see DCVB :b).
For the identification of Romance (O. Cat.) RYGLYS. Y"H as Latin
LYQRYSY"H and Arab. SWS, see GHAT :.
. 100
SRSY "YLN RMWN HRYM, which grows overseas, Arab. M#"D
Hebrew SRSY "YLN RMWN HRYM probably refers to roots of the wild
pomegranate tree (cf. Resh no. above).
Arabic mugad or mugat or mu#at designates the root of glossostemon,

Glossostemon Bruguieri D.C.. This identification is the result of modern
research undertaken by Schweinfurth. In medieval Arabic medical liter-
ature, the term is used erroneously for the rind of the root of the wild
pomegranate tree (cf. as well Resh no. above).
. 103 102 101

SMSH BYTH, i.e. her husband slept with her, Arab. G"M#H" ZWGH"
Hebrew SMSH BYTH means she had intercourse and features in Rab-
binic literature, e.g. in mMiqw .: (JD ; LW
:; KA :; BM ).
Arabic gama#aha zawguha means her husband slept with her (L
). The Arabic h7 features, for instance, in Maimonides On Asthma
(X, , ; cf. BMA , ) and is translated by as Joshua Shatibi: , by
Samuel Benveniste as: and by the anonymous translator as: .
100 : V
101 : "!
P V
102 : V
103 : O V
shem tov, glossary
For the identification of Hebrew as Arabic , cf. Maimonides

on mNid . (MK :).
. 104
SWPYN", Arab. MBRD
Aramaic SWPYN" means file and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in

mKel . (JD ; LW :; SDA ; BM ; KT : n. a).
Arabic mibrad has the same meaning (L ; SpLA ).
For the identification cf. Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned
(MK :); cf. EG f.
.
SRP PTWTY LHM, . Arab. HSW
. PT"T
Hebrew is probably a loan translation of Arabic hasw

. futat
(cf. below). Hebrew PTWTY LHM . features in the Bible, namely in Ez
: (KB ; BM ). For Hebrew , cf. Shin no. above.
Arabic hasw
. futat means broth of bread crumbs (L ). For Arabic
hasw,
. cf. Shin no. above.
For the identification cf. Judah Ben Quraysh (IQR :) on Lev ::
: (Break it into bits); cf. SID :.
. 106 105
SHT,
. Arab. QSYL, i.e. grains which are used for fodder and for binding
sheaves
Hebrew SHT. means low growth, corn in its earliest stage (used instead
of grass) and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mShab . (JD ;
LW : f.; KA :; BM ; DAS :; KT : f., , ).
Arabic QSYL should be emended into QS. YL, qas. l, meaning barley,
wheat reaped when green (D :; DAS : f.; HaF ).
(MK :).
104 : V
105 : P
106 : V
shin
. 107
SLBTH, borrowed from MSWLBWT
Hebrew SLBTH, from the root SLB, is not attested in this form in
secondary literature. MSWLBWT, Pu"al part. fem. plur. from SLB, means
bound, joint or well set and features in the Bible (e.g. Ex :) and
Rabbinic literature, namely bNid a (cf. KB ; JD ; LW :;
SDA ; BM ).
. 108
SS MSZR or SDR", Arab. KT"N MGZWL
Hebrew SS MSZR means twisted linen (cf. Shin no. above); Aramaic
SDR" means, besides other things, twisted rope and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in bGit a, where it is described as a remedy against
blindness (JD ; LW :; SDA ; KA :).
Arabic kattan magzul means flax that has been spun, i.e. linen
(L ; for kattan cf. Shin no. above).
In LO Teshuvot on bGit a, p. Aramaic SDR" is explained as:
(a strong rope).
. 110 109
SZRH, Arab. KRZH "LS. LB
Hebrew SZRH or SDRH (cf. MS V) means cord, esp. spinal column;

skeleton and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in ySot XI, c (JD ;
LW :; SD ; KA :, :; BM ).
Arabic harazat as. -s. ulb means spinal vertebrae (L , ; FAL

:, :) and features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (I,
; cf. BMMa ) as IL* 6
and is translated by N as:
and by Z as: .
The Geonic Commentary on Tohorot (EG ) explains the term
as Hebrew , and Arabic (vertebrae); Maimonides on mNaz .
(MK :) explains the term as:
(backbone, and this is the complete vertebral column).
107 : VO
108 : om. OV
109 : U P V om. O
110 : V
shem tov, glossary
. 112 111

