The Algebra of Arabic Words

Arabic is incredibly logical and beautifully structured.  Very much like math.

Take a set of base letters, apply different patterns of vowels and extra letters to it and you can make dozens of words.  Each new pattern you learn is like a new formula.  Once you know it, you can apply it on thousands of sets of base letters and instantly expand your vocabulary. 

Word families: writing - كتب

Word families: understanding - فهم

Word families: study - درس

Word families: knowledge - علم

Using the Hans Wehr Dictionary

I learned my verb forms (baabs) differently from the Western Orientalist conventions used in the Hans Wehr dictionary.  When I'm looking up words in the dictionary, I find myself having to look up these forms again and again.  I'm hoping that writing it all out here will help it stick in my mind...

Here's how they all correspond:

Verb Paradigm (بَاب)	Gerund (مَصْدَر)	Verb Form
نَصَرَ - يَنْصُرُ ضَرَبَ - يَضْرِبُ سَمِعَ - يَسْمَعُ فَتَحَ - يَفْتَحُ كَرُمَ - يَكْرُمُ حَسِبَ - يَحْسِبُ	varies	I
أَكْرَمَ - يُكْرِمُ	اِفْعَال	IV
صَرَّفَ - يُصَرِّفُ	تَفْعِيل	II
قَاتَلَ - يُقَاتِلُ	مُفَاعَلَة or فِعَال	III
تَقَبَّلَ - يَتَقَبَّلُ	تَفَعُّل	V
تَقَابَلَ - يَتَقَابَلُ	تَفَاعُل	VI
اِجْتَنَبَ - يَجْتَنِبُ	اِفْتِعَال	VIII
اِسْتَنْصَرَ - يَسْتَنْصِرُ	اِسْتِفْعَال	X
اِنْفَطَرَ - يَنْفَطِرُ	اِنْفِعَال	VII

This will probably look like Greek to anyone who hasn't studied Arabic before...

The thing is, you have to study quite a bit of Arabic before you can even use a dictionary.

You need to know that Arabic vocabulary is based on root letters.  We add vowels and extra letters to these root letters to create words.  To find out what a word means, you need to identify the root letters and know what pattern the word is on.

For example, if I wanted to look up the word أَكْرَمَ, I'd have to know that the root letters are ك and ر and م and then find that entry in the dictionary.  Then, I would look up the meaning of Form IV (it means 'to honor' -- but really, this is a verb and it's already conjugated, so it means 'he honored').