عرب

Root entry · 18 derived lemmas

This entry discusses the origin and evolution of the term 'Arab', exploring its etymology, historical usage, and various derived terms. It delves into the semantic shifts and geographical associations of the word, differentiating between various groups and their naming conventions.

Derived headwords

عَرَبnoun

1.
Arabsboth
The collective name for the Arab people, encompassing various tribes and nations.

عُرْبnoun

1.
Arabs (plural)classical
A plural form referring to the Arab people, often used in a collective sense.

عُرُبnoun

1.
Arabs (plural)classical
Another plural form for the Arab people, with specific historical usage.

أَعْرَابnoun

1.
Bedouinsboth
Nomadic Arabs living in the desert, often contrasted with settled populations.

أَعْرَابِيّnoun

1.
Bedouinboth
A single individual belonging to the nomadic desert tribes of Arabs.

عَرَبَةnoun

1.
Cart, wagonmodern
A wheeled vehicle for transporting goods or people, often pulled by animals.
2.
Land of the Arabsclassical
A geographical area associated with the Arabs, particularly the Arabian Peninsula or Mecca.

عَرَّبَverb

1.
To Arabizemodern
To make something Arabic in language or character, or to cause someone to become Arab.
2.
To speak Arabicclassical
To adopt and speak the Arabic language.

تَعْرِيبnoun

1.
Arabizationmodern
The process of becoming Arabic in language, culture, or identity.
2.
Explanation, clarificationclassical
The act of making something clear or understandable, particularly in language.

مُعَرَّبadjective

1.
Arabizedmodern
Describing something that has been made Arabic or adopted Arabic characteristics.
2.
Explained, clarifiedclassical
Describing something that has been made clear or elucidated.

مُعَرِّبnoun

1.
Arabizerclassical
One who causes something to become Arabic.

عَرِيبnoun

1.
Someone present (in negation)classical
Used in negative contexts to mean 'anyone' or 'anybody'.

مُعَرَّبnoun

1.
Arabized wordclassical
A word borrowed from another language and adapted into Arabic.

عُرْبَانnoun

1.
Deposit, earnest moneymodern
A sum of money paid as a deposit to secure a transaction or agreement.
2.
Arabs (plural)classical
A plural form referring to the Arab people.

عَرْبُونnoun

1.
Deposit, earnest moneymodern
A sum of money paid as a deposit to secure a transaction or agreement.

عَرَبَاتnoun

1.
Lands of the Arabsclassical
The territories and regions inhabited by Arabs.
2.
Wagons, cartsmodern
Plural of 'arabah', referring to multiple wheeled vehicles.
3.
Boats, shipsclassical
A type of stationary boat or ship found on the Tigris River.

عَرَبُونnoun

1.
Deposit, earnest moneymodern
A sum of money paid as a deposit to secure a transaction or agreement.

رَبُّونnoun

1.
Deposit, earnest moneyclassical
A sum of money paid as a deposit to secure a transaction or agreement.

عَرَبَانnoun

1.
Deposit, earnest moneymodern
A sum of money paid as a deposit to secure a transaction or agreement.

Parallel reading

والرابع أنهم ذكروا مع بقايا أنواع الخلق، كالفرس، والروم والترك وغيرهم، ولم يقل فيهم أحد إنهم سموا بأرض أو غيرها، بل سموا ارتجالا، لا لصفة أو هيئة أو غير ذلك، فالعرب كذلك.

The fourth is that they were mentioned alongside the remnants of other types of creation, like the Persians, Romans, Turks, and others, and no one said they were named after a land or anything else, but rather they were named spontaneously, not due to a characteristic, form, or anything else; the Arabs are likewise.

والخامس أن المعروف في المنقول أن يبقى على نقله على التسمية، وإذا غير إنما يغير تغييرا جزئيا للتمييز بين المنقول والمنقول عنه في الجملة، والمنقول هنا أوسع دائرة من المنقول عنه من جهات ظاهرة، ككون أصل المنقول عن عربة بالهاء، ولا يقال ذلك في المنقول، وككونهم تصرفوا فيه بلغات لا تعرف ولا تسمع في المنقول عنه، فقالوا عرب، محركة، وعرب، بالضم، وعرب، بضمتين، وأعراب وأعرابي، وغير ذلك.

