Arabic: An Essential Grammar

(b) The bearer of the hamzah is decided by its own vowel, inasmuch

as it is considered as being in the middle of a word preceded by a

suku ̄n, and the suffix pronoun is considered to be a part of the

word, e.g.

20.14 If a prefix (or prefixed conjunction or preposition) is attached

to a word beginning with hamzah, the prefix will not interfere with the

spelling of the hamzah, e.g.

(An exception is لاَّ ِل َئ li-

alla ̄ ‘in order not to’.)

20.15 In contradiction to the above rules, some exceptional variations

can be found in the writing of well-known authors, even in common

words, e.g.

Nominative Accusative Genitive

َض ْو ُؤ َك َض ْو َأ َك َض ْو ِئـ َك

d

̇

aw

u-ka, your light d

̇

aw

a-ka d

̇

aw

i-ka

ُج ْز ُؤ َك ُج ْز َأ َك ُج ْز ِئ َك

g ̆uz

u-ka, your part g ̆uz

a-ka g ̆uz

i-ka

نَّ َِلأ^ li-

anna, because (not: َنّ ِل َئ) نَّ َف ِإ fa-

inna, that (not: نَّ َف ِئ)

Exceptional variations According to the above rules

َم ْس َئَل ٌة mas

alatun, a question َم ْس َأَل ٌة

َم ْس ُئو ٌل mas

u ̄lun, responsible َم ْس ُؤو ٌل

َي ْق َر ُأو َن yaqra

u ̄na, they are reading َي ْق َر ُؤو َن

ُش ُئو ٌن sˇu

u ̄nun, matters ُش ٌؤو ٌن

َت ْق َر ِإي َن taqra

ı

• na, you (f.) are reading َت ْق َر ِئي َن

َم َسا ًءا masa ̄

an, evening (acc.) َم َسا ًء

140

Rules for

writing the

hamzah

(hamzatu

l-qat

̇



i)