Arabic: An Essential Grammar

(b) لاَّ ِإ

illa ̄, in a negative sentence with the first noun expressed

In a negative sentence the second noun that follows لاَّ ِإ

illa ̄ can be

in either the nominative or accusative, e.g.

لا َوا ِح ً دا / َوا ِح ٌدَّ لا ُب ِإَّ طـُّ َما َجا َء ل

ma ̄ g ̆a ̄

a t

̇

-t

̇

ulla ̄bu

illa ̄ wa ̄h

̇

idan / wa ̄h

̇

idun.

Only one student came. (lit. No students came except one.)

لا َج ِري َد ً ة / َج ِري َد ٌةَّ ِم َن ْل َج َرا ِئ ِد ِإَل ْم َي ْق َر ْأ

lam yaqra

mina l-g ̆ara ̄

idi

illa ̄ g ̆arı

• datan / g ̆arı
  
  
  • datun.
  
  
  
  

He read only one of the newspapers.

(lit. He didn’t read from the newspapers except one newspaper.)

ل ُه

ا

ّله / َ ل

ا

لا لَّّ ل َه ِإ

ا

َلا ِإ^ la ̄^

ila ̄ha

illa ̄ lla ̄ha / lla ̄hu.

There is no god except God (Allah). OR There is only one God.

(c) لاَّ ِإ

illa ̄, in a negative sentence without the first noun

In a negative sentence the first noun may be dropped before لاَّ ِإ




illa ̄. Then the noun that follows لاَّ ِإ may take any of the three

cases, according to the case assignment (rection) determined by

the verb, e.g.

لا َقِلي ًلاَّ َلـ ْم َي ْأ ُك ْل ِإlam ya

kul

illa ̄ qalı

• lan.

He ate only a little. (lit. He did not eat except a little.)

The 2nd noun

(the excepted

member)

The exceptive

particle

The 1st noun

(the set from which

the exception

is made)

Predicate

َوا ِح ًدا َلاّ ِإ لا ُبَّ طُّ ل َخ َر َج

h

̆

arag ̆a t

̇

-t

̇

ulla ̄bu

illa ̄ wa ̄h

̇

idan. (All) the students went out except

one.

ر ِئي َسَّل لاَّ ِإ ْ َلأ ْع َضا ُءرَ َح َض

h

̇

ad

̇

ara l-

a



d

̇

a ̄

u

illa ̄ r-ra

ı

• sa. (All) the members came except the

president.

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Exception