SMN H#YQRYN, i.e. oil in which spices are put such as nard [oil] and the
like, so that it smells good and is beneficial
Hebrew SMN H#YQRYN means oil in which roots have been soaked
and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bShab b (JD ; LW
:; KA :; BM ).
. 117 116 115 114 113

SWS. H, in o.l. its name is PLWRSYS WYR"
Arabic saws. a means pleurisy (cf. Sade

. no. above).
The vernacular term is the compound expression pleuresis vera (in the
Paris and Vatican MSS) and pleuresin vera (in the Oxford MS). For the
commentary, see the entry Bet .
. 119 118

SMN HMRKB, so named because it is placed upon and put (lit. loaded)
upon whatever it can be used for, Arab. ZYT RK"BY
Hebrew SMN HMRKB is possibly a loan translation coined by Shem Tov

from Arabic zayt rikab meaning olive oil, so called because brought
on camels from Syria (L ). According to Ibn al-Bayt.ar (IBA :;
IBF :,) it is the same as HB> a?6 (cf. Shin no. above); i.e.
oil extract from olives that are still green, and that the name rikab was
only given to it by the people of Irak because it was transported to them
111 : V
112 :
O
V
113 : O
114 : O V
115 : om. O
116 : O
117 : add. O
118 : om. O
119 : om. O
shin
from Syria on raka"ib, i.e. camels. See as well Hamarneh-Sonnedecker, A

Pharmaceutical View, p. (Arabic), pp. (English).120
. 122 121
SRSYM, that is "L"STQS. "T
Hebrew SRSYM can refer, amongst other things, to elements (cf. KTP
:, Efros, Studies, )123 and features in medieval literature.
Arabic al-ust. uqussat means elements as well and is a transcription
of Greek ' (EGL f.). The term features, for instance, in the
title of the Arabic paraphrase of Euclids Elements, entitled K. al-us. ul or
K. al-ust. uqussat, which was translated by Moses Ibn Tibbon in the year
as: (cf. MS Uri
, Neubauer ;124 Steinschneider, Die hebrischen bersetzungen,
f.).125
See as well Yod no. .
. 126
SBR", Arab. HRML
.
For Aramaic SBR" and Arabic harmal,

. cf. Shin no. above.
. 128 127
SPWLY H" S. TWMK",
. Arab. KML "LM#DH
Hebrew SPWL, meaning the lower part, extremity features in an ana-

tomical context, for instance, in mNid . as: (the lower part
of the abdomen) (cf. JD ; LW :; BM ; Low LXXXIV: groin,
120 S.K. Hamarneh and G. Sonnedecker, A Pharmaceutical View of Abulcasis al-Zahraw
in Moorish Spain with Special Reference to the Adhan, Leiden .

121 : om. O
122 : P
123 I. Efros, Studies in Medieval Jewish Philosophy, New YorkLondon .
124 Ad. Neubauer, Catalogue of the Hebrew Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, Oxford
, repr. . And: Supplement of Addenda and Corrigenda compiled under the

direction of Malachi Beit-Ari and edited by R.A. May, Oxford .
125 M. Steinschneider, Die hebrischen bersetzungen des Mittelalters und die Juden als
Dolmetscher, Berlin , repr. Graz, Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt, .

126 : om. OV
127 : V : om. O
128 : V
shem tov, glossary
lower intestines, sexual organs). SPWLY H" S. TWMK"

. is possibly a loan
translation coined by Shem Tov after the Arabic haml al-ma#ida.
Arabic haml al-ma#ida means the lining of the stomach (cf. D :),
for instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XIII, ),
and features,
where it is translated by N as: and by Z as: ,
and in On Asthma (BMA ) by the same author, where it is translated
as: by Joshua Shatibi, and as: by the
anonymous translator.
. 129
SHR
. HWR,
. Arab. "DM
Hebrew SHR. HWR. means darkish colour (of the face) and features in
the Bible in Song : as: (KB ) and in medieval Hebrew
poetry (cf. BM ).
Arabic adamu means tawny; dark-complexioned (L ).
Sa#adya on Song : (SH ) translates the Hebrew term as:
(black); cf. IJ n. ; SF :.
129 : om. O
TAV
. 1
TRY"Q", Arab. TRY"Q
Hebrew TRY"Q", from Greek ! (LS ; KG :; LR ),

