𐤉𐤁𐤋

As Hebrew יוֹבֵל‎ (yōḇḗl, “ram”) and Neo-Assyrian 𒅀𒁉𒇷 (ia-bi-li /yabilu/, “ram”) (a Northwest Semitic borrowing) from Proto-Semitic *wabal- (“to carry, to lead”), which notably engendered the causative Hebrew הוֹבִיל‎ (hōḇī́l, “to lead, to bring, to cause to bear oneself forward”), because the cattle is driven by the rod, the Arabic وَبِيل‎ (wabīl).

𐤉𐤁𐤋 (ybl) m

1. ram, he-goat

The same meaning is borne by Jewish Aramaic יַבְלָא‎ (yaḇlā), Christian Palestinian Aramaic ܝܒܠܐ‎ (yaḇlā), Classical Syriac ܝܒܠܐ‎ (yaḇlā), and Hebrew יַבְּלׅית‎ (yabbəlīṯ), suffixed like עִירִית‎ (ʿīrīṯ, “chive”). It comes from some kind of adhesive paste being made from the plant, a glue which “carries” objects, so the terms are derived from Proto-Semitic *wabal- (“to bear, to carry, to support”).

𐤉𐤁𐤋 (ybl) m

1. dogtooth grass (Cynodon dactylon)
   • 40 CE – 90 CE, Dioscorides, De Materia Medica IV.29::

     ἄγρωστις ἡ ἐπαμήλωτος· οἱ δὲ αἰγικόν, οἱ δὲ ἁμαξῖτις, Αἰγύπτιοι ἀνουφί, Ῥωμαῖοι γράμεν, οἱ δὲ ἀσιφόλιουμ, οἱ δὲ σαγγυινάλεμ, οἱ δὲ οὐινίολαμ, Σπάνοι ἀπαρία, Δάκοι κοτίατα, Ἄφροι ἰεβάλ.

     ágrōstis hē epamḗlōtos; hoi dè aigikón, hoi dè hamaxîtis, Aigúptioi anouphí, Rhōmaîoi grámen, hoi dè asiphólioum, hoi dè sanguinálem, hoi dè ouiníolam, Spánoi aparía, Dákoi kotíata, Áphroi iebál.

     Fieldgrass the uncared, is also called goatgrass, also hamaxitis, amongst the Egyptians anūfí, amongst the Romans grāmen, also asifōlium, also sanguinālis, also viniola, amongst the Spaniards aparía, amongst the Dacians kotíata, amongst the Carthaginians yebál.

• Hoftijzer, J; Jongeling, K. (1995) Dictionary of the North-West Semitic Inscriptions (Handbuch der Orientalistik. Erste Abteilung, Der Nahe und Mittlere Osten; 21), Leiden, New York, Köln: E.J. Brill, page 433; lists the grass word based on Löw’s list of Punic plant names as Phoenician instead of as Punic though Dioscurides distinctly says the Ἄφροι (Áphroi, “Africans, Carthaginians”) call it like that.
• Löw, Immanuel (1881) Aramæische Pflanzennamen‎ (in German), Leipzig: Wilhelm Engelmann, page 407
• Löw, Immanuel (1928) Die Flora der Juden‎ (in German), volume 1, Wien und Leipzig: R. Löwit, pages 697–699, where 698 mid he mentions the etymology
• “ἄγρωστις – Cynodon dactylon”, in Dioscórides Interactivo‎ (in Spanish), 2021, omits the relevant text