Number: 2369
Proto-Semitic: *bVkVr(-at)-
Meaning: young (she-)camel
Akkadian: bakru (pakru) 'young of a camel or a donkey' SB [CAD b 35]. // Rarely attested. The meaning 'young of a camel' is evident in Rost Tigl. III p. 26:157 (anaḳāte adi ANS̆E ba-ak-ka-re-ši-na 'she-camels with their youngs'). In [AHw. 97] two different lexemes are postulated, b/pakru 'Kameljunges' (considered an Arabism) and bakkaru 'Esels-, Kamelfüllen' (also thought to be a WS loan). This approach does not seem convincing since the base bakkar- is attested only in the plural (pl. formations of this kind are well attested in Akk., cf. this and other examples in [Reiner 64]).
Hebrew: bēkär 'young male camel' [KB 131], bikrā 'young she-camel' [ibid.]. // Both terms are Hapax: Is 60.6 (bikrē midyān 'young camels of Midian') and Jr 2.23 (bikrā ḳallā mǝŝāräkät dǝrākǟhā 'a swift young she-camel twisting her paths).
Aramaic: D.-Alla bkr 'young camel' [HJ 164] (pl. bkrn) // Very uncertain, see discussion [ibid.].
Syrian Aramaic: bǝkūrē 'cameli juvenci' [Brock. 74], bakkūrē [PS 525].
Arabic: bakr- 'jeune chamelle (depuis l'âge de trois ans jusqu'à six, où elle devient baʕīr-) [BK 1 153], [Lane 240], [LA IV 79]), bukr- 'petit de chameau; jeune chameau' [ibid.] (v. [Hommel 160-1]). // Note also bikr- 'vache qui n'a pas encore connu le má̀le' [BK 1 153] (according to [LA IV 78], also ʔan-nāḳatu l-latī waladat baṭnan wāḥidan).
Epigraphic South Arabian: Sab. bkr(t) 'young camel' [SD 28]. // In votive inscriptions C 521/4 (wwfy bkryhw 'and the well-being of his both young camels', context damaged) and C 579/4,5 (hḳny ... bkrtn d_t d_hbn lw[fy] bkrthw 'he dedicated ... this bronze she-camel for the well-being of his she-camel' (v. in more detail [Sima 43]).
Tigre: bäkrät 'young she-camel' [LH 290]. // Also bǝkar 'young animal that has brought forth for the first time' [ibid.], bäkar 'chameaux stériles' [ibid.] (apud D'Abbadie). Possibility of borrowing from Arb. cannot be excluded.
Gurage: Cha. Eža End. Enm. Gyt. Gog. Muh. bäxǝr 'cow that calves for the first time' [LGur. 137] (according to Leslau, this meaning is derived from 'firstborn').
Mehri: bōkǝr 'young female 2 year old camel that has not yet given birth' [JM 46].
Jibbali: békǝr 'animal with one young only', bɔkrút 'young camel' [JJ 25].
Harsusi: bōker 'young she-camel which has not yet given birth' [JH 17].
Soqotri: mibkéroh 'jeune chamelle' [LS 86]. // Note also békǝr 'animal with one young only' [JJ 25] (not [LS]).
Notes: Most probably related to PS *bkr 'to be young, early' (cf. also *bakur- 'firstborn'), but undoubtedly reconstructible as a PS funal term. // Comparison with Amh. bohor 'reedbuck' [K 856] suggested in [DRS 64] is difficult semantically. Note also Cha. Eža. End. bäxar, Gyt. baxar 'fat cow or ox' [LGur. 137]. // [DRS 64]: Arb., Hbr., ESA, MSA, Amh. (bohor); [KB 131]: Hbr., Arb., Akk.; [LS 86]: Soq., MSA, Hbr., Arb., Akk.
