Arabic: An Essential Grammar

Remember: Both د َو ُلُّ َأل and َأْلـ ُح ُرو ُب refer to non-human entities and

therefore take the superlative adjective in the feminine singular (see

chapter 14).

25.16 The diminutive

The diminutive ت ْص ِغي ِرَِّإ ْس ُم ل can be formed according to the pattern

ُف َع ْي ٌل fu



aylun. It is restricted to certain nouns and adjectives and

indicates diminishing or reducing. As in many other languages, the

diminutive may, in addition, often be employed with a positive or

negative feeling or tone. With a positive feeling it expresses flirtation,

coquetry or endearment. With a negative feeling it conveys contempt or

downgrading.

The diminutive form can be learned with practice or from the dic-

tionary. Some diminutives are common as proper names, e.g.

25.17 Some prepositions can sometimes be used in diminutive form,

e.g.

In words where the second consonant is followed by a long vowel, the

vowel changes to ّ يـ..َ.. َــ /...ayyi.../ in the diminutive, e.g.

Diminutive ُف َع ْي ٌل fu



aylun

َح َس ٌن H

̇

asanun, good (a name) ُح َس ْي ٌن H

̇

usaynun, little good one (a name)

َع ْب ٌد^



Abdun, slave (a name) ُع َب ْي ٌد



Ubaydun, little slave (a name)

َكْل ٌب kalbun, dog ُكَل ْي ٌب kulaybun, small dog

َب ْح ٌر bah

̇

run, sea ُب َح ْي َر ٌة buh

̇

ayratun, lake (fem. ending)

ظ ْه ِرُّ َق ْب َل ل qabla d

̇ ̄

-d

̄ ̇

uhri ظ ْه ِرُّ ُق َب ْي َل ل qubayla d

̄ ̇

-d

̄ ̇

uhri

before noon a little before noon

ِك َتا ٌب kita ̄bun, book ّي ٌبَُك َت kutayyibun, little book, booklet, pamphlet

َص ِغي ٌر s

̇

ag ̇ı

• run, small ّي ٌرَُص َغ s
  ̇

ug ̇ayyirun, very small

188

Adjectival

patterns,

relative

adjectives,

comparative