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The Secret to Finding Any Arabic Root: Just Remember سألتمونيها
Almost every Arabic word has a root of three or four letters. Identifying these roots (جِذْر) is straightforward because only ten specific “extra letters” (حُرُوف الزِّيادة) can be added to a radical. These letters are conveniently summarized in the word “سألتمونيها” (sa’altumuuniiha).
Almost every Arabic word, with the exception of proper nouns and foreign loanwords, is built upon a root consisting of three or four letters, known as radicals.
Identifying the root (جِذْر) of an Arabic word is surprisingly straightforward because there are only ten specific letters in Arabic that can be added to a root. These “extra letters” (حُرُوف الزِّيادة) are conveniently summarized in the mnemonic word سألتمونيها (sa’altumuuniiha).
They are easy to remember. They can be summed up in this word:
سألتمونيها
Difficult to remember?
Well, think of a possible pronunciation, and it will be easy: “sa’altumuuniiha“.
That was quick. Do you know the total number of roots in Arabic?
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Wanna cite this article?
Drißner, G. (2016, January 23). The Secret to Finding Any Arabic Root: Just Remember سألتمونيها. Arabic for Nerds. https://arabic-for-nerds.com/grammar/arabic-roots-extra-letters/
Published: January 23, 2016
Please check the citation before use, especially if your style guide has local requirements.
Publication ISSN: 3055-1730
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