برد

بَرِيدٌ بريد : see بَرُودٌ. -A2- Also A mule appointed [ for the conveyance of messengers ] in a رِبَاط [or public building for the accommodation of travellers and their beasts, or in a سِكَّة, which is a house or the like specially appropriated to messengers and the beasts that carry them: thus it signifies a postmule: afterwards, it was applied also to a posthorse, and any beast appointed for the conveyance of messengers ]: (Mgh:) [this is what is meant by the words in the S and K, البَرِيدُ المُرَتَّبُ:] it is a word of Persian origin, (Z in the Fáïk,) arabicized, from بُرِيدَهْ دُمْ, (Z in the Fáïk, and Mgh,) i. e. “docked,” or “having the tail cut off;” for the post-mules (بِغَالُ البَرِيدِ) had their tails cut off in order that they might be known: (Z in the Fáïk:) [or perhaps it is from the Hebrew פֶּרֶד “a mule:”] or it is applied to the beast appointed for the conveyance of messengers (دَابَّةُ البَرِيدِ) because he traverses the space called بَرِيد [defined below: but the reason before given for this appellation is more probable: it is like the Lat. “veredus”]: (T, Msb:) pl. بُرُدٌ (Z, Mgh, Msb) and بُرْدٌ, which is a contraction of the former, like as رُسْلٌ is of رُسُلٌ. (Z.) You say, حُمِلَ فُلَانٌ عَلَى البَرِيِد [ Such a one was borne on the postmule or post-horse ]. (S.) Imra-el-Keys speaks of a بريد of the horses of Barbar. (S.) ― -b2- Having been originally used in the sense first explained above, it was afterwards applied to A messenger borne on a post-mule [or post-horse ]: (Z in the Fáïk, and Mgh:) or messengers on beasts of the post: (M, K:) or a messenger that journeys with haste: (A:) or [simply] a messenger: (S, Msb, K:) pl. as above. (M, * Z.) Hence the saying, الحُمَّى بَرِيدُ المَوْتِ Fever is the messenger of death: (T, Msb:) because it gives warning thereof. (T.) Hence also البَرِيدُ applied to The animal called الفُرَانِقُ, (said to be the jackal, but some say otherwise, TA,) because he gives warning before [the approach of] the lion. (T, S, K.) And صَاحِبُ البَرِيِد [ The master of the messengers that journey on post-mules or post-horses ]. (S.) [And خَيْلٌ البَرِيِد, occurring in many histories &c., The post-horses, that carry messengers and others. ] ― -b3- Also, having been applied to a messenger on a post-mule [or post-horse], it then became applied to The space, or distance, traversed by the messenger thus called; (Mgh, Msb; *) the space, or distance, between each سِكَّة and the سِكَّة next to it; the سكّة being a structure of either of the kinds called بَيْت and قُبَّة, or a رِبَاط [explained above], in which the appointed messengers lodge; (Z in the Fáïk;) the space, or distance, between two stations, or places of alighting; or two parasangs, or leagues; (M, K;) [ six miles; ] each parasang, or league, being three miles, and each mile being four thousand cubits: (TA:) or twelve miles; (S, A, Msb, K;) i. e. four parasangs, or leagues: (Mgh, TA:) [for] the space, or distance, between each station termed سِكَّة and the next to it is either two parasangs or four: (Z in the Fáïk:) the distance of twelve miles is [also] termed سِكَّةُ البَرِيِد: (T:) the pl. is as above. (T, Z.) A journey of four بُرُد, or forty-eight miles, renders it allowable to shorten prayers; which miles are of the Háshimee measure, such as are measured on the road to Mekkeh. (T.) ― -b4- Also The course, or pace, of a camel along the space thus called: so in the following verse of Muzarrid, in praise of 'Arábeh El-Owsee: فَدَتْكَ عَرَابَ اليَوْمَ أُمِّى وَ خَالَتِى وَ نَاقَتِىَ النَّاجِى اـِلَيْكَ بَرِيدُهَا [ May my mother, and my maternal aunt, and my she-camel that is swift in her course to thee from one station to another, be ransoms for thee, O 'Arábeh, (the name being contracted,) this day! ]. (S.)