ʼIʻrāb
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Arabic word ʼIʻrāb (إﻋﺮﺍﺏ, stem IV masdar of ع-ر-ب, meaning Arab or Arabic; literally "making [the word] Arabic") designates the system of nominal and adjectival suffixes of Classical Arabic. The term is cognate to the word Arab itself. These suffixes are written in fully vocalized Arabic texts, notably the Qur'an, and they are articulated when a text is formally read aloud, but they do not survive in any spoken dialect of Arabic. Even in formal Arabic, these suffixes are often not pronounced in pausa, i.e. when the word occurs at the end of the sentence, in accordance with certain rules of Arabic pronunciation. (That is, the nunation suffix -n is always dropped at the end of a sentence or line of poetry; the vowel suffix may or may not be, depending on the requirements of metre.)
Contents |
[edit] Types of declension
[edit] Fully declined nouns
The suffixes are -u, -a, -i for nominative, accusative and genitive case, respectively, with the addition of a final /n/ (nunation, or tanwīn) to produce -un, -an and -in when the word is unmarked for definiteness (that is, when it is not preceded by al-).
This system applies to most singular nouns in Arabic, including feminine nouns ending in -ah/-at (ta' marbuta). It also applies to many "broken plurals".
The final /n/ is also dropped when the noun is in iḍāfa. Thus:
Nominative (مرفوع marfūʿ; literally, "raised") :
baytun بَيتٌ : a house
al-baytu البَيتُ : the house
baytu r-rajuli بَيتُ الرَّجُلِِ : the house of the man.
Accusative (منصوب manṣūb):
baytan بَيتًا : a house
al-bayta البَيتَ : the house
bayta r-rajuli بَيتَ الرَّجُلِِ : the house of the man.
Genitive (مجرور majrūr; literally, "dragged"):
baytin بَيتٍ : a house
al-bayti البَيتِ : the house
bayti r-rajuli بَيتِ الرَّجُلِِ : the house of the man.
[edit] Diptotes (الممنوع من الصرف Al-Mamnuʻ min aṣ-Ṣarf)
A few singular nouns (including many proper names and names of places), and certain types of "broken plural", are known as diptotes (Arabic: الممنوع من الصرف, al-mamnu` min aṣ-ṣarf, literally meaning both "those forbidden purity" and "those forbidden case endings", as the same word, ṣarf, refers to both) meaning that they only have two case endings (Greek ptosis, case).
When the noun is indefinite, or in iḍāfa, the endings are respectively -u, -a and -a, with no nunation. The genitive reverts to the normal -i when the definite article precedes.
[edit] Duals (المثنى Al-Muṯannā)
The endings of the dual are -āni in the nominative, and -ayni in the accusative and genitive. The "ni" is dropped in iḍāfa.
Nominative:
wālidāni: (two) parents
al-wālidāni: the (two) parents
wālidā'r-rajuli: the parents of the man
Accusative and genitive:
wālidayni: (two) parents
al-wālidayni: the (two) parents
wāliday'r-rajuli: the parents of the man.
[edit] Sound masculine plurals (الجمع مذكّر سالم Al-Ǧamʻ al-Muḏakkar Sālim)
In the case of sound masculine plurals (mostly denoting male human beings), the suffixes are respectively -ūna, -īna and -īna. These stay the same whether or not al- precedes. The final a is usually dropped in speech.
The "na" is dropped when the noun is in iḍāfa. Thus:
Nominative:
wālidūna: parents (more than two)
al-wālidūna: the parents
wālidū'r-rijāli: the parents of the men
Accusative and genitive:
wālidīna: parents
al-wālidīna: the parents
wālidī'r-rijāli: the parents of the men
[edit] Sound feminine plurals (الجمع مؤنث سالم Al-Ǧamʻ al-Mu'annath Sālim)
In the case of sound feminine plurals, the suffixes are respectively -ātu(n), -āti(n) and -āti(n). The n is only there when the noun is indefinite (not preceded by al-). Again the final vowel is dropped in speech, leaving only -āt.
