{"id":14025,"date":"2017-03-30T00:00:43","date_gmt":"2017-03-30T00:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/?p=14025"},"modified":"2017-03-30T13:45:09","modified_gmt":"2017-03-30T13:45:09","slug":"arabic-definiteness-formation-meaning-and-assimilation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/arabic-definiteness-formation-meaning-and-assimilation\/","title":{"rendered":"Arabic Definiteness: Formation, Meaning, and Assimilation"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Arabic<\/a>

image by \u0645\u062d\u0645\u062f \u062b\u0627\u0645\u0631 \u0645\u062d\u0645\u062f on Flickr.com<\/p><\/div>\n

Typically, nouns and adjectives in most languages are made definite by articles. \u2018the\u2019; \u2018le, la, les\u2019; \u2018die, der, des\u2019 are the definite articles in English, French, and German, respectively. In Arabic, nouns and adjectives are made definite using \u0627\u0644<\/strong> which is appended to the beginning of the word, as in these examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u0645\u064e\u062f\u0650\u064a\u0646\u064e\u0629\u064c<\/strong><\/td>\n\u062c\u064e\u0627\u0645\u0650\u0639\u064e\u0629\u064b<\/strong><\/td>\n\u062d\u0650\u0630\u064e\u0627\u0621\u064b<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0645\u064e\u0633\u0652\u062c\u0650\u062f\u064c<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0634\u064e\u0627\u0631\u0650\u0639\u064d<\/strong><\/td>\n\u062f\u064e\u0641\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0631\u0627\u064b<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0633\u064e\u0627\u0639\u064e\u0629\u064c<\/strong><\/td>\nIndefinite<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0627\u0644\u0645\u064e\u062f\u0650\u064a\u0652\u0646\u064e\u0629\u064f<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0627\u0644\u062c\u064e\u0627\u0645\u0650\u0639\u064e\u0629\u064e<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0627\u0644\u062d\u0650\u0630\u064e\u0627\u0621\u064e<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0627\u0644\u0640\u0645\u064e\u0633\u0652\u062c\u0650\u062f\u064f<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0627\u0644\u0634\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0631\u0650\u0639\u0650<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0627\u0644\u062f\u0651\u064e\u0641\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0631\u064e<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0627\u0644\u0633\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0639\u064e\u0629\u064f<\/strong><\/td>\nDefinite<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
almadinatu<\/td>\nal-jami\u2019ata<\/td>\nal-Hitha\u2019a<\/td>\nal-masjidu<\/td>\nash-shari\u2019i<\/td>\nad-daftara<\/td>\nas-sa\u2019atu<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Typographically, we simply add \u0627\u0644<\/strong> to the beginning of the word. However, this addition can bring about a change in pronunciation. That is, the letter\/sound \/l\/<\/em> gets assimilated with certain letters. This results in classifying the letters that follow the \/l<\/em>\/ into two categories: \u2018moon letters\u2019 and \u2018sun letters\u2019. \u2018Moon letters\u2019 are those that don\u2019t cause \/l<\/em>\/ to assimilate, and \u2018sun letters\u2019 cause \/l<\/em>\/ to assimilate, as in these examples: (see the image above for a complete inventory)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\u0627\u0644\u0642\u064e\u0644\u064e\u0645\u064f<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0627\u0644\u062c\u064e\u0627\u0645\u0650\u0639\u064e\u0629\u064e<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0627\u0644\u0640\u0645\u064e\u062f\u0650\u064a\u0646\u064e\u0629\u064f<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0627\u0644\u0640\u0645\u064e\u0633\u0652\u062c\u0650\u062f\u064f<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0627\u0644\u0647\u064e\u0627\u062a\u0650\u0641\u0650<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0627\u0644\u062d\u0650\u0630\u064e\u0627\u0621\u064f<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0627\u0644\u0628\u064e\u064a\u0652\u062a\u064e<\/strong><\/td>\nmoon letters<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
al-qalamu<\/td>\nal-jami\u2019ata<\/td>\nalmadinatu<\/td>\nal-masjidu<\/td>\nal-haatifi<\/td>\nal-Hitha\u2019u<\/td>\nal-bayta<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0627\u0644\u0635\u0651\u064f\u0648\u0631\u064e\u0629\u064f<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0627\u0644\u0646\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0641\u0650\u0630\u064e\u0629\u0650<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0627\u0644\u0635\u0651\u064e\u0639\u0652\u0628\u064e\u0629\u064f<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0627\u0644\u0644\u0651\u064f\u063a\u064e\u0629\u0650<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0627\u0644\u0634\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0631\u0650\u0639\u0650<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0627\u0644\u062f\u0651\u064e\u0641\u0652\u062a\u064e\u0631\u064e<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0627\u0644\u0633\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0639\u064e\u0629\u064f<\/strong><\/td>\nsun letters<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
as-Suratu<\/td>\nannafithati<\/td>\nas-Sa\u2019batu<\/td>\nal-lughati<\/td>\nash-shar\u2019i<\/td>\nad-daftara<\/td>\nas-sa\u2019atu<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

