al-Sha
- Author died
- 216 AH
- Editions
- Dār Usāmah
Kitab al-Sha (The Book of Sheep) is an early Arabic lexicographical monograph compiled by the Basran philologist al-Asma'i (d. 216 AH / 831 CE), dedicated to the specialized vocabulary and terminology concerning sheep and goats .
Overview and Scope
The work belongs to the early tradition of single-subject philological treatises (al-rasa'il al-lughawiyyah) produced by early grammarians and lexicographers of the Basran school . In these monographs, al-Asma'i gathered authentic Bedouin vocabulary, idioms, anatomical terminology, and poetic citations documenting Arabian pastoral life . Along with his treatises on other animals—such as horses (Kitab al-Khayl), camels (Kitab al-Ibil), and wild beasts (Kitab al-Wuhush)—it forms part of his broader linguistic survey of Arabian fauna .
Structure and Contents
The monograph is organized thematically into chapters dealing with the physical traits, bodily parts, health conditions, behavior, and social terms associated with sheep and goats . Among its recorded chapter divisions are:
- The Udder and its Defects (Bab dar' al-shah wa-'uyubih): detailing anatomical terms for the udder, milk vessels, teats, and deformities such as al-hidan (when one side of the udder is smaller than the other) .
- Diseases and Defects (Bab nu'utiha min qibal amradiha wa-'uyubiha): defining pastoral veterinary conditions, such as al-irtida' (a goat sucking its own milk), al-qary (holding cud in the cheek), al-naqrah, al-naqar, al-nahitah (a fatal cough), al-suwad, al-umayhah (sheep smallpox), and al-thawal (a mad-like condition) .
- Feeding and Fodder (Bab nu'utiha min qibal 'alafiha): covering terms such as rajin and dajin for domestic sheep kept and fed in settlements .
- Temperament and Quality (Bab nu'utiha min qibal akhlaqiha): recording descriptions for vicious or inferior stock (sharat and qazam) .
- Flocks and Collective Groupings (Bab nu'utiha min qibal jama'atiha): detailing collective nouns for herds, such as al-qawt, al-raff, and al-subbah .
- Names and Regional Variants (Bab min asma'iha): preserving specific designations, including regional dialect terms such as al-'amrus for a lamb in the dialect of the people of the Levant .
Modern Editions
The text was edited and published in the West by the Austrian orientalist August Haffner in Vienna in 1896 .
Answer updated