In Arabic, when attaching a pronoun suffix to extended nouns (nouns ending in an Alif followed by a Hamza, like أبناء or شركاء), the Hamza moves to the middle of the word. Its "seat" then changes based on the grammatical case of the noun.
In this lesson, we will complete the rules for case-based Hamza orthography by focusing on the genitive case, applying it to legal concepts such as estates, wills, and financial inheritance.
The Genitive Case: Hamza on Yaa (ـئِ)
A noun is placed in the genitive case when it follows a preposition, a spatial word, or acts as the second noun in a possessive construction (Idafa).
In the genitive case, the noun takes a Kasra vowel (ـِ). Because the Kasra is positioned at the bottom, it forces the middle Hamza to sit on a dotless Yaa, often called a "tooth" or "chair" (ـئِ).
Following Prepositions
When an extended noun with a pronoun suffix directly follows a preposition like لـ (to/for) or عن (about/from), it takes the genitive case. Notice how the Hamza sits on a tooth (ـئِ) in these examples:
| The lawyer confirmed his death to his colleagues. | أكد المحامي وفاته لزملائه.akkada al-muhâmî wafâtahu lizumalâ'ihi |
| Did she bequeath the house to her sons? | هل أوصت بالبيت لأبنائها؟hal awsat bil-bayti li-abnâ'ihâ? |
Following Spatial Words
Words like بين (between/among) and مثل (like) also force the noun that immediately follows them into the genitive case:
| The division of the inheritance was fair among his sons. | كانت قسمة الميراث عادلة بين أبنائه.kânat qismatu-l-mirâthi 'âdilatan bayna abnâ'ihi |
| He took his share of the estate like his brothers. | أخذ نصيبه من التركة مثل أشقائه.akhadha nasîbahu mina ttarikati mithla ashiqqâ'ihi |
Possessive Constructions (Idafa)
The second part of a possessive relationship (the "owner") is always in the genitive case. In the phrase for "the share of his partners" (حصة شركائه), the word for partners takes the Kasra and its Hamza sits on a tooth.
| We read about his estate and the share of his partners. | قرأنا عن تركته وحصة شركائه.qara'nâ 'an tarikatihi wa hissati shurakâ'ihi. |
Understanding this spelling rule will help you quickly identify the grammatical role of these nouns in legal texts, ensuring fairness in your reading comprehension!
| The executor's greed spoiled the relationship among his sons. | أفسد طمع الوصي العلاقة بين أبنائه.afsada tama'u al-wasiyyi al-'alâqata bayna abnâ'ihi |