# أَقَل



## astlanda

Hi!

Could you give me examples, please, how to use the preposition:
أَقَلْ


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## licinio

To my knowledge it is not a preposition, but اسم تفضيل from قليل.
راتبي أقلُ من راتبِك.


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## Josh_

Yes, I believe Licinio is right.  Moreover, all prepositions (to my knowledge) end with a fatHa, and never a sukuun.


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## chflb

licinio said:


> To my knowledge it is not a preposition, but اسم تفضيل from قليل.
> راتبي أقلُ من راتبِك.


Yes!


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## astlanda

Thanks!

It was listed among the Arabic prepositions on the page:
http://arabic.speak7.com/arabic_prepositions.htm

That's why I asked it.

Does راتبي أقلُ من راتبِك. mean "My salary is smaller than yours." ?



Josh_ said:


> Moreover, all prepositions (to my knowledge) end with a fatHa, and never a sukuun.



Isn't مِنْ a preposition?


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## chflb

astlanda said:


> It was listed among the Arabic prepositions on the page:
> Arabic Prepositions


Yes, you are right, it can be used as preposition,
this is an exemple:   
 تقليص الخسائرِإلى أقل حدٍ ممكن​(the "Kasra" is the sign of the preposition)


> Does راتبي أقلُ من راتبِك. mean "My salary is smaller than yours." ?


exactly!


> Isn't مِنْ a preposition?


Yes,


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## licinio

Maybe we should say: it can be used after a preposition and in this case it bears the required إعراب, which incidentally is not only the كسرة, but could also be فتحة seeing that اسم تفضيل على وزن أفعل is ممنوع من الصرف and so you could find
تقليص الخسائر إلى أقلَ من 10 في المائة


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## Josh_

astlanda said:


> Isn't مِنْ a preposition?



*Sigh.*  Giving a fast response without fully thinking it out gets me in trouble again.

A more complete answer:

 There are two types of prepositions – (1) so-called "true" prepositions, which function only as prepositions (من ، بـ ، عن ، إلخ ); and (2) those words that can function as prepositions that are derived from trilateral roots (بين ، أمام ، بعد ، إلخ ).  Prepositions of this type always, or almost always (perhaps there are exceptions), end in a fatHa (at least in their default form).

  من is of the first type and a theoretical preposition أقل, if it existed, would be of the second type.

  When I wrote out my previous post, I was only thinking of the second type and that's why I misspoke and said all prepositions end in a fatHa.  What I meant was all prepositions of the second type.

Edited to add:  The point is, if you come across a word, derived from a triliteral root, that you think may be a preposition, but does not end in a fatHa, chances are it is not a preposition.


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## astlanda

Thank you all!

There are quite many useful tips here, but I'm in trouble interpreting تقليص in  تقليص الخسائر إلى أقلَ من 10 في المائ . Does the sentence mean: "You are decreasing the losses to less than 10 %." ?

Many thanks anyway.


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## Mahaodeh

astlanda said:


> There are quite many useful tips here, but I'm in trouble interpreting تقليص in تقليص الخسائر إلى أقلَ من 10 في المائ . Does the sentence mean: "You are decreasing the losses to less than 10 %." ?


Yes, exactly.

--------------------

Josh, I'm trying to learn too so this is not an objection, but how can إلى أقلَ من be a preposition, if it is then you will have 3 prepositions in a row!

I've never even seen 2 prepositions in a row, are you sure it's a preposition?


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## Josh_

You are right, it is definitely not a preposition.  My wording was probably not the best in my previous post.  What I was trying to say was that if it were a preposition (of the second type) it would have a fatHa on it.  But, since it doesn't have a fatHa it is not a preposition. It does not even fit the criteria of a preposition which generally refers to some kind of direction or location in space and/or time.  That webpage that Astlanda links to lists it, as well as ناقص which is also not a preposition, in error. 

You are right (of course, you would know better than I, being a native speaker and all) about the prepositions.  I think you referring to the fact that "true" prepositions would never appear with another "true" preposition.  For example, you would never have a combination such as من إلى or حتى بـ . The derived prepositions, on the other hand, can occur in combination with the "true" prepositions, but only come after them, and never before.  For example, من خلال , من بين ، من حول .


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## astlanda

Thanks for all the explanations.

The site puts together various patterns like إضافةً الى for example. May be their purpose was to show the counterparts of English prepositions as well.


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## Mahaodeh

Josh_ said:


> For example, من خلال , من بين ، من حول .


 


I never thought of them as prepositions, but now that you have mentioned them, they do give a meaning of a preposition.


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## rightnow

[Moderator's Note: Merged with a previous thread]
[أَقَلّ declension]
Hi forum,

I'd like to know the full declension for the elative of قليل , including feminine singular, and plural(s).

Thank you so much in advance.


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## elroy

What is "elative"?  (Please bear in mind that most native speakers of Arabic are unfamiliar with Western terminology used to describe Arabic grammar.)

Do you mean أقلّ?  If so, that's an invariable form; it doesn't decline.


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## Ibn Nacer

elroy said:


> What is "elative"? (Please bear in mind that most native speakers of Arabic are unfamiliar with Western terminology used to describe Arabic grammar.)


Je pense que c'est اسم التفضيل


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