Sun and moon letters: Difference between revisions
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The 14 sun letters are: ﻥ ,ﻝ ,ﻅ ,ﻁ ,ﺽ ,ﺹ ,ﺵ ,ﺱ ,ﺯ ,ﺭ ,ﺫ ,ﺩ ,ﺙ ,ﺕ; transliterated as ''{{ArabDIN|t}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|ṯ}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|d}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|ḏ}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|r}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|z}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|s}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|š}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|ṣ}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|ḍ}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|ṭ}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|ẓ}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|l}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|n}}''. |
The 14 sun letters are: ﻥ ,ﻝ ,ﻅ ,ﻁ ,ﺽ ,ﺹ ,ﺵ ,ﺱ ,ﺯ ,ﺭ ,ﺫ ,ﺩ ,ﺙ ,ﺕ; transliterated as ''{{ArabDIN|t}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|ṯ}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|d}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|ḏ}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|r}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|z}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|s}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|š}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|ṣ}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|ḍ}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|ṭ}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|ẓ}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|l}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|n}}''. |
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The 14 moon letters consist of 12 of the [[consonant]]s (ه ,ﻡ ,ﻙ ,ﻕ ,ﻑ ,ﻍ ,ﻉ ,ﺥ ,ﺡ ,ﺝ ,ﺏ , |
The 14 moon letters consist of 12 of the [[consonant]]s (ه ,ﻡ ,ﻙ ,ﻕ ,ﻑ ,ﻍ ,ﻉ ,ﺥ ,ﺡ ,ﺝ ,ﺏ ,ء; transliterated as ''{{ArabDIN|ʾ}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|b}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|ǧ}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|ḥ}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|ḫ}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|ʿ}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|ġ}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|f}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|q}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|k}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|m}}'', ''{{ArabDIN|h}}'') and the two [[semivowel]]s (ﻭ and ﻱ; or ''{{ArabDIN|w}}'' and ''{{ArabDIN|y}}''). |
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In the written language, the الـ (''{{ArabDIN|al-}}'') is retained, and the gemination may be expressed by putting [[Shadda|''{{ArabDIN|šadda}}'']] on the following letter. |
In the written language, the الـ (''{{ArabDIN|al-}}'') is retained, and the gemination may be expressed by putting [[Shadda|''{{ArabDIN|šadda}}'']] on the following letter. |
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Revision as of 17:18, 8 March 2008
- In this article, the phonemes are transliterated according to the DIN 31635
In the Arabic language, the letters may be divided into two groups: sun letters (or solar letters) and moon letters (or lunar letters), based on whether or not they assimilate with the ﻝ (Template:ArabDIN) of a preceding article. The word for "the sun",aš-šams, assimilates, while the word for "the moon", al-qamar, does not, and it was from this circumstance that the two categories of letters were named.
When followed by a sun letter, the Arabic definite article Template:ArabDIN is not pronounced al-. Instead, the l-sound of al- assimilates to the initial consonant of the following noun, which is doubled (geminated). For example, for "the Nile", one does not say al-Nīl, but an-Nīl. When the definite article is followed by a moon letter, the assimilation does not occur.
The 14 sun letters are: ﻥ ,ﻝ ,ﻅ ,ﻁ ,ﺽ ,ﺹ ,ﺵ ,ﺱ ,ﺯ ,ﺭ ,ﺫ ,ﺩ ,ﺙ ,ﺕ; transliterated as Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN.
The 14 moon letters consist of 12 of the consonants (ه ,ﻡ ,ﻙ ,ﻕ ,ﻑ ,ﻍ ,ﻉ ,ﺥ ,ﺡ ,ﺝ ,ﺏ ,ء; transliterated as Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN, Template:ArabDIN) and the two semivowels (ﻭ and ﻱ; or Template:ArabDIN and Template:ArabDIN).
In the written language, the الـ (Template:ArabDIN) is retained, and the gemination may be expressed by putting [[Shadda|Template:ArabDIN]] on the following letter.
The solar letters all have in common that they are dental, alveolar and postalveolar consonants in the classical language, and the lunar letters are not. (ج / Template:ArabDIN is pronounced postalveolar in most varieties of Arabic today, but was actually a palatalized voiced velar plosive in the classical language, and is thus considered a lunar letter.)