Grammar term · I'rab · i'rab
عَلَامَة فَرْعِيَّة
'alama far'iyya
Secondary marker (waw/alif/ya/nun)
I'rab · i'rabI'rab marker (alama)advanced 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 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 letters instead of 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