How to say "monk" in Arabic
Shifted meaningMeaningmonk
Arabic · Modern Standard Arabic
رَاهِب
rāhibראהב
راهب
Hebrew · Modern Hebrew
נזיר
nazirنَازِير
How the two words are related
Shifted meaning
Same root as a Hebrew word, but the meaning drifted over the centuries.
Arabic root
ر-ه-بHebrew root
ר-ה-בSame root, opposite emotional charge: Hebrew רהב ('to storm, act boastfully, overwhelm' — the raging sea-monster רַהַב of Isaiah) and Arabic rahiba ('to fear, dread') are traditionally traced to one old sense of 'being overwhelmed/overwhelming.' Arabic channeled that into fear of God; Hebrew channeled it into arrogant, overbearing pride — a rāhib's humility sits about as far from Hebrew רהב's swagger as a shared root can stretch.
Related Hebrew word:רהבrahavرَهَاڤ
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In a phrase
دَيْر الرُّهْبَان
dayr ar-ruhbānדיר א-רהבאןthe monastery of the monks
Plural
رُهْبَان
ruhbānרהבאןbroken plural