Arabic: An Essential Grammar

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