means theriac, a certain compound believed to be an antidote against
poisonous bites; in general, a remedy, medicine and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in bShab b (JD ; LW :; KA :; KT :;
Low LXXXV; PB ), and medieval medical literature, e.g. in The Book
of Medicines composed by Asaf (AV :: ).
Arabic tiryaq, Arabicised from the Greek term, means theriac; also
called treacle; an antidote for poisons; a certain compound medicine,
comprising many ingredients [ . . . ]; it is a remedy against the bite or
sting of rapacious venomous reptiles and the like, and poisonous (L ;
FAQ ff.). The Arabic tiryaq features, for instance, in Maimonides
Medical Aphorisms (e.g. XXII, ) and is translated by N and Z as: .
. 3 2
TRMWSYN, Arab. TRMWS, o.l. LWPYNS
Hebrew TRMWS, plur. TRMWSYN, from Greek ! (LS ; KG

:; LR ), means lupine, Lupinus termis L., and features in Rab-
binic literature, e.g. in mKil . (JD ; LW :, ; SDA
(Aram. ); KA :, :; AEY :; DAS : f.; FH ,
; FM ; LA f.:; LF : ff.).
Arabic turmus has the same meaning (DT :; M ). The term
features, for instance, in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXI, ; XXII,
) and is translated by N as: and by Z as: or (LWPYN).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya, Alfaz. al-Mishnah (SAM :),
and Maimonides on the Mishnah cited above (MK :).
The vernacular term is the plural of O. Occ. lopin or lupin for lu-
pine, documented for the first time in (DAO :; for further
1 : V
2 : V
3 : V
shem tov, glossary
documentation, see FEW :b and RMA : lupins salvagis, i.e.

wild lupines). In O. Cat., following the dictionaries, we only find forms
showing the result of Western Romance intervocalic lenition, like in
l(l)ob (plural l(l)obins) or the Arabism trams to designate the same
plant (DECLC :ba; DCVB :ab and :a). However, in
AdV, we find the O. Cat. plural lopins (AdV , ). In addition, in the
GHAT, an Arabic-Romance-Latin synonym list, within which the editor
considers the Romance variety as O. Cat. (see the introduction), we find
the Romance form LWPYNS featuring as a synonym for Arabic TRMWS
(:).
. 5 4
TWTYM, Arab. TWT, o.l. MWRS
Hebrew TWT, plur. TWTYM, means mulberry, Morus nigra L, and

features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mMaas .. In the Middle Ages,
TWT also designates the species Morus alba L. (JD ; LW :;
SD ; KA :, :; BM ; AEY :; DAS :; FE ff.;
FM ; LA f.:; LF : ff.).
Arabic tut means mulberry tree, Morus nigra L. (L ; DT :).
For the identification cf. Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned
(MK :).
The vernacular term is the plural of O. Occ. and O. Cat. mora for
mulberry, blackberry (FEW :b; for further documentation, see
RPA ; RMA ; RM ; RMM ; DAO :; RL :b; DCVB
:b; DECLC :a).
For the identification of Arabic TWT as Romance (O. Cat.) MWR", see
GHAT :.
. 6
TRDYN, Arab. SLQ, o.l. BLYDS
Hebrew TRD, plur. TRDYN, means a species of beet; spinach beet,

Beta vulgaris Var. rapacea and Var. Cicla L., and features in Rabbinic
literature, e.g. in mKil . (JD ; LW :; SD ; KA :, :;
4 : om. V
5 : O
6 : VO c"a P
tav
BM ; AEY :: Spinacia oleracea Mill.; DAS :; FH ;

FM ; LA f.:; LF : ff.).
Arabic silq means beet, Beta vulgaris L. and Var. (L ; DT :).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya, Alfaz. al-Mishnah (SAM :);
EG ; ETP , and Maimonides on the Mishnah mentioned (MK
:). See as well TMD f.
For Hebrew TRDYN and Arabic silq, cf. as well Het . no. and
above.
The vernacular term is the plural of O. Occ. or O. Cat. bleda. For the
commentary, see entries Het. and Yod .
.
TRWBTWR, Arab. QNBYT.
Hebrew TRWBTWR means a variety of cabbage; garden cabbage, Bras-

