أي
Appearance
Arabic
[edit]Etymology 1
[edit]From Proto-Semitic *ʔayy-.
Pronunciation
[edit]Pronoun
[edit]أَيّ • (ʔayy) m or f
- which ...? what ...? what kind of ...? (followed by a noun in the genitive or a personal suffix)
- مِنْ أَيِّ بَلَدٍ أَنْتَ؟
- min ʔayyi baladin ʔanta?
- From which country are you?
- أَيًّا مِنْ هٰذِهِ الْأَلْعَابِ تُفَضِّلُ؟
- ʔayyan min hāḏihi l-ʔalʕābi tufaḍḍilu?
- Which of these games do you prefer?
- whichever
- أَيَّ كِتَابٍ تَقْرَأْ يُفِدْكَ
- ʔayya kitābin taqraʔ yufidka
- Whichever book you read, it'll benefit you.
- any
- زُرْنِي فِي أَيِّ وَقْتٍ ― zurnī fī ʔayyi waqtin ― Visit me at any time.
Usage notes
[edit]- While أَيّ (ʔayy) can be used with masculine as well as feminine nouns, the form أَيَّة (ʔayya) is exclusively used with feminine nouns. Additionally, when used interrogatively by itself, it fully conjugates for dual and sound masculine and feminine plurals:
- قُلْتُ لَهُ: لَقْدْ رَأَيْتُ طِفْلَتَيْنِ. سَأَلَ: أَيَّتَيْنِ؟
- qultu lahu: laqd raʔaytu ṭiflatayni. saʔala: ʔayyatayni?
- I told him «I saw two girls». He asked: «Which two [girls]?»
Declension
[edit]singular | basic singular triptote | ||
---|---|---|---|
indefinite | definite | construct | |
informal | أَيّ ʔayy |
— | أَيّ ʔayy |
nominative | أَيٌّ ʔayyun |
— | أَيُّ ʔayyu |
accusative | أَيًّا ʔayyan |
— | أَيَّ ʔayya |
genitive | أَيٍّ ʔayyin |
— | أَيِّ ʔayyi |
Derived terms
[edit]Etymology 2
[edit]Most probably from Middle Persian ʾy (ay, “that is to say”). Compare Persian ای (ay, “that is to say”).
Pronunciation
[edit]Conjunction
[edit]أَيْ • (ʔay)
References
[edit]- Haywood, J.A., Nahmad, H.M. (1965) “أي”, in A new Arabic grammar, 2nd edition, London: Lund Humphries, →ISBN
Moroccan Arabic
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]Determiner
[edit]أي • (ʔayy)
South Levantine Arabic
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Pronunciation
[edit]Determiner
[edit]أيّ • (ʔayy)
Pronoun
[edit]أيّ • (ʔayy)
Synonyms
[edit]- أنو (ʔanū)
Categories:
- Arabic terms inherited from Proto-Semitic
- Arabic terms derived from Proto-Semitic
- Arabic 1-syllable words
- Arabic terms with IPA pronunciation
- Arabic terms with audio pronunciation
- Arabic lemmas
- Arabic pronouns
- Arabic feminine terms lacking feminine ending
- Arabic terms with usage examples
- Arabic terms with quotations
- Arabic pronouns with basic triptote singular
- Arabic terms borrowed from Middle Persian
- Arabic terms derived from Middle Persian
- Arabic conjunctions
- Arabic conjunctive adverbs
- Arabic interrogative pronouns
- Arabic jussive particles
- Moroccan Arabic terms inherited from Arabic
- Moroccan Arabic terms derived from Arabic
- Moroccan Arabic 1-syllable words
- Moroccan Arabic terms with IPA pronunciation
- Moroccan Arabic lemmas
- Moroccan Arabic determiners
- Moroccan Arabic terms with usage examples
- South Levantine Arabic terms inherited from Arabic
- South Levantine Arabic terms derived from Arabic
- South Levantine Arabic terms with IPA pronunciation
- South Levantine Arabic terms with audio pronunciation
- South Levantine Arabic lemmas
- South Levantine Arabic determiners
- South Levantine Arabic pronouns
- South Levantine Arabic interrogative pronouns
- South Levantine Arabic interrogative determiners