← Back to Lisan al-Arab

ربء

Root entry · 18 derived lemmas

This root primarily concerns the concept of watching from a high place, acting as a lookout, or guarding. It extends to meanings of ascending, observing, and being vigilant. Figuratively, it can also imply raising or elevating someone, or being heedless of something.

Derived headwords

رَبَأَverb
  1. 1.
    to watch from a heightboth

    To look out for a group of people from a high vantage point, like a hill or elevated place.

  2. 2.
    to ascendboth

    To climb up or ascend, particularly a mountain.

  3. 3.
    to grow and riseclassical

    Used for land that becomes fertile and rises, especially after receiving rain.

  4. 4.
    to be heedlessclassical

    To be unaware of, unconcerned about, or not prepared for something.

ربأ القوم يربؤهم ربأ — He watched over his people from a height.
ربأت الأرض رباء: زكت وارتفعت — The land grew fertile and rose.
ما ربأ ربأه — He was not aware of it or prepared for it.
ارْتَبَأَverb
  1. 1.
    to watch from a heightboth

    To act as a lookout for people from an elevated position.

  2. 2.
    to ascendboth

    To climb up a mountain.

  3. 3.
    to be heedlessclassical

    To be unaware of or unconcerned about something.

وارتبأتهم أي رقبتهم — And I watched over them, meaning I kept watch.
وارتبأت الجبل: صعدته — And I ascended the mountain: I climbed it.
ما عرفت فلانا حتى أربأ لي — I did not know so-and-so until he became prominent to me.
رَبْءnoun
  1. 1.
    watching from a heightclassical

    The act of looking out for people from an elevated position.

وربأ لهم: اطلع لهم على شرف — And he watched for them: he looked out for them from a high place.
رَبِيئةnoun
  1. 1.
    lookoutboth

    A person acting as a lookout, a spy, or a guard positioned on a high place to observe.

  2. 2.
    vigilanceclassical

    The act of watching and guarding.

والربيئة: الطليعة — And the 'rabi'a' is the vanguard.
والاسم: الربيئة، وهو العين والطليعة الذي ينظر للقوم لئلا يدهمهم عدو — And the noun is 'rabi'a', which is the scout and vanguard who watches over the people so that an enemy does not surprise them.
رَبَأَverb
  1. 1.
    to guardboth

    To protect one's family from an enemy by watching over them.

مثلي ومثلكم كرجل ذهب يربأ أهله — My example and your example are like a man who went to guard his family.
رَبَأَverb
  1. 1.
    to elevateclassical

    To raise someone up or elevate them concerning a matter.

وربأت بك عن كذا وكذا أربأ ربأ: رفعتك — And I elevated you from such and such, I elevate, I elevate: I raised you.
ويقال: إني لأربأ بك عن ذلك الأمر أي أرفعك عنه — And it is said: 'Indeed, I elevate you from that matter,' meaning I raise you from it.
رَابَأَverb
  1. 1.
    to guardboth

    To act as a guard for someone.

  2. 2.
    to watchboth

    To observe or monitor something.

  3. 3.
    to bewareboth

    To be cautious of or to guard against something or someone.

ورابأهم: حارسهم — And he guarded them: he was their guard.
ورابأ الشيء: راقبه — And he watched the thing: he observed it.
ورابأت الشيء ورابأت فلانا: حذرته واتقيته — And I watched the thing and I watched out for so-and-so: I warned him and guarded against him.
مَرْبَأnoun
  1. 1.
    lookout postboth

    The place where a lookout (rabi'a) stands to observe.

  2. 2.
    place of observationboth

    A place from which one can overlook or observe.

والمربأ والمربأ، موضع الربيئة — And the marba' and marba', the place of the lookout.
ومربأة البازي: منارة يربأ عليها — And the marba'a of the falcon: a platform upon which one watches.
مَرْبَأَةnoun
  1. 1.
    lookout postboth

    A place designated for watching or guarding, often elevated.

  2. 2.
    watchtowerboth

    A structure or place used for observation and guarding.

