Etymology Explorer › Serbo-Croatian

Where does “abdal” come from?

abdal (Serbo-Croatian) comes from Ottoman Turkish abdal, from Arabic أَبْدَال, from Arabic بَدَل, from Arabic بَدَلَ — to replace; to change.

abdal (Serbo-Croatian): fool, idiot; naïf; simpleton

Definitions

  1. fool, idiot; naïf; simpleton

Ancestry of “abdal”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ottoman Turkishabdal—
2Arabicأَبْدَال—
3Arabicبَدَلsubstitution, equivalent; a substitute; a good,...
4Arabicبَدَلَto replace; to change
Every word from Arabic بَدَلَ →