Grammar term · I'rab · 'Alāmāt al-i'rāb — the signs
Secondary marker (waw/alif/ya/nun)
'alama far'iyya
عَلَامَة فَرْعِيَّة
I'rab'Alāmāt al-i'rāb — the signsadvanced term
In one line
A secondary marker — a letter (و، ا، ي، ن) or an elision standing in for the base case-vowels.
Classical definition
العَلَامَاتُ الفَرْعِيَّةُ مَا نَابَ عَنِ الحَرَكَاتِ الأَصْلِيَّةِ مِنْ حُرُوفٍ كَالوَاوِ وَالأَلِفِ وَاليَاءِ وَالنُّونِ، أَوْ حَرَكَاتٍ نَائِبَةٍ، أَوْ مِنْ حَذْفٍ.
“The secondary markers are what deputise for the base vowels: letters such as waw, alif, ya' and nun, or an elision.”
(بتصرف من الألفية)
Key words in the Arabic
نَابَ عَنْdeputised for, stood in for
الْحَرَكَات الْأَصْلِيَّةthe base vowels: damma, fatha, kasra
Understand it
Five families decline with secondary markers — letters, substitute vowels or elision — instead of the base vowels: the dual (ـانِ / ـيْنِ), the sound masculine plural (ـونَ / ـينَ), the five nouns (أَبُوكَ، أَخُوكَ…), the five verbs (nun kept or dropped), and the diptotes (fatha standing in for kasra). Meet مُسْلِمُونَ and the و is its damma; meet أَبِيكَ and the ي is its kasra.
How to spot it
Recognition test
If the ending that changes is a letter rather than a vowel — و to ي, nun appearing and vanishing — you are watching secondary markers.
Related terms
Next in the guideعَلَامَة مُقَدَّرَةEstimated (muqaddar) marker →