ومربأة البازي: منارة يربأ عليها — And the marba'a of the falcon: a platform upon which one watches.
والمربأة: المرقبة — And the marba'a: the watchpost.
مُرْتَبَأnoun
  1. 1.
    lookout postboth

    The place where one stands to watch or guard.

والمربأة: المرقبة، وكذلك المربأ والمرتبأ — And the marba'a: the watchpost, likewise the marba' and the murtaba'.
مَرْقَاةnoun
  1. 1.
    stairwayclassical

    A ladder or stairs, used for ascending to a higher place.

والمرباء: المرقاة — And the marbaa: the stairway.
رَبَأَverb
  1. 1.
    to be prominentclassical

    To appear or become visible, especially from a higher position.

ما عرفت فلانا حتى أربأ لي — I did not know so-and-so until he became prominent to me.
رَبَأَverb
  1. 1.
    to be slowclassical

    To walk with a heavy or slow gait.

وجاء يربأ في مشيته أي يتثاقل — And he came walking slowly, meaning he was heavy-footed.
رَبَؤُواverb
  1. 1.
    to gatherclassical

    To gather food items like milk and dates for someone.

وربؤوا له: جمعوا له من كل طعام، لبن وتمر وغيره — And they gathered for him: they collected for him all kinds of food, milk, dates, and others.
رَبَأَةnoun
  1. 1.
    lookoutclassical

    A lookout or vanguard.

رَبَايَاnoun
  1. 1.
    lookoutsclassical

    Plural of rabi'a, referring to multiple lookouts or scouts.

رَبَاءnoun
  1. 1.
    fertilityclassical

    The state of land being fertile and rising.

  2. 2.
    elevationclassical

    The state of being elevated or raised.

أرض لا رباء فيها ولا وطاء — Land with no elevation and no flatness.
رَبَأَةnoun
  1. 1.
    lookoutclassical

    A lookout or vanguard.