The fifth is that what is known in transmission is that it remains in its transmission with the original name. If it is changed, it is only changed partially to distinguish between the transmitted and the source of transmission in general. The transmitted here is broader in scope than the source of transmission in obvious ways, such as the origin of the transmitted being from 'Arabah' with the 'ha', which is not said of the transmitted. And that they manipulated it with languages that are not known or heard in the source of transmission, so they said 'arab' (with fatha), and 'urb' (with damma), and 'urub' (with two dammas), and 'a'rab' and 'a'rabi', and others.

والسادس أن العرب أنواع وأجناس وشعوب وقبائل متفرقون في الأرض، لا يكاد يأتي عليهم الحصر، ولا يتصور سكناهم كلهم في هذه القرية أو حلولهم فيها، فكان الأولى أن يقتصر بالتسمية على من سكنها دون غيره.

The sixth is that the Arabs are types, races, peoples, and tribes scattered across the land, whose enumeration is almost impossible, and it is inconceivable that they all resided in this village or settled in it, so it was more appropriate to limit the naming to those who inhabited it and not others.

ثم إنهم لما تفرقوا في الأرضين وتنوعت لهم ألقاب وأسماء خاصة باختلاف ما عرضت من الآباء والأمهات والحالات التي اختصت بها كقريش مثلا وثقيف وربيعة ومضر وكنانة ونزار وخزاعة وقضاعة وفزارة ولحيان وشيبان وهمدان وغسان وغطفان وسلمان وتميم وكلب ونمير وإياد ووداعة وبجيلة وأسلم ويسلم وهذيل ومزينة وجهينة وعاملة وباهلة وخثعم وطيىء والأزد وتغلب وقيس ومذحج وأسد وعنبس وعنس وعنزة ونهد وبكر وذؤيب وذبيان وكندة ولخم وجذام وضبة وضنة وسدوس والسكون وتيم وأحمس وغير ذلك، فأوجب ذلك تمييز كل قبيلة باسمها الخاص، وتنوسي الاسم الذي هو العرب، ولم يبق له تداول بينهم ولا تعارف، واستغنت كل قبيلة باسمها الخاص، مع تفرق في القبائل وتباعد الشعوب في الأرضين.

Then, as they spread across the lands and diverse titles and specific names arose for them based on their fathers, mothers, and specific circumstances, such as Quraysh, Thaqif, Rabi'ah, Mudar, Kinanah, Nizar, Khuz'ah, Quda'ah, Fazarah, Lihyan, Shayban, Hamdan, Ghassan, Ghaftan, Salman, Tamim, Kalb, Numayr, Iyad, Wuda'ah, Bajilah, Aslam, Yaslam, Hudhayl, Muzaynah, Juwaynah, 'Amilah, Bahilah, Khath'am, Tayyi', Al-Azd, Taghlib, Qays, Madhhij, Asad, 'Anbas, 'Anas, 'Anazah, Nahd, Bakr, Dhu'ayb, Dhibyan, Kindah, Lakhm, Judham, Dabah, Dhannah, Sadoos, As-Sakoon, Taym, Ahmas, and others, this necessitated distinguishing each tribe by its specific name, and the general name 'Al-'Arab' was forgotten. It was no longer circulated or recognized among them, and each tribe became self-sufficient with its own name, despite the dispersion of tribes and the separation of peoples across the lands.

ثم لما نزلت العرب بهذه القرية، في قول، أو قريش بالخصوص، في قول المصنف، راجعوا الاسم القديم وتذاكروه وتسموا به، رجوعا للأصل، فمن علل التسمية بما نقله البكري وغيره نظر إلى الوضع الأول الموافق للنظر من أسماء أجناس الناس.

Then, when the Arabs (or Quraysh, according to the author) settled in this village, they revisited the old name, remembered it, and named themselves by it, returning to the origin. Whoever attributed the naming to what Al-Bakri and others transmitted looked at the original designation consistent with the consideration of the names of human races.

