Al-Mustansiriyah University

College of Arts
Translation Department

Instructor: Ghusoon Subhi Khalil, MA.

CONTRASTIVE GRAMMAR
Third Year/ Morning & Evening Classes

Lecture # 13

Derivational Morphology: Affixation in Arabic

In Arabic, new words are derived by analogy 'al-'ištiqaaqu bi-l-qiyaas
‫االشتقاق بالقياس‬. Derivation involves arranging the root, the carrier of
primary lexical meaning, in different patterns 'awzaan ‫أوزان‬, siyag ‫صيغ‬,
qawaalib ‫قوالب‬, each of which has a specific signification. For example,
derived verbs 'al-'af`aalu l-muštaqqatu ‫ األفعال المشتقة‬fall into 15 possible
patterns, only 10 of which are commonly used Potentially, each trilateral
root has a basic form and nine derived forms. No verb has all derived
forms. The following Table presents examples of the nine forms:

Table 13: Arabic Derived Forms

Derived Form English gloss Signification
(1) kataba ‫ كتب‬Wrote
(2) kattaba ‫ كتّب‬made write causative
(3) kaataba ‫ كاتب‬corresponded with reciprocity effort
(4) 'aktaba ‫ أكتب‬Dictated causative
(5) takassara ‫سر‬ ّ ‫تك‬ got broken into pieces reflexive/passive
(6) takaataba ‫تكاتب‬ kept up correspondence reflexive
(7) ('i)nkataba ‫ إنكتب‬Subscribed reflexive
(8) (ti)ktataba ‫ اكتتب‬was registered reflexive
(9) ('i)sfarra ‫اصفر‬
ّ became yellow permanent quality
(10) ('i)staktaba ‫ استكتب‬asked someone to write reflexive

The derivation of Forms 6 to 10 involves the insertion of anaptyctic -i

and prothetic glottal stop.
Example: kataba ‫* كتب‬nkataba ‫نكتب‬
*inkataba ‫انكتب‬ 'inkataba ‫إنكتب‬

