derham (der am)

[Also dirhem; Ar. derham, dirhem, Turk. dirhem, Pers. dirham, diram, ginally to be two thirds of an Attic drachma (44.4 grains troy); a dram. Its value was fixed, not by reference to a prototype, but by the rule that part of a derham should weigh as much as 70 average grains of mustard-seed. There was a difference between the monetary and ponderal (Arabic keil ) derham. The former, by IMG:content-2424.png:[blocks in formation] 9 weighings of numerous early coins, has been found equal to troy, making the value of the coin United States cents; while the latter is said to be heavier in the ratio of 10 to 9, so that it would be 48 grains. This is still approximately the ma of the derham (weight) in most localities; though in some places it sinks nearly to 46 and in others rises almost to 50 grains, and in Aby in i a is even said to be only 40 or 41 grains. There was in early times a derham of half the usual weight, and two units of this name now employed in Persia are equal to nearly 150 and 300 grains respectively. The Morocco coin, the derham, is reckoned equivalent to 74 United States cents. deric (der'ik), a. [ When the man repents, he is absolved before God, before the sentence of the church, upon his contrition and dereliction only. Jer. Taylor, Holy Dying, v. 4. 2. The state of being forsaken or abandoned. Hadst thou not been thus forsaken, we had perished; thy dereliction is our safety. Bp . Hall . IMG:content-2425.png:[blocks in formation]