Questions & Answers about اشترينا خبزا وحليبا وجبنا، إلخ.
Why do we repeat the word "and" (و) between every item in the list?
In English, we typically use commas for a list and put "and" only before the final item (bread, milk, and cheese). In Arabic, it is standard practice to repeat the conjunction و (wa) between every single item in a list: خبزا وحليبا وجبنا (bread and milk and cheese).
What does the abbreviation إلخ stand for, and how is it pronounced?
It stands for إلى آخِرِهِ (ila akhirihi), which literally means "to its end." It functions exactly like "etc." in English. When reading out loud, you can either say the full phrase إلى آخره, or just say the letters of the abbreviation: إلخ (ilakh).
Why do all the nouns in this list end with an alif and double fatha (e.g., خبزا)?
They are all in the accusative case (Mansub). The first noun, خبزا (bread), is the direct object of the verb اشترينا (we bought). The following nouns, حليبا (milk) and جبنا (cheese), are connected by و (and), which means they inherit the exact same grammatical case as the first noun.
The verb اشترينا (we bought) comes from the root ش-ر-ي. Why does the ي (ya) appear here when the dictionary form is اشترى (ishtara)?