Note 118 — HASAN OF BASSORAH.[5] (continued 2)

A congener of Hasan and Husayn, little used except in Syria where it is a favourite name for Christians. The Muhit of Butrus Al-Bostání (s.v.) tells us that it also means a bird called Abú Hasan and supplies various Egyptian synonyms. In Mod. Arab. Grammar the form Fa’’úl is a diminutive as Hammúd for Ahmad, ’Ammúr for ’Amrú. So the fem. form, Fa’’úlah, e.g. Khaddúgah = little Khadijah and Naffúsah = little Nafisah; Ar’úrah = little clitoris: whereas in Heb. it is an incrementative e.g. dabbúlah a large dablah (cake or lump of dried figs, etc).