1.1: Transitioning to CA- Final voweling and greeting terms in MSA and CA

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One of the first points to keep in mind is that in CA, final voweling is almost absent except for words like: أهلاً، عفواً، شكراً

For example, you say in MSA, “Are you a student?”

هل أنتَ طالبٌ؟

But in CA, you will drop the final voweling as well as هل (we will explain in chapter 2 what changes take place regarding “WH-” words). So, the same question will be:

إنتَ طالبْ؟

You might have noticed that the hamza همزة in ت َأن has changed from fatḥa to kasra but no changes have taken place on the ت .These changes will come easily to you with more listening, interacting, and practicing in CA

Greeting terms in MSA anf CA: .ال َسال َمات و التَحيّات

During your studies of MSA, you have probably learned greetings such as:

صباحِالخير- مساء الخير- كيف حالك؟

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): "HANDSHAKE GREETING" BY OCTAVIOLOPEZ

Greetings do not significantly change from MSA to CA, but there are more expressions used in CA (with even some repetition in meaning). It is common to ask “how are you” several times using different expressions, as you will read in the coming dialogues. It is part of the Arabic culture to greet your friends or acquaintances by asking multiple times about them and their families to show warmth and care. Let’s see some examples:

الشرح Explanation	المعنى باإلنجليزية English Translation	الردِبالعامية Response in CA	المعنى باإلنجليزية English Translation	التحيةِبالعامية Greeting in CA
In MSA, there is a final damma on the م ; which is dropped in CA. This greeting is used in several settings. For example, when one is passing by a group of people and wants to say hello quickly. It will not be said to ask about how one is doing. In more religious settings, like the mosque, the م and/or final damma will be pronounced. In everyday settings, the م is often deleted and replaced by و .Listen to this funny song [YouTube] that might give you a feel of how native speakers use this greeting.	“On you” is peace, meaning peace be upon you.	عليكْم السال ْم- عليكو السالم	Peace be upon you	عليكْم ال ّسال ْم
In MSA, the attached possessive pronouns have the case endings: كُ َكتاب) your book for (أن َت كُ كتاب) your book for (أن ِت In CA, the MSA final voweling shifts to the letter before the attached pronoun; كتابُ becomes .كتابَ ْك Similarly, ك كيف and كي ف ْك.	Thank God We Thank God We thank God perfect; fine Good When the speaker is male (LCA) When the speaker is female.	الحَمدُلِله- -نِحْمِدْالله نُشْكرْ الله- تَمَامْ مِنيحْ مِنيحَة	How are you? male recipient (LCA) female recipient	كيفَك؟ كي فك؟
		Same answers as above	How are you? male recipient (ECA)	َرك إيه؟ أ ْخبَا عا مل إيه؟
		Same answers as above	How are you? male recipient (LCA) female recipient	رك؟ ُشو أ ْخبَا رك؟ شو أ ْخبَا
The MSA damma on صبا ُح disappears in CA	Morning of light Morning of Jasmine :الفل is a kind of Jasmine [Wikipedia]	صباح النُور صباحِالفُل و(الياسمين)	Good Morning	صبَا ْح ال خي ْر

الشرح

Explanation

المعنى

باإلنجليزية

English Translation

الردِبالعامية

Response in CA

المعنى

باإلنجليزية

English Translation

التحيةِبالعامية

Greeting in CA

In MSA, there is a final damma on the م ; which is dropped in CA. This greeting is used in several settings. For example, when one is passing by a group of people and wants to say hello quickly. It will not be said to ask about how one is doing. In more religious settings, like the mosque, the م and/or final damma will be pronounced. In everyday settings, the م is often deleted and replaced by و .Listen to this funny song [YouTube] that might give you a feel of how native speakers use this greeting.

“On you” is peace, meaning peace be upon you.

عليكْم السال ْم-

عليكو السالم

Peace be upon you

عليكْم

ال ّسال ْم

In MSA, the attached possessive pronouns have the case endings: كُ َكتاب) your book for (أن َت كُ كتاب) your book for (أن ِت

In CA, the MSA final voweling shifts to the letter before the attached pronoun; كتابُ

becomes .كتابَ ْك

Similarly, ك كيف and كي ف ْك.

Thank God We Thank God

We thank God perfect; fine

Good When the speaker is male (LCA)

When the speaker is female.

الحَمدُلِله-

-نِحْمِدْالله

نُشْكرْ الله-

تَمَامْ

مِنيحْ

مِنيحَة

How are you? male recipient (LCA)

female recipient

كيفَك؟

كي فك؟

Same answers as above

How are you? male recipient (ECA)

َرك إيه؟

أ ْخبَا

عا مل إيه؟

Same answers as above

How are you? male recipient (LCA)

female recipient

رك؟

ُشو أ ْخبَا

رك؟

شو أ ْخبَا

The MSA damma on صبا ُح disappears in CA

Morning of light

Morning of Jasmine

:الفل

is a kind of Jasmine [Wikipedia]

صباح النُور

صباحِالفُل

و(الياسمين)

Good Morning

صبَا ْح ال خي ْر

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): "JASMINE FLOWER PETALS" BY DORNE