Number: 2328
Proto-Semitic: *ʔat_(h)al-
Meaning: a mythical reptile, dragon
Syrian Aramaic: ʔātalyā 'draco; stella, quae solem tegens eclipsim efficit' [Brock. 55], [PS 423] (только 'eclipsis').
Mandaic Aramaic: talia 'fictive dragon causing eclipse' [DM 479].
Tigre: ʔashalät 'dragon' [LH 361].
Tigrai (Tigriñña): ʔasälät, ʔashalät 'animale favoloso, di smisurata grandezza e della specie del coccodrilla' [Bass. 493].
Notes: The Arm. forms are commonly thought to be borrowed from Akk. attalû 'solar or lunar eclipse' (v., e.g., [Kaufman 40]). While almost certainly correct in what concerns the meaning 'eclipse', this suggestion does not explain how the meaning 'mythical reptile, dragon' emerged in Arm. since no similar allusion seems to be known from Akk. texts connected with attalû. A secondary contamination of an original faunal term and the Akk. loan with the astronomic meaning is entirely plausible in view of a perfect semantic and phonetic coincidence between Arm. and Eth. Cf. Gez. nestāli (nesātāli, nǝstāle) 'serpent-idol of bronze; field snake' [LGz. 403], according to Leslau, "a transcription of Greek neesthan (< Hbr. nǝḥuštān)". This interpretation, plausible as such, does not account for the word-final -le/-li which can be hypothetically explained by the influence of the present root, otherwise lost in Gez. Note, on the other hand, Tgr. näsälät 'serpent boa' [LH 235].
