Elementary Arabic Morphology 3

The Mimi Infinitive and The Quasi-Infinitive Noun

  1. What do you understand about the mīmī infinitive?

  2. How is the mīmī infinitive formed?

  3. What do you understand about the quasi-infinitive noun?

  4. The mīmī infinitive is that which does not have any meaning other than that of the non- mīmī infinitive. It is formed from all verbs by adding a mīm.

  5. The mīmī infinitive is formed from triliteral verbs in the form مَفعَل, for example: مَنظَر. The exceptions to this are quasi-sound verbs whose first root letter is erased in the aorist tense, these will be in the form مَفعِل, for example: مَوعِد. The mīmī infinitive is formed from verbs with more than three letters by placing them in the passive voice of the aorist tense and replacing the aorist letter with a mīm which has a dummah, for example: مُکرَم.

  6. A quasi-infinitive noun is a word which indicates the meaning of an infinitive and takes a letter away from the verb either literally or implicitly, for example**:اعطاء** the noun ofالإعطاء .