Arabic Irregular Verbs

مَوِتَ

mawit(a)

(He) died

This form is the original form of the verb. It is never used, neither in classical Arabic nor in modern Arabic.

The transformation of hollow verbs occurs in two steps, the first of which resembles the transformation of doubled verbs, which is to change -CvCvC or -CCvC to -CvCC.

-CvWvC-→  -CvWC-

-CvYvC-→  –CvYC-

-CWvC-→  -CvWC-

-CYvC-→  -CvYC-

(W/Y: middle root-letter of a hollow verb)

• The second step depends on the identity of the vowel preceding the w or y. The rule is that the weak letter and the short vowel preceding it will become the long vowel that corresponds to the short vowel.

-CaWC– →  -CaaC-

-CaYC-→  -CaaC-

-CuWC– →  -CuWC- = -CooC-

-CuYC-→  -CuWC- = -CooC-

-CiWC-→  -CiYC- = -CeeC-

-CiYC–→  -CiYC- = -CeeC-

Thus, the w or y will become a weak ‘alif when they are preceded by a short A.

The example verb will become:

mawit(a) → mawt(a)→ maat(a)

مَاْتَ

maat(a)

(He) died

More examples:

Similarly to the doubled verbs, transformed hollow verbs are two types:

• Verbs that have an omitted green short vowel after the transformed w or y (-CvCvC- → -CvCC-).

• Verbs that have a displaced-back rather than omitted green short vowel (-CCvC- → -CvCC-).

Forms I, VII & VIII make transformed hollow verbs of the first type, and forms IV & X make transformed verbs of the second type. Note that, in the imperfective, form I becomes of the second type.

Inasmuch as the short vowel preceding the weak letter in the perfective of these forms is always a short A, the weak letter will be always transformed to a weak A.

In the imperfective, on the other hand, there is a different situation. Since it is possible in the imperfective for short vowels other than a short A to precede the weak letter, the weak letter will not be always transformed into a weak A.

The cases for the transformed imperfective hollow verbs are the following:

• Verbs that have an omitted short vowel after the weak letter (forms VII & VIII) always have a short A preceding the weak letter and thus will always transform it to a weak A.

• Verbs that have a displaced-back short vowel (forms IV & X) will have a short I preceding the weak letter; the combination of the weak letter and the short I will become a long I.

• Imperfective form I verbs are of the second type, with a displaced-back short vowel, but since the short vowel is variable (a , i or u), the final long vowel will be also variable (aa, iy or uw).

There are very scarce form I hollow verbs that do not transform and retain their original forms. These are mostly stative verbs denoting bodily characteristics.

Examples:

Other verbal forms derived from these verbs will also not transform.

Verb forms that transform when they are hollow verbs are the following:

Transformed hollow verbs have complicated rules for conjugation. In the perfective of form I, the middle aa will be replaced by a short vowel that corresponds to the original weak letter, except in verbs whose original structure is fa“il(a), in which the middle aa will be always replaced by an i. This will happen with the 1st and 2nd person conjugations as well as with the 3rd person feminine plural. For the other verb forms, the aa will become a short vowel a in the mentioned conjugations.

In the indicative and subjunctive imperfective, the middle long vowel of the hollow verbs will be replaced by the corresponding short vowel in the feminine plural conjugations. Otherwise the verbs will conjugate regularly. In the jussive and imperative imperfective, the middle long vowel will be replaced by the corresponding short vowel in all conjugations.

IV. Defective Verbs

Defective verbs المُعْتَلُّ النَّاْقِصُ are verbs whose last original letter is a weak letter.

The original weak letter can be either w or y. Verbs whose last original letter is ‘alif أare not weak verbs, because this is the consonant ‘alif (the hamza(t)), and the weak ‘alif can not be part of any root.

Just like the hollow verbs, the final w or y of these verbs can change based on the short vowel preceding it.

However, whereas the perfective hollow verbs always have a short A preceding the weak letter, the vowel preceding the final weak letter of defective verbs is changeable and is not always a short A like in the hollow verbs. Hence, the number of defective verbs that have weak letters transformed into weak A is evidently smaller than that of the hollow verbs.

Example, the defective verb:

مَشَيَ

mashay(a)

(He) walked

This is the original form. The weak letter is preceded by an a, so it will transform to a weak A.

mashay(a) → mashaa(a)

Since it is impossible for a long vowel to be followed by any vowel, the final -a will be removed:

mashaa(a)→ mashaa

مَشَىْ

mashaa

(He) walked

Now lets take a stative verb:

بَقِيَ

baqiy(a)

(He) stayed, remained

The y is preceded by an i, so it will stay as it is, and the verb will not change.

Another verb:

رَضِوَ

radiw(a)

(He) approved

The w is preceded by an i, so it will transform into y.

رَضِيَ

radiy(a)

(He) approved

Other perfective defective verbs whose final w is transformed to y are:

There is only one perfective defective verb in Arabic in which the final y is transformed to w because it is preceded by u:

نَهُوَ

nahuw(a)

(He) reached mental maturity

This is an archaic classical verb. The original form is:

نَهُيَ

nahuy(a)