This phenomenon is governed by the place of articulation, i.e. the point in the oral cavity where the \/l<\/em>\/ is produced. Put simply, if the letters following \u0627\u0644<\/strong> are produced in the same area of oral cavity where the sound \/l<\/em>\/ is articulated or from the adjacent area, then the \/l<\/em>\/ of \u0627\u0644<\/strong> is assimilated causing the ensuing sound to become a geminate (i.e. sound with shaddah<\/em> see this post<\/a>). On the other hand, if the letters following the \/l<\/em>\/ are produced from an area that is far from the area in which \/l<\/em>\/ is articulated, then the \/l<\/em>\/ of \u0627\u0644 does not\u00a0assimilate to the subsequent letters\/sounds, as in the above \u00ad\u00adexamples. More specifically, in the word \u0627\u0644\u0633\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0639\u064e\u0629\u064f<\/strong>, the \/l<\/em>\/ is not pronounced; instead, the \u0633<\/strong> becomes a geminate. Conversely, in the word \u0627\u0644\u0628\u064e\u064a\u0652\u062a\u064e<\/strong>, the \/l<\/em>\/ is\u00a0pronounced clearly.<\/p>\n

In addition to the change in pronunciation, \u0627\u0644<\/strong> induces a grammatical change. Since it marks definiteness, the twaneen<\/em>, which marks indefiniteness, is supplanted with the corresponding diacritical mark. That is, instead of tanween al-fatH<\/em>, a fatHah <\/em>is added to the end the noun and\/or adjective, kasrah\u00a0<\/em>for tanween al-kasr<\/em>, and dhammah <\/em>for tanween<\/em> \u00adal-dhamm<\/em>, as in the first set of examples above. It is worth noting that if you stop on final sound of a word neither of the three diacritical marks is articulated. That is called waqf<\/em>, which is represented by a sukoon<\/em>. Thus, \u0627\u0644\u0633\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0639\u064e\u0629\u064f<\/strong> \/as-sa\u2019atu\/ is pronounced as \u0627\u0644\u0633\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0639\u064e\u0629\u0652<\/strong> \/as-sa\u2019ah\/.<\/p>\n

Now, let\u2019s put we just learned into practice.<\/p>\n

a) make the following indefinite words definite adding the necessary changes, and try articulating them loudly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
\u00a0\u0637\u064e\u0627\u0644\u0650\u0628\u064c<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0646\u064e\u0627\u0641\u0650\u0630\u064e\u0629\u064d<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0628\u064e\u0627\u0628\u0627\u064b<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0632\u064e\u0648\u0652\u062c\u064e\u0629\u064c<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0631\u064e\u062c\u064f\u0644\u064d<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0645\u0650\u0646\u0652\u062f\u0650\u064a\u0644\u064d<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0635\u064e\u062d\u0652\u0646\u064c<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0648\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0642\u064e\u0629\u064b<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0643\u064e\u0644\u0652\u0628\u064d<\/strong><\/td>\n\u062a\u064e\u0645\u0652\u0631\u064c<\/strong><\/td>\n\u062f\u064e\u0648\u064e\u0627\u0621\u064d<\/strong><\/td>\n\u062e\u064f\u0628\u0652\u0632\u0627\u064b<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0648\u064e\u0631\u0652\u062f\u064c<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0639\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0646\u064d<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0644\u064e\u0640\u062d\u0652\u0645\u064c<\/strong><\/td>\n\u0623\u064e\u0628\u064c<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

b) having added \u0627\u0644<\/strong> to the above words, now classify them according to whether or not \/l<\/em>\/ of al-<\/em> is assimilated under two columns \u201cletters of the moon\u201d and \u201cletters of sun\u201d.<\/p>\n

c) complete the sentences with the correct form of the word in brackets (i.e. adding tanween<\/em> and al-<\/em> suitably, context gives hint of what to use). Answers will be given and explain in the next post.<\/p>\n

