Arabic Feminine Markers Gender of Nouns

Gender of Nouns

Feminine Markers (continued)

2. Extended‘alif

The second feminine marker in Arabic singular nouns is a terminal weak ‘alif (a long Avowel -aa ـَاْ ) followed by a consonant ‘alifor hamza(t) (a glottal stop ‘ ء).

This ending is called an “extended ‘alif” الأَلِفُ الْمَمْدُوْدَةُ because the presence of the final hamza(t) allows for the long A to be fully pronounced rather than shortened. Nouns that end with an extended ‘alif are called “extended nouns.”

As far as I can guess, the -aa'< ـاء  is altered from the following original form:

-aat→  –aah →  –aa‘<

The ending -aa(t) is the alternative version in Classical Arabic of the standard feminine plural ending -aat ـَاْت , and it can also appear suffixed in irregular plural stems. The evolution of this marker seems to me quite similar to that of the tied taa'< -a(t) as they are probably cognates.

Anyway, being a “marker” means that the ـاء is suffixed to stems, so it is composed of “additional letters” but not any “original letters” (i.e. not any letters that belong to the root of the word).

Since that true nouns in Arabic must have a minimum of three original letters, the ـا must be fourth letter or beyond in a noun (i.e. the noun has five letters or more) in order for the two letters of the ـاء to be additional (and thus a feminine marker). If the ـا is third letter, then one of the two letters of the ـاء(the ء) would have to be an original letter.

However, this does not mean that if the ـاis fourth letter or beyond the ـاء will be always an additional feminine marker. This is because derived nouns, including ones with five letters or more, commonly end with ـاء that is not a feminine marker and which has a totally different origin.

Derived nouns, or verbids, are nouns that are derived from verbs (particularly perfective verbs). Most nouns in Arabic are derived nouns. Derived nouns are several classes (verbal nouns, participles, agent nouns, time and place nouns, and tool nouns) and each class has its standard patterns or structures in which roots can be plugged.

Some of the derived noun structures, particularly those of verbal nouns, emphatic active participles, and tool nouns commonly have the following ending:

Where l is a variable final root-letter, and the aais fixed and additional.

The problem arises when the final root letter is hamza(t), because the ending will look just like the feminine marker -aa‘< although it is not one.

A similar problem arises when the final root letter is a weak letter (w or y). In such case, the final weak letter is always turned to hamza(t) in Arabic:

–aaW→  -aa‘<

 –aaY→  –aa‘<

These endings look like the feminine marker -aa'<, but they are not feminine markers.

Derived nouns that have these endings are masculine nouns unless a feminine marker (i.e. the tied taa'< -a(t)) is attached to them following the -aa'<. (There are specific cases in which some participle adjectives can be feminine without adding a tied taa'<, those are covered in the adjective section.)

Here is the algorithm for nouns ending with -aa'<:

1) Less than five letters

Usually verbal nouns or nouns structured as verbal nouns. The -aa'< is not a suffix. Such nouns are almost always masculine unless a feminine taa'< is attached following the -aa'<. Very few of such words will be feminine on their own (I could only find one so far).

Examples, click on the Arabic word to hear it:

Irregular plurals are always feminine, unless they refer to male humans where they can be masculine.

Although verbal nouns ending with ـاء are masculine, it is common to see them used as female proper names. Rarely they are used as male names.

Examples:

2) Five letters or more

In nouns with five letters or more, there are two possibilities:

I. Derived Nouns & Irregular Plurals

Derived Nouns with five letters or more are nothing different from the ones with less than five letters— they are all masculine.

Examples:

Irregular plurals are always feminine unless they refer to male humans where they can be masculine as well. It is possible for the -aa'< suffix to appear attached in irregular plural structures (‘af“ilaa'< & fu“alaa'<), but in that case it will NOT be a feminine marker; it will be just a remnant of an older function of the -aa(t) ending where it served as a collective-pluralistic marker without gender distinction.

Irregular plurals that end with -aa'< usually refer to humans, and they are usually masculine.

Examples: