The definite article "the" in Arabic is complicated and takes time to learn. However, there are some tricks which make it easier, especially if you are a little bit familiar with linguistics.
In essence, there are two definite articles in Arabic which follow a "sound-based" rule, just like the rules for "a" and "an" (the indefinite article) in English.
Rule 1: If the first letter of the word starts with a letter where your tongue touches your teeth, then that letter is doubled. This is the definite article.
Rule 2: If the first letter of the word starts with a letter where your tongue does not touch your teeth, then the letter "L" is added to the beginning. This is the definite article.
Doubled first letter definite articles:
r-rajul the man The letter "r" is pronounced as a flap like in Spanish. The closest sound is the English "tt" in "kitty" or "betty." Since your tongue strikes the roof of the mouth near the teeth, the definite article for the word rajul is doubling. This "r-r" sound sounds like the long, trilled r in Spanish "carro."
sh-shams the sun The letter "sh" has your tongue touching right near the teeth at the roof of the mouth. So the word shams has a doubled first letter as the definite article. This sounds like saying a long "Sh!" to hush someone before saying the word for sun.
Ț-țaalib the student The Arabic letter ț, which is called "dark t" by some linguists, as opposed to "normal" or "light" t, is made by pressing the front of your tongue against the teeth to make a "t" sound, while the back of your tongue is trying to make a "ng" sound. This is called "velarisation" in linguistics because the place where the tongue makes the letter "ng" is called the "velum" in linguistics. "Dark" letters all have the tongue making a silent letter "ng" while saying the letter with the front of the tongue, and that changes the vowels which come after them to a "color" which is called "dark" by Arabic linguistics. The dark letters are:
"ngta" T (capital T)
"ngza" Z (capital Z)
"ngsa" S (capital S)
"ngda" D (capital D)
A comparison of dark and light sounds:
An English word is given with the vowel sound of the Arabic combination. Remember to use the back of your tongue to make a silent "ng" while using the front of the tongue to make the dark letters.
Dark Light
Taa "tall" taa "tad"
Zaa "zog" zaa "Zack"
Saa "saw" saa "sad"
Daa "doll" daa "dad"
Since dark T has the tongue near the teeth, the definite article for the word Taalib student is doubling. T-Taalib. The doubled "T" will be silent and will be noticed by the space between it and the previous word, while your tongue holds the silent "T" for one beat.
THESE FOUR DARK LETTERS ALL TAKE DOUBLING as the definite article.
d-dolaar the dollar The word dolaar has the tongue pressed against the teeth making a "Light" "d" sound so saying "the dollar" requires doubling.
s-safiir the ambassador The word safiir has the tongue near the teeth making a "Light" "s" sound, so saying "the ambassador" requires doubling.
Now let's look at the "L" type definite article.
L-kitaab the book The letter "k" has the front of the tongue doing nothing. It is nowhere near the teeth, so the definite article for kitaab is the letter "L".
L-mamlak the kingdom The letter "m" has the front of the tongue doing nothing. The lips are used to make the "m" sound, so the definite article for the word mamlak is "L."
L-bank the bank The letter "b," like the letter "m," uses the lips, not the tongue. So the definite article for the word bank is "L."
Exceptional:
the letter j, even though it is made with the tongue near the teeth, does NOT take doubling and uses the letter "L" instead. This must simply be memorized as it makes no sense.
L-jumla the sentence
L-jamiil the beautiful (one)
L-jizaa'ir Algeria, Algiers
L-jaziira the island
Helping vowel:
To make the definite article, whether it is doubling or "L," easier to say, a "helping" vowel is added at the beginning of a sentence or phrase.
In Standard Schoolbook Arabic, the helping vowel is "a". Al-Jaziira
In Egyptian Arabic, the helping vowel is "i". Il-Jaziira
In the Israel/Palestine area, the helping vowel is "e". El-Jaziira
Because Westerners rarely speak Arabic and don't know the difference, all three of these forms of the definite article are found in the English press, in English books and magazines, and in English daily conversation.
Here are some Arabic words in English and other languages:
(a)L-kuhul -> alcohol
(a)s-sukkar Spanish azucar (sugar)
and many other words starting with "al."
