إِبِلٌ
1.
(T, S, M, Msb, K, &c.,) said by Sb to be the only subst. of this form except حِبِرٌ, and to have none like it among epithets except بِلِزٌ; for though other instances are mentioned, they are not of established authority; (Msb;) but IJ mentions, with these, حِبِكٌ and إِطِلٌ [which may be of established authority]; (TA;) [and to these may be added إِبِطٌ and إِبِدٌ, and perhaps نِكِحٌ and خِطِبٌ; respecting which see إِبِدٌ;] and for إِبِلٌ one says also
إِبلٌ, (S, Msb, K, &c.,) sometimes, by way of contraction; (S, Msb;) or this may be a dialect var. of the former; (Kr, MF;) [Camels: and a herd of camels: or] at the least, applied to a
صِرْمَة; i. e. a number [of camels] more than a
ذَوْد [which is at least nine,] up to thirty; after which is the هَجْمَة, i. e. forty and upwards; and then, هُنَيْدَةُ, which is a hundred of إِبِل: (T:) or, according to Ibn-'Abbád, a hundred of
إِبِل: (TA:) it is a quasi-plural n.; (Az, S, ISd, Z, O, Msb, &c.;) a word having no proper singular; (S, M, O, Msb;) and is of the feminine gender, because the quasi-plural n. that has no proper singular is necessarily feminine (S, O, Msb) when not applied to human beings, (S, O,) or when applied to irrational beings, (Msb,) and has ة added in the diminutive; (S, Msb;) the diminutive of إِبِلٌ being
أُبَيْلَةٌ: (S, Msb, K:) it is said in the K that it is a singular applied to a plural number, and is not a plural, nor a quasi-plural n.; but in this assertion together with the saying that the diminutive is as above is a kind of contradiction; for if it be a singular, and not a quasi-plural n., what is the reason of its being feminine? (TA:) the plural is ابَالٌ (S, M, Msb, K) and أَبِيلٌ [like عَبِيدٌ plural of عَبْدٌ, q. v.]; (Msb, TA;) the plural meaning herds [of camels]; and in like manner أَغْنَامٌ and أَبْقَارٌ mean flocks of sheep or goats and herds of bulls or cows: (Msb, TA:) and the dual, إِبلَانِ, means two herds [of camels], (Sb, T, S, M, Msb,) each with its pastor; (T;) like as غَنَمَانِ means two flocks of sheep or goats: (S:) or, according to Ibn-'Abbád, the dual means two hundreds of
إِبِل. (TA.)
2.
الإِبِلُ الصُّغْرَى [The smaller camels] is an appellation applied to sheep; because they eat more than goats. (IAar in TA article ضبط.)
3.
It is said in the Qur'an, 88:17, أَفَلَا يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى الْإِبِلِ كَيْفَ
خُلِقَتْ, meaning, according to 'Aboo-Amr Ibn-El- 'Alà, (T, TA,) (tropical:) [Will they not then consider] the clouds that bear the water for rain, [how they are created?] (T, K, TA:) but according to him who reads الإِبْلِ, the meaning is, the camels. (T, TA.)