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دَرْبٌ درب is not a word of Arabic origin: (Msb:) الدَّرْبٌ is [the Arabic name of the ancient Derbe, near the Cilician Gates, which were the chief mountain-pass, from the direction of the countries occupied by the Arabs, into the territory of the Greek Empire: these “ Gates ” are mentioned by El-Idreesee as fortified, and guarded by troops who watched the persons going and coming:] a well-known place in الرُّوم [or the territory of the Greek Empire], mentioned by Imra-el-Keys, [as El-Idreesee also says,] in the words, “ بَكَى صَاحِبِى لَمَّا رَأَى الدَّرْبَ حَوْلَهُ
” [My companion wept when he saw the درب around him; knowing himself to be in the power of the Greeks]. (MF, TA.) [Hence,] Any place of entrance, (Kh, T, M, A, Mgh [in my copy of which it is written دَرَب in all its senses], K,) or a narrow pass, (Mgh,) to [the territory of] الرُّوم: (Kh, T, M, A, Mgh, K:) or such as is not open at both ends: such as is open at both ends being called ↓ دَرَبٌ : (K:) or a place of entrance between two mountains: (Msb:) or a narrow pass in mountains: and hence it has another meaning well known: (S:) [i. e.] the gate of a سِكَّة [here meaning street: misunderstood by Golius, who has consequently explained دَرْبٌ as having, for one of its meaning, “ porta ingressusve palmeti ”]; used in this sense by the Arabs because it [i. e. the درب properly so called] is like a gate, or entrance, to that whereto it leads: (Msb:) or the gate of a wide سِكَّة: (T:) or a wide gate of a سِكَّة; and the largest gate; (M, K;) both of which explanations mean the same: (M:) and also a wide سِكَّة itself: so in the phrase, زُقَاقٌ أَوْ دَرْبٌ غَيْرُ نَافِذٍ [a narrow street or a wide street not being a thoroughfare]: (Mgh: [in my copy of which, دَرَبٌ is put for دَرْبٌ:]) [but in the present day, and as used by El-Makreezee and others, a by-street, whether wide or narrow, branching off from a great street, or passing through a حَارَة (or quarter), open, or having a gate, at each end:] pl. دُرُوبٌ (Kh, T, M, Mgh, TA) and دِرَابٌ. (Sb, K. [The former pl., the only one commonly known, is not mentioned in the K.]) ― -b2- Also A place in which dates are put to dry. (M, K.)
An Arabic-English Lexicon. London. Williams and Norgate. 1863.
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