علج
العربية
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علج
- /ʕild͡ʒ/
Where it comes from
Connected by Jakob Barth to Ge'ez አድግ (ʾädg, “ass”); as a nickname originating in some ancient dialect therewith inviting to draw a parallel with عَلَس (ʕalas, “emmer”) vs. عَدَس (ʕadas, “lentil”).
The word was quite obscure until the 2003 invasion of Iraq, when the Iraqi information minister Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf aka "Comical Ali" started frequently using it to refer to the invading American troops. It was a hassle for translators, and sparked debate in Arabic-language media regarding its meaning and etymology.
noun عِلْج · ʕilj · عُلُوج · أَعْلَاج · عِلَجَة
- sturdy man, bulky bloke
- atheist, kafir إِنَّهُ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ رِجَالاً مِنْكُمْ يَطْلُبُونَ الْعِلْجَ حَتَّى إِذَا أَسْنَدَ فِي الْجَبَلِ وَامْتَنَعَ
- wild ass, onager
In English
Talk about this word "علج." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/ar/%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%AC. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. علج. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/ar/%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%AC "علج." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/ar/%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%AC.Cite this
@misc{micwyn_2026,
title = {علج},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/ar/%D8%B9%D9%84%D8%AC},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
