Tools of the Trade: Nouns of Instrument
In Arabic, words for tools and instruments (اسم الآلة) are often derived directly from the verb of the action they perform. These nouns typically begin with the prefix مِـ.
The مِفْعَال Pattern
The pattern مِفْعَال adds the مِـ prefix and a long vowel ا before the final root letter.
| When I entered the historic kitchen, the lamp was illuminating the place. | عندما دخلت المطبخ التاريخي، كان المصباح يضيء المكان.'indamâ dakhaltu almatbakha attârîkhiyya, kâna almisbâhu yudî'u almakâna. |
The مِفْعَل Pattern
The pattern مِفْعَل is shorter, omitting the long vowel. For example, from the roots for lighting a fire or sifting (نخل), we get موقد (stove) and منخل (sieve).
| The grandmother used to light the stove before she cooked. | كانت الجدة تشعل الموقد قبل أن تطبخ.kânati l-jaddatu tushilu l-mawqida qabla an tatbukha. |
| When we sifted the flour with the sieve, the dough became excellent. | عندما نخلنا الدقيق بالمنخل، أصبح العجين ممتازا.'indamâ nakhalnâ ad-daqîqa bil-minkhali, asbaha al-ajînu mumtâzan. |
A tool used to beat or strike (ضرب) ingredients is a مضرب (whisk).
| The mother kneaded the dough, then she beat the eggs with the whisk. | عجنت الأم العجين، ثم ضربت البيض بالمضرب.ajanati l-'ummu l-ajeena, thumma darabati l-bayda bil-midrabi. |
The مِفْعَلَة Pattern
The pattern مِفْعَلَة simply adds the feminine marker ة to the end. Since the verb for grinding is طحن, the tool is a مطحنة (grinder).
| The woman was grinding the wheat with the old grinder. | كانت المرأة تطحن القمح بالمطحنة القديمة.kânati al-mar'atu tatHanu al-qamHa bil-mitHanati al-qadîmati |
Similarly, the tools for frying (قلى) or scooping (غرف) become مقلاة (frying pan) and مغرفة (ladle).
| She bought a new frying pan because she loves to fry fish. | اشترت مقلاة جديدة لأنها تحب أن تقلي السمك.ishtarat miqlâtan jadîdatan li'annahâ tuhibbu an taqliya as-samaka. |
| When the soup was ready, the woman used the ladle. | عندما كان الحساء جاهزا، استخدمت المرأة المغرفة.'indamâ kâna l-hasâ'u jâhizan, istakhdamati l-mar'atu l-mighrafata |
Recognizing these three patterns—مِفْعَال, مِفْعَل, and مِفْعَلَة—will help you quickly identify traditional instruments and guess their purposes.
| There is a stove, a lamp, and many traditional instruments in this kitchen. | هناك موقد ومصباح وآلات تقليدية كثيرة في هذا المطبخ.hunâka mawqidun wa misbâhun wa âlâtun taqlîdiyyatun kathîratun fî hâdhâ al-matbakhi |
