This time the new term for reed is: `ariysh from the Arabic trilateral root;  `rsh originating in OldArabic.

This term and its derivatives have played hitherto an unsuspected role among unrelated foreign languages, most of them belonging to the Indo-European language family group, including prominently the English language of today. 

While the Classical Arabic verb " `arasha" means to bend pieces of wood (reeds) or simply to "arch" which incidently cognates exactly with the old 13th c. French term arche-r; to arch or to curve. 

 
 

 `Arsh also occurs prominently in the Holy Qur'an text in at least  33 verses ('Ayah) spreading across 26 chapters (surah). In some verses the Classical Arabic term refers, in general, to the various dwelling structures of Makkah at that time (such as trellis, canopies, porticos, roofs - all made of pliable reeds), and by extension, the term in the Holy Qur'an describes the celestial abode of God: the Empyrean, or the highest reaches of the Heavenly sphere representing the Supreme Divine Dominium.

InArabian scientific works, such as mentioned by Al-Biruwniy in early Arab Astronomy, the term refers to the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected.  This term is still currently used in Modern Astronomy, as it follows the traditional Arabic use of prefixing the term "`arsh" or  "arc" to the name of constellations in order to describe the path of  celestial bodies, as they rise above and fall below the horizon.

In early Arabic Medical texts the term "`arsh" described the supination of the foot (i.e. the curved shape bone of the foot). The term is still in use in modern Orthopedics, specifically by podiatrists (foot doctors). Equally the same term is also applied to a variety of branchial arches in the medical world. (see descriptions below)

In addition to the old name of Makkah; al-`ariyshalso refers to the name of the celebrated town of "al-`ariysh" situated on the northern coast of the Sinai peninsula in Egypt. The town is renowned for its shady palms, and for having played host to the Holy Family (Jesus and Mary may peace be upon them) during their flight into Egypt. 

This intriguing Arabic term for reed has grown to become a linguistic conundrum. 

Though the Hebrew/Aramaic, a sister language of Arabic, belongs to the same family group (Semitic/Afro-Asiatic), this term is conspicuously absent in the Old Testament.

When the Old Testament was translated into English (in Wycliff's and King James Bibles), surprisingly the English translators used an Anglo-Saxon word for "reeds"  transliterated as "hrysh" (which amazingly cognates with Old Arabic: `ariysh) to refer to the little basket made of reeds in which Jochebed, the mother of Moses, (May peace be on  Al-`umran family) placed her three month old baby boy and put the floating vessel into the River.

This Anglo-Saxon (Old English) term "hrysh" which is a synonym for "reed" has undergone many changes in spelling. Today it has shrunk  to the unrecognizable term of "rush".  While another vestige of the same word for "rush" survives today practically unchanged in the word "Arrish" in the sense of grass, reeds  or stubbles of ripe wheat and the like. 

Originally the Septuagint, of the Old Testament, used in the Exodus text, the Hebrew/Aramaic terms ('aron, and teiva ) However none of these Hebrew/Aramaic terms made their way into the English translation of the Bible. 

The Hebrew/Aramaic term for the Biblical "Ark " is  teiva, cognating with the Arabic: tabwah and tabuwt .  When the Old Testament was translated into English (in Wycliff's and king James Bibles) the term used was "Arch" / "Ark" .

By contrast, in the same context, the Arabic term used was
"`arsh". This term is used to refer to a bier or a casket for a corpse (synonym of tabuwt) cf. the celebrated bier of Sa`d b. Mu`adh who fell martyr in thebattle of the "Ditch" (al-Khandaq; see above JPEG). This Arabic term cognates with Arche and/or Ark in French and English respectively). 

The uncanny linguistic resemblance between the Arabic term "`arsh" (bier) and English "Ark" (for box and/or casket) cannot be accidental nor denied (compare between fig. 1 and fig. 2). This poses a conundrum for Indo-European linguists who believed the term  "Ark" to be of Germanic origin with no possible cognates in other languages. 

One of the many meanings of `arsh in Arabic refers to an angle, or corner (strongest side). Hence it is also referring "to the head or the chief, who is the manager and regulator of the affairs of a people and their support".  In this sense, the term cognates with the Latin "arci" and Old English "arce" which is now widely used as a prefix ( -arch)  in Modern English.

The odyssey of the reeds will continue with more intriguing terms.