{"id":14316,"date":"2017-05-17T22:27:58","date_gmt":"2017-05-17T22:27:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/?p=14316"},"modified":"2017-05-19T21:38:59","modified_gmt":"2017-05-19T21:38:59","slug":"arabic-verb-forms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/arabic\/arabic-verb-forms\/","title":{"rendered":"Arabic Verb Forms [Simple vs. Complex]"},"content":{"rendered":"

The basic verb in Arabic cannot be bi-consonantal. It must be composed of three, four, five, or six consonants. Looking at the Arabic dictionary, the bulk of verbs is tri-consonantal. These three consonants are ineliminable, for they are integral to verb meaning. Is this the reason it is called simple <\/em>\u0645\u064f\u0640\u062c\u064e\u0631\u0651\u064e\u062f<\/strong>? Exactly! Let\u2019s look at this in more detail, shall we?<\/p>\n

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Figure 1<\/p><\/div>\n

Take the word \u0643\u064e\u062a\u064e\u0628\u064e<\/strong> whose basic meaning is to write. <\/em>Dropping any of its component letters renders it meaningless. Neither \u0643\u064e\u062a\u064e<\/strong>, \u062a\u064e\u0628\u064e<\/strong>, nor \u0643\u064e\u0628\u064e<\/strong> has meaning. Conversely, the word \u0643\u064e\u062a\u0651\u064e\u0628\u064e<\/strong> \u2018to cause to write\u2019 is decomposable. That is, if we eliminate one of its component letters, namely the \u062a\u0652<\/strong>, it retains its basic meaning. To illustrate further, in the word \u062a\u064e\u0643\u064e\u0627\u062a\u064e\u0628\u064e<\/strong> \u2018to write to each other\u2019 two letters are eliminable, i.e. the first \u062a\u064e<\/strong> and the \u0627<\/strong>, yet the remainder word preserve the basic meaning. So, what generalizations can we make from this brief analysis?<\/p>\n

The compositionally unanalyzable verbs are called simple<\/em> \u0645\u064f\u0640\u062c\u064e\u0631\u0651\u064e\u062f<\/strong>; the decomposable are called complex<\/em>\u0645\u064e\u0640\u0632\u0650\u064a\u0652\u062f <\/strong>. They are both lexically (at the word level) and semantically (i.e. meaning-wise), and grammatically different. Lexically, simple <\/em>are tri-consonantal and unanalyzable, whereas complex <\/em>comprise four to six letters; as well, they are always derived from simple<\/em> through affixes (i.e. additional letters). Semantically, the basic meaning of complex <\/em>comes from the simple<\/em>, and additional complexity in meaning comes from the affixes which also affect the grammatical structure of sentences. So, \u201chow do we know these letters?\u201d, you may ask.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, these letters are predefined. They are called \u062d\u064f\u0631\u064f\u0648\u0652\u0641\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0632\u0651\u0650\u064a\u064e\u0627\u062f\u064e\u0629 <\/strong>\u2018letters of addition.\u2019 They are combined in the phrase \u201c\u0647\u0646\u0627\u0621 \u0648\u062a\u0633\u0644\u064a\u0645<\/strong>\u201d; i.e., they are \u0647\u0640<\/strong>, \u0646<\/strong>, \u0627<\/strong>, \u0621<\/strong>, \u0648<\/strong>, \u062a<\/strong>, \u0633<\/strong>, \u0644<\/strong>, \u064a<\/strong>, \u0645<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Except for a few rarely used quadri-consonantal (i.e. of four consonants), simple <\/em>verbs, which are always in the basic past form, are generally tri-consonantal, as in Figure 1. To form complex<\/em> verbs, letters of addition are added to beginning or middle of the simple<\/em> verb, as highlighted in Figure 1.<\/p>\n

Essentially, the addition can be one letter, two letters, or three letters. Each type of addition has semantic and, in a few cases, grammatical effects. How?<\/p>\n

One-letter Addition:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The one-addition can be one of three: adding \u0623<\/strong>, \u0634\u064e\u062f\u0651\u064e\u0629<\/strong> , or \u0627<\/strong> , as in Figure 2. Each of them has multiple meanings and functions, but I am citing the most common here. The \u0623<\/strong> changes the verb from intransitive (i.e. needs no object) to transitive (i.e. needs an object). Similarly, the \u0634\u064e\u062f\u0651\u064e\u0629<\/strong> changes the verb from intransitive to transitive; as well, it means the actions is done multiple times (i.e. exaggeration in doing the action). The \u0627<\/strong> means the action is done by two parties, i.e. you do something to someone, and he does the same in return.<\/p>\n

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Figure 2<\/p><\/div>\n

Two-letter Addition:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The two-letter addition can be one of four: adding\u00a0\u0627<\/strong> \u00a0and\u00a0\u0646<\/strong>,\u00a0\u0627<\/strong> \u00a0and\u00a0\u062a<\/strong>, \u062a<\/strong> \u00a0and \u0627, and\u00a0\u062a<\/strong> \u00a0and\u00a0\u0634\u064e\u062f\u0651\u064e\u0629<\/strong>, as in Figure 3. Among others, these additions most commonly have the following meanings and functions. As for \u0627\u0646\u0640<\/strong>, it changes the verb from transitive to intransitive. \u0627<\/strong> and \u062a<\/strong> indicates participation and willingness in doing an action. Similarly, \u062a<\/strong> and \u0627 <\/strong>signifies, besides participation, willingness in doing an action. As to \u062a <\/strong>and \u0634\u064e\u062f\u0651\u064e\u0629<\/strong>, it indicates the desire and perseverance for achieving an action.<\/p>\n

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Figure 3<\/p><\/div>\n

Three-letter Addition:<\/strong><\/p>\n

The three-letter addition can be one of four, but owing to time and space, I focus on the most common\u2014adding \u0627\u0633\u062a\u0640 <\/strong>to the start of the simple<\/em> verb, as in Figure 4. This addition indicates request to do an action (i.e. the action of the verb to which it is added).<\/p>\n

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Figure 4<\/p><\/div>\n

Now, let\u2019s have example sentences for each of the additions above.<\/p>\n