In essence, there are two definite articles in Arabic which follow a "sound-based" rule, just like the rules for "a" and "an" (the indefinite article) in English.
Rule 1: If the first letter of the word starts with a letter where your tongue touches your teeth, then that letter is doubled. This is the definite article.
Rule 2: If the first letter of the word starts with a letter where your tongue does not touch your teeth, then the letter "L" is added to the beginning. This is the definite article.
Doubled first letter definite articles:
r-rajul the man The letter "r" is pronounced as a flap like in Spanish. The closest sound is the English "tt" in "kitty" or "betty." Since your tongue strikes the roof of the mouth near the teeth, the definite article for the word rajul is doubling. This "r-r" sound sounds like the long, trilled r in Spanish "carro."
sh-shams the sun The letter "sh" has your tongue touching right near the teeth at the roof of the mouth. So the word shams has a doubled first letter as the definite article. This sounds like saying a long "Sh!" to hush someone before saying the word for sun.
Ț-țaalib the student The Arabic letter ț, which is called "dark t" by some linguists, as opposed to "normal" or "light" t, is made by pressing the front of your tongue against the teeth to make a "t" sound, while the back of your tongue is trying to make a "ng" sound. This is called "velarisation" in linguistics because the place where the tongue makes the letter "ng" is called the "velum" in linguistics. "Dark" letters all have the tongue making a silent letter "ng" while saying the letter with the front of the tongue, and that changes the vowels which come after them to a "color" which is called "dark" by Arabic linguistics. The dark letters are:
"ngta" T (capital T)
"ngza" Z (capital Z)
"ngsa" S (capital S)
"ngda" D (capital D)
A comparison of dark and light sounds:
An English word is given with the vowel sound of the Arabic combination. Remember to use the back of your tongue to make a silent "ng" while using the front of the tongue to make the dark letters.
Dark Light
Taa "tall" taa "tad"
Zaa "zog" zaa "Zack"
Saa "saw" saa "sad"
Daa "doll" daa "dad"
Since dark T has the tongue near the teeth, the definite article for the word Taalib student is doubling. T-Taalib. The doubled "T" will be silent and will be noticed by the space between it and the previous word, while your tongue holds the silent "T" for one beat.
THESE FOUR DARK LETTERS ALL TAKE DOUBLING as the definite article.
d-dolaar the dollar The word dolaar has the tongue pressed against the teeth making a "Light" "d" sound so saying "the dollar" requires doubling.
s-safiir the ambassador The word safiir has the tongue near the teeth making a "Light" "s" sound, so saying "the ambassador" requires doubling.
Now let's look at the "L" type definite article.
L-kitaab the book The letter "k" has the front of the tongue doing nothing. It is nowhere near the teeth, so the definite article for kitaab is the letter "L".
L-mamlak the kingdom The letter "m" has the front of the tongue doing nothing. The lips are used to make the "m" sound, so the definite article for the word mamlak is "L."
L-bank the bank The letter "b," like the letter "m," uses the lips, not the tongue. So the definite article for the word bank is "L."
Exceptional:
the letter j, even though it is made with the tongue near the teeth, does NOT take doubling and uses the letter "L" instead. This must simply be memorized as it makes no sense.
L-jumla the sentence
L-jamiil the beautiful (one)
L-jizaa'ir Algeria, Algiers
L-jaziira the island
Helping vowel:
To make the definite article, whether it is doubling or "L," easier to say, a "helping" vowel is added at the beginning of a sentence or phrase.
In Standard Schoolbook Arabic, the helping vowel is "a". Al-Jaziira
In Egyptian Arabic, the helping vowel is "i". Il-Jaziira
In the Israel/Palestine area, the helping vowel is "e". El-Jaziira
Because Westerners rarely speak Arabic and don't know the difference, all three of these forms of the definite article are found in the English press, in English books and magazines, and in English daily conversation.
Here are some Arabic words in English and other languages:
(a)L-kuhul -> alcohol
(a)s-sukkar Spanish azucar (sugar)
and many other words starting with "al."
No comments:
Post a Comment