‘Akhtaboot’: The Arabic word for octopus spread its semantic tentacles from Greece

A Latinised version of the original, the word has grown in popularity with the cuisine

The Arabic word for octopus is akhtaboot. The National

Seafood is popular in the UAE. Fish, shrimp, squid and more are consumed daily and cooked in a plethora of ways. One seafood delicacy that has recently become popular despite not being abundant in UAE waters is octopus.

 

Our Arabic word of the week is a Latinised form of the Greek word oktopous. There are many other examples of Arabic words with Greek origins. Qartas, the word for paper, comes from khartes; isfinj, the word for sponge, comes from spongos; and tiryaq, the word for antidote, comes from theriake.

The word akhtaboot can also be used to describe someone who is able to complete many tasks with ease.

The octopus is a cephalopod mollusc with eight sucker-bearing arms, a soft body, strong beaklike jaws and no internal shell. It can be found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world.

The Arabic word for sign is aya. All photos: The National

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The Arabic word for octopus is akhtaboot

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The largest species, the giant Pacific, can weigh up to 50kg and spans six metres. The smallest, the wolfi, also known as the star-sucker pygmy, weighs less than a gram.

Octopus is eaten in countries like Japan, China, South Korea, Spain, Greece and Mexico. Some of the most famous octopus dishes are the Galician pulpo a la gallega, Japanese Takoyaki and Portuguese octopus ceviche.

The akhtaboot is a relatively new addition to Arabic cuisine and is usually grilled or fried and served with rice.