Arabic also has derived nouns, which are derived through affixation.
Arabic nouns are either "primitive" jaamida(t) ‫ جامدة‬or derived
muštaqqa(t) ‫مشتقة‬. For example, the lexical item mušmis ‫` مشمس‬sunny' is
derived ultimately from the primitive lexical item šams ‫` شمس‬sun'; it is
the active participle of the pattern muCCiC, from the verb 'ašmasa ‫أشمس‬
`to become sunny', of the pattern 'aCCaCa. The function of this
derivation is to create a new lexical item in this semantic field.
Before we present the major types of derived nouns, we would like to
say a few words about other types of derivation that are peculiar to
Arabic. Derivation from concrete nouns: From the word šajara(t) ‫شجرة‬
'tree', the following words are derived:
● 'ašjar ‫` أشجر‬full of trees' (adjective of natural characteristic):
● waadin 'ašjar ‫` واد أشجر‬a valley full of trees'
● tašaajara ‫` تشاجر‬quarrel' (verb):
● tašaajara l-'awlaadu ‫` تشاجر األوالد‬The boys quarrelled'
● šaajara ‫` شاجر‬graze' (verb):
● šaajarati l-'iblu ‫` شاجرت اإلبل‬the camels grazed on trees'
● mušajjara ‫` مشاجرة‬tree-like' (passive participle):
● suwarun mušajjaratun ٌ ‫صور متشاجرة‬ٌ `tree-like pictures
● mutašaajira ‫` متشاجرة‬multifarious' (active participle):
● rimaaḥun mutašaajiratun ٌ ‫` رما ٌح متشاجرة‬spears branching out'
● 'ištajara l-qawmu ‫اشتجر القوم‬, `the group disagreed'
● šajarahu bi-r-rumḥi ‫شجره بالرمح‬, `he stabbed him with a spear.'
Arabic has a number of noun patterns derived from verbs or nouns.
(i) 'al-masdar ‫` المصدر‬abstract noun'
kataba ‫ كتب‬- kitaabah(t) ‫` كتابة‬he wrote - writing(n)'
(ii) 'ismu l-faa`il ‫` اسم الفاعل‬active participle'
waqafa‫وقف‬ waaqif ‫واقف‬ `he stood up - standing (adj)'
baa`a ‫ باع‬baa'i` ‫` بائع‬he sold - seller'
'ihtaala ‫احتال‬ muhtaal ‫` محتال‬he cheated -'cheater'
(iii) siyagu l-mubaalaga(t) ‫` صيغ المبالغة‬intensive active participle':
gafara ‫ غفر‬gafuur ‫` غفور‬he forgave - (very) forgiving'
xabaza ‫ خبز‬xabbaaz ‫' خباز‬he baked - baker'
(iv) sifa mušabbaha bi smi l-faa`il ‫` صفة مشبهة باسم الفاعل‬pseudo-
participle'
jabuna ‫جبن‬ jabaan ‫ جبان‬he chickened - coward'
(v) 'ismu l-maf`uul ‫` اسم المفعول‬passive participle/passive verbal
adjective'
daraba ‫ضرب‬ madruub ‫` مضروب‬he hit - having been hit'
(vi) 'ismu t-tafdiil ‫` اسم التفضيل‬comparative/superlative adjective'
('aCCaC)
naafi` ‫' نافع‬anfa` ‫' أنفع‬beneficial – more/most beneficial'
(vii) 'ismu ð-ðarf ‫'( اسم الظرف‬az-zamaan wa l-makaan ‫)الزمان والمكان‬
'adverbial expressions of time and place'
maCCaC: kataba ‫ كتب‬maktab ‫` مكتب‬He wrote. - office'
maCCiC: jalasa ‫ جلس‬majlis ‫` مجلس‬He He sat down - Council'
maCCaCa: qabara ‫ قبر‬maqbara(t) ‫' مقبرة‬He buried-cemetery'
(viii) 'ismu l-aala(t) ‫` اسم اآللة‬noun of instrument'
miCCaC: barada ‫ برد‬mibrad ‫` مبرد‬he filed - file'
miCCaaC: fataha ‫ فتح‬miftaah ‫` مفتاح‬he opened - key'
miiCaaC: wazana ‫ وزن‬miizaan ‫` ميزان‬he weighed - scales'
miCCaCa: kanasa ‫كنس‬ miknasa ‫` مكنسة‬he swept - groom'
(ix) 'ismu l-hay'a(t) ‫` اسم الهيئة‬noun of manner' (CiCCa):
'mišya(t) ‫` مشية‬gait' jilsa(t) ‫` جلسة‬sitting posture'
(x) 'ismu I-marra(t) ‫' اسم المرة‬instance noun' (CaCCa)
qafza(t) ‫' قفزة‬a jump'
(xi) 'al-tismu I-musaggar ‫' االسم المصغر‬diminutive noun'
Certain nouns have a diminutive form derived by changing the
vowelling of the word according to three patterns:
• Triliteral noun: CuCayC
nahr ‫' نهر‬a river' nuhayr ‫' نهير‬a small river'
• Quadliteral noun: CuCayCiC
dirham ‫ درهم‬dirham' durayhim ‫دريهم‬
• Quinqueliteral noun: CuCayCiiC
'uṣfuur ‫` عصفور‬bird' `uṣayfiir ‫` عصيفير‬little bird'
Diminutive forms are used for a number of purposes:
• disparagement: rajul ‫رجل‬ rujayl ‫` رجيل‬man - petty man'
• approximation: qabl ‫قبيل‬ qubayl ‫` قبيل‬before- a little before'
• glorification: daahiya ‫داهية‬ duwaybiya ‫` دويهة‬smart
• endearment: 'ibn ‫إبن‬ bunayy ‫` بني‬son'
(xii) 'an-nisba ‫` النسبة‬relational adjective or adjectivized noun'
This form is derived by adding the suffix -iyy to the noun.
dimašq ‫دمشق‬ dimašqiyy ‫` دمشقي‬Damascus - Damascene'
This derivational process applies not only to nationalities but also to all
other common and proper nouns:
• Nationality: misr ‫مصر‬ misriyy ‫` مصري‬Egypt - Egyptian'
• Ethnicity: `arab ‫عرب‬ `arabiyy ‫` عربي‬an Arab'
• Common noun: sahraa’ ‫ صحراء‬sahraawiyy ‫` صحراوي‬desert-
like'
'abb ‫أب‬ 'abawiyy ‫` أبوي‬paternal'
dam ‫دم‬ damawiyy ‫` دموي‬bloody'
• Proper noun: 'umayya ‫أمية‬ 'umawiyy ‫` أموي‬Umayyad'

Derivation from existing Arabic roots has always been considered the
most natural way to create new vocabulary.

