ال
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Arabic[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
- اَمْ (am) – dialectal
Pronunciation[edit]
Article[edit]
اَلْ • (al-)
Usage notes[edit]
- The /l/ of this prefix assimilates to and geminates the first letter of the base word when it begins with a traditionally-coronal consonant, natively called 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), and ن (n). This does not traditionally include ج (j), as its original pronunciation was palatal rather than coronal, but in regions where it is pronounced /d͡ʒ ~ ʒ/ it can be found assimilating the definite article as well. The ل (l)’s assimilation is not observed by the article's spelling, which is invariably ال (al-); however, in fully vocalised texts, a shadda is written over the following sun letter to reflect gemination.
- The initial vowel a- is only pronounced when the article occurs either after a pause, at the beginning of an utterance, or after the preposition مِنْ (min). Otherwise, the article consists solely of the coronal consonant preceded by the final vowel of the previous word; if this previous word is consonant-final, then i is used as a linking vowel.
Descendants[edit]
See also[edit]
Egyptian Arabic[edit]
Article[edit]
الـ • (el-)
Gulf Arabic[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): /(ʕ)ɪl/, [l], (before sun letters) /ɪ/
Etymology 1[edit]
Article[edit]
اِلـ • (il-)
- the definite article; the
Etymology 2[edit]
Contraction of الي (illi, “the relative clause”), itself a contraction of Arabic اَلَّذِي m (allaḏī) and اَلَّتِي f (allatī)
Pronoun[edit]
اِلـ • (il-)
- (colloquial) the relative clause; that, who, which, etc
- Synonym: الي (illi)
Etymology 3[edit]
Could be directly from Arabic إِلَىٰ (ʾilā).
Preposition[edit]
اِلـ • (il-)
- (colloquial) to (destination)
Alternative forms[edit]
- لـ (l-)
Hijazi Arabic[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
- IPA(key): /al/, (before sun letters) /a/
Article[edit]
الـ • (al-)
- the definite article; the
Kalami[edit]
Adjective[edit]
ال (al) m
North Levantine Arabic[edit]
Etymology 1[edit]
Article[edit]
الـ • (l-)
Usage notes[edit]
- The article in fact consists solely of the consonant /l/, which is assimilated to the same onsets as in Standard Arabic (see above). Following the usage note there, some speakers extend this process of assimilation to the now-coronal ج (j /ʒ/).
- An epenthetic linking vowel is added as phonotactically necessary, be it before the article or after, in order to avoid a three-consonant cluster. Note that its notation with a schwa is not meant to represent IPA [ə], as its actual value varies between /i~e~o/ depending on context:
- النص المكتوب ― n-naṣṣ əl-maktūb ― the written text
- الكتاب المقدس ― lə-ktāb lə-mʾaddas ― the Holy Book, i.e. the Bible
- Assimilation is optionally ignored when the article precedes a consonant cluster where the initial consonant would normally trigger assimilation, as the epenthetic vowel separates them if it appears:
- الولاد الصغار ― lə-wlād lə-ṣḡār ― the small children
Etymology 2[edit]
Reduction of the definite relative pronoun اللي (lli) or its alternative form لي (li).
Pronoun[edit]
ال • (l-)
- contraction of اللي
Usage notes[edit]
- Although this contraction is superficially identical to the definite article, some speakers do not assimilate it to a following coronal, allowing the two to be told apart in this context. Other speakers do, such as Said Akl in the reading linked from the quote above.
Ottoman Turkish[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Proto-Turkic *el, *elig.
Noun[edit]
ال • (el)
Descendants[edit]
- Turkish: el
Persian[edit]
Etymology[edit]
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Noun[edit]
ال • (al)
Derived terms[edit]
- ال زدن (al zadan)
South Levantine Arabic[edit]
Etymology[edit]
Pronunciation[edit]
Article[edit]
الـ • (l-)
- the (definite article)
Usage notes[edit]
- Phonemically, the article consists solely of the consonant /l/, which is assimilated to the same onsets as in Standard Arabic (see above), with some speakers extending the assimilation to the now-coronal ج (j /ʒ/). While the epenthetic vowel [ɪ] may be added before or after in order to avoid problematic consonant clusters, different speakers may be more or less tolerant of these clusters; those who tolerate an initial two-consonant cluster may not insert the vowel before /l/, meaning the article may be virtually inaudible in cases that the /l/ is assimilated.
- Assimilation is optionally ignored when the article precedes a consonant cluster where the initial consonant would normally trigger assimilation, as the epenthetic vowel separates them if it appears:
Audio (Ramallah) (file)
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