A Hundred and One Rules in Arabic Grammar!
- The Phonological Environment for Form VIII Verb ===================================================
Thecharacteristic feature of Form VIII is the reflexive affix /** ـتـَ** / which is inserted after the first radical of the root. That /** ـتـَ** / will create the environment for a phonological rule of assimilation that applies itself if the first radical is a dental stop or fricative. The result is that the inserted /** ـتـَ** / is assimilated. Involved here are the following consonants:
**ت ث د ذ ز ص ض ط ظ**
Compare the following examples:
(a) a fully pronounced /** ـتـَ** / جَمَعَ إجتَمَعَ
(b) a fully assimilated /** ـتـَ** / زادَ - إزدادَ ، دَعا - إدَّعی
Luckily, Arabic does not have many verbs of this type. However, you need to remember the three following related phonological rules:
(1). After the emphatic consonants ص ض ط the inserted /** ـتـَ** / becomes emphaticط , as in صَدَمَ - إصطدَمَ
(2). After the fricatives ت ظ there is a complete assimilation and the resultant double consonant is written with Shadda, as in** ظَلـَمَ – إظـَّلـَمَ **
(3). If the first radical of the verb is**(** و ) as in ** وَصَلَ** , the**(** و ) will be completely assimilated by the inserted /** ـتـَ** /, and thus the use of the Shadda would be required. Consider the following example:
** وَصَلَ – إتـَّصَلَ**