ال

See also: أل and آل

Arabic

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

  In literary pronunciation IPA^(key): [æl], [al], [ɐl]

• In common speech/names: IPA^(key): [el], [ɪl]

Article

اَل • (al-)

1. the

Usage notes

The /l/ of this prefix assimilates to and geminates the first letter of the following word when it begins with one of the sun letters: ت‏ (t), ث‏ (ṯ), د‏ (d), ذ‏ (ḏ), ر‏ (r), ز‏ (z), س‏ (s), ش‏ (š), ص‏ (ṣ), ض‏ (ḍ), ط‏ (ṭ), ظ‏ (ẓ), ل‏ (l), ن‏ (n), and dialectally ج‏ (j) when pronounced /ʒ/. This is strictly a pronunciation change; the spelling with ل‏ (l) is unchanged, except that in fully vocalized texts a shadda may be written over the sun letter to reflect gemination.

Descendants

• Egyptian Arabic: ال‏ (el)
• Maltese: il

See also

• moon letter
• sun letter

Noun

اِلّ • (ill) m

1. pact, covenant
2. consanguinity, blood relationship

Declension

Declension of noun اِلّ (ill)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	اِلّ ill	الِالّ‏ al-ill	اِلّ ill
Nominative	اِلٌّ illun	الِالُّ‏ al-illu	اِلُّ illu
Accusative	اِلًّا‏ illan	الِالَّ‏ al-illa	اِلَّ illa
Genitive	اِلٍّ illin	الِالِّ‏ al-illi	اِلِّ illi

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Egyptian Arabic

Article

الـ • (el-)

1. the

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North Levantine Arabic

Article

الـ (l-, il-, li-, ili-)

1. the

Usage notes

• Strictly speaking, the article consists solely of the consonant /l/, which is assimilated to the same onsets as in classical Arabic (see above).
• The linking vowel /i/ is added as necessary according to the phonological rules, be it before the article, after it, or both:

‏النص المكتوب‎ ― n-naṣṣ il-maktūb ― the written text

‏الكتاب المأدس‎ ― li-ktāb li-mʾaddas ― the Holy Book, i.e. the Bible

‏النص المأدس‎ ― n-naṣṣ ili-mʾaddas ― the holy text

• Assimilation is hindered when the linking vowel comes between the article and an onset consonant that would normally trigger assimilation:

‏الولاد الضعيفه‎ ― li-wlād li-ḍʿīfi ― the weak children

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Ottoman Turkish

Noun

ال • (el)

1. hand