(\u0623)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u064a\u064e\u0633\u0652\u0643\u064f\u0646\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0631\u0651\u064e\u062c\u064f\u0644\u064f \u0641\u064a ……….. . …………..\u00a0 \u0635\u064e\u063a\u0650\u064a\u0631\u064c \u0644\u064e\u0643\u0650\u0646\u0651\u064e\u0647 \u062c\u064e\u0645\u0650\u064a\u0644\u064c. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (\u0628\u064e\u064a\u0652\u062a)<\/strong><\/p>\n

(\u0628) \u00a0 \u062a\u064e\u0623\u0643\u064f\u0644\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0628\u0650\u0646\u0652\u062a\u064f ………… \u0648\u062a\u064e\u0634\u0652\u0631\u064e\u0628\u064f ………….. . \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 …………. \u0644\u064e\u0630\u0650\u064a\u0652\u0630\u064e\u0629\u064c \u0648 ……….. \u0628\u064e\u0627\u0631\u0650\u062f\u064c. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (\u062a\u064f\u0641\u064e\u0627\u062d\u064e\u0629\u00a0 \u060c\u00a0 \u0645\u064e\u0627\u0621)<\/strong><\/p>\n

(\u062c) \u00a0 \u0647\u064e\u0630\u0650\u0647\u0650 …………… \u0648\u064e\u0647\u064e\u0630\u0627 ………….. . \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ……….. \u0643\u064e\u0628\u0650\u064a\u0652\u0631\u064e\u0629\u064c \u0648 …………. \u0635\u064e\u063a\u0650\u064a\u0631\u064c. \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (\u0645\u064e\u0644\u0652\u0639\u064e\u0642\u064e\u0629\u00a0 \u060c\u00a0 \u0635\u064e\u062d\u0652\u0646)<\/strong><\/p>\n

(\u062f) \u00a0\u00a0 \u0643\u064e\u062a\u064e\u0628\u0652\u062a\u064f \u0628\u0640 ……………. \u0639\u064e\u0644\u064e\u0649\u00a0 …………….. . \u00a0 …………. \u0623\u064e\u062d\u0652\u0645\u064e\u0631 \u0648 …………… \u0628\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0636\u064e\u0627\u0621. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (\u0642\u064e\u0644\u064e\u0645\u00a0 \u060c\u00a0 \u0648\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0642\u064e\u0629)<\/strong><\/p>\n

(\u0647) \u00a0\u00a0 \u0639\u0650\u0646\u0650\u062f\u0650\u064a …………… \u062c\u064e\u062f\u0650\u064a\u0652\u062f\u064e\u0629\u064c . \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ……………… \u0623\u064e\u0644\u0652\u0640\u0645\u064e\u0627\u0646\u0650\u064a\u0651\u064e\u0629. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 (\u0633\u064e\u064a\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0631\u064e\u0629)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Another aspect of \u0627\u0644\u00a0<\/strong>that is worth noting is that it is fully or partially assimilated in connected speech. That is, with \u2018the letters of the moon\u2019 the alif<\/em> of \u0627\u0644<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>is not pronounced. With \u2018sun letters\u2019, alif\u00a0<\/em>is not pronounced but the geminate with the letter that follows is retained. This is explained in the next post.<\/p>\n

answers of exercises in the previous post<\/a>:<\/strong><\/p>\n

(a)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u0627\u0644\u0633\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0639\u064e\u0629\u064e \u060c \u0627\u0644\u0633\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0639\u064e\u0629\u0650 \u060c \u0627\u0644\u0633\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0639\u064e\u0629\u064c<\/p>\n

\u0627\u0644\u062f\u0651\u064e\u0641\u062a\u064e\u0631\u064e \u060c \u0627\u0644\u062f\u0651\u064e\u0641\u062a\u064e\u0631\u0650 \u060c \u0627\u0644\u062f\u0651\u064e\u0641\u062a\u064e\u0631\u064f<\/p>\n