ومن علل بما ذكره المصنف وغيره من نزول عربة نظر إلى ما أشرنا إليه.

And whoever attributed it to what the author and others mentioned regarding the settlement of 'Arabah' looked at what we have indicated.

ويدل على أنه رجوع للأصل وتذكر بعد النسيان أنهم جردوه من الهاء الموجودة في اسم القرية وذكروه على أصله الموضوع القديم.

And what indicates that it is a return to the origin and a remembrance after forgetting is that they stripped it of the 'ha' present in the village's name and mentioned it in its original, ancient form.

ثم أجاب بما حاصله: أن إطلاق العرب على الجيل المعروف لا إشكال أنه قديم كغيره من أسماء باقي أجناس الناس وأنواعهم وأن وهو اسم شامل لجميع القبائل والشعوب.

Then he answered, the gist of which is: that the application of 'Al-'Arab' to the known generation is undoubtedly ancient, like other names of human races and types, and it is a name encompassing all tribes and peoples.

فأوجب ذلك تمييز كل قبيلة باسمها الخاص، وتنوسي الاسم الذي هو العرب، ولم يبق له تداول بينهم ولا تعارف، واستغنت كل قبيلة باسمها الخاص، مع تفرق في القبائل وتباعد الشعوب في الأرضين.

This necessitated distinguishing each tribe by its specific name, and the general name 'Al-'Arab' was forgotten. It was no longer circulated or recognized among them, and each tribe became self-sufficient with its own name, despite the dispersion of tribes and the separation of peoples across the lands.

ومن علل بما ذكره المصنف وغيره من نزول عربة نظر إلى ما أشرنا إليه.

And whoever attributed it to what the author and others mentioned regarding the settlement of 'Arabah' looked at what we have indicated.

ثم الجواب عما أورده. أما عن الأول فلم لا يكون هذا من جملة الأفراد التي ذكرها كمذحج وغيره، ومنها ناعط وشبام قبيلتان من حمير؛ سميتا باسم جبلين نزلاهما، وكذلك بنو شكر بالضم سموا باسم الموضع، وفي معجم البكري: سمي جدة بن جرم بن ربان بن حلوان بن الحاف بن قضاعة بالموضع المعروف من مكة لولادته بها، وهذا قد نقله شيخنا في شرح الكتاب في ج د د كما سيأتي.

Then the answer to what he brought up. As for the first, why is this not among the individuals he mentioned, such as Madhhij and others? Among them are Na'it and Shabaam, two tribes from Himyar; they were named after two mountains they descended to. Likewise, the Banu Shukr (with damma) were named after a place. And in Al-Bakri's dictionary: Jaddah, son of Jurm bin Rabban bin Hilwan bin Al-Haf bin Quda'ah, was named after the known place in Mecca because he was born there. This has been transmitted by our shaykh in the commentary on the book in 'j d d' as will be mentioned later.

وفي معجم ياقوت: ملكان بن عدي بن عبد مناة بن أد؛ سمي باسم الوادي وهو ملك من أودية مة لولادته فيه.

And in Yaqut's dictionary: Malikan bin Adi bin Abd Manaf bin Ad; he was named after the valley, which is a valley in Makkah, because he was born in it.

وقرأت في إتحاف البشر للناشري ما نصه: فرسان محركة: جبل بالشام سمي به عمران بن عمرو بن تغلب، لاجتيازه فيه، وبه يعرف ولده.

And I read in 'Ithaf Al-Bashar' by Al-Nashiri what he said: Fursan (with harakat): a mountain in Sham named after 'Imran bin 'Amr bin Taghlib, because he passed through it, and his descendants are known by it.

ورأيت في تاريخه ابن خلكان ما نصه: كاتم والتكرور: جنسان من الأمم سميا باسم أرضهما، ومثله كثير يعرفه الممارس في هذا الفن.

And I saw in the history of Ibn Khallikan what he said: Katim and Al-Takrur: two types of nations named after their land, and many similar examples are known to those experienced in this field.

