The Velar-Lips in jafʕal Form of Arabic Present Tense

Abstract

Arabic has three main vowels, which are the vowel /a/ (fathah), the vowel /i/ (kasrah), and the vowel /u/ (dˁammah). This study analyses the vowels of the Arabic Present Tense in jafʕal form which is related to the arrangement of letters. This study aims at helping Arabic language students who have difficulty determining the correct vowel of the three vowel fractions. In addition, this study can help linguists in general and Arabic linguists in particular to determine the vowel reading of the letter ʕayn (ع) on the active verb pattern of modern Arabic jafʕal which is divided into vowels /a/ (fathah), vowel /i/ (kasrah), and the vowel /u/ (dˁammah). This study applies a qualitative method. Al-Khali:l dictionary and al-MaɁaniy online dictionary were referred for data collection. Three syllable active verbs were analyzed as vowels for these three syllable active verbs in Arabic will change to three different vowels in the Present Tense of the verb. Based on the phonological method proposed by El-Wadi (2005), the analysis focused on the arrangement of the letters ʕayn (ع) in the Past Tense verb which is processed from the phonological method pioneered by Chomsky and Halle (1968). Clearly, the findings of the study have shown that there are effects on the vowel on the ʕayn (ع) active verb of the Arabic Present Tense caused by the arrangement of ʕayn (ع) on the active Arabic verb of the past. At the same time, this study provides an alternative that shows that the vowels at the position of the letter ʕayn (ع) of the active Arabic verb of the present time are non-random.