sica oleracea var. botrytis, and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKil
. (JD ; LW :, ; KA : f., :; BM ; AEY :;
DAS :; FM ; LA :; LF : f.).
Arabic qunnabt. means cauliflower, Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis
cauliflora (L ; D :; DT : n. ; M ).
For the identification, cf. Sa#adya, Alfaz. al-Mishnah (SAM :),
Arukh (KA : f.), and Maimonides on mKil . (MK : n. ).
. 7
TMKH, Arab. SYLM, o.l. GWLYWM
Hebrew TMKH designates a bitter herb of uncertain identity and fea-

tures in Rabbinic literature, e.g. bPes a (JD ; LW :; SDA
(Aram. ); KA :, :; BM ; AEY :: Picridium Tin-
gitanum Desf.; DAS :; FM ; LA :; LF :, f.: Cicho-
rium Intybus; cf. as well Maimonides on mPes ., who identifies Hebrew
TMKH as Arabic sars, Chichorium divaricatum).
Arabic saylam means darnel grass, Lolium temulentum L. and Var
(L ; DT :; M ; cf. as well Zayin no. ). The Arabic saylam fea-
tures in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXIII, ) and is transcribed
by N and Z as: .
7 : V
shem tov, glossary
For the identification of TMKH as saylam, cf. AH :a (bPes a):

. . . , and n. : (following
LF : and BTJ ); see as well ShM f. and ShMu .
The vernacular term in the Paris and Oxford MSS is the Lat. jolium for
Lolium temulentum L.. According to FEW :ba, Lat. LOLIUM
has undergone a transformation to JOLIUM; for further documentation,
see NPRA . The vernacular variant in the Vatican MS, GW"YL, is
the O. Occ. synonym jue(y)lh, documented for the first time in
(FEW loc. cit.), which existed alongside the non-diphthongised form jolh
(DAO :). In Cat. we only find forms like jull to designate the same
plant (DCVB :a; for further documentation, see DECLC :b).
However, the Hebrew spelling with -W"Y- clearly suggests a diphthong.
. 8
TLTWLY BSR, Arab. SL#, o.l. LWPY"H
Hebrew TLTWL or TLTWL BSR, read TLTWL B"SR, plur. TLTWLYN or

TLTWLY B"SR, means wart; flesh growth. Hebrew TLTWL features in
Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bBekh b (JD ; LW :; KA :;
BM ).
Arabic sil#a, plur. sil#, means a ganglion; an excrescence of flesh
that arises in the body, or a kind of spontaneous swelling that comes
forth upon the body; a thick tumour, not adhering to the flesh, mov-
ing about when moved, having a cyst, or case which encloses it, and
capable for increase, because it is extrinsic to the flesh (L ; SN :
Balggeschwulst. Tumor cysticus).
For the vernacular synonyms, see entry Alef .
.
TNSMT, Arab. S"HYN
The Biblical term TNSMT means ) chameleon, Chamaeleon vulgaris

(cf. Lev :) (KB ; BM ; BAL ; FAB f.; LFa ) and ) a
kind of owl, possibly Tyto alba (cf. e.g. Lev :) (KB ; BM ;
BAL ; BH index, s.v.; FAB f.; LFa ).
Arabic sahn means white falcon; gerfalcon; falcon gentle (L ;
D :; JAD : f.; StS ).
8 : O P
tav

(the white owl, the pelican, and the bustard):
(S ); see as well IJ f., SID :.
.
TR#LH, Arab. SDR
Hebrew TR#LH means reeling and features in the Bible only in the
following combinations ) wine of staggering (cf. Ps :), )
cup, goblet of staggering (cf. Is :) and )
cup of staggering (cf. Is :) (KB ; BM f.).
Arabic sadar means vertigo (L ; SN ), and features, e.g. in
Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (XXV, ), where it is translated by N
as: .
For the identification, cf. Ibn Janah. (IJ ): . .
( h,' 27 : . ; cf. Sa#adya on Ps : (ST
): : (wine that makes us reel); see as well SID
:.
.
THMS,
. Arab. KT"
. TYP
.
The meaning of Hebrew THMS, . featuring in the Bible in Lev : and

