Benniegi

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Benniegi arabice panicum ut in libro de doctrina arabica.


Apparatus:

Bẽniegi AC | Beniugi B | Benegi f | Beningi ms. e

panicũ ABC e | panicia’ f


Translation:

Benniegi is Arabic for Latin panicum {"panic grass"} as written in the liber de doctrina arabica.


Commentary:

Simon’s often quoted source, the liber de doctrina arabica, has so far not been identified, but cf,, what must be a similar glossary/dictionary - Vocabulista - ed. Schiaparelli (1871: 40) [[1]]: ﺑﻨﺞ /baniğ/ Panicium; p. 509: PANICIUM ﺑﻨﺞ /baniğ/; also: Simonet pp. ed. Schiaparelli (1871: 409-10): PÁNICH ﺑﻨﺞ {/ baniğ/} "panicium" … [[2]].

Dozy (1877-81: I.117): ﺑﻨﺞ {/baniğ/} (b. latin panicium, esp, panizo) panis, panicum, espèce de millet {i.e. "a kind of millet"} quoting Vocabulista as his source.

Corriente (1997: 49): *PNJ (II) >banij {i.e. /baniğ/}< panizo (<panīcĭum).

Corominas (1980-91: vol. ME-RE.371), s.v. PANIZO also mentions a Mozarabic form panîč {n.b. î = /ī/ and č is the sound in English church} .


Botanical identification:

The species of the large genus Panicum [[3]] grow mainly in tropical regions; of the few that occur within Europe, North Africa and the Middle East likely candidates are: Panicum maximum Jacq. syn. of Megathyrsus maximus (Jacq.) B.K. Simon & S.W.L.Jacobs, "green panic grass" [[4]]; Panicum miliaceum L. "common millet" [[5]]; Panicum turgidum Forssk [[6]] and Panicum italicum L. syn. of Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauvois "foxtail millet" [[7]].

WilfGunther 15:07, 10 August 2014 (BST)

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