# ا alif as first letter of a word همزة الوصل ، همزة القطع



## arabist-1

Hi, below I`ve tried to summarise all about alif in the *first *position of a word.
I welcome comments, clarifications and corrections…………
I will separately cover alif in the middle and end  of a word.
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In normal writing-text vowel-marks (like Haraket: Fatah, Kasra & Dammah , etc are NOT written)
Thus although Alif is sometimes written alone as   *ا*  (without any additional marks, Hamzah or Tashkil )  This is can cause confusion in the sense it may not be clear what sound the alone aif  *ا* represents.
However, let`s assume here want to write-show the correct vowel-marks etc
So if we see and unmarked  Alif   - what is it likely to be / how should it be marked ?
Note the position of the alone alif  already gives an indication of what it represents or does not represent.

Unmarked alif   ا‎    at the start of a word: 

1.1  cannot be a long-vowel

1.2  could be an alif  consonant with harakat 
Alif   just with Fatah     *اَ* 

Alif  just with Kasra       *اِ*

Alif  just with dammah     <  is this possible ?

1.3  could be a alif carrying a hamzah  
Alif  is the only possible carrier where hamzah is the first phoneme of a word (not eg waw or ya).   
If hamzah is added above the alif  أَ  called the _alif-hamzh-fatah_
If hamzah is added above the alif    أُ       called the  _alif-hamzah-dammah_
Ih hamzah is added below the alif     إِ  called the  _alif-hamzah-kasrah_
all three x3 indicating that the letter so modified does indeed signify a glottal stop, and not a long vowel.

1.4   If alif only with hamzah 
If alif is alone with hazmah at bottom     إ   it implies Kasra  ?  Clarify 
If alif is alone with hamzah at top    أ it could imply  Fatah *or* Dammah ?  Claify??

1.5  could be a alif-wusal    ٱ   
1.5b  could be alif-wasul but just shown plainly  as    ا
The *waṣlah* ⟨وَصْلَة⟩, *ʾalif waṣlah* ⟨أَلِف وَصْلَة⟩ or *hamzat waṣl* ⟨هَمْزَة وَصْل⟩ looks like a small letter _ṣād_ on top of an _ʾalif_ ⟨ٱ⟩
It only occurs in the beginning of words (can occur after prepositions and the definite article).
It is commonly found in imperative verbs, the perfective aspect of verb stems VII to X and their verbal nouns (_maṣdar_).
_hamzat waṣl_ (همزة وصل),  differs from the (normal) hamzah  ء the _hamzat qatʿ_ in that, the  _hamzat waṣl _ is elided after a preceding vowel.  Again, alif is always the unpronounced carrier.
The _alif_ of the definite article is considered a _waṣlah_
Also eg   ⟨بٱسم⟩.  Meaning ???
Note, the name *ʾalif waṣlah* ⟨أَلِف وَصْلَة⟩ or *hamzat waṣl* ⟨هَمْزَة وَصْل⟩, this is because even though not written, the  _ṣād_ on top of an _ʾalif “contains” an unwritten  hamzah_

1.5b what is this :      بٱسم     Meaning ???   (  with name ? )
How come the alif waslah is not the first letter of word ?
Is it because its a treated as:  word plus a word  ?
 ٱسم +  ب

1.6  could be a alif-madda   <<< but alif-madda should not be unmarked, its not an option, if applicable, it should be written آ  a short horizontal line (actually a stemming from/based on being a second alif,
ie an alif-madda is a double double alif, a long aa sound).

1.7  Is it possible to have an Alif with a shadda  ??

1.8 any more topics / possibilities ref alif at the beginning of a word ??

Regards, David
Note, all above relates to Alif at the start of a word, I will produce new following threads covering Alif in the middle and at the end of a word


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## barkoosh

Allow me to use a different approach:


The initial alif, or the alif as the first letter of a word, can be:
1. hamzat qaT3 (or, waqf): أ;
2. hamzat waSl: ٱ.
It can't be an alif-madd (ا) since it's considered a silent letter and words in Arabic cannot start with a silent letter.

