Book contents
- Frontmatter
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- Contents
- Introduction
- 1 On learning languages in general
- 2 The nature of Arabic and the character of this course
- 3 Arabic script (13); The alphabet (14–17); Roots and patterns (18); Layout and punctuation (19)
- 4 The families B, J, D and R
- 5 The families S and thick S/T
- 6 The families ‘/F and K
- 7 The orphans and rejects
- 8 The vowels in Arabic: Short vowels (44–5); Diphthongs (46); Long vowels (47–8); Stress (49)
- 9 A final review of sounds and signs: Hamza (53); Madda (54); Wasla (55); Shadda (56); Bound-t (57); Names of consonants (58); Names of vowels (59)
- 10 Standard Verb in māḍī (62–7); Standard Noun (68–73)
- 11 Plurals (75–6); Sentence types: Verbal Sentence (77–8); Nominal Sentences (79–80); Nominal Absolutes (81); Summary of points (82)
- 12 Agreement (83–5); The Construct (86–8)
- 13 Standard Verb in muḍari' (91–3); Independent personal pronouns (94–5); Attached personal pronouns (96–8)
- 14 Sound Plurals (100–2); Dual nouns (103); Subjunctive and Jussive modifications of muḍāri' (104–6); Ambiguities in endings alif, -W, -Y, and -T (107)
- 15 Diptotes (109–10); Demonstratives (111–13); Imperatives (114–15); Participles and maṣdars
- 16 Derived Form II (121–2); Derived Form III (123–4); Derived Form IV (125–6)
- 17 Derived Form V (128–9); Derived Form VI (130–1); Wāw of Circumstance (132); Negatives (133–7)
- 18 Derived Form VII (139); Derived Form VIII (140); Derived Form X (141–2); Positive time-indicators (143)
- 19 Passives (145–6); Plurals of four-consonant nouns (147); Nouns of Time and Place (148); Nouns of Instrument (149)
- 20 Conditional and Quasi-Conditional Sentences (151–7); Colours and Defects (158); Elatives (159–60)
- 21 Minor peculiarities in verbs (162–5); Peculiar common nouns (166); Some essential distinctions (167)
- 22 Hollow Roots: Māḍī and muḍāri' of Form I (169–72)
- 23 Hollow Roots: Participles 1 (174); Maṣdar I (175); Forms II, III, V and VI (176)
- 24 Hollow Roots: Forms VII and VIII (178); Forms IV and X (179); Hollow Passives (180)
- 25 Weak Roots: General (182); Māḍī 1 (183); Muḍāri' I (184–5); Active Participles I (186); Passive Participles I (187); Miscellaneous noun-patterns (weak) I (188)
- 26 Weak Roots: Derived Forms in general (190); Form II (191); Form III (192); Form IV (193)
- 27 Weak Roots: Form V (195); Form VI (196); Form VII (197); Form VIII (198); Form X (199); Weak Passives (200)
- 28 Roots with multiple peculiarities (202–3); Cardinal numbers in combination (205); Government of cardinals (206); Polarity in cardinals (207); Cardinals 3–10 (208); 11–19 (209); 20 upwards (210); Ordinals, units and whole tens (211); Ordinals 11–19 (212); Fractions (213); Basic roots (215)
- Postscript
- Texts and analyses
- Vocabulary
2 - The nature of Arabic and the character of this course
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- Contents
- Introduction
- 1 On learning languages in general
- 2 The nature of Arabic and the character of this course
- 3 Arabic script (13); The alphabet (14–17); Roots and patterns (18); Layout and punctuation (19)
- 4 The families B, J, D and R
- 5 The families S and thick S/T
- 6 The families ‘/F and K
- 7 The orphans and rejects
- 8 The vowels in Arabic: Short vowels (44–5); Diphthongs (46); Long vowels (47–8); Stress (49)
- 9 A final review of sounds and signs: Hamza (53); Madda (54); Wasla (55); Shadda (56); Bound-t (57); Names of consonants (58); Names of vowels (59)
- 10 Standard Verb in māḍī (62–7); Standard Noun (68–73)
- 11 Plurals (75–6); Sentence types: Verbal Sentence (77–8); Nominal Sentences (79–80); Nominal Absolutes (81); Summary of points (82)
- 12 Agreement (83–5); The Construct (86–8)
- 13 Standard Verb in muḍari' (91–3); Independent personal pronouns (94–5); Attached personal pronouns (96–8)
- 14 Sound Plurals (100–2); Dual nouns (103); Subjunctive and Jussive modifications of muḍāri' (104–6); Ambiguities in endings alif, -W, -Y, and -T (107)
- 15 Diptotes (109–10); Demonstratives (111–13); Imperatives (114–15); Participles and maṣdars
- 16 Derived Form II (121–2); Derived Form III (123–4); Derived Form IV (125–6)
- 17 Derived Form V (128–9); Derived Form VI (130–1); Wāw of Circumstance (132); Negatives (133–7)
- 18 Derived Form VII (139); Derived Form VIII (140); Derived Form X (141–2); Positive time-indicators (143)
- 19 Passives (145–6); Plurals of four-consonant nouns (147); Nouns of Time and Place (148); Nouns of Instrument (149)
- 20 Conditional and Quasi-Conditional Sentences (151–7); Colours and Defects (158); Elatives (159–60)
- 21 Minor peculiarities in verbs (162–5); Peculiar common nouns (166); Some essential distinctions (167)
- 22 Hollow Roots: Māḍī and muḍāri' of Form I (169–72)
- 23 Hollow Roots: Participles 1 (174); Maṣdar I (175); Forms II, III, V and VI (176)
- 24 Hollow Roots: Forms VII and VIII (178); Forms IV and X (179); Hollow Passives (180)
- 25 Weak Roots: General (182); Māḍī 1 (183); Muḍāri' I (184–5); Active Participles I (186); Passive Participles I (187); Miscellaneous noun-patterns (weak) I (188)
- 26 Weak Roots: Derived Forms in general (190); Form II (191); Form III (192); Form IV (193)
- 27 Weak Roots: Form V (195); Form VI (196); Form VII (197); Form VIII (198); Form X (199); Weak Passives (200)
- 28 Roots with multiple peculiarities (202–3); Cardinal numbers in combination (205); Government of cardinals (206); Polarity in cardinals (207); Cardinals 3–10 (208); 11–19 (209); 20 upwards (210); Ordinals, units and whole tens (211); Ordinals 11–19 (212); Fractions (213); Basic roots (215)
- Postscript
- Texts and analyses
- Vocabulary
Summary
7.Common misconceptions. It is necessary to try to clarify immediately what the word “Arabic” does and does not mean. In our experience, most prospective students of the language expect no problem here at all. Leaving the totally ignorant generality on one side, we may divide the merely misinformed into two groups: those who think of Arabic as the language of all Muslims, a language otherwise apparently known as “Persian” or “Turkish” or “Urdu”, and soon; and those who define it, with less inaccuracy, as “the language of the Arabs” or “the language of Arabia”. Unfortunately, the true situation is considerably more complicated: yet certain general principles must be grasped from the outset.
8.Arabic is essentially a formal, written language. As used by Arabic-speakers themselves, the term “Arabic” properly refers only to the formal language – a language that can be, and is, uttered vocally by those educated to do so, but one most often employed in written form. As such, it is the standard language of the whole so-called “Arab world” from Arabia to Morocco; it is also, however imperfectly understood, the official religious language of the Islamic faith, from Indonesia to West Africa, from Central Asia to Zanzibar.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Arabic GrammarA First Workbook, pp. 8 - 12Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1980