Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2019 January 1

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January 1

قَصَب = stalk

According to wiktionary here, the meaning of the word قصب is stalk. But when looking at the meaning of the word "stalk" we find many meanings. So which of the meanings of "stalk" does the word قصب mean? --ThePupil (talk) 01:58, 1 January 2019 (UTC)

Google Translate says it means "cane", which could be in line with a physical stalk, as opposed to stalking someone, for example. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:46, 1 January 2019 (UTC)

Yes, you could say "reed". Omidinist (talk) 04:18, 1 January 2019 (UTC)

It's from the root q-ṣ-b, which roughly means "segmented". See the second etymology listed here.--William Thweatt ^TalkContribs 04:26, 1 January 2019 (UTC)

"Segmented" is a fair description of a bamboo stalk. Is bamboo grown in Arabic-speaking nations? ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 15:31, 1 January 2019 (UTC)

"Stout (1935) recommends as suitable for garden watersides the Common Bamboo of Egypt (Bambusa vulgaris)..." From Flora of Iraq, Volumes 8-9 Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Iraq, 1985. They also grow sugar cane which is similarly segmented. Alansplodge (talk) 21:34, 1 January 2019 (UTC)