Arabic: An Essential Grammar

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Note: In this construction the ordinal number is in the masculine even when


the following noun or suffix pronoun is feminine, unless the ordinal number


is preceded by a feminine subject. (Even so, the feminine ordinal number ُأوَلى

u ̄la ̄ ‘first’ is less often used in the



id
̇

a ̄fah construction.)

35.4 The ordinal numbers 11th–19th are inflected for gender but not

for case. In forming the ordinal number meaning ‘eleventh’, it should be


observed that:


نـا ِسَّو ُللـََّأ



awwalu n-na ̄si وُلـ ُه ْمََّأ


awwalu-hum

the first of the people the first of them (masc.)

َخا ِمـ ُس َوَل ٍد h
̆

a ̄misu waladin َخا ِمـ ُس ُه ْم h
̆

a ̄misu-hum

(the) fifth boy the fifth of them (masc.)

َفا ِط َم ُة َخـا ِمـ َس ُة ِبـ ْنـ ٍت نَّ ِه َي َخا ِمـ َس ُت ُه


fa ̄t
̇

imatu h
̆

a ̄misatu bintin. hiya h
̆

a ̄misatu-hunna.

Fatima is the fifth girl. She is the fifth of them.

Masculine Feminine

و ُل َوَل ٍدََّأ و ُل ِب ْن ٍتََّأ (Not:ُأوَ لى ِب ْن ٍت

awwalu waladin


awwalu bintin


u ̄la ̄ bintin)

the first boy the first girl

َث ِان َي َوَل ٍد ر ٍةََّث ِان َي َم (Not: ر ٍةََّث ِان َي ُة َم


t
̄

a ̄niya waladin t
̄

a ̄niya marratin t
̄

a ̄niyatu marratin)

the second boy the second time

َخا ِم ُس َوَل ٍد َخا ِمـ ُس ِب ْن ٍت (Not: َخا ِم َس ُة ِب ْن ٍت


h
̆

a ̄misu waladin h
̆

a ̄misu bintin h
̆

a ̄misatu bintin)

the fifth boy the fifth girl

وُل ُه ْمََّأ نَّ وُل ُهََّأ (Not: نَّ ُأو َلا ُه

awwalu-hum


awwalu-hunna


u ̄la ̄-hunna)

the first of them the first of them

َخا ِمـ ُس ُه ْم نَّ َخا ِمـ ُس ُه (Not: نَّ َخا ِم َس ُت ُه


h
̆

a ̄misu-hum h
̆

a ̄misu-hunna h
̆

a ̄misatu-hunna)

the fifth of them the fifth of them

271

Ordinal
numbers,
fractions,
expres-
sions of
time,
calendars
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