Elementary Arabic Morphology 3

Verbs With and Without Increase Letters Added To Their Roots

  1. What is the difference between verbs without increase letters added to their root and with increase letters added to their root?

  2. How many forms do the triliteral verbs without increase letters have?

  3. How many forms do the quadriliteral verbs without increase letters have?

  4. A verb without increase letters is a verb that only has its root letters, for example: نَصَرَ. A verb with increase letters is a verb that has one or more letters added to its root, for example: أکرَمَ

  5. There are six forms for the triliteral verb without increase letters which stems from the different vowel signs given to the second root letter of the preterite and aorist tenses.

فَعَلَ یَفعِلُ مثل جَلَسَ یَجلِسُ

فَعَلَ یَفعُلُ مثل نَصَرَ یَنصُرُ

فَعَلَ یَفعَلُ مثل فَتَحَ یَفتَحُ

فَعِلَ عَفعَلُ مثل عَلِمَ یَعلَمُ

فَعِلَ یَفعِلُ مثل حَسِبَ یَحسِبُ

فَعُلَ یَفعُلُ مثل کَرُمَ یَکرُمُ

There is no way to know the form of a certain verb other than looking it up in a dictionary.

  1. There is one form of quadriliteral verbs without increase letters:

فَعلَلَ یُفَعلِلَ مثل دَحرَجَ یُدَحرِجُ