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Re: [westasianconlangs] USAGE: stress in Arabic feminine forms - rules in Wright's



I 've come across a few pages on rules of accent in Arabic as I was checking with 'A Grammar of the Arabic Language' by W.Wright for my previous post on quadriliteral verb. According to the book, there are 4 basic rules and the book shows examples and detailed description on exceptions. I d like to make the summery here.

(Sorry for my English, in advance, because what I have is a Japanese translation of the book. I don't have its original English edition with me to quote his sentences directly . :0))


--- Accent rules in Arabic from the Wright's book (summery)----

Rule 1)
The last syllable isn't accented if the word consists of 2 syllables or more.

Exception a) As for a word that belongs to the rules 2) and 3) below, when the word is paused, i.e. the final vowel after the last consonant is dropped because of it is the last vowel of a sentence, the place of accent in the word doesn't change.
e.g. /ya-qUUl/ , /qaa-nUUn/, /kaa-ti-bAAt/..etc

Exception b) When a one syllable word is connected with a particle such as /'a/, /bi/,/ka/, /la/,/wa/ and /fa/, the word keeps the original accent. e.g. /'a-lAA/, /'a-fa-lAA/, /bi-mAA/, /bi-hI/, /ka-dhAA/, /li-mAn/, /li-nAA/, /wa-lAm/, /fa-qAT/, /wa-qUl/


Rule 2)
The second syllable to last is accented if it is a proper long syllable, i.e. open syllable including a long vowel. e.g. /qAA-la/, /ya-qUU-lu/, /qaa-nUU-nun/, /mu'-mi-nII-na/, /kaa-ti-bAA-tun/.


Rule 3)
The second syllable to last is also accented if it is a shut syllable, i.e. structual long vowel. e.g. /qAl-bun/, /dhI'-bun/, /bUr-'un/, /'Ij-lis/, /fi-rIn-dun/, /'a-qAl-lu/..etc

Rule 4) The third syllable to last is accented when the second syllable to last is a short syllable if a whole word consists of 3 syllables. e.g. /kA-ta-ba/, /kA-ta-bat/, /kA-ta-buu/, /kAA-ti-bun/, /TA-la-bun/, /'Ai-na-maa/


Also, if a word consists of 4 syllables or more, the third syllable is accented only when it is a long syllable no matter it is open or shut.
e.g. /ta-rAA-sa-luu/, /qaa-Nuu-nu-hum/, /ka-tAb-tu-maa/.

In other cases, accent is put as farest as the head of a word.
e.g. /kA-ta-ba-taa/, /mAs-'a-la-tun/, /mAs-'a-la-tu-haa/, /Qa-Sa-ba-tu-hu-maa/

Note:
As for deviation from those accent rules in Egypt and among Bedouins, see also... (3 books are listed)

-------------  the end of the summery----


I'd been following those accent rules when I was studying Arabic for about 8 years and didn't face any troubles talking to native speakers with the accent rules. In addition to that, these systematic accent rules helped me a lot to understand the phonological rules of Cairine dialect.

Kay@japan