Lesson (5): The Letter hamza
A- Letter hamza Chart
| pronunciation | Transliterated | Isolated | Initial | Medial | Final | Transcription |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| هَمزَة | hamza | ء أُ إِ أ |
أ ؤ | ـئـ | ئ | ̛̛ |
| أَلِف | ālif | ا | ا | ـا | ـا | Ā |
| وَاو | wāw | و | ـو | ---- | ـو | W(aw, au, u |
| يَاء | yā̛ | ي | يـ | ـيـ | v | Y (ay, ai, ̛ |
We postponed the Letter hamza because it deserves to have a unique section in the Language either from the point of view of grammar or graphology. My reader/ learner can see how I have connected the letter hamza with the Letter ālif, wāw and yā̛.
The letter hamza is defined as a glottal stop8 pronunciation-wise. Like any letter it has Different shapes and pronunciations whether it is initial, medial or final.
Best English example to highlight its sound and pronunciation is when we begin a word with a vowel consider:
e.g. Are you there? Is it so? …etc
The sound of the glottal stop – initial hamza - is pronounced in the beginning of Are and Is in the above example. While Middle hamza is considered to be a short pause like in the same medial pause of the English word "co-operate".
Glottal stops in Arabic are two: the hamza and the qāf. For qāf it is a glottal stop in Classical Arabic but an initial hamza in pronunciation in colloquial Arabic (Slang) for example in formal Arabic the word /qām/ for "stood up" قام is pronounced in the Egyptian Dialect and/or Slang as hamza to be /̛ām/.
As seen in the above Chart hamza is written either over the letter itself or after it specially the letter ālif. Later on we will deal with the medial and final shapes of the letter hamza.
B- The Two Types of Letter hamza
/hamzat/ /̛aq-qat ع/ : همزة القطع
- Written as a hamza over the ālif letter.
- Always the sound of the hamza is written, heard and pronounced.
Example:
- أَب وأُم /̛ab/ /wa/ /̛um/
- A father and a mother.
1- We notice here that we here the hamza and we write, hear and pronounce it over the ālif.
/hamzat/ /̛al-wasl/ همزة الوصل
- Written as an ālif without a hamza on it .
- Always the sound of the hamza is heard and pronounced but not written.
Example:
- اِنطَلِق يا مُحَمَد فَالعُمر يَمضي /̛intalik/ /ya/ /mohamid/ /falعumr/ /yamdi/
- Go Ahead Mohamed, life will not wait you!
1- We notice here that the letter ālif - highlighted in red - heard, and pronounced as a hamza but written as an ālif without a hamza.
ِ /kasra/ ُ /dam-ma/ َ /fatha/ ْ /sukun/
C- Drawing of the Letter hamza according to the fittest/ dominant sign
| pronunciation | Transliterated | Isolated | Initial | Medial | Final | Transcription |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| هَمزَة | hamza | ء أُ إِ أ |
أ ؤ | ـئـ | ئ | ̛̛ |
1- Letter hamza over the letter yā̛ like ـئـ in medial position of the word
| 1st case | 2nd case | 3rd case | 4th case | 5th case |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1- If the letter hamza is in the openness case /̛ān-nasb/ i.e. has the /fatha/ sign; whereas the preceding letter to it is in the reduction case /̛ak-kasr/ and has the /kasra/ sign. | 2- If the letter hamza is in the cutting and/or elision case /̛ag-gazm/ and has the Real Quiescence sign /sukun/; whereas the preceding letter to is in the reduction case /̛ak-kasr/ and has the /kasra/ sign. | 3- If the letter hamza is in the reduction case /̛ak-kasr/ and has the /kasra/ sign; whereas the preceding letter to it is in the openness case /̛ān-nasb/ i.e. has the /fatha/ sign. | 4- If the letter hamza is in the reduction case /̛ak-kasr/ and has the /kasra/ sign; whereas the preceding letter to it is in the regular case /̛ad-dam/ i.e. has the /dam-ma/ sign. | 5- If the letter hamza is in the reduction case /̛ak-kasr/ and has the /kasra/ sign; whereas the preceding letter to it is in cutting and/or elision case /̛ag-gazm/ and has the Real Quiescence sign /sukun/. |
| Fittest Sign /kasra/ |
Fittest Sign /kasra/ |
Fittest Sign /kasra/ |
Fittest Sign /kasra/ |
Fittest Sign /kasra/ |
| Key Arabic Letter yā̛ |
Key Arabic Letter yā̛ |
Key Arabic Letter yā̛ |
Key Arabic Letter yā̛ |
Key Arabic Letter yā̛ |
| Reason: Because the /kasra/ sign is > the /fatha/ sign |
Reason: Because the /kasra/ sign is > the /sukun/ sign |
Reason: Because the /kasra/ sign is > the /fatha/ sign |
Reason: Because the /kasra/ sign is > the /dam-ma/ sign |
Reason: Because the /kasra/ sign is > Unreal Quiescence - Extension Sign /̛ālif/ /̛āl-mad/ ألف المد |
| Example: فِئَة /fi̛a/ for "category" |
Example: بِئْر /bi̛r/ for "well" |
Example: رَئِيس /ra̛is/ for "president" |
Example: سُئِل /sưil/ for "asked" |
Example: بَائِع /bā̛iع/ for "salesman" |
2- Letter hamza over the letter wāw like ؤ medial and/or final position of the word
