Arabic-L:LING:more on 'aharah

[Dilworth Parkinson]

Arabic-L: Tue 30 Oct 2007
Moderator: Dilworth Parkinson <dilworth_parkinson at byu.edu>
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1) Subject:more on 'aharah

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1)
Date: 30 Oct 2007
From:Dr. M Deeb <muhammaddeeb at gmail.com>
Subject:more on 'aharah

The old query on /'aharah/

(1) The word in question is an obscure and rare three-consonantal word
/'aharah/ *أهَرَة **/*.

(2) The raw lexical data I use below, are drawn largely from  
(القاموس المحيط );
( لسان العرب).  Several other dictionaries, modern / 
المعجم الوسيط /and
classical, i.e., Lane's / مد القاموس /and /محيط  
المحيط / are conspicuously
silent on this entry.

According to *al-Qamus,* the word means variously "good condition;"
"household furniture;" plu. /'ahar/; /'aharat/.   Further, /'ahar / 
means "a
palace."  Geographically, the word stands for a location between  
'Ardab*i*l
and Tabr*i*z.

*Al-Lis*a*n* enters only / أهرة / ('aharatun) as in /'aharatu al- 
bayt/,
meaning its beddings and furniture.   Classical authorities are  
quoted on
this issue.

(a) Tha'lab says that "baytun hasan az-zharati  wal-'aharati or "  
al-'aqaar"
which means its furniture.   He adds that "'a*z*-*z*aharatu" is its
exterior; and "al-'aharatu" is its interior.

(b) Ibn-S*i*dah states that "al-'aharatu" is "al-hay'atu" /  
الهيئة/.

(3) *Commentary*:

On the basis of its juxtaposition with /*z*aharah = appearance/, I'd  
argue
that /aharah/, which  is now glossed as "good interior," started most  
likely
as mere "interior" or "intrinsic significance,"  i.e., without the  
positive
qualifier "good."  Apart from its denotations (as, for instance,  
furniture
or palace), it is used figuratively in reference to humans or  
objects.  (A
good parallel can be seen in the contrast between /makhbar/ and /ma  
*z*har.)

Thus, /'aharah/'s acquisition of the positive epithet is a later
development.  It is noteworthy that some lexocographers like Hans Wehr
translate the word / *هيئة*/, which strictly means appearance,  
good or bad
depending on context,  as /good/ appearance.
--
M. Deeb
English, Comparative Literature & Cultural Studies

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End of Arabic-L:  30 Oct 2007