قارب

Derived from the active participle of قَرِبَ (qariba, “to approach, to come near or be near, to be connecting or adjacent”). Originally referring to a small boat used by a seaman as a convenient means to approach shore rather than bringing a larger vessel to port. Alternatively a loan from Latin carabus or Ancient Greek κάραβος (kárabos) – also found as Classical Syriac ܩܪܒܝܢ – with an uncertain etymology related to beetles and crabs, perhaps originally Semitic; for more see caravel, عَقْرَب (ʕa