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Declension (continued)

Irregular singular declension

The following types of stems show irregularity in their singular declension:

1. Stems ending in –a⋅t
2. Stems ending in –aw or –ay
3. Stems ending in –ȃʔ, –ȃw or –ȃy
4. Stems ending in –iy

 

1. Stems in –a⋅t

Triptotic nouns with the suffix –a⋅t do not have a terminal ʔ·alif in their written form in the absolute (nunated) naṣb declension, i.e. the ending –⋅taṋ is written {ةً} . This is because the rules of pause require dropping the ending –⋅taṋ altogether.

Example, the singular declension of the triptote noun muʕallima⋅tuṋ {مُعَلِّمةٌ} “a female teacher.”

Triptote declension
Case	State
	absolute “a teacher (fem.)”	determinate “the teacher (fem.)”	construct “the teacher of (fem.)”
Rafʕ	مُعَلِّمةٌ	اَلْمُعَلِّمةُ	مُعَلِّمةُ
	muʕallima⋅tuṋ	ʔ·al–muʕallima⋅tu	muʕallima⋅tu
Naṣb	مُعَلِّمةً	اَلْمُعَلِّمةَ	مُعَلِّمةَ
	muʕallima⋅taṋ	ʔ·al-muʕallima⋅ta	muʕallima⋅ta
Ǵarr	مُعَلِّمةٍ	اَلْمُعَلِّمةِ	مُعَلِّمةِ
	muʕallima⋅tiṋ	ʔ·al-muʕallima⋅ti	muʕallima⋅ti

 

2. Stems in –aw & –ay

The endings –aw & –ay (whether suffixes or not) change as follows in the singular declension:

–awV(ṋ) > –a(ṋ) (written {ا} )

–ayV(ṋ) > –a(ṋ) (written {ى} )

 

Example, the singular declension of the triptote noun ʕaṣaṋ {عَصًا} “a stick (fem.).”

Triptote declension
Case	State
	absolute “a stick”	determinate “the stick”	construct “the stick of”
Rafʕ	عَصًا	اَلْعَصا	عَصا
	ʕaṣaṋ	ʔ·al–ʕaṣȃ	ʕaṣȃ
Naṣb	عَصًا	اَلْعَصا	عَصا
	ʕaṣaṋ	ʔ·al-ʕaṣȃ	ʕaṣȃ
Ǵarr	عَصًا	اَلْعَصا	عَصا
	ʕaṣaṋ	ʔ·al-ʕaṣȃ	ʕaṣȃ

 

Example, the singular declension of the triptote noun maʕnaṋ {مَعْنًى} “a meaning (masc.).”

Triptote declension
Case	State
	absolute “a meaning”	determinate “the meaning”	construct “the meaning of”
Rafʕ	مَعْنًى	اَلْمَعْنَى	مَعْنَى
	maʕnaṋ	ʔ·al–maʕna·y	maʕna·y
Naṣb	مَعْنًى	اَلْمَعْنَى	مَعْنَى
	maʕnaṋ	ʔ·al-maʕna·y	maʕna·y
Ǵarr	مَعْنًى	اَلْمَعْنَى	مَعْنَى
	maʕnaṋ	ʔ·al-maʕna·y	maʕna·y

 

Example, the singular declension of the diptote noun ʕaṭša·y {عَطْشَى} “thirsty (fem.).”

Diptote declension
Case	State
	absolute “a thirsty (fem.)”	determinate “the thirsty (fem.)”	construct “the thirsty of (fem.)”
Rafʕ	عَطْشَى	اَلْعَطْشَى	عَطْشَى
	ʕaṭša·y	ʔ·al–ʕaṭša·y	ʕaṭša·y
Naṣb	عَطْشَى	اَلْعَطْشَى	عَطْشَى
	ʕaṭša·y	ʔ·al-ʕaṭša·y	ʕaṭša·y
Ǵarr	عَطْشَى	اَلْعَطْشَى	عَطْشَى
	ʕaṭša·y	ʔ·al-ʕaṭša·y	ʕaṭša·y

 

3. Stems in –ȃʔ, –ȃw & –ȃy

The endings –ȃw& –ȃy (including the suffix –ȃw) change as follows in the singular declension:

–ȃwV(ṋ) > –ȃʔV(ṋ) (written {اء} )

–ȃyV(ṋ) > –ȃʔV(ṋ) (written {اء} )

Thus, the endings –ȃw & –ȃy become identical in form to original –ȃʔ. All decline the same.

