uzzal

Tashelhit

Chemical element (edit)
Fe Atomic number 26 uzzal
Classification data Period 4 Group 8 Block d-block Class transition metal
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اوزّال

Etymology

Etymology tree

Phoenician 𐤁𐤓𐤆𐤋 (brzl)der.?

Proto-Berber *azzəldeverb.?

Proto-Berber

Medieval Tashelhit اُزّالْ (uzzal)

Tashelhit uzzal

Inherited from Medieval Tashelhit اُزّالْ (uzzal, “iron”), from Proto-Berber, further etymology uncertain. Stumme (1912) has proposed Phoenician 𐤁𐤓𐤆𐤋 (brzl, “iron”) as the ultimate source, though this proposal is phonologically problematic, as there is no trace of the initial *β in languages that regularly reflect it ( cf. Ghadames wŏzzāl, Zenaga uzzäy and Tamahaq tazuli). Alternatively, it may be derived from Proto-Berber *azzəl (“to flow, to run”), in reference to molten iron during smelting.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /uzːal/

Noun

uzzal m (annexed state wuzzal, Tifinagh spelling ⵓⵣⵣⴰⵍ, Arabic spelling اوزّال)

1. (uncountable) iron

   اوت وزّال يغ سول يرغا.

   ut uzzal iɣ sul irɣa.

   Seize the moment (lit. Strike while the iron is hot)

2. (by extension) knife

Derived terms

• amzil (“blacksmith”)
• tuzzalt (“knife”)
• tuzzlin (“scissors”)

See also

• aldun (“lead”)
• anas (“copper”)
• aẓarif (“alum”)
• aẓrf (“silver”)
• lqzdir (“tin”)
• urɣ (“gold”)

References

• Stroomer, Harry (2025), Dictionnaire berbère tachelḥiyt-français — Tome 4 t—ẓ (Handbook of Oriental Studies – Handbuch der Orientalistik; 188/4) (in French), Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, →DOI, →ISBN, page 2895a