*1. hamzat qaT3 (or, waqf)*
1.1 In modern Arabic, a word that starts with an alif with hamzat qaT3 can have a fatHa (e.g. أَكَلَ), Damma (e.g. أُسْرَة), or kasra (e.g. إِيمَان).a. It's common in modern Arabic to put the hamza kasra under the alif at the beginning of a word.​b. As the first letter of a word, it cannot have a sukuun or shadda (since a shadda is considered a silent letter and words in Arabic cannot start with a silent). So an alif hamza cannot have a shadda at the beginning of a word. Compare: تَرَأَّسَ.​
1.2 A word can start with an alif hamzat qaT3 if:a. it's part of root verb: أَكَلَ - أَسَرَ.​b. it's a 4-letter verb with its maSdar and imperative:أَنْتَجَ - إِنْتَاج - أَنْتِجْ (note: a shadda is considered a letter. So اتَّجَهَ is a 5-letter verb, the alif doesn't have a hamzat qaT3; أَطَلَّ is considered a 4-letter verb, the alif has a hamzat qaT3).​c. it's in the first person singular of the مضارع (perfect tense): أَذْهَبُ - أَرى...​d. it's a particle: أو - أم - أن​e. it's a noun: أسرة - إيمان - أمل except a few nouns which have a hamzat waSl. The _common_ ones are: ٱسم - ٱبن - ٱبنة - ٱمرؤ - ٱمرأة (with their dual forms) and ٱثنان/ٱثنين - ٱثنتان/ٱثنتين. Note that the plural of ٱسم and ٱبن has a hamzat qaT3: أسماء - أبناء.​
1.3 The alif-madda (آ), which is left unmarked, is just an alif hamzat fatH with an alif-madd (ا). But instead of being put after the consonant, as in باب, the alif-mad is put on. For example: أَامَنَ = آمَنَ.

1.4 *IMPORTANT USAGE NOTE:* although it's not advisable, and considered incorrect by many, some don't write the hamzat qaT3 of the initial alif: اسرة - ايمان - امل.


*2. hamzat waSl*
2.1 Some say that the صـ form on the alif is from the first letter of the verb صِلْ which is the imperative of the verb وصل (to connect). It's as if you're saying to the reader: 'connect to what precedes'. Then, بِٱسْمِ (in the name of), which is ب + ٱسم, should be pronounced _bismi,_ not _bi'ismi (bi2ismi);_ إنَّ ٱسْمَ should be pronounced _innasma._

2.2 It's used with the definite article ال, with the imperative of the 3-letter verbs (كَتَب - ٱكْتُبْ), with 5-and-more-letter verbs along with their maSdar and imperative (ٱتَّجَهَ - ٱتِّجَاه - ٱتَّجِهْ). Also see 1.2 e.

2.3 Since the hamzat waSl connects to what precedes it, what happens when there's nothing before it to connect to, as at the beginning of a sentence? The traditional way to do it is to pronounce it as a hamzat qaT3 while writing a diacritic only. For example, at the beginning of a sentence, you write اَلْكِتابُ- اُكْتُبْ - اِنْتَشَرَ.

2.4 *IMPORTANT USAGE NOTE:* The hamzat waSl is almost nonexistent among Arabs today. Nobody writes it in their daily life. It's generally replaced with a simple ا, and sometimes replaced with a hamzat qaT3! While the alif hamzat waSl is generally replaced with ا in the definite article ال, the hamzat qaT3 is used by some in the other instances: إِنتشار - إبن - إسم -إتّجاه. So don't be surprised if you see إِسْتَطاعَ الْإِبْنُ إسْتِعْمالَ إِسْمٍ آخَر instead of اِسْتَطاعَ ٱلِٱبْنُ ٱسْتِعْمالَ ٱسْمٍ آخَر.


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## arabist-1

Barkoosh, many thanks for your much appreciated detailed reply.  
I will read carefully, try to learn & understand, and revert.  (I`m still preapring a summary ref alif in the middle and end of a word).