وعند التأمل فيما ذكرنا ينحل الإيراد الثاني أيضا.

And upon reflection on what we have mentioned, the second objection is also resolved.

وأما عن الثالث فنقول: ما المراد بالعرب الدين تذكرهم؟ أهم القبائل الموجودة بالكثرة التي تفرعت قريبا، أم هم أولاد إرم بن سام البطون المتقدمة بعد الطوفان؟ فإن كان الأول فإنهم ما نزلوا عربة ولا سكنوها، وإن كان الثاني فلا ريب أن التوراة والإنجيل وغيرهما من الكتب ما نزلت إلا بعدهم بكثير، وكان معد بن عدنان في زمن سيدنا موسى عليه السلام، كما يعرفه من مارس علم التواريخ والأنساب.

As for the third, we say: What is meant by the Arabs you are remembering? Are they the tribes present in large numbers that branched out recently, or are they the descendants of Iram bin Sam, the ancient lineages after the flood? If it is the former, then they did not descend to or inhabit 'Arabah'. If it is the latter, then there is no doubt that the Torah, the Gospel, and other books were revealed much later than them, and Ma'ad bin 'Adnan lived during the time of our master Moses, peace be upon him, as is known to those who have studied history and genealogy.

وأما ما ورد في حديث المولد من إطلاق لفظ العرب قبل خلق السموات والأرض فهو إخبار غيبي بما سيكون، فهو كغيره من المغيبات.

As for what is mentioned in the Hadith of the Mawlid about the use of the word 'Arabs' before the creation of the heavens and the earth, it is a supernatural report of what will be, like other unseen matters.

وأما عن الرابع فإنه إذا كان بعض الأسماء مرتجلة وبعضها منقولة لا يقال فيها: لم لم تكن مرتجلات كلها أو منقولات كلها حتى يلزم ما ذكر لاختلاف الأسباب والأزمنة.

As for the fourth, if some names are spontaneous and some are transmitted, it cannot be said: why were they not all spontaneous or all transmitted, so that what was mentioned would be necessitated, due to the difference in causes and times.

وأما عن الخامس فنقول: أليس التعريب في الكلام هو النقل من لسان إلى لسان. فالمعرب والمعرب منه هو المنقول والمنقول منه. وهذا لفظ العربون في هذه المادة سيأتي عن قريب وهو عجمي.

As for the fifth, we say: Is not 'ta'rib' in speech the transfer from one language to another? So, the 'mu'arrab' and the source of 'ta'rib' are the transmitted and the source of transmission. And this word 'al-'arboon' in this context will come soon, and it is foreign.

كيف تصرفوا فيه من ثلاثة أبواب أعرب وعرب وعربن واشتقوا منها ألفاظا أخر غير ذلك، كما سيأتي، فيجعل هذا من ذاك.

How they manipulated it from three forms: 'a'raba', 'arab', and 'arban', and derived other words from it, as will be mentioned later, so this is made from that.

وهذا لفظ العجم تصرفوا فيه كا تصرفوا في لفظ العرب.

And this word 'al-'ajam' they manipulated it just as they manipulated the word 'Al-'Arab'.

وأما عن السادس فأن يقال: إن كان المراد بعربة التي نسبت العرب إليها هي جزيرة العرب، على ما في المراصد وغيره، وبالعرب هم أصول القبائل، فلا إشكال، إذ هم لم يخرجوا من الجزيرة، والذي خرج في العهد القريب وهم قليل، وغالبهم في مواطنهم فيها، وأما الشعوب والقبائل التي تفرعت فيما بعد فهم خارجون عن البحث، وكذلك إن كان المراد بها مكة وساحاتها، فإن طسم وجديس وعمليق وجرهم سكنوا الحرم وهم العرب العاربة، ومنهم تعلم سيدنا إسماعيل عليه السلام اللسان العربي.

