Ghurāb
/ɡʊˈrɑːb/noun
A traditional Arab sailing vessel, typically a large dhow used in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.
Did you know?The vessel’s name comes from Arabic ghurāb, “raven,” possibly reflecting the bird’s black color or the ship’s ominous, far-ranging image; the exact naming motivation is uncertain.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*ġ-r-b
“A root associated with westering, setting, remoteness, and the raven; the precise relationship among these senses is debated.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
غُرَاب (ghurāb)
“Raven or crow.”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
غُرَاب (ghurāb)
“A large sailing vessel, named with the word for “raven”; the exact metaphor behind the nautical sense is uncertain.”
Medieval Persian and Urdu
Persian/Urdu
غراب (ghurāb)
“A large Arab or Indian Ocean sailing vessel.”
19th Century
English
ghurab
“An Arab sailing ship or large dhow, recorded as a loanword in English.”
Modern English
English
ghurab
“A historical term for a traditional Arab sailing vessel.”