I aslo intend to update the possibilities summary ref first (and middle position) that the alif could be:
The *superscript (or dagger) ʾalif* ⟨أَلِف خَنْجَرِيَّة⟩ (_ʾalif ḫanǧariyyah_), written as short vertical stroke on top of a consonant. To indicates a long /aː/ sound where _ʾalif_ is normally not written, e.g.  ⟨الله⟩ (_Allāh_ or ⟨هٰذَا⟩ 

Regards, David


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## إسكندراني

إستعمال إسم etc. are _spelling mistakes_ - their being common doesn't make them any more acceptable 
Well written texts would never have these mistakes.
Be aware though, that many of these symbols are (relatively) recent innovations into Arabic, so it's acceptable to write همزة الوصل as ا rather than the symbol used by Unicode.


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## arabist-1

Hello, I`ve updated the list of possibilities as to what the alif can be when starting a word, still a few points to be clarified – hope you can  help
1.0  Unmarked alif   ا‎    at the start of a word:  
1.1  word cannot start with alif as a long-vowel, 

1.2  word could start with   alif  as a consonant with harakat   (x3 possibilities) BUT no hamzah ??
Alif   just with Fatah     *اَ* *or*    Alif  just with Kasra       *اِ*
Alif  just with dammah     <  is this possible ?

1.3  could be a alif carrying a hamzah  
Alif  is the only possible carrier where hamzah is the first phoneme of a word (not eg waw or ya).     
Thus could be:  fatah + hamzah      dammah + hamzah      kasra + hamzah

1.4   If alif only with hamzah  ? 
Is this possible or is this formally incorrect (ie  may be the hazah MUST be with a vowel mark ?
If its acceptable just to write a hamzah, can the hamzah be above and/or below ?

1.5  could be a alif-wusal    ٱ   
Used with certain words starting with  alif   (when is preceeded by another word)
AND  used (formally)  for  definitive – al    ل‎ ٱ  the alif-wusal  >>   ل‎ ا‎

1.6  could be a alif-madda   آ   eg  آخر      ʾāḫir      "last".  (often the alif is left unmarked)

1.7 it could be a Dagger alif    ــٰ      eg   ⟨هٰذَا⟩ (hāḏā) 
1.8 any more topics / possibilities ref alif at the beginning of a word ??

 Regards, David


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## إسكندراني

arabist-1 said:


> Alif  just with dammah     <  is this possible ?


Yes, e.g. انظر.

Also there is no such thing as an (Alif waSl). It's called a hamza with a همزة وصل a.k.a. همزة وصلية. The 'more familiar' hamza is known as a همزة قطع.

There can never be a dagger Alif at the start of a word (where would you write it?). In هذا it's considered part of the 'puncuation' of Arabic (علامات الترقيم) and is considered to come 'on' the هاء.


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## arabist-1

a) How about this:
 1.4 can it be alif only with hamzah  ? 
Is this possible or is this formally incorrect ? ie  MUST the hamzah be with a vowel mark ?
If its acceptable just to write an alone  hamzah, can the hamzah be above and/or below ?

b) ref names, I found this:
          The *waṣlah* ⟨وَصْلَة⟩, *ʾalif waṣlah* ⟨أَلِف وَصْلَة⟩ or *hamzat waṣl* ⟨هَمْزَة وَصْل⟩ 
Note  - I understand, The 'more familiar' hamza is known as a همزة قطع.
Are you saying the name  *ʾalif waṣlah* ⟨أَلِف وَصْلَة⟩ is incorrect ?

c) ref: There can never be a dagger Alif at the start of a word (where would you write it?)
Take the word: *  ⟨هٰذَا⟩ (hāḏā)  *Assume you are saying the the short  alif is written AFTER the ha ?


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## إسكندراني

No Arabic word can start with a حرف ساكن (unvowelled consonant).
ألف وصلة means nothing as far as I'm aware (google's results are ألف = 'a thousand' not 'Alif')
The mini-alif (which is pronounced like a regular alif) is the vowel on the consonant (h)


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## arabist-1

Thanks you to everyone for all contributions to this thread - ref options for Alif in FIRST position of a word.
Please see NEW thread ref options for Alif in MIDDLE position.
Soon 3rd thread will be created ref Alif in LAST position.
Regards, David


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## Iksr Alquyuud

إسكندراني said:


> Yes, e.g. انظر.


where is the damma sypposed to be here?  On the _alif _اُنظر ?! If so, how do you pronounce this word?  Thanks.


