HISTORY OF BOTANY. 17 



But it is not always the case that the word set beside Abu 

 signifies a son, for there are also allegorical names formed 

 in this way, as, Abu I-Berakat, which means Father of 

 Blessings. These names formed with Abu are often placed 

 alone for the designation of a person, the personal name 

 being omitted, as Abu Merwan, and should such a man 



have another son he can also be indicated in this wa}^, — Ebn 



* 



Abu Merwan, who must be the brother of Merwan. The 

 Arabic article is al, and is always better retained than 

 omitted in those names of which it forms a constituent part, 

 as, for example, al-Casim: with the word Abu it coalesces, 

 and becomes Abul, instead of Abu-al, — for example, Abul- 

 Casim. In pronunciation the /- of the article assimilates 

 itself to any of the following sounds, r, I, n, s, and i,— thus 

 al-Razi, say ar-Razi, and it is the same in the middle of a word, 

 as Abd al-Rahman say Abd ar-Rahman, or Abdorrahman. 



Not to pursue this subject to too great a length, a few 

 examples will sufficiently illustrate other methods of forming 

 names : — 



From birthplace, al-Bagdadi, the native of Bagdad. 

 From country, al-Misri, the Egyptian. 

 From tribe, al-Kinani, of the tribe of Kinana. 

 From personal peculiarities, al-Dschahidh, he with the 

 prominent eyes. 



From an occupation, Ebn al- Attar, the son of the apothecary. 



From religious sects, al-Schafei, of the sect of Schafei. 



Names of honour, Dschemal ad-Din, ornament of religion. 



The original names have become considerably altered, m 



appearance at least, by people of different countries, though 



there may be no great difference in sound, as one example 



will be sufficient to show. What the Germans wrote 



Dschaber, or Dschabir, the English wrote Jaber, the French 



Djaber, the Italians Giaber, others Gaber; and thus Geber has 



become the universal appellation of the celebrated alchemist. 



c 



