شِكال

شِكَال (noun)

Etymology: From the root ش ك ل (š k l) which had an original significance of plaiting hair, to shape or place in a form, to bind or hold in place, to look at or work attentively and skillfully. Attested in Biblical Hebrew שִׂכֵּל֙ (“crossing or plaiting one's hands”) in Genesis 48:14 with connection likely to Akkadian 𒊓𒅗𒇻 (/⁠sakālu⁠/, “to balk, to get stuck, to be stopped or held fast”) said especially of equids and locks, and with Soqotri مِڛْكٞاڸُو (miŝkéḷoʰ, “= أُثْفِيَّة (ʔuṯfiyya)”), Shehri ŝɔ́tkel (“to be stuck”).
The relation to Persian اشکیل (eškil, “hobble”), اشکل (eškel, “hobble”) is of uncertain nature. But since the Iranian form is backed by Central Kurdish ئەشکێڵ (eşkêll, “diameter, diagonal”), ئەشکێڵکِردِن (eşkêllkirdin, “tie the feet together and throw (the animal)”), ئەشکۆڵ (eşkoll), ئەشکەڵە (eşkelle, “a wood thing to close door; a wood thing to pitch a tent; a wood instrument of torture”), Persian اشکلک (eškelak, “a wood instrument of torture”), and considering that the coordinate instrument زِيَار (ziyār, “twitch”) is borrowed from Aramaic זַיָּירָא (zayyārā, “squeezer”) not attested in the farriery meaning, the present Arabic word is probably loaned likewise from an unattested Aramaic designation for the hobble, and then levelled in its vocalism by being paired with زِيَار (ziyār, “twitch”), and other words of the horse tack realm like زِمَام (zimām, “reins”), عِنَان (ʕinān, “the strap of the bridle, reins”), لِجَام (lijām, “bridle”), رِكَاب (rikāb, “stirrup”).