Arabic: An Essential Grammar

Note: It may be difficult to find the root in the dictionary when the first

initial weak radical of the imperfect and imperative is missing.

(b) In a small number of verbs the initial weak radical َو /w/ is also

retained in the imperfect. These verbs have kasrah (^) ــِـــ /i/ as the
middle vowel in the perfect, and fath
̇
ah ــَـــ /a/ in the imperfect,
e.g.
31.4 Assimilation of the weak radical و /w/ in the derived
verb forms
(a) The initial و /w/ of the basic verb form َو َص َل was
̇
ala ‘to arrive’ in
verb form VIII is assimilated to the infix ت /t/, which then appears
as doubled ــ ّتـ /..tt../, e.g.
ت َص َلَِّإ^


ittas
̇
ala, to be joined, to contact (for: ِإ ْو َت َص َل


iwtas
̇
ala)
(b) The IVth form َأ ْو َق َع


awqa

a ‘to drop’ is derived from the verb
َو َق َع waqa

a ‘to fall’. Its verbal noun (mas
̇
dar) is ِإي َقا ٌع


ı ̄qa ̄

un
‘rhythm’ (for: ِإ ْو َقا ٌع


iwqa ̄

un).
(c) The Xth form of َو َد َع wada

a ‘to put down’ is ِإ ْس َت ْو َد َع


istawda

a
Active Passive
Perfect Imperfect Imperfect Imperative
َو َض َع wad
̇
a

a
to put
(down)
َيـ َض ُع yad
̇
a

u (for:
َي ْو َض ُع yawd
̇
a

u)
ُيو َض ُع yu ̄d
̇
a

u َض ْع d
̇
a

!
put!
َو َق َف waqafa
to stand
(still)
َي ِق ُف yaqifu (for:
َي ْو ِق ُف yawqifu)
ُيو َق ُف yu ̄qafu ِق ْف qif!
stop!
َو ِث َق wat
̄
iqa
to trust
َي ِث ُق yat
̄
iqu (for:
َي ْو ِث ُق yawt
̄
iqu)
ُيو َث ُق yu ̄t
̄
aqu ِث ْق t
̄
iq!
trust!
Perfect Imperfect
َو ِج َع wag ̆i

a, to feel pain َي ْو َج ُع yawg ̆a

u
َو ِج َل wag ̆ila, to be afraid َي ْو َج ُل yawg ̆alu
232
Verbs with
a weak
initial
radical