Deut :, is uncertain, it is identified as a kind of owl; a cuckoo; or
kestrel, Falco tinnunculus (KB ; BM ; FAB f.).
Arabic hut. t. af, plur. hat. at. f, means swallow (L ; BK f.; JAD
:; StS).
: ff.; KSZ
(the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull; hawks
of every variety): (S ); see
as well IJ and SID :.
. 9
TWL#T SNY, Arab. S. WP MS. BWG QRMZ
Hebrew TWL#T means worm (KB ) and SNY means crimson

coloured fabric named after the nests of eggs of the scale-louse, as in
9 : O V
shem tov, glossary
[ . . . ] Persian and Arabic qirmiz, which are collected from the leaves of
quercus coccifera (KB f.). TWL#T SNY, literally meaning glow
worm, is used to designate crimson red material (KB ), and
features in the Bible, e.g. in Ex :. Cf. as well BM ; DAS : f.;
KT :.
Arabic s. uf mas. bug qirmiz should be emended into s. uf mas. bug b-il-
qirmiz and means wool dyed with crimson (L , ; DT :;
DAS :).
Shem Tovs identification is a literal quotation from Maimonides
commentary on mKil . (MK :): .
Cf. as well Sa#adya (S ) on Ex ::
(blue, purple, and crimson yarns, fine linen, goats hair):
, IJ f.; SF :.
. 10
TWSBT, Arab. MQ#DH
Hebrew TWSBT features in medieval scientific-philosophical literature

in the sense of basis, groundline (BM ; KTP : f.). In the sense
of anus, it is not attested in secondary literature and is possibly a loan
translation coined by Shem Tov after the Arabic maq#ada.
Arabic maq#ada means anus (L ; DKT , , ; FAL
:), and features in Maimonides Medical Aphorisms (I, ; VI, ;
IX, ; XIII, ; XXII, , , ; XXIV, , ; cf. BMMa and BMMb
, ) where it is translated by N as: and by Z as: .
.
T#LWL, Arab. #BT
Hebrew T#LWL, featuring in the Bible only in the plur. T#LWLYM (e.g. in
Is :), means ) acts of mischief, mischiefmaker and ) ill treatment
(KB f.; BM ).
Arabic #abat means play or sport in which is no profit to be reckoned,
or of which no account is to be made (L ).
Sa#adya on Is : translates (babes) as: (S ; RT ),
and Is :: (So I will choose to mock them) as:
(S ; RT ); Ibn Janah. (IJ ) explains
10 : O
tav
as: ?}) (?t[B =) ty 7 C +% f c (that is, the
misfortunes and afflictions I will cause them).
. 11
TWRMYL, Arab. GL"P
Hebrew TWRMYL means ) (leather) bag and ) seed-bag, pod and

features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bShab a (JD ; LW :;
SDA , Aram. ; KA : f., :; BM f.; KT :). Cf.
as well Tav no. below.
Arabic gilaf means a receptacle used as a repository; and a covering,
or an envelope; scabbard or sheath; a case or covering enclosing the
scabbard; enclosing membrane; pellicle of the egg; the calyx of a flower
(L ; cf. FAL :: ILK Z}P pericardium). Cf. as well Tav no.
below.
For the identification cf. Maimonides on mShebi .: :
(MK
:).
.
TWNB", Arab. KDR, o.l. "DWRMYMNT.
Aramaic TWNB" means stupour, type of spirit; loss of sensation; numb-

ness and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in bNid b (JD ;
LW :; SDA ; KA :, :; Low LXXXIV; PB ).
Arabic hadar means numbness (L ; SN : Fhllosigkeit. Paral-
The Arabic term features in Maimonides Medical Apho-
ysis sensus).
risms (VII, ; XX,, ; XXIII, , ; cf. BMMb ), where it is trans-
lated by N as: / / , and
by Z as: /.
The vernacular term is documented in O. Cat. as adurmiment or
adormiment for the act and effect of adormir (DCVB :a; for fur-
ther documentation see DECLC :a), an abstact noun derived from
adormir for to put to sleep, to anesthetise, to kill, documented for the
first time in the th century (DCVB loc. cit.; DECLC loc. cit.). In
O. Occ., we cannot find an analogous noun in our sources, but the verb
adormir, adurmir is documented with the meaning to fall asleep, to doze
11 : O P V
shem tov, glossary
(RL :b; for further documentation see FEW :a) and, according to
the common word-formation processes in O. Occ., we could hypothesise
a form like *adormimen or *adurmimen analogously to afortir aforti-
men (see WfP ).
. 13 12
TYQ, Arab. GL"P as well, but TYQ is made of wood and TWRML is made
of leather
Hebrew TYQ, from Greek ! (LS ; KG :; LR ), means