\u0627\u0644\u0634\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0631\u0650\u0639\u064e \u060c \u0627\u0644\u0634\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0631\u0650\u0639\u0650 \u060c \u0627\u0644\u0634\u0651\u064e\u0627\u0631\u0650\u0639\u064f<\/p>\n

\u0627\u0644\u0645\u064e\u0633\u062c\u0650\u062f\u064e \u060c \u0627\u0644\u0645\u064e\u0633\u062c\u0650\u062f\u0650 \u060c \u0627\u0644\u0645\u064e\u0633\u062c\u0650\u062f\u064f<\/p>\n

\u0627\u0644\u062d\u0650\u0630\u0627\u0621\u064e \u060c \u0627\u0644\u062d\u0650\u0630\u0627\u0621\u0650 \u060c \u0627\u0644\u062d\u0650\u0630\u0627\u0621\u064f<\/p>\n

\u0627\u0644\u0647\u064e\u0627\u062a\u0650\u0641\u064e \u060c \u0627\u0644\u0647\u064e\u0627\u062a\u0650\u0641\u0650 \u060c \u0627\u0644\u0647\u064e\u0627\u062a\u0650\u0641\u064f<\/p>\n

\u0627\u0644\u0645\u064e\u062f\u0650\u064a\u0646\u064e\u0629\u064e \u060c \u0627\u0644\u0645\u064e\u062f\u0650\u064a\u0646\u064e\u0629\u0650 \u060c \u0627\u0644\u0645\u064e\u062f\u0650\u064a\u0646\u064e\u0629\u064f<\/p>\n

(b)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u0623) \u0639\u064e\u0635\u0650\u064a\u0631\u064b\u0627 because it is an object and the object get fatH tanween <\/em><\/p>\n

\u0628) \u062c\u064e\u0627\u0645\u0650\u0639\u064e\u0629\u064d \u00a0because it occurs after a preposition so it get kasr tanween <\/em><\/p>\n

\u062c) \u0643\u0650\u062a\u064e\u0627\u0628\u064c \u062c\u064e\u062f\u0650\u064a\u062f\u064c \u00a0it get dhamm tanween <\/em>because it is predicate (i.e. complement of a subject)<\/p>\n

\u062f) \u0628\u064e\u064a\u062a\u064c \u0648\u064e\u0627\u0633\u0650\u0639\u064c \u00a0as in \u062c above<\/p>\n

\u064c\u0647\u0640) \u0644\u064f\u063a\u064e\u0629 \u064c \u0635\u064e\u0639\u0628\u064e\u0629 \u00a0as in \u062c \u00a0above<\/p>\n

(c)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u0623) \u0634\u064e\u0627\u0631\u0650\u0639\u064d \u00a0 \u0628) \u0642\u064e\u0644\u064e\u0645\u064d \u00a0 \u062c) \u0645\u064e\u062f\u0650\u064a\u0646\u064e\u0629\u064c \u00a0 \u062f) \u0643\u0650\u062a\u064e\u0627\u0628\u064b\u0627 \u00a0 \u0647\u0640) \u0645\u064e\u0627\u0621\u064b<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"Arabic

Typically, nouns and adjectives in most languages are made definite by articles. \u2018the\u2019; \u2018le, la, les\u2019; \u2018die, der, des\u2019 are the definite articles in English, French, and German, respectively. In Arabic, nouns and adjectives are made definite using \u0627\u0644 which is appended to the beginning of the word, as in these examples: \u0645\u064e\u062f\u0650\u064a\u0646\u064e\u0629\u064c \u062c\u064e\u0627\u0645\u0650\u0639\u064e\u0629\u064b \u062d\u0650\u0630\u064e\u0627\u0621\u064b…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":148,"featured_media":14026,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3525,6,11,13],"tags":[3109,462554,462555,462556],"class_list":["post-14025","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arabic-language","category-grammar","category-pronunciation","category-vocabulary","tag-assimilation","tag-definiteness-arabic","tag-moon-letters","tag-sun-letters"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14025","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/148"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14025"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14025\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14071,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14025\/revisions\/14071"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14026"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14025"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14025"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14025"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}