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## barkoosh

Yes, on the alif. It's pronounced the same way as أُنظر.


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## Mahaodeh

Yes it's written on the alif, but it's on the همزة الوصل that is. It's pronounced with a hamza if it's in the beginning of the sentence and not pronounced at all if there is something before it.


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## Aliph

Hi! I never know exactly when to put an initial hamza. For instance the adjective اِستِثنائي is written in all the dictionaries (including WR) with a simple ا without همزة but I also saw it written with إ in some text. Can you please explain to me if the همزة is compulsory here?


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## Sun-Shine

It's استثنائي without همزة.

*مواضع ألف الوصل :*
In verbs:
-In the imperative of a three radicals verb:
اجْلِس- اضْرِب

-In past, imperative and maSdar of five radicals verbs:
انْطَلَقَ- انْطَلِق- انْطِلاق

-In past, imperative and maSdar of six radicals verbs:
اسْتَقْبِل- اسْتَقْبَلَ- اسْتِقْبَال  and اسْتَثْنَى- اسْتِثْناء

In nouns:
(ابن- ابنة- اثنان- اثنتان- امرؤ- امرأة- اسم- ايم وايمن (في القسم
ــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ
*مواضع همزة القطع :*
In verbs:
-In past tense of a three radicals verb and its maSdar:
أَكَلَ- أَكْلًا

-In past, imperative of a four radicals verb and its maSdar:
أَضْرَبَ- أضْرِب- إضْراب

-All verbs in present tense (begin with همزة):
أكْتُب- أشْرَب

-All nouns except (ابن- ابنة- اثنان- اثنتان- امرؤ- امرأة- اسم- ايم وايمن (في القسم


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## Aliph

Hi Sun-Shine, I understand why it’s not so simple   Does it mean that adjectives with an initial alif always have alif al wasl since they are not listed in the second category?


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## Sun-Shine

Could you give us an example?
The word (استثنائي (اسم منسوب is composed of the maSdar استثناء (from a five radicals verb)+ ياء, so it's ألف وصل.

The ways I use to know whether there is همزة or not is putting و before the word and pronouncing it. If I pronounced the همزة then it's همزة قطع, and if not then it is ألف وصل.


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## Aliph

Sun-Shine said:


> Could you give us an example?
> The ways I use to know whether there is همزة or not is putting و before the word and pronouncing it. If I pronounced the همزة then it's همزة قطع, and if not then it is ألف وصل.



Sorry Sun-Shine I was wrong about adjectives.
I read another time your post and got things clear at least for the initial hamza seated on an alif.
Thank you very much.
As for your tip about putting an و : well, hum, it surely must work if one already speaks Arabic 



إسكندراني said:


> Be aware though, that many of these symbols are (relatively) recent innovations into Arabic, so it's acceptable to write همزة الوصل as ا rather than the symbol used by Unicode.


I dig up my initial question (2019) that was merged with an older (2013) one by the moderator.
I found a list of words in a PDF by a renown Arabist containing several mistakes concerning the hamza on an initial alif in awords derived from an augmented verb.
Can you please explain what you mean by the symbol used by unicode?


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## cherine

Aliph said:


> Can you please explain what you mean by the symbol used by unicode?


Iskandarany hasn't visited the forum in the past four or five years, so I don't think he can reply to your question. But I believe he was referring to little ص that some people put above همزة الوصل. Actually I never used it, and I don't think anyone in Egypt uses it, as I've never seen it in print except in the muS7af.

As for the rules for writing the hamza, they've been explained extensively in this thread and I belive another one as well, so it just needs a bit of reading of the rules, with some examples, and you'll find they're not that hard to learn.


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## Aliph

Thanks for your reply Cherine...it was reading the explanations  (as you suggest) that I came up with this additional question about Unicode. I cannot know if some member left the forum and posting a question asking for a detail may encourage further explanations.


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