Arabic: An Essential Grammar

(d) Sometimes the annexer can function either as genitive attribute or

logical object, e.g.

12.4 Rules concerning the

id

̇

a ̄fah construction

(a) Whether or not the first noun (the annexed) refers to something

definite or indefinite, it never takes the definite article َأْلـ...

al... or

nunation.

(b) The second noun (the annexer) is always in the genitive case.

It may take the article ...َأْلـ

al... or nunation according to its

definiteness status.

Indefinite form Definite form

ِإَل ْي ِه َأْلـ ُم َضا ُف َأْلـ ُم َضا ُف ِإَل ْي ِهَأْلـ ُم َضا ُف َأْلـ ُم َضا ُف

Annexer Annexed Annexer Annexed

contents/purpose item contents/purpose item

َق ْه َو ٍة ْلـ َق ْه َو ِة ِف ْن َجا ُننِف ْن َجا ُ

fing ̆a ̄nu qahwatin fing ̆a ̄nu l-qahwati

a cup of coffee the cup of coffee

a coffee cup the coffee cup

َع َس ٍل َشه ُر ْل َع َس ِلرَشه ُ

sˇahru



asalin sˇahru l-



asali

a honey month (honeymoon) the honey month (honeymoon)

lit. a month of honey lit. the month of honey

Indefinite form Definite form

ِإَل ْي ِه َأْلـ ُم َضا ُف َأْلـ ُم َضا ُف ِإَل ْي ِهَأْلـ ُم َضا ُف َأْلـ ُم َضا ُف

Annexer Annexed Annexer Annexed

connection/object person connection/object person

َش ِر َك ٍة ُم ِدي ُر ش ِر َك ِةَّ ل ُم ِدي ُر

mudı-ru sˇarikatin mudı-ru sˇ-sˇarikati

a director of a company the director of the company

a company director the company director

63

Id

̇

a ̄fah

construc-

tion, the

five nouns