Qalam

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A historic writing utensil commonly made from natural materials that has held cultural importance throughout civilizations
2. A traditional tool for writing often crafted from reeds or bamboo that has significance in various cultural practices
3. A pen made from a reed or similar plant used historically for writing and calligraphy

Etymology: The Arabic "qalam" meant "pen," and it carries a plant in its ancestry: its source is the Ancient Greek "kálamos," which meant "reed" or "stalk." Early writing instruments were cut from hollow reeds, so the name for the plant simply travelled with the tool. The same Greek word also gave Latin "calamus," which is why English has "calamus" as a learned term for a reed or quill, making the two forms doublets that reached English by different routes. The Arabic word entered English as a loanword, borrowed directly from Arabic rather than through Latin or French, so it keeps the Greek idea of a reed while naming a pen. Its literal sense, a cut reed dipped in ink, is preserved in the object it describes.

Synonyms: pen, writing instrument