Broken plural

In linguistics, broken plurals are a grammatical phenomenon typical in many Semitic languages of the Middle East and Ethiopia in which a singular noun is "broken" to form a plural by having its root consonants embedded in a different "frame", rather than by merely adding a prefix or suffix to the original singular noun.

In other words, it means that even though a language may possess a "regular" form of making a plural (like the suffix "-s" in English), some words will form "irregular" plurals expressed by vocalization patterns of the triliteral rather than by suffixation.

While the phenomenon is known from several Semitic languages, nowhere has it become as productive as in Arabic.

Indo-European ablaut is a similar but much simpler vowel alternation pattern occurring in ancient inflection patterns among Indo-European languages, for example in the Germanic strong verb system.

Broken plurals in Arabic

In Arabic, the "regular" way of making a plural for a masculine noun is adding the suffix "-ūn" (for the nominative) or "-in" (for the accusative and genitive) at the end. For feminine nouns, the regular way is to add the suffix "-āt." However, not all plurals used in everyday speech or in written texts (modern and classical, even the Qur'an) adhere to these simple rules. Instead, spoken and written Arabic produces plurals using a system of groups based on the vocalization of the word. This system is not fully regular, and it is mainly used for masculine non-human nouns. Human nouns are usually pluralized regularly or irregularly.

Broken plurals are known as "Jam' Takseer" (جمع تكسير) in Arabic grammar. These plurals constitute one of the most unusual aspects of the language, given the very strong and highly detailed grammar and derivation rules that govern the written language.

Full knowledge of these plurals comes only with extended exposure to the language, though a few rules can be noted.

Example

Semitic languages typically form triconsonantal roots, forming a "grid" into which vowels may be inserted without affecting the basic root.

Here are a few examples; note that the commonality is in the consonants, not the vowels.

*"KiTāB" كتاب "book" → "KuTuB" كتب "books"
*"KāTiB" كاتب "writer, scribe" → "KuTTāB" كتاب "writers, scribes"
*"maKTūB" مكتوب "letter" → "maKāTīB" مكاتيب "letters":note: these three words all have a common word root, "K-T-B" ك – ت – ب "to write"

*"WaLaD" ولد "boy" → "aWLāD" أولاد "boys":"WaRaQ" ورق "paper" → "aWRāQ" أوراق "papers":"SHaJaR" شجر "tree" → "aSHJāR" أشجار "trees":but: "JaMaL" جمل "camel" → "JiMāL" جمال "camels"

*"maKTaB" مكتب "desk, office" → "maKāTiB" مكاتب "offices":"maLBaS" ملبس "dress, garb" → "maLāBiS" ملابس "clothes"

*"JaDD" جدّ "grandfather" → "JuDūD" جدود "grandfathers":"FaNN" فنّ "art" → "FuNūN" فنون "arts":but: "RaBB" ربّ "master, owner" → "aRBāB" أرباب "masters"

ee also

* Triconsonantal root
* Nonconcatenative morphology
* Apophony#Apophony vs. transfixation (root-and-pattern)

External links

* [http://libra.sfsu.edu/~vcs/Manouba_2002.pdf "The Arabic Noun System Generation"]