Linguistic Evidence on the Relationship Between Buffalo and Cow

Authored by: Inayatullah Madani (Hafizahullah)

Testimonies of Arabic Lexicographers​

The consensus among Arabic lexicographers is that the "Jāmūs" (buffalo) belongs to the same species as the cow. It is classified as a sub-type or category within the broader genus of cows. Below are clarifications found throughout various linguistic texts:

Section 1: The Definition of "Jāmūs" (Buffalo)​

1. Allama Ahmad Muhammad Fayoumi:
   
   الجاموس نوع من البقر
   Al-Jāmūs (buffalo) is a type of cow.
   (Al-Misbah al-Munir fi Gharib al-Sharh al-Kabir 1/108)
2. Allama Zabidi:
   
   الجاموس: نوع من البقر معروف معرب كاؤميش، وهى فارسية
   The buffalo is a known type of cow, derived from the Persian word “Gav-Maysh” and adopted into Arabic.
   (Taj al-Arus 15/513)
3. Allama Ibn Sīda Murci:
   
   الجاموس نوع من البقر، دخيل، وهو بالعجمية: كواميش
   Buffalo is a type of cow, a borrowed term originally called "Kuwamish" in non-Arabic languages.
   (Al-Muhkam wa al-Muhit al-A'zam 7/283)
4. Allama Nasir Khwarizmi:
   
   والجاموس نوع من البقر
   Buffalo is a type of cow.
   (Al-Maghrib fi Tartib al-Mu‘rab, 89)
5. Allama Kamal al-Din Damiri:
   
   الجاموس وهو ضرب من البقر
   Buffalo is a form of cow.
   (Hayat al-Hayawan al-Kubra 2/275)
6. Allama Ibn Manzur Afriki:
   
   الجاموس: نوع من البقر، دخيل، وجمعه جواميس، فارسي معرب
   Buffalo is a type of cow. The term was borrowed and adapted from Persian into Arabic, with the plural form being "Jawamis."
   (Lisan al-Arab 6/43)
7. Authors of the Majma al-Lugha al-Arabiyya, Cairo:
   
   الجاموس حيوان أهلي من جنس البقر والفصيلة البقرية ورتبة مزدوجات الأصابع المجترة
   The buffalo is a domestic animal belonging to the cow species, specifically from the family of bovines, categorized as a cloven-hoofed, ruminating animal.
   (Al-Mu'jam al-Wasit 1/134)
8. Allama Muhammad Batal Rakbi:
   
   الجواميس: نوع من البقر، معروف، وهو معرب يعيش في الماء
   Buffalo is a known type of cow, a borrowed term often referring to water-dwelling species.
   (Al-Nazm al-Musta‘zab 1/146)
9. Dr. Abdul Ghani Abu al-Azm:
   
   جاموسة ج: جواميس: حيوان من فصيلة البقريات الثدييات المحترة، المزدوجات الأصابع
   Buffalo, with the plural form "Jawamis," is a member of the bovine family, characterized by cloven hooves and ruminant features.
   (Mu‘jam al-Ghani al-Zahir, Article No. 9119)

Section 2: The Definition of "Baqr" (Cow)​

1. Allama Kamal al-Din Damiri:
   
   والبقر وهي أجناس فمنها الجواميس
   Cows have various species, including the buffalo.
   (Hayat al-Hayawan al-Kubra 1/214)
2. Allama Muhammad Ahmad Harwi:
   
   وأجناس البقر منها الجواميس واحدها جاموس
   Among the species of cows are buffaloes, with the singular being "Jāmūs."
   (Al-Zahir fi Gharib Alfaz al-Shafi'i, 101)
3. Authors of the Majma al-Lugha al-Arabiyya, Cairo:
   
   البقر: جنس من فصيلة البقريات يشمل الثور والجاموس
   Cows belong to the bovine family, encompassing both bulls and buffaloes.
   (Al-Mu'jam al-Wasit 1/65)
4. The Council for Modern Arabic Language:
   
   البقر وهو جنس حيوانات من ذوات الظلف من فصيلة البقريات ويشمل البقر والجاموس
   Cows are a species within the family of cloven-hoofed animals, including both cows and buffaloes.
   (Mu‘jam al-Lugha al-‘Arabiyya al-Mu‘asirah 1/230)
5. Shaykh Abdul Latif Ashour:
   
   البقر: جنس من فصيلة البقريات يشمل الثور والجاموس
   Cows are a genus from the bovine family, covering both bulls and buffaloes.
   (Mawsuat al-Tayr wa al-Hayawan fi al-Hadith al-Nabawi, 106)
6. Allama Abu al-Fath al-Shihhi:
   
   بقر: هو حيوان شديد القوة خلقه الله تعالى لمنفعة الإنسان، وهو أنواع: الجواميس
   Cows are powerful animals created by Allah for the benefit of mankind. Their types include buffaloes, which produce the highest quantity of milk.
   (Al-Mustatraf fi Kulli Fan Mustazraf, 353)

Conclusion​

The linguistic consensus from classical and contemporary Arabic lexicographers confirms that the buffalo (Jāmūs) is a subtype of the cow (Baqr). Both animals belong to the same family (bovines) and share significant similarities, such as their role in agriculture and milk production. This categorization reflects their biological and terminological interconnection in the Arabic language.