Arabic: An Essential Grammar

18.16 Pronunciation and spelling rules

The following modifications are made for certain derived verbs of form

VIII in order to smooth the pronunciation:

(a) If the first consonant of the basic verb form is one of the following

four emphatic letters: ص /s

̇

/, ض /d

̇

/, ط /t

̇

/, ظ /d

̄ ̇

/, the infix ..ـتـ..

/-t-/ of form VIII as in the pattern verb ِإ ْف َت َع َل /

ifta



ala/ is changed

into ..ـطـ.. /-t

̇

• /, e.g. َض َر َب d
  ̇

araba ‘to hit’, whose form VIII is

ِإ ْض َط َر َب^

id

̇

t

̇

araba ‘to be troubled’, (not: ِإ ْض َت َر َب). And َطَل َع t

̇

ala



a

‘to rise’ has as its form VIII طَل َعَّ ِإ

it

̇

t

̇

ala



a ‘to become aware’

(not: ِإ ْط َتَل َع).

Iَع َو َج



awag ̆aIXجَّ ِإ ْعـ َو

i



wag ̆g ̆a imperf. جُّ َيـ ْعـ َو ya



wag ̆g ̆u

to bend to be twisted, bent

I not used IIم َرََّح h

̇

ammara IXرَّ ِإ ْح َم

ِ




ih

̇

marra imperf. رَُّي ْح َم yah

̇

marru

to redden, colour red to turn red, blush

Form X

X is formed by adding the prefix ِإ ْس َتـ... /

ista.../ to form I, and ِإ /

i.../ is

elided in the imperfect tense.

(a) X is reflexive of form IV (transitive).

IVَأ ْعَل َم

a



lama Xِإ ْس َت ْعَل َم

ista



lama imperf. َي ْس َت ْعِل ُم yasta



limu

to inform, to let know to enquire, seek information

(b) X is transitive of form I (often denoting attempt, request or desire

to obtain something)

Iَخ َر َج h

̆

arag ̆aXِإ ْس َت ْخ َر َج

istah

̆

rag ̆a imperf. َي ْس َت ْخ ِر َج yastah

̆

rig ̆u

to come out to take out, extract, deduce

(c) X is declarative of form I or IV (transitive or intransitive).

Iَح ُس َن h

̇

asuna Xِإ ْس َت ْح َس َن




istah

̇

sana

imperf. َي ْس َت ْح ِس ُن yastah

̇

sinu

to be nice, good to consider nice, good

122

Derived

verb forms,

transitive

and

intransitive

verbs