عرقب

Root entry · 7 derived lemmas

This root primarily relates to the back of the leg, specifically the Achilles tendon area, and extends to concepts of difficult paths, obstacles, and treachery. It also encompasses terms for specific animals and places, and is famously associated with a legendary figure known for breaking promises.

Derived headwords

العِرْقُوبnoun

1.
Achilles tendonboth
The thick, taut tendon above the heel of a human.
2.
hock (animal)both
The joint on the hind leg of an animal, analogous to the knee on the foreleg.
3.
lower leg jointclassical
In humans, the part that joins the lower leg and the foot.
4.
difficult pathboth
A narrow, winding, or difficult path, especially in a mountain or valley.
5.
mountain ridgesclassical
The extremities or narrow passages of mountains.

العرقوب: العصب الغليظ، الموتر، فوق عقب الإنسان — The Achilles tendon: the thick, taut nerve above the heel of a human.

وعرقوب الدابة في رجلها، بمنزلة الركبة في يدها — And the hock of an animal is on its leg, in the position of the knee on its foreleg.

والعرقوبان من الفرس: ما ضم ملتقى الوظيفين والساقين من مآخرهما، من العصب — And the two hocks of a horse: what joins the meeting point of the pastern and the legs from their rears, made of sinew.

وهو من الإنسان فويق العقب — And it is in humans, just above the heel.

وعرقوب القطا: ساقها — The 'urqub of the sandgrouse: its leg.

والعرقوب: طريق في الجبل — And the 'urqub: a path in the mountain.

يقال ما أكثر عراقيب هذا الجبل — It is said, 'How many are the difficult paths of this mountain!'

عَرْقَبَverb

1.
to cut the hockboth
To cut the Achilles tendon or hock of an animal.
2.
to take a difficult pathboth
To take a hidden or difficult path.
3.
to devise a planclassical
To devise a plan or strategy, often with a negative connotation.
4.
to help (lift)classical
To assist a camel by lifting it.

وعرقب الدابة: قطع عرقوبها — And to 'urqub an animal: to cut its hock.

تعرقبت إذا أخذت في تلك الطرق — And you take a difficult path if you take those routes.

عرقبت للبعير، وعليت له إذا أعنته برفع — I helped the camel, and lifted it up if I assisted it by lifting.

عرقب لبعيرك أي ارفع بعرقوبه حتى يقوم — Say to your camel, 'Lift with your hock until you stand.'

تَعَرْقَبَverb

1.
to ride from behindclassical
To ride an animal from behind.
2.
to take a hidden pathboth
To take a path that is hidden from an opponent.
3.
to take an easier routeboth
To take a subsequent, easier path or course of action.

وتعرقبها: ركبها من خلفها — And to ta'arqaba: to ride it from behind.

تعرقب لخصمه إذا أخذ في طريق تخفى عليه — He takes a hidden path against his opponent if he takes a route that is hidden from him.

إذا حبا قف له تعرقبا — If he crawls, take a hidden path for him.

إذا منطق زل عن صاحبي، تعرقبت آخر ذا معتقب — If speech slips from my companion, I take another easier one.

عُرَاقِيبnoun

1.
difficultiesboth
The major difficulties, hardships, or complexities of matters.
2.
mountain ridgesclassical
The extremities and narrow passages of mountains.

وعراقيب الأمور، وعراقيلها: عظامها، وصعابها، وعصاويدها، وما دخل من اللبس فيها — And the 'uraaqib of matters, and their obstacles: their major parts, their difficult ones, their stubborn ones, and what enters into them of complexity.

أبو خيرة: العرقوب والعراقيب، خياشيم الجبال وأطرافها، وهي أبعد الطرق — Abu Khayrah: The 'urqub and the 'uraaqib, the noses of mountains and their extremities, which are the furthest paths.

عِرْقُوبname

1.
legendary figureclassical
A name of a man from the Amalekites, known for his habitual breaking of promises.

وعرقوب: اسم رجل من العمالقة — And 'Urqub: the name of a man from the Amalekites.

فقالوا: مواعيد عرقوب — So they said: 'The promises of 'Urqub'.

مَوَاعِيدُ عِرْقُوبphrase

1.
broken promisesclassical
A proverbial expression for unreliable or constantly deferred promises.

ومن أمثالهم في خلف الوعد: مواعيد عرقوب — And among their proverbs for breaking a promise: 'The promises of 'Urqub'.

وما مواعيدها إلا الأباطيل — And their promises are nothing but falsehoods.

طَيْرُ العَرَاقِيبnoun

1.
roller birdclassical
A name for the roller bird, which Arabs considered an ill omen.

والعرب تسمي الشقراق: طير العراقيب، وهم يتشاءمون به — And the Arabs call the roller bird: 'the bird of the 'uraaqib', and they consider it an ill omen.

فلاقيت من طير العراقيب أخيلا — So I met from the birds of the 'uraaqib, the roller bird.

Parallel reading

العرقوب: العصب الغليظ، الموتر، فوق عقب الإنسان.

The 'urqub: the thick, taut nerve, above the heel of a human.

وعرقوب الدابة في رجلها، بمنزلة الركبة في يدها؛

And the hock of an animal is on its leg, in the position of the knee on its foreleg;

قال الأصمعي: وكل ذي أربع، عرقوباه في رجليه، وركبتاه في يديه.

Al-Asma'i said: Every four-legged animal has its hocks on its legs, and its knees on its forelegs.