In the triptotic absolute naṣb declension of such words, there is no terminal ʔ·alif in the written form.

Example, the singular declension of the triptote noun *masāwun > masȃʔuṋ {مَساءٌ} “evening (masc.).”

Triptote declension
Case	State
	absolute “an evening “	determinate “the evening”	construct “the evening of”
Rafʕ	مَساءٌ	اَلْمَساءُ	مَساءُ
	masȃʔuṋ	ʔ·al–masȃʔu	masȃʔu
Naṣb	مَساءً	اَلْمَساءَ	مَساءَ
	masȃʔaṋ	ʔ·al-masȃʔa	masȃʔa
Ǵarr	مَساءٍ	اَلْمَساءِ	مَساءِ
	masȃʔiṋ	ʔ·al-masȃʔi	masȃʔi

 

Example, the singular declension of the diptote noun *ħamrāwu > ħamrȃʔu {حَمْراءُ} “red (fem.).”

Diptote declension
Case	State
	absolute “a red (fem.)”	determinate “the red (fem.)”	construct “the red of (fem.)”
Rafʕ	حَمْراءُ	اَلْحَمْراءُ	حَمْراءُ
	ħamrȃʔu	ʔ·al–ħamrȃʔu	ħamrȃʔu
Naṣb	حَمْراءَ	اَلْحَمْراءَ	حَمْراءَ
	ħamrȃʔa	ʔ·al-ħamrȃʔa	ħamrȃʔa
Ǵarr	حَمْراءَ	اَلْحَمْراءِ	حَمْراءِ
	ħamrȃʔa	ʔ·al-ħamrȃʔi	ħamrȃʔi

 

4. Stems in –iy

The ending –iy (whether a suffix or not) changes as follows in the singular declension:

–iyVṋ > –iṋ (written ∅)

–iyV > –i (written {ي} )

This change happens only if V has the value u or i (in the rafʕ and ǵarr cases). It does not happens if V = a (in the naṣb case).

In the diptotic declension the absolute rafʕ and ǵarr endings are irregularly changed to –iṋ (written ∅).

 

Example, the singular declension of the triptote noun *qāḍiyun > qȃḍiṋ {قاضٍ} “a judge (masc.).”

Triptote declension
Case	State
	absolute “an evening “	determinate “the evening”	construct “the evening of”
Rafʕ	قاضٍ	اَلْقاضِيْ	قاضِيْ
	qȃḍiṋ	ʔ·al–qȃḍiy	qȃḍiy
Naṣb	قاضِيًا	اَلْقاضِيَ	قاضِيَ
	qȃḍiyaṋ	ʔ·al-qȃḍiya	qȃḍiya
Ǵarr	قاضٍ	اَلْقاضِيْ	قاضِيْ
	qȃḍiṋ	ʔ·al-qȃḍiy	qȃḍiy

 

Example, the singular declension of the diptote noun *ʔafāʕiyu > ʔafȃʕiṋ {أَفاعٍ} “vipers (plur. fem.).”

Diptote declension
Case	State
	absolute “vipers”	determinate “the vipers”	construct “the vipers of”
Rafʕ	أَفاعٍ	اَلْأَفاعِيْ	أَفاعِيْ
	ʔafȃʕiṋ	ʔ·al–ʔafȃʕiy	ʔafȃʕiy
Naṣb	أَفاعِيَ	اَلْأَفاعِيَ	أَفاعِيَ
	ʔafȃʕiya	ʔ·al-ʔafȃʕiya	ʔafȃʕiya
Ǵarr	أَفاعٍ	اَلْأَفاعِيْ	أَفاعِيْ
	ʔafȃʕiṋ	ʔ·al-ʔafȃʕiy	ʔafȃʕiy

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