As for the sixth, it can be said: If by 'Arabah' to which the Arabs are attributed is meant the Arabian Peninsula, as in Al-Marasid and elsewhere, and by 'Al-'Arab' are meant the origins of the tribes, then there is no problem, as they did not leave the Peninsula. Those who left in the recent past were few, and most of them remained in their homelands. As for the peoples and tribes that branched out later, they are outside the scope of discussion. Likewise, if by it is meant Mecca and its surroundings, then Tasm, Judays, 'Amaleeq, and Jurhum inhabited the Haram, and they were the original Arabs ('Al-'Arab Al-'Arabah'), and from them our master Ishmael, peace be upon him, learned the Arabic language.

وعاد وثمود وأميم وعبيل ووبار، وهم العرب العاربة، نزلوا الأحقف وما جاورها وهي تهامة على قول من فسر عربة بتهامة، فهؤلاء أصول قبائل العرب العاربة التي أخذت المستعربة منهم اللسان قد نزلوا ساحات الحرم، ومنهم تفرعت القبائل فيما بعد وتشتتت، فبقي هذا اللفظ علما عليهم لسكنى آبائهم وجدودهم فيها وإن لم يسكنوا هم، وقد أسلفنا كلام الأزهري وغيره وهو يؤيد ما ذكرناه.

And 'Ad, Thamud, Ubayl, and Wabar, who were the original Arabs ('Al-'Arab Al-'Arabah'), settled in Al-Ahqaf and its surroundings, which is Tihamah, according to the one who interpreted 'Arabah' as Tihamah. These are the origins of the tribes of the original Arabs ('Al-'Arab Al-'Arabah') from whom the Arabized ('Al-Musta'ribah') learned the language. They settled in the vicinity of the Haram, and from them the tribes later branched out and dispersed. Thus, this name remained a designation for them due to their ancestors' dwelling there, even if they themselves did not reside there. We have already cited the words of Al-Azhari and others, which support what we have mentioned.

ثم إن قول المصنف: أقامت قريش إلى آخره. وفي التهذيب وغيره: أقامت بنو إسماعيل، وعلى القولين تخصيصهما دون القبائل إنما هو لشرفهما ورياستهما على سائر العرب فصار الغير كالتبع لهما، فلا يقال: كان الظاهر أن تسمى بها قريش فقط، ويدل لما قلنا أيضا ما قدمنا أنه يقال رجل عربي إذا كان نسبه في العرب ثابتا وإن لم يكن فصيحا، ومن نزل بلاد الريف واستوطن المدن والقرى العربية وغيرهما مما ينتمي إلى العرب فهم عرب وإن لم يكونوا فصحاء، وكذا ما قدمنا أن كل من سكن بلاد العرب وجزيرتها ونطق بلسان أهلها فهم عرب، يمنهم ومعدهم.

Then the author's statement: 'Quraysh resided...' and so on. In Al-Tahdhib and elsewhere: 'The descendants of Ishmael resided...'. And according to both opinions, their specific mention over other tribes is due to their honor and leadership over the rest of the Arabs, making others subordinate to them. So it cannot be said: it would have been apparent for only Quraysh to be named. What we presented also supports our view that one is called an 'Arabi' if his lineage is established among the Arabs, even if he is not eloquent. And whoever settles in the rural lands and inhabits Arab cities and villages and other places belonging to the Arabs, they are Arabs even if they are not eloquent. Likewise, what we presented earlier, that whoever inhabits the lands of the Arabs and their peninsula and speaks the language of its people, they are Arabs, including Yemenis and Ma'addis.

والعربات) محركة؛ بلاد العرب، كما في المراصد، ووجدت له شاهدا في لسان العرب: ورجت باحة العرباته رجا ترقرق في مناكبها الدماء.

And Al-'Arabāt (with harakat); the lands of the Arabs, as in Al-Marasid. And I found a supporting verse for it in Lisan Al-'Arab: 'The expanse of the lands of the Arabs was trampled, and blood flowed on its shoulders.'

ويدل له قول الأزهري ما نصه: الأقرب عندي أنهم سموا عربا باسم بلدهم العربات، وقد أغفله المصنف.

