إلى

Arabic

Etymology 1

• Lengthened from Proto-Semitic *ʾila (“towards, nigh”), displaying some attachment of Proto-Semitic *la (“for”) used in Literary Arabic لَ (la, “for”) only before pronominal suffixes, having stood in some variation with Proto-Semitic *li (“for”) from which Arabic لِ (li, “for”). Compare عَلَى (ʕalā).
• Related to the root ء و ل (ʔ-w-l) in the sense of “returning” and to the root ء ل و (ʔ-l-w) in the sense of “striving towards but failing”.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔi.laː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aː

Preposition

إِلَى • (ʔilā)

1. to, towards
2. till, until
3. near

Inflection

Inflected forms
Base form					إِلَى (ʔilā)
Personal-pronoun- including forms	Singular		Dual	Plural
	Masculine	Feminine	Common	Masculine	Feminine
First person	إِلَيَّ (ʔilayya)		إِلَيْنَا (ʔilaynā)
Second person	إِلَيْكَ (ʔilayka)	إِلَيْكِ (ʔilayki)	إِلَيْكُمَا (ʔilaykumā)	إِلَيْكُمْ (ʔilaykum)	إِلَيْكُنَّ (ʔilaykunna)
Third person	إِلَيْهِ (ʔilayhi)	إِلَيْهَا (ʔilayhā)	إِلَيْهِمَا (ʔilayhimā)	إِلَيْهِمْ (ʔilayhim)	إِلَيْهِنَّ (ʔilayhinna)

Descendants

• Judeo-Arabic: אלי (ʾilā)
• Maltese: lejn
• North Levantine Arabic: ل (la) (merged with لِ (li))

Etymology 2

From the root ء ل و (ʔ-l-w).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʔi.lan/

Noun

إلًى • (ʔilan) m (construct state إلَى (ʔilā), plural آلَاء (ʔālāʔ))

1. benefit, favour, blessing
   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 53:55:

     فَبِأَيِّ آلَاءِ رَبِّكَ تَتَمَارَىٰ؟

     fa-bi-ʔayyi ʔālāʔi rabbi-ka tatamārā?

     Then which of the favors of your Lord do you doubt?

Declension

Declension of noun إلًى (ʔilan)

Singular	singular in ـًى (-an)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	إلَى ʔilā	الْإلَى al-ʔilā	إلَى ʔilā
Nominative	إلًى ʔilan	الْإلَى al-ʔilā	إلَى ʔilā
Accusative	إلًى ʔilan	الْإلَى al-ʔilā	إلَى ʔilā
Genitive	إلًى ʔilan	الْإلَى al-ʔilā	إلَى ʔilā
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	إلَيَيْن ʔilayayn	الْإلَيَيْن al-ʔilayayn	إلَيَيْ ʔilayay
Nominative	إلَيَانِ ʔilayāni	الْإلَيَانِ al-ʔilayāni	إلَيَا ʔilayā
Accusative	إلَيَيْنِ ʔilayayni	الْإلَيَيْنِ al-ʔilayayni	إلَيَيْ ʔilayay
Genitive	إلَيَيْنِ ʔilayayni	الْإلَيَيْنِ al-ʔilayayni	إلَيَيْ ʔilayay
Plural	basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	آلَاء ʔālāʔ	الْآلَاء al-ʔālāʔ	آلَاء ʔālāʔ
Nominative	آلَاءٌ ʔālāʔun	الْآلَاءُ al-ʔālāʔu	آلَاءُ ʔālāʔu
Accusative	آلَاءً ʔālāʔan	الْآلَاءَ al-ʔālāʔa	آلَاءَ ʔālāʔa
Genitive	آلَاءٍ ʔālāʔin	الْآلَاءِ al-ʔālāʔi	آلَاءِ ʔālāʔi