It plays the most prominent role in the process of creating new words.
Many Arabic words are formed from a root consisting of three
consonants and a set of vowels that alternate with the root consonants
and that act rather like an affix. Here the radical consonants are not
changed in any way, but are derived from and built upon. Different sets
of patterns are used in that process. Derived verbs and derived nouns are
produced by lengthening a vowel, and adding a prefix or infix. Some
of the derivational patterns used in deriving the different kinds of nouns
and verbs are listed below:

Derived Nouns:

agents ‫ كاتب‬، ‫ قارىء‬، ‫ عامل‬، ‫ صانع‬، ‫ سائق‬، ‫عالم‬

Patients (‫ مدروس‬، ‫ مسموع‬، ‫ مقروء‬، ‫ مكتوب‬، ‫ مفهوم‬:(‫مفعول‬
nouns that express the doing of the action once (‫ جلسة‬، ‫ عدوة‬، :(‫فعلة‬
‫ رمية‬، ‫ صدمة‬، ‫ صفعة‬، ‫ ضربة‬، ‫ لطمة‬، ‫ شحنة‬، ‫ دورة‬، ‫ نظرة‬، ‫ جولة وقفة‬، ‫ ثورة‬، ‫ فورة‬،
‫ نفخة‬، ‫ عضة‬، ‫ قضمة‬، ‫ كدمة‬، ‫صعقة‬
nouns that indicate the manner of doing what is expressed by a
verb‫ قِتْلة‬، ‫ ِشربة‬، ‫ ِجلسة‬، ،‫ميتة‬
nouns of place and time (،‫ ملتقى‬،‫ مشرق‬،‫ مغرب‬،‫ مصيف موعد‬، ،‫ميعاد‬
،‫ معمل‬،‫ مصنع‬،‫ مركز‬،‫ مكتب‬،‫ معهد‬،‫ مؤسسة‬،‫ مصلحة‬،‫محافظة مقاطعة سلطنة مملكة‬
‫ جمهورية قنصلية الدول جامعة ربطة ا جمعية مؤسسة سفارة وكالة زرة ا و ادارة امارة‬، ‫دوقية‬
nouns of occupation ‫صناعة مالحة عمارة رفة ا ص نجارة حدادة تجارة صحافة نقابة‬
‫خياطة حياكة طبابة رقابة حجامة سقاية فالحة‬
nouns of instruments, appliances, tools
‫ مشرط‬، ‫ مبضع‬، ،‫ رفعة ا مجهر‬، ‫ شاحنة‬، ‫ حافلة قاذفة‬، ‫ طائرة‬،
‫ سماعة مكواة‬، ‫ دباسة‬، ‫ عصارة‬، ‫ غسالة‬، ‫ سخان‬، ‫ مدمرة‬، ‫ منفاخ‬، ‫ محرك‬، ‫مولد‬

Contrast

The following are the major differences between English and Arabic
derivation by affixation. First, English derivation involves affixation,
ablaut and compounding, whereas Arabic derivation involves affixation,
ablaut and root-and-pattern formation. Second, Derivational affixation is
very productive in English but very limited in Arabic. For example,
Arabic has very few derivational suffixes and prefixes:
• m- prefix: instrument, time and place nouns, e.g., miftaaḥ ‫مفتاح‬
`key', mii`aad ‫` ميعاد‬appointment', madxal ‫` مدخل‬entrance'
• -iyy suffix: nationalities, e.g., filistiiniyy ‫` فلسطيني‬Palestinian'
• -iyya suffix: abstract nouns, e.g., `unsuriyya ‫`عنصرية‬racism'

Third, a large number of English stems are of Latin and Greek Origin,
e.g., con-tain, socio-logy. In contrast, Arabic derivational processes
work primarily on purely native roots. For example, the Arabic word for
television is mirnaa(t) ‫مرناة‬, which is a noun of instilment derived from
the verb ranaa ‫` رنا‬He looked attentively (with focus)'. Fourth, the root in
English is fixed--that is, it does not allow infixation. In contrast, the root
in Arabic is discontinuous: infixes may be inserted between consonants,
resulting in internal vocalic re-arrangement:
kataba ‫` كتب‬he wrote' kaatib ‫` كاتب‬writer'

Finally, the Arabic forms of 'at-tagiir ‫` التصغير‬the diminutive' and 'an-

nisba ‫` النسبة‬relational adjective' are commonly derived according to
morphophonological rules and patterns. In contrast, English has very
few nouns that have diminutive forms, e.g., booklet, Johnnie, doggie.
Moreover, the derivation of nationality terms by suffixation in English is
not rule-governed, e.g., Chinese, Malaysian, Pakistani.