Parallel reading

ربأ القوم يربؤهم ربأ، وربأ لهم: اطلع لهم على شرف.
He watched over his people from a height, and he watched for them: he looked out for them from an elevated place.
وارتبأتهم أي رقبتهم، وذلك إذا كنت لهم طليعة فوق شرف.
And I watched over them, meaning I kept watch, and that is when you are a vanguard for them from above an elevated place.
يقال ربأ لنا فلان وارتبأ إذا اعتان.
It is said, 'So-and-so watched for us and kept watch' if he was a lookout.
والربيئة: الطليعة، وإنما أنثوه لأن الطليعة يقال له العين إذ بعينه ينظر والعين مؤنثة.
And the rabi'a: the vanguard, and they feminized it because the vanguard is called the 'ayn (scout) as one watches with his eye, and 'ayn is feminine.
وإنما قيل له عين لأنه يرعى أمورهم ويحرسهم.
And it is only called 'ayn because he watches over their affairs and guards them.
وحكى سيبويه في العين الذي هو الطليعة: أنه يذكر ويؤنث، فيقال ربيء وربيئة.
And Sibawayh narrated regarding the 'ayn which is the vanguard: that it is masculine and feminine, so one says rabi' and rabi'a.
فمن أنث فعلى الأصل، ومن ذكر فعلى أنه قد نقل من الجزء إلى الكل، والجمع: الربايا.
And whoever uses it as feminine, it is according to the origin, and whoever uses it as masculine, it is because it has been transferred from the part to the whole, and the plural is: al-rabaya.
وفي الحديث: مثلي ومثلكم كرجل ذهب يربأ أهله أي يحفظهم من عدوهم.
And in the Hadith: My example and your example are like a man who went to guard his family, meaning to protect them from their enemy.
والاسم: الربيئة، وهو العين والطليعة الذي ينظر للقوم لئلا يدهمهم عدو، ولا يكون إلا على جبل أو شرف ينظر منه.
And the noun is: al-rabi'a, which is the scout and vanguard who watches over the people so that an enemy does not surprise them, and he is only on a mountain or an elevated place from which he watches.
وارتبأت الجبل: صعدته.
And I ascended the mountain: I climbed it.
والمربأ والمربأ، موضع الربيئة.
And the marba' and marba', the place of the lookout.
التهذيب: الربيئة: عين القوم الذي يربأ لهم فوق مربإ من الأرض، ويرتبئ أي يقوم هنالك.
Al-Tahdhib: The rabi'a is the scout of the people who watches for them from an elevated place on the earth, and he keeps watch, meaning he stands there.
والمرباء: المرقاة.
And the marbaa: the stairway.
وربأ وارتبأ: أشرف.
And he watched from a height and he ascended: he looked out.
ومربأة البازي: منارة يربأ عليها، وقد خفف الراجز همزها فقال: بات، على مرباته، مقيدا
And the marba'a of the falcon: a platform upon which one watches, and the poet (rajaz) lightened its hamza and said: He spent the night, upon his watch post, tied up.
ومربأة البازي، الموضع الذي يشرف عليه.
And the marba'a of the falcon, the place from which one looks out.
ورابأهم: حارسهم.
And he guarded them: he was their guard.
ورابأت فلانا إذا حارسته وحارسك.
And I guarded so-and-so if I guarded him and he guarded you.
ورابأ الشيء: راقبه.
And he watched the thing: he observed it.
والمربأة: المرقبة، وكذلك المربأ والمرتبأ.
And the marba'a: the watchpost, likewise the marba' and the murtaba'.
ومننه قيل لمكان البازي الذي يقف فيه: مربأ.
And from it is said about the place where the falcon stands: marba'.
ويقال: أرض لا رباء فيها ولا وطاء، ممدودان.
And it is said: Land with no elevation and no flatness, both are lengthened.
وربأت المرأة وارتبأتها أي علوتها.
And the woman ascended and I ascended her: meaning I surpassed her.
وربأت بك عن كذا وكذا أربأ ربأ: رفعتك.
And I elevated you from such and such, I elevate, I elevate: I raised you.
ويقال: إني لأربأ بك عن ذلك الأمر أي أرفعك عنه.
And it is said: 'Indeed, I elevate you from that matter,' meaning I raise you from it.
ويقال: ما عرفت فلانا حتى أربأ لي أي أشرف لي.
And it is said: 'I did not know so-and-so until he became prominent to me,' meaning he became visible to me.
ورابأت الشيء ورابأت فلانا: حذرته واتقيته.
And I watched the thing and I watched out for so-and-so: I warned him and guarded against him.
ورابأ الرجل: اتقاه، وقال البعيث: فرابأت، واستتممت حبلا عقدته ... إلى عظمات، منعها الجار محكم
And the man guarded against it: he avoided it, and Al-Bu'ayth said: So I guarded, and I completed a rope I had tied... to bones, which the neighbor prevented firmly.
وربأت الأرض رباء: زكت وارتفعت.
And the land grew fertile and rose: it became fertile and elevated.
وقرئ: فإذا أنزلنا عليها الماء اهتزت وربأت أي ارتفعت.
And it was read: 'And when We sent down upon it rain, it trembled and grew,' meaning it rose.
وقال الزجاج: ذلك لأن النبت إذا هم أن يظهر ارتفعت له الأرض.
And Al-Zajjaj said: That is because when the plant is about to appear, the earth rises for it.
وفعل به فعلا ما ربأ ربأه أي ما علم ولا شعر به ولا تهيأ له ولا أخذ أهبته ولا أبه له ولا اكترث له.
And he did an action to him, he did not know it, meaning he did not know it, nor was he aware of it, nor prepared for it, nor took his provisions for it, nor cared for it, nor was concerned about it.
ويقال: ما ربأت ربأه وما مأنت مأنه أي لم أبال به ولم أحتفل له.
And it is said: 'I did not know it, nor was I concerned about it,' meaning I did not care about it and did not make arrangements for it.
وربؤوا له: جمعوا له من كل طعام، لبن وتمر وغيره.
And they gathered for him: they collected for him all kinds of food, milk, dates, and others.
وجاء يربأ في مشيته أي يتثاقل.
And he came walking slowly, meaning he was heavy-footed.