Arabic: An Essential Grammar

10.8 There are also two other feminine endings. They form diptotes

like the words in paragraph 10.5:

(a) fath

̇

ah +

alif + hamzah (ـا ُء.َ .. ...a ̄

u), e.g.

Note: See the discussion of the independent hamzah after

alif in

chapter 20.

(b) fath

̇

ah +

alif maqs

̇

u ̄rah (ـى.َ .. ...a ̄), e.g.

Note: If a word ends in suku ̄n and is followed by another word beginning

with hamzatu al-was

̇

li (was

̇

lah), the suku ̄n is changed to kasrah. This is

to avoid three consonants occurring after each other. For example, the

verb َو َق َع ْت /waqa



at/ in number 1 in the exercise below is changed to

َو َق َع ِت ْلـ... /waqa



ati l-.../.

Exercises

Practise your reading:

1

ُةَأْرَمـْل ِتَعَقَو

2

. ُةَضيِرَمـْل

(1) waqa



ati l-mar

atu l-marı

• d
  ̇

atu.

2

The sick woman

1

fell over.

1

َمَدَه

2

َقوـ ُّ سـل ُلِماَعـْل

3

/ َةَميِدـَقْل

3

. َميِدـَقْل

(2) hadama l-



a ̄milu s-su ̄qa l-qadı-mata / l-qadı-ma.

2

The worker

1

pulled down

3

the old market (m. or f.).

1

ُبْ َلأ ىَرَتْشِإ

2

ًةـَجاـَجَد

3

. ًةـَنـيـِمـَس

(3)

isˇtara ̄ l-

abu dag ̆a ̄g ̆atan samı

• natan.
  The father
  1
  bought
  3
  a fat
  2
  chicken.

1

ْتـَلَخَد

2

ٌةَبْلَك

3

ًةَياَنِب

4

. ًةـَعـِساَو

(4) dah

̆

alat kalbatun bina ̄yatan wa ̄si



atan.

2

A dog (f.)

1

entered

4

a big

3

building.

Feminine Masculine

َح ْم َقـا ُء h

̇

amqa ̄

u, stupid َأ ْح َم ُق

ah

̇

maqu

َح ْم َرا ُء h

̇

amra ̄

u, re d َأ ْحـ َمـ ُر

ah

̇

maru

Feminine Masculine

َعـ ْط َشى^



at

̇

sˇa ̄, thirsty َعـ ْط َشـا ُن



at

̇

sˇa ̄nu

ُكـ ْبـ َرى kubra ̄, bigger َأ ْكـ َبـ ُر^

akbaru

Gender

48