Overdose of ي

Diagnosis: Spelling

This sign was found in a beautiful, welcoming church in Berlin, Germany. Perhaps the Arabic transliteration was used as a reference a little too much, which is probably why two ي have crept in.

However, let’s not be too critical. It’s great that the letters are connected, and anyone familiar with Arabic will still be able to understand it despite the errors. It’s also good that Arabic has not been overlooked, which unfortunately happens far too often.

Arabic text in question

Arabic text as it should be

Note: You don’t use diacritics (تشكيل) in everyday Arabic. We use them here to clearly explain the grammar, spelling and meaning of words. To avoid confusion, we generally ignore auxiliary vowels that are necessary for pronunciation to avoid consonant clusters.

Analysis

The Arabic text “مين فضليك” incorrectly uses the letter ي twice.

• مين uses a ي where مِنْ (“min”) is correct.
• فضليك also incorrectly inserts a ي before the final ك. The correct forms are فَضْلِكَ (faḍlika – to a male) and فَضْلِكِ (faḍliki – to a female).
• By the way, the noun فَضْلٌ (plural forms: فُضُولٌ and أَفْضالٌ) has many meanings, such as merit, grace, favor, kindness, and amiability. It can also denote surplus, rest, or remainder.

Remark: Since signs are usually for a general audience, مِنْ فَضْلِكَ (addressing masculine singular) is often used as a default. If the sign intends to be more inclusive and to address a mixed general audience, some might opt for the plural مِنْ فَضْلِكُمْ (min faḍlikum).

Source: Real Place
Time the picture was taken: January 2025

Location: Germany
Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 8, Berlin, Germany – St. Marienkirche
10178 Berlin
Germany
Latitude: 52.5207689
Longitude: 13.4064352

Credit
Picture credit: Paula Rötscher
Added: 06/02/2025

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