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رَاوِيَةٌ ذ A camel, (A 'Obeyd, T, S, K,) or a mule, or an ass, (S, and so in the K with the exception of “ and ” for “ or, ”) upon which water is drawn: (A 'Obeyd, T, S, K: [see سَانِيَةٌ:]) or a camel that carries water; (M, * Mgh, Msb;) and then applied to any beast upon which water is drawn: (Msb:) [but it is disputed whether this be the primary or proper signification, or whether it be secondary or tropical, as will be shown by what follows:] and also a man who draws water (A 'Obeyd, T, TA) for his family: (TA:) the ة is affixed [لِلنَّقْلِ, i. e. for the purpose of transferring the word from the category of epithets to that of substantives; or] to give intensiveness to the signification: (Msb:) pl. رَوَايَا [by rule رَوَآءٍ, being originally of the measure فَوَاعِلُ, not فَعَائِلُ]. (S, M, TA.) Also A مَزَادَة [or leathern water-bag] (A 'Obeyd, T, S, M, Mgh) composed of three skins, (Mgh,) containing water; (M, K;) so called as being the receptacle in which is the water borne by the camel [thus called]; (A 'Obeyd, T;) or the مزادة is thus termed by the vulgar, but this application of the word is allowable as metaphorical: (S:) or it signifies a pair of such water-bags (مَزَادَتَانِ [see مَزَادَةٌ in art. زيد]): (T:) [accord. to ISd,] it is applied to the مزادة, and then to the camel, because of the nearness of the latter to the former: (M:) or its primary application is to the camel: (S, Mgh:) accord. to some, its application to the camel is proper; and to the مزادة, tropical: accord. to others, the reverse is the case: (MF, TA:) the pl. is رَوَايَا, as above. (Mgh, TA.) ― -b2- One says of a weak person who is in easy circumstances, مَا يَرُدُّ الرَّاوِيَةَ, meaning He is unable to turn back the راوية [or camel bearing a water-bag or pair of water-bags,] notwithstanding its being heavily burdened by the water that is upon it. (M.) ― -b3- And the Prophet applied the appellation رَوَايَا البِلَادِ [The camels bearing water for the irrigation of the countries, or the water-bags borne by camels for the irrigation of the countries,] to (assumed tropical:) the clouds, by way of comparison. (TA.) ― -b4- رَوَايَا is also applied as an appellation to (assumed tropical:) The chiefs of a people; (IAar, Th, T;) as pl. of رَاوِيَةٌ; the chief who bears the burden of the bloodwits owed by the tribe being likened to the camel thus termed. (T, M. *) A Temeemee, mentioning a party that had attacked his tribe, said, لَقِينَاهُمْ فَقَتَلْنَا الرَّوَايَا وَ أَبَحْنَا الزَّوَايَا meaning [We encountered them, and] we slew the chiefs, and gave permission to occupy, or to plunder, the houses, or tents. (T.) ― -b5- رَوَايَا also occurs in a trad., in which it is said, شَرُّ الرَّوَايَا رَوَايَا الكَذِبِ, and accord. to some, it is, in this instance, pl. of رَاوِيَةٌ (JM, TA) in the first of the senses explained above; so that the meaning is, (assumed tropical:) The worst of those who carry tidings are those who carry false tidings; such persons being likened to the beasts so called, in respect of the fatigue that they undergo: (JM:) or it is pl. of ↓ رَوِيَّةٌ ; (JM, TA;) and the meaning is, the worst of thoughts are those that are untrue, not right, nor tending to good: or it is pl. of ↓ رِوَايَةٌ ; and the meaning is, the worst of relations, or recitals, are those that are untrue. (JM.) ― -b6- See also رَاوٍ.
An Arabic-English Lexicon. London. Williams and Norgate. 1863.

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