casing, sheath and features in Rabbinic literature, e.g. in mKel .
(JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM ; KT :, ; : f.;
:, , ; Low LXXXV; PB ).
Arabic gilaf means a receptacle used as a repository; and a covering
or an envelope; scabbard or sheath; a case or covering enclosing the
scabbard; enclosing membrane; pellicle of the egg; the calyx of a flower
(cf. Tav no. above).
For the identification of Hebrew TYQ as Arabic gilaf, cf. Maimonides
on mKel . (MK :).
For Hebrew TWRML, cf. Tav no. above.
. 15 14
TRWD, Arab. ML#QH
Hebrew TRWD means spoon, ladle and features in Rabbinic literature,

e.g. in mKel . (JD ; LW :; KA :, :; BM f.;
KT :, , n. ; : f., , ).
Arabic mil#aqa means spoon (WKAS : ff.; KZ ).
For the identification, cf. the Geonic Commentary on Tohorot (EG ),
and Maimonides on the Mishnah cited above (MK :). See as well
ShM f. and ShMu .
12 : P
13 : V, om. O
14 : P
15 : O
tav
. 20 19 18 17 16
TBN MS", Arab. TBN MKH, o.l. " SQYNNTY . or PLY" DMYKH
Hebrew TBN means crushed stalks, straw, chaff (KB ) and Hebrew
MS", featuring in the Bible in Gen :, designates a territory in North
Arabia (KB ). Hebrew TBN MS" is not attested in secondary literature
and is perhaps a loan translation coined by Shem Tov after Arabic
tibn Makka, meaning straw of Mecca, Cymbopogon schoenanthus L.
(DT :; M ; LF : ff.).
The first vernacular term in the Paris MS is the O. Occ. squinanti
spelt with a prothetic e- (RPA ). This form was taken from the
M. Lat. squinantum (the Alphita: Sin : and CA ; cf. NPRA :
schoenanthus) in the genitive singular form. The meaning is Cymbo-
pogon schoenanthus L.. The variant in the Vatican MS is the O. Occ. sque-
nente or, alternatively, might correspond to the Lat. variant schoenianthe
or some similar form, with the same meaning (NPRA loc. cit.; for fur-
ther documentation, see DAO Suppl. :). The variant in the Oxford
MS is the O. Occ. squinant, spelt with a prothetic e- (like all the other
variants in our MSS) or the O. Cat. esquinant with the same meaning,
documented from the th to the th c. (cf. DECLC :b; for further
documentation, see DCVB :; RPA ).
The second vernacular term is not documented in the Occitan and
Catalan dictionaries, but also appears in GHAT : as P"LH DMYQH,
as a synonym for " SQYN"NTY . (esquinanti) labelled as Latin; the Romance
term is glossed by the Hebrew explanation: (and
the camels eat it). The editor of the GHAT, Magdalena, reads this term
as pala damica. This reading is definitely wrong: the term should be
read as an O. Occ. or O. Cat. plant name *palha/palla de Mec(c)a (lit.
straw of Mecca), which is not documented in our sources. In the edited
documentation of O. Occ. and O. Cat., we only find the term palha
(de) camel(l) (also as synonym for (e)squinant: squinant so es palha
de camel (i.e. squinant, that is palha de camel) (RPA ); for further
documentation, see DCVB :b. But a plant name like *palha/palla de
Mec(c)a was not unusual in Romance. E. g., in O. Sp., we find the term
16 : V
17 : O P V
18 : O V
19 : O
20 : O kE " P V
shem tov, glossary
paja de Mec(c)a or pajameca (DETEMA :ca; DCECH :b;

Sin :, :, a Spanish version of the corresponding Alphita passage)
as a synonym given for esquinanto: Atiquar, i. esquinanto, i. paja de
Mecca (Sin :), and as a synonym for both Sp. paja de Meca and
Latin palea camelorum: Squinantum, i. paja de Meca [ . . . ] i. pipiana, i.
camelorum [palea camelorum] (Sin :; for further identification of
squinantum, paja de Meca and paja de gamello see DETEMA :c:
Squinantum es paja de gamello and esqujnanto que es paja de meca).
. 21
TWBL, Arab. S. YN, and therefore R"YBRBRWM is called Chinese after
the place [it hails from]
Hebrew TWBL featuring in the Bible, e.g. in Gen :, means Tabal

