Part II. The journal system
Lesson 8. Initial vowels and hiatus
Word-initial vowels
Every word-initial vowel sits on a seat (Lesson 5). Silent h doesn't count: hora · أُرَ, hermano · أَارْمَنُ start with vowels.
Two vowels side by side
Arabic syllables can't start with a vowel, so a vowel right after another vowel needs a seat too. Put the second vowel on a seat, as if it started a word: día · دِأَ, leer · لَاأَارْ, país · بَّإِسْ, poeta · بُّأَاتَ.
Where this comes from: Lopes says the Portuguese texts put a hamza and vowel between two vowels [attested, Portuguese]. Wikipedia describes Spanish texts using alif here too. Using the seat for both cases is [course rule].
Accent marks matter here. In día and país the i is stressed, so it is a full vowel and takes a seat. An unstressed i or u next to a vowel is a glide instead (Lesson 9).
Exercises 8
- hijo
- ola
- río
- leer
- todavía
- creo
- Read دِأَ.
- Why does the a in día need a seat?
Answers
- hijo · إِخُ
- ola · أُلَ
- río · رِّأُ
- leer · لَاأَارْ
- todavía · تُدَبِأَ
- creo · كْرَاأُ
- día · دِأَ
- It follows another vowel, and an Arabic syllable can't start with a vowel.