# فو -  فم



## Jamal31

Hello,

I have read that فَم , as one of the six nouns, becomes فُو فَأ فِي based on the case, but read here that they become فوه فاه فيه ? I was wondering which is correct? Or is the latter only Jordanian?


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## analeeh

فم is not the usual word for 'mouth' in any dialect I've encountered, and even in modern fuSHa it is often regularised (فمه etc) although you're right that it should become فو etc.

As Azeid says in that thread, the ـه in the forms given there is the third person singular masculine pronoun, attached to demonstrate iDaafa.


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## Jamal31

Ahh ok. So is the accusative form فأ correct, or would it be فا?


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## analeeh

As far as I know, it's _fuu-hu, faa-hu, fii-hi_, with a long version of the normal case marking vowel just like the other nouns of this pattern.


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## Jamal31

Oh ok, thanks for your insight


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## Semsem83

Its only long if its a idaafa. Like أخ 

أخوه
أخاه
أخيه


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## Jamal31

So what would it be like when on not Idafa?


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## analeeh

فم.


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## Semsem83

فم 

The origine of فم is فو but the و change in a م and if its in a idaafa than the asl (origine) came back en wil the م change in و back. 

*  فوك ؛ فأصله فوه ، فحذفت الهاء اعتباطا ، وأبدِل من الواو ميم ، لأنهم لو أبقوها لتحركت في الإعراب فانقلبت ألفا وحذفت بالتنوين وبقي الاسم المعرب على حرف واحد ، والميم تشبه الواو وتحتمل الحركة فإذا أضفته رددت الواو


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## Jamal31

So you mean if it is the name of an article it would bewritten الْفَمُ instead of الْفُو?


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## analeeh

Yes. _Fam_ is the normal form, unless it's in iDaafa.


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## Semsem83

Only in idaafa we write فو

Like أخوك أبوك فوك

الفو is not a idaafa. 

We don't write الأبو or الأخو

We write الأب الأخ الفم

Also حم will be حموك.


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## Jamal31

Thanks, guys


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## Ali Smith

I know that in Classical Arabic it would be wrong to say رأيت فَمَهُ (I saw his mouth.); you would have to say رأيت فاه.
What about in MSA? Are both acceptable?


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## Mahaodeh

analeeh said:


> فم is not the usual word for 'mouth' in any dialect I've encountered


It's used in Palestinian Arabic, but the faa' is turned into taa' and the vowel to Dhamma: تُم. I thought it's that way in all Levantine dialects, itsn't it what Syrians use?


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## analeeh

I'm fairly sure that's a separate word: ثُمّ _thumm _(I don't know its etymology beyond that). Possibly it's related to _fam _but I've always perceived them as different.


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## fenakhay

In Morocco, it is فم (fumm) and فا (fā), depending on the dialect.


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## Mahaodeh

analeeh said:


> I'm fairly sure that's a separate word: ثُمّ _thumm _(I don't know its etymology beyond that). Possibly it's related to _fam _but I've always perceived them as different.


Yes, it did come from ثم (my grandmother that had a rural PA dialect, pronounced it ثِم), which in turn came from فم.


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