ء

Root entry · 15 derived lemmas

This entry discusses the Arabic letter alif (ا), distinguishing between the soft alif (letter) and the hamza (glottal stop). It clarifies that the alif as a letter of extension and lenition cannot be vocalized, a point of consensus among grammarians. The discussion also touches upon alifs that are not original but are transformations of waw or ya.

Derived headwords

ألفnoun

1.
alif (letter)both
The first letter of the Arabic alphabet, characterized as a letter of extension and lenition.
2.
hamzaboth
A vocalized alif, specifically referring to the glottal stop sound.

ذكرverb

1.
to mentionboth
To bring to mind or state something.

قالverb

1.
to sayboth
To utter words or express something.

نظرverb

1.
to considerboth
To think about something carefully.

كفىverb

1.
to sufficeboth
To be enough or adequate.

تأملverb

1.
to ponderboth
To think deeply about something.

ضربverb

1.
to strikeboth
To hit or beat something.
2.
to classifyclassical
To divide into categories or types.

سمىverb

1.
to nameboth
To give a name to something or someone.

انقلبverb

1.
to be transformedboth
To change from one state or form to another.

بنيverb

1.
to be builtboth
To be constructed or established.

أفردverb

1.
to single outboth
To choose or treat someone or something as special or distinct.

اجتماعnoun

1.
gatheringboth
The act of coming together or assembling.
2.
consensusclassical
General agreement.

حرفnoun

1.
letterboth
A character representing a sound in speech.

لينnoun

1.
lenitionclassical
The process of softening or weakening a sound.

تحريكnoun

1.
vocalizationboth
The act of adding vowels or diacritics to letters.

Parallel reading

نه ذكره في اللام مفصلا

He mentioned it in detail concerning the letter Lam.

مع أن الجوهري ذكر كلا من إذ وأولا

Even though Al-Jawhari mentioned both 'idh' and 'awwalan'.

وإنما هو نظر لما قلنا وكفى به قدوة

It is merely a consideration of what we have said, and he is sufficient as an example.

فتأمل

So ponder.

وفي الصحاح: الألف على ضربين: لينة ومتحركة

And in Al-Sihah: Alif is of two types: soft and vocalized.

فاللينة تسمى ألفا، والمتحركة تسمى همزة

So the soft one is called alif, and the vocalized one is called hamza.

وقد ذكرنا الهمزة

And we have already mentioned the hamza.

وذكرنا أيضا ما كانت الألف فيه منقلبة عن الواو أو الياء

And we also mentioned when the alif was transformed from a waw or a ya.

وهذا الباب مبني على ألفات غير منقلبات عن شيء فلهذا أفردناه

And this chapter is based on alifs that are not transformed from anything, which is why we have singled it out.

انتهى

End of quote.

وقال ابن بري: الألف التي هي أحد حروف المد واللين لا سبيل إلى تحريكها

And Ibn Barrī said: The alif, which is one of the letters of extension and lenition, cannot be vocalized.

على ذلك اجتماع النحويين

This is the consensus of the grammarians.