ن ع جn-ʿ-j
— نَعْجَةnaʿjah pl. نِعَاج وَنَعَجَاتniʿāj wa-naʿajāt: a female sheep, a ewe; among the Arabs this word was also used metonymically for a woman, and on this basis the exegetes have explained it in the story of David (peace be upon him). Four times in the Quran, all in this story: ﴿إِنَّ هٰذَاۤ أَخِيْ لَهُۥ تِسْعٌ وَّتِسْعُوْنَ نَعْجَةً وَّلِيَ نَعْجَةٌ وَّاحِدَةٌ﴾ (Ṣād 38:23).