The final "n" is dropped when the noun is in iḍāfa.
Nominative:
mudarrisātun: (female) teachers
al-mudarrisātu: the teachers
mudarrisātu'l-awlādi: the teachers of the children
Accusative and genitive:
mudarrisātin: (female) teachers
al-mudarrisāti: the teachers
mudarrisāti'l-awlādi: the teachers of the children
[edit] Sentence structure
A noun's case depends on the role that the noun plays in the sentence. There are multiple sentence structures in Arabic, each of which demands different case endings for the roles in the sentence. "Subject" does not always correspond to "nominative", nor does "object" always correspond to "accusative".
[edit] Verbal Sentences (جملة فعلية Ǧumla fiʻliyya)
In a verbal sentence (جملة فعلية ǧumla fiʻliyya), there is Verb Subject Object word order. This is the preferred word order of Arabic.
In a verbal sentence, the subject takes nominative case and the object takes accusative case. Such a sentence ("This writer wrote the book") would be formed as follows (read from right to left):
| Verbal Sentence | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| grammatical role | Object | Subject | Verb |
| Arabic label | مفعول به mafʻūl bihi |
فاعل fāʻil |
فعل fiʻil |
| case | accusative | nominative | (verb) |
| example | الكتابَ al-kitāb(a) (the book) |
هذا الكاتبُ hāḏā al-kātibu (this writer) |
كتب Kataba (wrote) |
[edit] Nominal Sentences (جملة اسمية Ǧumla ismiyya)
In a nominal sentence (جملة اسمية ǧumla ismiyya), there is Subject Verb Object word order.
[edit] Equations (no verb)
If the verb would be "is" (that is, the predicate merely attributes something to the subject -- see Predicative (adjectival or nominal)), then there is no verb used. Both the subject and the predicate take nominative case when there is no overt verb. Such a sentence ("This writer is famous") is formed as follows (read from right to left):
| Nominal Sentence without Verb | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| grammatical role | Object | (no verb) | Subject |
| Arabic label | خبر ḫabar |
(no verb) | مبتدأ mubtada' |
| case | nominative | (no verb) | nominative |
| example | مشهورٌ mašhūrun (famous) |
(no verb) | هذا الكاتبُ Hāḏā al-kātibu (this writer) |
[edit] Overt Verb
If there is an overt verb, the subject takes nominative and the predicate takes accusative. Such a sentence ("This writer wrote the book") is formed as follows (read from right to left):
| Nominal Sentence with Verb | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| grammatical role | Object | Verb | Subject |
| Arabic label | خبر ḫabar |
فعل fiʻil |
مبتدأ mubtada' |
| case | accusative | (verb) | nominative |
| example | الكتابَ al-kitāb(a) (the book) |
كتب kataba (wrote) |
هذا الكاتبُ Hāḏā al-kātibu (this writer) |
[edit] With Sisters of 'Inna (أخوات إنّ Aḫawāt 'inna)
There is a class of words in Arabic called the "sisters of 'inna" (أخوات إنّ aḫawāt 'inna) that are cognates/derivatives of أنّ ("that"). Among them are:
- إنّ 'inna (particle for emphasis, close to "it is the case that")
- أنّ 'anna ("that")
- ولكنّ walākinna ("but")
- لأنّ li'anna ("because")
- كأنّ ka'anna ("as if", "as though")
If one of the sisters of إنّ begins a clause, then the subject takes accusative case instead of nominative.
Such a sentence using the particle إنّ ("Verily, this writer wrote the book") would be formed as follows (read from right to left):
| Nominal Sentence with Verb with إنّ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| grammatical role | Object | Verb | Subject | Sister of 'Inna |
| Arabic label | خبر ḫabar |
فعل fiʻil |
مبتدأ mubtada' |
أخت إنّ 'uḫt 'inna |
| case | accusative | (verb) | accusative | (sister of 'inna) |
| example | الكتابَ al-kitāb(a) (the book) |
كتب kataba (wrote) |
هذا الكاتبَ hāḏā al-kātiba (this writer) |
ّإن 'Inna (verily) |
Note that although there was an overt verb in the above example, a nominal sentence without an overt verb will also have its subject take accusative case because of the introduction of one of 'inna's sisters. (The predicate of an equation is unaffected and will remain in the nominative.)