وهو من الإنسان ما ضم أسفل الساق والقدم.

And it is in humans, what joins the lower part of the leg and the foot.

وعرقب الدابة: قطع عرقوبها.

And to 'urqub an animal: to cut its hock.

وتعرقبها: ركبها من خلفها.

And to ta'arqaba: to ride it from behind.

العرقوب عصب موتر خلف الكعبين، ومنه قول النبي، صلى الله عليه وسلم: ويل للعراقيب من النار ، يعني في الوضوء.

The 'urqub is a taut nerve behind the ankles, and from it is the saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him: 'Woe to the heels from the Fire,' meaning in ablution.

لا تعرقبها أي لا تقطع عرقوبها، وهو الوتر الذي خلف الكعبين من مفصل القدم والساق، من ذوات الأربع؛

Do not 'urqub it, meaning do not cut its hock, which is the tendon behind the ankles from the joint of the foot and the leg, of four-legged animals;

وهو من الإنسان فويق العقب.

And it is in humans, just above the heel.

وعرقوب القطا: ساقها، وهو مما يبالغ به في القصر، فيقال: يوم أقصر من عرقوب القطا؛

And the 'urqub of the sandgrouse: its leg, and it is something exaggerated in its shortness, so it is said: 'A day shorter than the 'urqub of the sandgrouse';

ونبلي وفقاها كعراقيب ... قطا طحل

And my arrows, their tips are like the hocks of... sandgrouse of the desert,

والعرقوب من الوادي: موضع فيه انحناء والتواء شديد.

And the 'urqub of a valley: a place with a severe bend and twist.

يقال ما أكثر عراقيب هذا الجبل، وهي الطرق الضيقة في متنه،

It is said, 'How many are the difficult paths of this mountain,' which are the narrow paths on its surface,

وهي أبعد الطرق، لأنك تتبع أسهلها أين كان.

Which are the furthest paths, because you follow the easiest one wherever it may be.

وتعرقب لخصمه إذا أخذ في طريق تخفى عليه؛

And he takes a hidden path against his opponent if he takes a route that is hidden from him;

إذا حبا قف له تعرقبا

If he crawls, take a hidden path for him

إذا منطق زل عن صاحبي، تعرقبت آخر ذا معتقب

If speech slips from my companion, I take another easier one.

عراقيب الأمور، وعراقيلها: عظامها، وصعابها، وعصاويدها، وما دخل من اللبس فيها، واحدها عرقوب.

The 'uraaqib of matters, and their obstacles: their major parts, their difficult ones, their stubborn ones, and what enters into them of complexity, the singular of which is 'urqub.

الشر ألجأه إلى مخ العرقوب.

Evil drove him to the core of the 'urqub.

شر ما أجاءك إلى مخة عرقوب؛ يضرب هذا، عند طلبك إلى اللئيم، أعطاك أو منعك.

The worst thing that drives you to the core of 'urqub; this is said when you ask a base person, whether he gives you or withholds from you.

عرقبت للبعير، وعليت له إذا أعنته برفع.

I helped the camel, and lifted it up if I assisted it by lifting.

عرقب لبعيرك أي ارفع بعرقوبه حتى يقوم.

Say to your camel, 'Lift with your hock until you stand.'

والعرب تسمي الشقراق: طير العراقيب، وهم يتشاءمون به،

And the Arabs call the roller bird: 'the bird of the 'uraaqib', and they consider it an ill omen,

إذا قطنا بلغتنيه، ابن مدرك، فلاقيت من طير العراقيب أخيلا

If Qatna reached you, O Ibn Mudrik, then you met from the birds of the 'uraaqib, the roller bird

إذا وقع الأخيل على البعير: ليكسفن عرقوباه.

If the roller bird lands on a camel: 'May its hocks be broken.'

إذا أعياك غريمك فعرقب أي احتل؛

If your debtor exhausts you, then 'urqub, meaning devise a stratagem;

ولا يعييك عرقوب لوأي، إذا لم يعطك، النصف، الخصيم

And a stratagem will not exhaust you, if the opponent does not give you half,

ومن أمثالهم في خلف الوعد: مواعيد عرقوب.

And among their proverbs for breaking a promise: 'The promises of 'Urqub'.

وذلك أنه أتاه أخ له يسأله شيئا، فقال له عرقوب: إذا أطلعت هذه النخلة، فلك طلعها؛

And that was because his brother came to him asking for something, and 'Urqub said to him: 'When this palm tree bears fruit, you shall have its yield;

فلما أطلعت، أتاه للعدة، فقال له: دعها حتى تصير بلحا، فلما أبلحت قال: دعها حتى تصير زهوا، فلما أبسرت قال: دعها حتى تصير رطبا، فلما أرطبت قال: دعها حتى تصير تمرا، فلما أتمرت عمد إليها عرقوب من الليل، فجدها، ولم يعط أخاه منه شيئا،

And when it bore fruit, his brother came to him for the promise, and he said to him: 'Leave it until it becomes dates,' when it became dates, 'Urqub went to it at night, harvested it, and did not give his brother anything from it,

فصارت مثلا في إخلاف الوعد؛

So it became a proverb for breaking a promise;

وكان الخلف منك سجية، مواعيد عرقوب أخاه بيترب بالتاء، وهي باليمامة؛

And breaking promises was your habit, the promises of 'Urqub to his brother in Yatarb, which is in Al-Yamamah;

وما مواعيدها إلا الأباطيل

And their promises are nothing but falsehoods