رب

رُبَّ ذ is a word of which there are seventy dial. vars., all mentioned by Zekereeyà El-Ansáree in his great Expos. of the “ Munferijeh, ” but only eighteen of which are mentioned in the K, including some that are formed with the affix ت, some with the affix مَا, and some with both these affixes together; as follows: (TA:) رُبَّ (T, S, M, Msb, Mughnee, K, &c.) and رَبَّ (T, M, Mughnee, K) and رُبُّ, (Mughnee,) and ↓ رُبَ (T, S, M, Mughnee, K) and رَبَ (T, M, Mughnee, K) and رُبُ and رُبْ (Mughnee, K) and رَبْ; (Mughnee;) and ↓ رُبَّتَ (T, S, M, Msb, Mughnee, K) and رَبَّتَ (M, Mughnee, K) and رُبُّتَ and رُبَّتُ and رَبَّتُ and رُبُّتُ and رُبَّتِ and رَبَّتِ and رُبُّتِ and رَبُّت (TA) and رُبَّتْ and رَبَّتْ (Mughnee) and رُبُّتْ, (TA,) and ↓ رُبَتَ (T, Mughnee, K) and رَبَتَ (Mughnee, K) and رُبُتَ and رُبْتَ and رَبْتَ and رُبَتُ and رَبَتُ and رُبُتُ and رُبْتُ and رَبْتُ and رُبَتِ and رَبَتِ and رُبُتِ and رَبُتِ and رُبْتِ and رَبْتِ (TA) and رُبَتْ and رَبَتْ (Mughnee) and رُبُتْ; (TA;) and رُبَّمَا (T, S, M, K) and رَبَّمَا (M, K) and رُبُّمَا, (TA,) and ↓ رُبَمَا (T, K) and رَبَمَا (K) and رُبُمَا and رُبْمَا and رَبْمَا; (TA;) and ↓ رُبَّتَمَا (T, S, M, K) and رَبَّتَمَا (M, K) and رُبُّتَمَا and رُبَّتُمَا and رَبَّتُمَا and رُبُّتُمَا and رُبَّتْمَا and رَبَّتْمَا and رُبُّتْمَا, (TA,) and ↓ رُبَتَمَا and رَبَتَمَا (M, K) and رُبُتَمَا and رُبْتَمَا and رَبْتَمَا and رُبَتُمَا and رَبَتُمَا and رُبُتُمَا and رُبْتُمَا and رَبْتُمَا and رُبَتْمَا and رَبَتْمَا and رُبُتْمَا: (TA:) [of all these, the most common are رُبَّ and رُبَّمَا: and] ↓ رُبَّتَ is the most common of the forms that have the affix ت: (Mughnee and K on the letter ت:) and the forms with teshdeed are more common than the [corresponding] forms without teshdeed. (M.) It is a word, (M,) or particle, (T, S, Mughnee, K,) governing the gen. case: (S, M, Mughnee, K:) or a noun, (K, TA,) [i. e. an indecl. noun,] in the opinion of the Koofees and some others; but this opinion is rejected by Ibn-Málik in the Tesheel and its Expos., and by AHei, and by IHsh in the Mughnee. (TA.) Accord. to some, (K, TA,) it is used to denote a small number, (T, M, Msb, K, TA,) always, (TA,) or mostly: (Msb, TA:) [thus it may be rendered Few if we render the noun following it as a pl.; and scarce any if we render the noun following as a sing. or a pl.:] it is the contr. of كَمْ when this latter is not used interrogatively: (T:) [and with مَا affixed, restricting it from government, it may be rendered Few times, or seldom: ] or it is used to denote a large number; (K, TA;) i. e. always: so says IDrst: (TA:) [thus used, but such is not always the case, it may be rendered Many, whether we render the noun following it as a sing. or as a pl.: and with مَا affixed, Many times, many a time, oftentimes, ofttimes, often, or frequently: ] or it is used to denote a small and a large number; (Mughnee, K;) often the latter, and seldom the former: (Mughnee:) or it is used in a case of boasting, or glorying, (K, TA,) exclusively of other cases, (TA,) to denote a large number: (K, TA:) or it does not denote by itself either a small number or a large number; but one or the other of these meanings is inferred from the context: (K:) [but sometimes neither of these meanings can be clearly inferred from the context: in these cases, it may be rendered Some: and with مَا affixed, Sometimes: ] accord. to Er-Radee, its primary meaning is to denote a small number, but it has been so much used to denote a large number as to be in this latter sense as though it were proper, and in the former sense as though it were tropical, requiring context [to explain it]. (Marginal note in my copy of the Mughnee.) [Without the affix ما,] it governs an indeterminate noun (T, * S, Msb, Mughnee, K) only, (T, S, K,) and a pronoun. (S, M, Mughnee.) You say, رُبَّ يَوْمٍ بَكَّرْتُ فِيهِ [ Few, or many, days have I gone forth early therein ]: (T:) and رُبَّ رَجُلٍ قَائِمٌ [ Few, or many, men are standing ]: (M:) and رُبَّ رَجُلٍ قَامَ [ Few, or many, men stood ]: (Msb:) and in like manner, رَجُلٍ ↓ رُبَّتَ; (Msb;) for the ت in this case is not a denotative of the fem. gender. (Msb.) The pronoun affixed to it is of the third pers., (S, M,) and is [generally] sing. and masc., (S, Mughnee,) though it may be followed by a fem. and by a dual and by a pl.: (S:) notwithstanding its being determinate in the utmost degree, its use in this manner is allowable because it resembles an indeterminate noun in its being used without the previous mention of the noun to which it relates; and hence it requires a noun to explain it: (IJ, M:) it annuls the government of رُبَّ; (TA;) and the indeterminate noun that follows it is put in the accus. case as a specificative: (S, Mughnee:) thus you say, رُبَّهُ رَجُلًا قَدْ ضَرَبْتُ [ Few, or many, men I have beaten ]: (S, M: *) but accord. to the Koofees, you say رُبَّهُ رَجُلًا, (S,) and رُبَّهَا ا@مْرَأَةً, (M,) and رُبَّهُمَا رَجُلَيْنش, and رُبَّهُمْ رِجَالًا, and رُبَّهُنَّ نِسَاآءً: he who puts the pronoun in the sing. [in all cases] holds it to be allusive to something unknown; and he who does not put it in the sing. [when it is not followed by a sing. noun] holds it to be used in reply to a question, as though it were said to a man, “ Hast thou not any young women? ” and he answered, رُبَّهُنَّ جَوَارٍ قَدْ مَلَكْتُ [ Few, or many, young women have I possessed ]: Ibn-Es-Sarráj says that the grammarians are as though they were of one consent in holding رُبَّ to be a replicative [app. meaning in a case of this kind, with an affixed pronoun]: (S:) [but it is not always a replicative in a case of this kind; though perhaps it was originally:] AHeyth cites as an ex. وَرُبَّهُ عَطِبًا أَنْقَذْتُ مِ العَطَبِ [ And many a perishing man have I saved from perdition ]. (TA. [But the reading commonly found in grammars is مِنْ عَطَبِهْ from his state of perdition. ]) The following is an ex. of the use of رُبَّ to denote a small number, [or rather to denote [...]