Consider the following example ("Verily, this writer is famous"):
| Nominal Sentence without Verb with إنّ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| grammatical role | Object | (no verb) | Subject | Sister of 'Inna |
| Arabic label | خبر ḫabar |
(no verb) | مبتدأ mubtada' |
أخت إنّ 'uḫt 'inna |
| case | nominative | (no verb) | accusative | (sister of 'inna) |
| example | مشهورٌ mašhūrun (famous) |
(no verb) | هذا الكاتبَ hāḏā al-kātiba (this writer) |
إنّ 'Inna (verily) |
[edit] With Sisters of Kāna (أخوات كان Aḫawāt kāna)
The verb kāna (كان) and its sisters form a class of 12 verbs that mark the time/duration of actions, states, and events.
Sentences that use these verbs are considered to be a type of nominal sentence according to Arabic grammar, not a type of verbal sentence. Although the word order may seem to be Verb Subject Object when there is no other verb in the sentence, note that it is possible to have a sentence in which the order is Sister-of-Kāna Subject Verb Object. Such a non-equation sentence clearly shows Subject Verb Object word order.
Among the sisters of kāna are:
- كان kāna ("was")
- ليس laysa ("not")
- ما زال ma zāla ("still"; literally, "has not ceased to be")
- أصبح 'aṣbaḥa ("to reach a state")
- ظلّ ẓalla ("to remain")
If one of the sisters of كان begins a clause, then the subject takes nominative case and the object takes accusative case. (Note that because of this, Arabic contrasts [The man]NOM is [a doctor]NOM in the present tense with [The man]NOM was [a doctor]ACC in the past tense.)
Such a sentence using the verb كان ("This writer was famous") would be formed as follows (read from right to left):
| Nominal Sentence with كان | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| grammatical role | Object | (no verb) | Subject | Sister of Kāna |
| Arabic label | خبر ḫabar |
(no verb) | اسم ism |
أخت كان 'uḫt kāna |
| case | accusative | (no verb) | nominative | (sister of kāna) |
| example | مشهوراً mašhūran (famous) |
(no verb) | هذا الكاتبُ hāḏā al-kātibu (this writer) |
كان Kāna (was) |
In a sentence with an explicit verb, the sister of kāna marks aspect for the actual verb. A sentence like كان الكاتب يكتب الكتاب (was the.writer he.writes the.book, "the writer was writing the book"), for instance, has both a main verb (يكتب) and a sister of kāna that indicates the non-completed aspect of the main verb.
[edit] Verbs
The imperfective tense of the verb also has suffixed vowels, which determine the mood of the verb. Thus:
- yaktubu, indicative (مرفوع marfuʿ), means "he writes" or "he will write";
- yaktuba, subjunctive (منصوب manṣub), is used in phrases such as "so that he should write";
- yaktub, jussive (مجزوم majzum, literally meaning "clipped off"), means "let him write". This can become yaktubi when required for euphony, e.g. when followed by two consonants.
Traditional Arab grammarians equated the indicative with the nominative of nouns, the subjunctive with the accusative and the jussive with the genitive, as indicated by their names (the only pair that is not borne out in the name is the jussive-genitive pair, probably because the -i vowel is usually dropped). It is not known whether there is a genuine historical connection or whether the resemblance is mere coincidence, caused by the fact that these are the only three short vowels available.
[edit] References
- Brustad et al., A Textbook for Arabic: Part Two: Washington, DC 1997, ISBN 0-87840-350-7
- Haywood and Nahmad, A new Arabic grammar: London 1965, ISBN 0 85331 585 X
- Aryeh Levin, "The Fundamental Principles of the Arab Grammarians' Theory of `amal", in: Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam 19 (1995), pp. 214-232.
- John Mace, Arabic Grammar: A Reference Guide: Edinburgh 2002, ISBN 0 7486 1079 0
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