and designates an area of territory (and also a state, which for a time,
had its territory under the control of Asshur) in eastern Asia Minor in
the neighborhood of Cilicia (KB f.).
Arabic s. n means China (L ; cf. as well E.I.2 : ff., s.v. al-S. n
(C.E. Bosworth, M. Hartmann, R. Israeli)).
For the identification of TWBL as s. n, cf. Sa#adya (S ) on Gen :.
The vernacular term must be the Latin reubarbarum/ reobarbarum,
Rheum ribes L., see DuC :a; NPRA with the commentary
plante originaire dAsie et de Sibrie (i.e. plant coming from Asia
and Sibiria). The Hebrew spelling with -Y- at the third place might be
erroneous for representing the vowel /u/ or /o/, but note that in O. Occ.,
forms like reybarby (Avignon), reibarbi (in Tarascon, ), both quoted
in the DAO :, are documented. We might thus suppose that the Latin
variants were perhaps influenced by similar vernacular forms.
21 : V

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Medical Synonym Lists

Medical Synonym Lists

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Copyright 2011 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands.

edition of sefer ha-shimmush,

abbr. abbreviation Lat. Latin

sg. singular V MS Vatican

Biblical Sources Rabbinic Sources

Mak Makkot Sanh Sanhedrin

. General overview and preliminaries

.. Aims and organisation of this edition

gemeinschaft (DFG) from to . We would like to express our thanks to the

2Cf. HebMedSyn, in particular pp. .

The following table illustrates our transcription system:

. Medieval synonym lists in Hebrew characters

It is not our intention here to provide an exhaustive discussion of

ney5 points out, medical synonym lists form part of a sub-category of

, pp. ; M. Steinschneider, Die hebrischen bersetzungen des Mittelalters und

A similar tradition also existed in Arabic medical writing: one of the

recent edition by A. Garca Gonzlez, Alphita. Edicin crtica y comentario, Florence .

names of simple medicines.12 As will be shown in section , it was these

12 Definition by M. Steinschneider, Zur Literatur der Synonyma , p. (English

hundert, in Virchows Archiv, vols. and (; vol. , pp. ; vol. ,

In the course of our projects concerning this type of lists, we have

upon in order to establish his synonymies. We shall return to this subject

. Shem Tovs synyonym lists in the Sefer ha-Shimmush

.. Biographical and historical context

(), pp. and , here pp. .

and at subsequent Councils.23 The Jewish doctors in Marseille found

23 Cf. Gross, Gallia Judaica, p. .

als Dolmetscher, p. ; Averros, Middle Commentary on Aristotles De Anima. A Crit-

.. Background to and motivation

30 S. Muntner (art. medicine, in E.J. :) remarks that the translation of al-

paragraphs [][] of Shem Tovs Introduction to the Sefer ha-Shimmush, edited by

op. cit., p. ; Feliu / Arrizabalaga, op. cit.. p. .

then also end up misleading others.34 As an example, he talks about four

Feliu / Arrizabalaga, op. cit., pp. .

Feliu / Arrizabalaga, op. cit., p. .

Feliu / Arrizabalaga, op. cit., p. .

; Feliu / Arrizabalaga, op. cit., p. .

area where a species is grown can influence how it looks by quoting

Feliu / Arrizabalaga, op. cit., p. .

dying of suffocation.45 He adds that if it is a Jewish doctor that applies

. How Shem Tovs synonym lists were compiled

.. Sources for Hebrew and Arabic

51 MS Paris, BN hb. , ibid.:

Alef provides an example of this, where the Arabic synonym

vocalisation for Arabic botanical terminology.

number of quotations from the Kitab al-Talkhs. made by subsequent

62 Facs. ed. in vols by F. Sezgin, abbreviation SID.

We only have Shem Tovs general reference to medieval commen-

Haven / London , pp. . While Allony attributed these lexical explanations to

Talmud, nd rev. ed., vols, Jerusalem , vol. , p. ff.

works of ibn Janahs, . a fact which he states explicitly in the introduc-

70 Maimonides Glossary of Drug Names (translation by Rosner, abbreviation M), p. .

The identification of these phytonyms goes back to a Geonic responsum

77 LF :: Die arabischen Pflanzennamen des Aruch stammen mittelbar oder

namely to raise and stretch ones body upwards (cf. BM , n. ).

.. Sources for Romance and Latin

The situation is different with some highly specific synonymies, which,

auripi(g)mentum, KA :) appear as ("PY = O. Occ or O. Cat. api) and