Talk:أميرة
Initial hamza[edit]
These are not typos or errors. Initial hamzas are usually not written in texts, except for a few minor exceptions (such as أو). In dictionaries and encyclopedias intended for use by native Arabs, the hamzas are written because it is the strict spelling, and native speakers know how and when to add them when they want to look up a word. This is English Wiktionary, and our Arabic entries are intended for native English speakers, very few of whom know how or when to add these hamzas. Most of the Arabic words an English speaker will want to look up will be words he finds in regular texts which will usually not have the hamza. We have decided therefore that for our purposes, we will use the common spellings without initial hamza, and add a redirect from the spelling with hamza.
We may allow you to move these to the strict spellings, but (1) do not insult those who have added these normal spellings which are perfectly correct; (2) be sure that you always have redirects from the spelling without hamzas so that those who do not know Arabic well can find words; and be sure that you check "What links here" for each of the words that you move and fix all of the pages that link to the spelling without initial hamza. —Stephen 08:59, 22 June 2009 (UTC)