Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Elementary Arabic Syntax 2 Vocative What is a vocative? A vocative is a noun that is brought to the listeners attention by a vocative preposition that represents the verb 'I call.' For example: یا رَجُلُ (O' man.) How many vocative prepositions are there? There are four vocative prepositions: یا ، أیا ، أي ، أ What forms does the vocative take?
A vocative can be: • a proper noun, یا یوسفُ • an intended indefinite noun, یا ثعلبُ (O' fox.) • a non-intended indefinite noun, یا غافلاً (O' unaware person.) • something similar to a prefixed noun and its compliment, یا عاملاً للخیرِ (O' worker of good.) What states does the vocative take? There are two states for vocatives: indeclinable on the nominative sign and the accusative state. When is the vocative indeclinable upon the nominative sign?
The vocative is made indeclinable on the nominative sign if it is a proper noun or an intended indefinite noun. When is the vocative in the accusative state? The vocative is put into the accusative state if it is a non-intended indefinite noun, a prefixed noun, for example: یا عبدَ اللهِ, or an intended indefinite noun that is followed by an adjective, for example: یا رجلاً شریفاً (O' dignified man.) How is a vocative with the alif-lām suffice formed?
A vocative that has the alif-lām suffix is put in the nominative state and preceded by: • أیُّها or أیّتها, یا أیّها المسافرُ (O' traveler.) • A demonstrative pronoun, یا هذا الثعلبُ (O' this fox.) What state does a noun after أیُّها or أیّتها have? The word that comes after أیُّها or أیّتها is: • a substitute if it is apolistic, یا أیّها الرَجلُ • an adjective if it is non-apolistic, یا أیّها الفاضل (O' honored person.) How is the word Allah made into a vocative?
Sometimes the word Allah is put into the vocative form by using one of the vocative prepositions, for example: یا اللهُ. Sometimes it is put into the vocative form by adding a doubled mīm to the end of Allah, for example: اللّهُمَّ Previous Next