مدينة

See also: مدینه

Arabic

Etymology

Considering that this word has no derivation from the root د ي ن (d-y-n) which has completely unrelated meanings nor from the root د و ن (d-w-n) which is denominal from the Persian-borrowed دِيوَان (dīwān), whereas the root م د ن (m-d-n) is clearly denominal, and that the original Arabs did not dwell in cities when the Aramaeans long did, Arabic مَدِينَة (madīna) can be assumed to be a borrowing from Aramaic מְדִינְתָּא (məḏīntā) resp. Classical Syriac ܡܕ݂ܝܼܢ݇ܬܿܵܐ (məḏīttā).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ma.diː.na/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

مَدِينَة • (madīna) f (plural مُدُن (mudun) or مَدَائِن (madāʔin) or مُدْن (mudn))

1. town, city
2. jurisdiction

Declension

Declension of noun مَدِينَة (madīna)

Singular	singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	مَدِينَة madīna	الْمَدِينَة al-madīna	مَدِينَة madīnat
Nominative	مَدِينَةٌ madīnatun	الْمَدِينَةُ al-madīnatu	مَدِينَةُ madīnatu
Accusative	مَدِينَةً madīnatan	الْمَدِينَةَ al-madīnata	مَدِينَةَ madīnata
Genitive	مَدِينَةٍ madīnatin	الْمَدِينَةِ al-madīnati	مَدِينَةِ madīnati
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	مَدِينَتَيْن madīnatayn	الْمَدِينَتَيْن al-madīnatayn	مَدِينَتَيْ madīnatay
Nominative	مَدِينَتَانِ madīnatāni	الْمَدِينَتَانِ al-madīnatāni	مَدِينَتَا madīnatā
Accusative	مَدِينَتَيْنِ madīnatayni	الْمَدِينَتَيْنِ al-madīnatayni	مَدِينَتَيْ madīnatay
Genitive	مَدِينَتَيْنِ madīnatayni	الْمَدِينَتَيْنِ al-madīnatayni	مَدِينَتَيْ madīnatay
Plural	basic broken plural triptote‎; basic broken plural diptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	مُدُن‎; مَدَائِن‎; مُدْن mudun‎; madāʔin‎; mudn	الْمُدُن‎; الْمَدَائِن‎; الْمُدْن al-mudun‎; al-madāʔin‎; al-mudn	مُدُن‎; مَدَائِن‎; مُدْن mudun‎; madāʔin‎; mudn
Nominative	مُدُنٌ‎; مَدَائِنُ‎; مُدْنٌ mudunun‎; madāʔinu‎; mudnun	الْمُدُنُ‎; الْمَدَائِنُ‎; الْمُدْنُ al-mudunu‎; al-madāʔinu‎; al-mudnu	مُدُنُ‎; مَدَائِنُ‎; مُدْنُ mudunu‎; madāʔinu‎; mudnu
Accusative	مُدُنًا‎; مَدَائِنَ‎; مُدْنًا mudunan‎; madāʔina‎; mudnan	الْمُدُنَ‎; الْمَدَائِنَ‎; الْمُدْنَ al-muduna‎; al-madāʔina‎; al-mudna	مُدُنَ‎; مَدَائِنَ‎; مُدْنَ muduna‎; madāʔina‎; mudna
Genitive	مُدُنٍ‎; مَدَائِنَ‎; مُدْنٍ mudunin‎; madāʔina‎; mudnin	الْمُدُنِ‎; الْمَدَائِنِ‎; الْمُدْنِ al-muduni‎; al-madāʔini‎; al-mudni	مُدُنِ‎; مَدَائِنِ‎; مُدْنِ muduni‎; madāʔini‎; mudni

Derived terms

• الْمَدِينَة (al-madīna)

Descendants

• Gulf Arabic: مَدينة (madina)
• → English: medina
• → Kabyle: tamdint (“city”)
• → Tarifit: ⵜⴻⵏⴷⵉⵏⵜ (ṯendint)

See also

• بَلَد m or f (balad)
• قَرْيَة f (qarya)

References

• Fraenkel, Siegmund (1886) Die aramäischen Fremdwörter im Arabischen (in German), Leiden: E. J. Brill, page 280
• Wehr, Hans (1979) “مدن”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN