24.9 ُه َنا َك huna ̄ka
The adverb ُه َنا َك means ‘there’, but, like its English equivalent, it is
also used in nominal sentences in the meaning ‘there is, there are’,
e.g.
ن َجا ِحَُّه َنا َك ْح ِت َما ٌل ِبل
huna ̄ka-h
̇
tima ̄lun bi-n-nag ̆a ̄h
̇i. There is a possibility of success.نا ِس؟ََّه ْل ُه َنا َك َك ِثي ٌر ِم َن ل
hal huna ̄ka kat
̄
ı- run mina n-na ̄si? Are there many people?
24.10 ُف َلا ٌن fula ̄nun (masc.), ُف َلا َن ٌة fula ̄natun (fem.)
The above nouns are frequently used in Arabic in the sense ‘so and so,
such and such, somebody, a certain (person or thing)’. The idea is to
substitute an unknown or unnamed, person, thing or source for a more
general or less precise expression, e.g.
ِك َلا ُه َما َي ْع ِر ُف ِكْلتا ُه َما َت ْع ِر ُف
kila ̄-huma ̄ ya
rifu. (sing.) kilta ̄-huma ̄ ta
rifu. (sing.)Both of them know.(lit. Each one of the two knows.)Masculine Feminine
َقا َل ُف َلا ٌن َجا َء ْت ُف َلا َن ٌة
qa ̄la fula ̄nun. g ̆a ̄
at fula ̄natun.Somebody (OR: a certain person) said. Somebody (a certain person) came.
So and so said. So and so came.
ّيَ ِفي ْلي ْو ِم ْل ُف َلا ِن ي ِةَّل ْيَل ِة ْل ُف َلا ِنَِّفي ل
fı
- l-yawmi l-fula ̄niyyi fı
- l-laylati l-fula ̄niyyati
on such and such a day on such and such a night
on a certain day on a certain night
on that and that day on that and that night
177Interroga-
tive
particles
and
pronouns,
vocative
particles