What to Call a Camel

(Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates) Who knew? There's a body of knowledge defining how a camel is named.

The following partial list was excerpted from the Ask Ali Advice column in The National.

Dear Ali: I am fascinated with camels. I went to the camel festival this year and someone told me that camels can have many names. How is that possible? KS, Germany

Dear KS: Ah, finally, someone asked me a question about camels! Yes, in the Arab world, camels have long been given names.[…]

"Al Fahl" is a common name for male camels, referencing their procreative powers.

"Addawser" is given to camels that are big in size.

"Al Haml" is for camels that wander around the desert without a master, and

"Al Midifaa" is given to camels that have a lot of fat and woolly skin.

* * *
Female camels have many more names than males.

"Al Bikra" means a virgin, so it is for camels that haven't mated.

"Al Hail" is for camels that have mated but never carried a baby.

"Al Ashraa", which means 10, is a name given to a camel that is pregnant to the 10th month. If a camel has given birth prior to her due time, she is called "Al Saood".[…]

"Al Shamlal" is for a camel that is light and fast, and

"Al Sharif" is for a camel that is old, tired and slow.

Heh.