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سحلية

Lizard

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scaled reptile

σαύρα

angròla

cernalha

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/siħ.lij.ja/

Root consonants س ح ل (s ḥ l), but that forms meanings related to “scraping off”. Left unmentioned by Classical Arabic dictionaries. Only used in the Mashreq, as opposed to Berber-borrowed زَلْمُومِيَّة (zalmūmiyya), زَرْمُومِيَّة (zarmūmiyya) ruling the Maghreb, in addition to Levantine حِرْذَوْن (ḥirḏawn). Apparently traditional Arabic lizard names are just ضَبّ (ḍabb) and عَظَاءَة (ʕaẓāʔa), while سِحْلِيَّة (siḥliyya) is another Aramaic term terminating in -īṯā, see حِسْل (ḥisl, “young of a spiny-tailed lizard”).