| 1st case | 2nd case | 3rd case | 4th case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1- If the letter hamza is in the openness case /̛ān-nasb/ i.e. has the /fatha/ sign; whereas the preceding letter to it is in the regular case /̛ad-dam/ i.e. has the /dam-ma/ sign. | 2- If the letter hamza is in the regular case /̛ad-dam/ i.e. has the /dam-ma/ sign; whereas the preceding letter to it is in the openness case /̛ān-nasb/ i.e. has the /fatha/ sign. | 3- If the letter hamza is in the regular case /̛ad-dam/ i.e. has the /dam-ma/ sign; whereas the preceding letter to it is in the cutting and/or elision case /̛ag-gazm/ and has the Real Quiescence sign /sukun/. | 4- If the letter hamza is in the in the in the cutting and/or elision case /̛ag-gazm/ and has the Real Quiescence sign /sukun/; whereas the preceding letter to it is in the regular case /̛ad-dam/ i.e. has the /dam-ma/ sign. |
| Fittest Sign /dam-ma/ | Fittest Sign /dam-ma/ | Fittest Sign /dam-ma/ | Fittest Sign /dam-ma/ |
| Key letter wāw | Key letter wāw | Key letter wāw | Key letter wāw |
| Reason Because the /dam-ma/ sign is > /fatha/ sign. | Reason Because the /dam-ma/ sign is > /fatha/ sign. | Reason Because the /dam-ma/ sign is > the /sukun/ sign. | Reason Because the /dam-ma/ sign is > the /sukun/ sign. |
| Example: فُؤَاد /fưād/ for "heart" |
Example: رَؤُوف /ra̛uf/ for "well" |
Example: مَسْؤُول /mas̛ul/ for "an official" i.e. "a responsible for person" |
Example: مُؤْمِن /mơmen/ for "a true religious believer" |
3- Letter hamza over the letter ālif like أ medial position of the word
| 1st case | 2nd case |
|---|---|
| 1- If the letter hamza is in the cutting and/or elision case /̛ag-gazm/ and has the Real Quiescence sign /sukun/; whereas the preceding letter to it is in the openness case /̛ān-nasb/ i.e. has the /fatha/ sign. | 2- If the letter hamza is in the openness case /̛ān-nasb/ i.e. has the /fatha/ sign; whereas the preceding letter to it is in the cutting and/or elision case /̛ag-gazm/ and has the Real Quiescence sign /sukun/. |
| Key letter ālif | Key letter ālif |
| Reason Because the /fatha/ sign is > the /sukun/ sign. | Reason Because the /fatha/ sign is > the /sukun/ sign. |
| Example: رَأَس /ra̛s/ for "head" |
Example: مَسْألة /mas̛ala/ for "issue" |
4- Letter hamza over the line isolated and independent like ء medial position of the word
1st and only case
Description: 1- If the letter hamza is in the openness case /̛ān-nasb/ i.e. has the /fatha/ sign; whereas the preceding letter is the letter ālif is in the cutting and/or elision case /̛ag-gazm/ and has the Real Quiescence sign /sukun/.
Fittest Sign: /sukun/.
Key letter: No letter as it is written over the line in medial position.
Example: قِرَاءة /qera̛ah/ for "reading".
Description: 1- If the letter hamza is in the openness case /̛ān-nasb/ i.e. has the /fatha/ sign; whereas the preceding letter is the letter ālif is in the cutting and/or elision case /̛ag-gazm/ and has the Real Quiescence sign /sukun/.
Fittest Sign: /sukun/.
Key letter: No letter as it is written over the line in medial position.
Example: قِرَاءة /qera̛ah/ for "reading".
5- Letter hamza over the line isolated and independent like ء final position of the word
1st and only case
Description: 1- If the letter hamza is in the cutting and/or elision case /̛ag-gazm/ and has the Quiescence sign either the real sign /sukun/ or the unreal sign - Extension Sign /̛ālif/ /̛āl-mad/ ألِف المَد.
Fittest Sign: /sukun/.
Key letter: Different than others as it is written over the line in final position not over any of the letters.
Example:
1- Real Quiescence Sign i.e. /sukun/: بِدء /bid̛/ for "start"
2- Unreal Quiescence Sign i.e. /̛ālif/ /̛āl-mad/ ألف المد سَمَاء /samā̛/ for "sky"
Description: 1- If the letter hamza is in the cutting and/or elision case /̛ag-gazm/ and has the Quiescence sign either the real sign /sukun/ or the unreal sign - Extension Sign /̛ālif/ /̛āl-mad/ ألِف المَد.
Fittest Sign: /sukun/.
Key letter: Different than others as it is written over the line in final position not over any of the letters.
Example:
1- Real Quiescence Sign i.e. /sukun/: بِدء /bid̛/ for "start"
2- Unreal Quiescence Sign i.e. /̛ālif/ /̛āl-mad/ ألف المد سَمَاء /samā̛/ for "sky"
6- Final Letter hamza over the letter yā̛ , ālif and wāw
| 1st case | 2nd case | 3rd case |
|---|---|---|
| 1- If the preceding letter to hamza is in the reduction case /̛ak-kasr/ and has the /kasra/ sign. | 2- If the preceding letter to hamza is in the regular case /̛ad-dam/ i.e. has the /dam-ma/ sign. | 3- If the preceding letter to hamza is in the openness case /̛ān-nasb/ i.e. has the /fatha/ sign. |
| Fittest Sign /kasra/ | Fittest sign /dam-ma/ | Fittest sign /fatha/ |
| Key letter: yā̛ |
Key letter: wāw |
Key letter: Ālif |
| Example: قَارِئ /kari̛/ for "reader" |
Example: تَبَاطُؤ /tabatư/ for "lazy" |
Example: قَرَأ /qara̛/ for "read" |
Source:
8 A glottal stop in Arabic is a sudden break at the beginning of the vowel and at the end of it.
9 Charles Darwin - English natural scientist who formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection (1809-1882).