رَاوِيَةٌ

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:) plural رَوَايَا [by rule رَوَاءٍ, being originally of the measure فَوَاعِلُ, not فَعَايءِلُ]. (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 article زيد]): (T:) [according 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:) according to some, its application to the camel is proper; and to the مزادة, tropical: according to others, the reverse is the case: (MF, TA:) the plural is رَوَايَا, as above. (Mgh, TA.)

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.)

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.)

رَوَايَا is also applied as an appellation to (assumed tropical:) The chiefs of a people; (IAar, Th, T;) as plural 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.)

رَوَايَا also occurs in a tradition, in which it is said, شَرُّ الرَّوَايَا رَوَايَا الكَذِبِ, and according to some, it is, in this instance, plural 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 plural 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 plural of رِوَايَةٌ; and the meaning is, the worst of relations, or recitals, are those that are untrue. (JM.)