And the statement of Al-Azhari supports this, which says: 'The closest opinion to me is that they were named Arabs after their land, Al-'Arabāt', which the author overlooked.

والعربات أيضا: (طريق في جبل بطريق مصرع) نقله الصاغاني.

And Al-'Arabāt also: (a path in a mountain on the road to Masra'), as transmitted by Al-Saghani.

والعربات: (سفن رواكد كانت في دجلة) النهر المعروف، واحدتها عربة.

And Al-'Arabāt: (stationary boats that were on the Tigris) the known river, its singular is 'arabah'.

وقولهم: (ما بها) أي بالدار (عريب ومعرب) أي (أحد) ، الذكر والأنثى فيه سواء، ولا يقال في غير النفي.

And their saying: 'Mā bihā' (i.e., in the house) 'arīb wa mu'arrab' means 'anyone', male and female are the same in this context, and it is not said except in negation.

والعربان) كعثمان (والعربون بضمهما والعربون، محركة و) قد (تبدل عينهن همزة) على الأصل المنقول منه، نقله الفهري في شرح الفصيح عن أبي عبيد في الغريب ونقلوه أيضا عن ابن خالويه، وقد تحذف الهمزة فيقال فيه الربون كأنه من ربن، حكاه ابن خالويه وأورده المصنف هناك، فهي سبع لغات، ونقل شيخنا عن أبي حيان لغة ثامنة وهي العربون، بفتح فسكون فضم.

And Al-'urbān (like 'uthmān) and Al-'urbūn (with both dammah), and Al-'arboon (with fatha), and the 'ayn may be replaced by a hamza on the original from which it was transmitted, as transmitted by Al-Fahri in Sharh Al-Fasih from Abu 'Ubayd in Al-Gharib, and they also transmitted it from Ibn Khallawayh. The hamza may be omitted, and it is said 'Al-Rubbūn', as if from 'rabbana'. Ibn Khallawayh narrated this and the author mentioned it there, so these are seven pronunciations. And our shaykh transmitted from Abu Hayyan an eighth pronunciation, which is 'Al-'arboon', with fatha, sukoon, and dammah.

قلت: وهي لغة عامية، وقد صرح أبو جعفر اللبلي بمنعها في شرح الصيح مما نقله عن خط ابن هشام، وصرح الكمال الدميري في شرح المنهاج بأنه لفظ معرب ليس بعربي، ونقله عن الإصمعي القاضي أيضا والفيومي وغيرهما، وأورده الخفاجي في شفاء الغليل فيما في لغة العرب من الدخيل، وحكى ابن عديس لغة تاسعة قال: نقلت من خط ابن السيد، قال: أهل الحجاز يقولون: أخذ مني عربان بضمتين وتشديد الموحدة، نقله بعض شراح الفصيح، قاله شيخنا، ونقل أيضا عن بعض شروح الفصيح أنه مشتق من التعريب الذي هو البيان؛ لأنه بيان للبيع.

I say: And it is a colloquial language. Abu Ja'far Al-Libli explicitly prohibited it in Sharh Al-Fasih, as transmitted from the handwriting of Ibn Hisham. Kamal Al-Damiri explicitly stated in Sharh Al-Minhaj that it is an Arabized word, not Arabic, and transmitted it from Al-Asma'i, Al-Qadi, and others. Al-Khifaji mentioned it in Shifa' Al-Ghalil فيما في لغة العرب من الدخيل. And Ibn 'Adays narrated a ninth pronunciation, saying: 'I transmitted from the handwriting of Ibn Al-Sayyid, who said: The people of Hijaz say: 'akhadha minni 'urbān' (with two dammah and a shaddah on the 'ba'), as transmitted by some commentators of Al-Fasih. Our shaykh said this, and he also transmitted from some commentaries of Al-Fasih that it is derived from 'ta'rib', which means clarification, because it is a clarification of the sale.

والأربون مشتق من الأربة وهو العقدة؛ لأنه به يكون انعقاد البيع، وسيأتي.

And 'Al-arboon' is derived from 'al-urbah', which means a knot; because the sale is concluded by it, and this will be discussed later.