امرأة
Arabic edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From the root م ر ء (m-r-ʔ). Compare its plural forms to Hebrew נשים (nashím, “women”).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
اِمْرَأَة • (imraʔa) f (definite state الْمَرْأَة (al-marʔa), dual اِمْرَأَتَانِ (imraʔatāni), plural نِسَاء (nisāʔ) or نِسْوَة (niswa) or نِسْوَان (niswān) or نُسْوَة (nuswa) or نُسْوَان (nuswān))
- woman
- 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 4:12:
- وَإِنْ كَانَ رَجُلٌ يُورَثُ كَلَالَةً أَوِ ٱمْرَأَةٌ وَلَهُ أَخٌ أَوْ أُخْتٌ فَلِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا ٱلسُّدُسُ
- wa-ʔin kāna rajulun yūraṯu kalālatan ʔawi mraʔatun wa-lahu ʔaḵun ʔaw ʔuḵtun fa-li-kulli wāḥidin minhumā s-sudusu
- And if a man or woman leaves neither ascendants nor descendants but has a brother or a sister, then for each one of them is a sixth.
- (construct state) (imraʔat-) wife
Usage notes edit
The plurals are suppletive, coming from a different root from the singular.
Declension edit
Declension of noun اِمْرَأَة (imraʔa)
| Singular | singular triptote in ـَة (-a) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | اِمْرَأَة imraʔa |
الْمَرْأَة al-marʔa |
اِمْرَأَة imraʔat |
| Nominative | اِمْرَأَةٌ imraʔatun |
الْمَرْأَةُ al-marʔatu |
اِمْرَأَةُ imraʔatu |
| Accusative | اِمْرَأَةً imraʔatan |
الْمَرْأَةَ al-marʔata |
اِمْرَأَةَ imraʔata |
| Genitive | اِمْرَأَةٍ imraʔatin |
الْمَرْأَةِ al-marʔati |
اِمْرَأَةِ imraʔati |
| Dual | Indefinite | Definite | Construct |
| Informal | اِمْرَأَتَيْن imraʔatayn |
الْمَرْأَتَيْن al-marʔatayn |
اِمْرَأَتَيْ imraʔatay |
| Nominative | اِمْرَأَتَانِ imraʔatāni |
الْمَرْأَتَانِ al-marʔatāni |
اِمْرَأَتَا imraʔatā |
| Accusative | اِمْرَأَتَيْنِ imraʔatayni |
الْمَرْأَتَيْنِ al-marʔatayni |
اِمْرَأَتَيْ imraʔatay |
| Genitive | اِمْرَأَتَيْنِ imraʔatayni |
الْمَرْأَتَيْنِ al-marʔatayni |
اِمْرَأَتَيْ imraʔatay |
| Plural | basic broken plural triptote; broken plural triptote in ـَة (-a) | ||
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | نِسَاء; نِسْوَة; نِسْوَان; نُسْوَة; نُسْوَان nisāʔ; niswa; niswān; nuswa; nuswān |
النِّسَاء; النِّسْوَة; النِّسْوَان; النُّسْوَة; النُّسْوَان an-nisāʔ; an-niswa; an-niswān; an-nuswa; an-nuswān |
نِسَاء; نِسْوَة; نِسْوَان; نُسْوَة; نُسْوَان nisāʔ; niswat; niswān; nuswat; nuswān |
| Nominative | نِسَاءٌ; نِسْوَةٌ; نِسْوَانٌ; نُسْوَةٌ; نُسْوَانٌ nisāʔun; niswatun; niswānun; nuswatun; nuswānun |
النِّسَاءُ; النِّسْوَةُ; النِّسْوَانُ; النُّسْوَةُ; النُّسْوَانُ an-nisāʔu; an-niswatu; an-niswānu; an-nuswatu; an-nuswānu |
نِسَاءُ; نِسْوَةُ; نِسْوَانُ; نُسْوَةُ; نُسْوَانُ nisāʔu; niswatu; niswānu; nuswatu; nuswānu |
| Accusative | نِسَاءً; نِسْوَةً; نِسْوَانًا; نُسْوَةً; نُسْوَانًا nisāʔan; niswatan; niswānan; nuswatan; nuswānan |
النِّسَاءَ; النِّسْوَةَ; النِّسْوَانَ; النُّسْوَةَ; النُّسْوَانَ an-nisāʔa; an-niswata; an-niswāna; an-nuswata; an-nuswāna |
نِسَاءَ; نِسْوَةَ; نِسْوَانَ; نُسْوَةَ; نُسْوَانَ nisāʔa; niswata; niswāna; nuswata; nuswāna |
| Genitive | نِسَاءٍ; نِسْوَةٍ; نِسْوَانٍ; نُسْوَةٍ; نُسْوَانٍ nisāʔin; niswatin; niswānin; nuswatin; nuswānin |
النِّسَاءِ; النِّسْوَةِ; النِّسْوَانِ; النُّسْوَةِ; النُّسْوَانِ an-nisāʔi; an-niswati; an-niswāni; an-nuswati; an-nuswāni |
نِسَاءِ; نِسْوَةِ; نِسْوَانِ; نُسْوَةِ; نُسْوَانِ nisāʔi; niswati; niswāni; nuswati; nuswāni |
Related terms edit
References edit
- Wehr, Hans (1979) “مرء”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN