راية

Arabic

Etymology

From the root verb رأى (ra’ā), to behold. Originally رأية, a feminine of رأى "sight, perception", but "the Arabs prefer omitting [the hamza] ... and some say it has not been heard with ء." (Lane).

Noun

راية‎ • (rāya) f, plural رايات (rāyāt)‎

1. banner, ensign, an army's battle standard

Derived terms

• الراية

References

• Lane, Arabic-English Lexicon (1863), vol. I, p. 1001.