The purple vowels, barring the first one, were added for phonological reasons, namely to prevent still letters from directly following each other.
However, the first purple vowel was added for a different reason which is to clarify that the statement was a question. This vowel will always be added when attaching interrogative ‘a- to the definite article (‘a)l-, and the combination will become ‘aa–l-.
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Attachment of Interrogative ‘a- to ‘al- |
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آلْقَمَرُ |
الْقَمَرُ |
| ‘aa–l–qamar(u) | (‘a)l–qamar(u) |
| is it that the moon? | the moon |
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آلشَّمْسُ |
الشَّمْسُ |
| ‘aa–sh-shams(u) | (‘a)sh-shams(u) |
| is it that the sun? | the sun |
More examples:
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Positive Sentence تَتَكَلَّمُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ tatakallam(u) (‘a)l-“arabiyya(ta) = (you sing. masc.) speak the Arabic Translation: you speak Arabic you are speaking Arabic
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Positive Question أَتَتَكَلَّمُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ ؟ ‘a–tatakallam(u) (‘a)l-“arabiyya(ta) = is it that (you sing. masc.) speak the Arabic Translation: do you speak Arabic? are you speaking Arabic?
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Positive Question هَلْ تَتَكَلَّمُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ ؟ hal tatakallam(u) (‘a)l-“arabiyya(ta) = is it that (you sing. masc.) speak the Arabic Translation: do you speak Arabic? are you speaking Arabic?
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Positive Answer نَعَمْ أَتَكَلَّمُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ na”am ‘atakallam(u) (‘a)l-“arabiyya(ta) = yes(I) speak the Arabic Translation: yes I speak Arabic yes I’m speaking Arabic
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Negative Answer لا لا أَتَكَلَّمُ الْعَرَبِيَّةَ laa laa ‘atakallam(u) (‘a)l-“arabiyya(ta) = no not(I) speak the Arabic Translation: no, I don’t speak Arabic no, I’m not speaking Arabic
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Multiple-Choice-Questions
Multiple choice questions have the conjunction “or” in them; e.g. “do you like apples more or bananas?”
The particle hal is not used in questions containing the word “or.” Only ‘a- will be used here.
In Arabic, there are two versions of the conjunction “or,” one for regular sentences and another one for questions or sentences preceded by ‘a-. If the sentence containing “or” were not preceded by ‘a-, the version ‘aw أَوْwould be used for “or.” If the sentence were preceded by ‘a-, the version ‘am أَمْ would be used.
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Positive Sentence زُرْتُمْ إِمَّاْ سُوْرْيَاْ أَوِ الْعِرَاْقَ zurtum ‘immaa sooryaa ‘aw(i) (‘a)l-“iraaq(a) = (you plu. masc.) visited either Syria or Iraq Translation: you (have) visited either Syria or Iraq
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Positive Question أَزُرْتُمْ سُوْرْيَاْ أَمِ الْعِرَاْقَ ؟ ‘a-zurtum sooryaa ‘am(i) (‘a)l-“iraaq(a) = is it that (you plu. masc.) visited Syria or Iraq Translation: did/have you visit(ed) Syria or Iraq?
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Positive Answer زُرْنَاْ سُوْرْيَاْ وَالْعِرَاْقَ zurnaa sooryaa wa-l-“iraaq(a) = (we) visited Syria and Iraq Translation: we (have) visited Syria and Iraq
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Positive Answer زُرْنَاْ كِلَيْهِمَاْ zurnaa kilay-himaa = (we) visited (the) both (of) them Translation: we (have) visited both of them
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Positive Answer لَمْ نَزُرْ أَيًّا مِنْهُمَاْ lam nazur ‘ayy(an) min-huma = did not (we) visit any from/of them Translation: we did/have not visit(ed) any of them we (have) visited neither of them
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Note: Syria can be also written sooriyya(t) سُوْرِيَّةُ . This is the only form that was used before the 20th century, and the form used by the people of the country itself until now. It is more correct from an Arabic point of view, but I used up there the form that is common in the Arab world in general.
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Positive Sentence إِمَّاْ سَتُسَاْعِدُنِيْ أَوْ لا ‘immaa sa-tusaa”idu-nee ‘aw laa = either(you sing. masc.) will help me or not Translation: you are going to either help me or not
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Positive Question أَسَتُسَاْعِدُنِيْ أَمْ لا ؟ ‘a-sa-tusaa”idu-nee ‘amlaa = is it that (you sing. masc.) will help me or not Translation: are you going to help me or not?
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Positive Answer نَعَمْ سَأُسَاْعِدُكَ na”am sa-‘usaa”idu-k(a) = yes (I) will help you Translation: yes, I am going to help you
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Negative Answer لا لَنْ أُسَاْعِدَكَ laa lan ‘usaa”ida-k(a) = no will not (I) help you Translation: no, I am not going to help you
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‘a- Meaning If/Whether
The particle ‘a- becomes in certain sentences a conjunction word that introduces alternatives like “if” or “whether.”
Example:
سَنَبْدَأُ سَوَاْءٌ أَحَضَرُوْا أَمْ لَمْ يَحْضُرُوْا
sa-nabda’(u) sawaa'(un) ‘a-hadaroo ‘am lam yahduroo
= (we) will begin, a same (it is) if/whether (they plu. masc.) came or did not came
Translation: we will begin whether they came/showed up or not
The word sawaa'(un) = “a same” is often employed in such sentences, but it can be done without:
سَنَبْدَأُ أَحَضَرُوْا أَمْ لَمْ يَحْضُرُوْا
sa-nabda’(u) ‘a-hadaroo ‘am lam yahduroo
= (we) will begin if/whether (they plu. masc.) came or did not came
Translation: we will begin whether they came/showed up or not
The ‘a- itself can also be omitted in such sentences:
سَنَبْدَأُ سَوَاْءٌ حَضَرُوْا أَمْ لَمْ يَحْضُرُوْا
sa-nabda’(u) sawaa'(un) hadaroo ‘am lam yahduroo
= (we) will begin, a same (it is) (if/whether) (they plu. masc.) came or did not came
Translation: we will begin whether they came/showed up or not
A mostly reduced version:
سَنَبْدَأُ حَضَرُوْا أَمْ لَمْ يَحْضُرُوْا
sa-nabda’(u) hadaroo ‘am lam yahduroo
= (we) will begin (if/whether) (they plu. masc.) came or did not came
Translation: we will begin whether they came/showed up or not