Iḍāfah


Iḍāfah is an Arabic grammatical structure, mostly used to indicate possession.
Idāfa basically entails putting one noun after another: the second noun specifies more precisely the nature of the first noun. In forms of Arabic which mark grammatical case, this second noun must be in the genitive case. The construction is typically equivalent to the English construction " of ". It is a very widespread way of forming possessive constructions in Arabic, and is typical of a Semitic language. Simple examples include:
The Arabic grammatical terminology for this construction derives from the verb أضاف ʼaḍāfa "he added, attached", verb form IV from the hollow root ض ي ف ḍ y f.
The range of relationships between the first and second elements of the idafah construction is very varied, though usually consists of some relationship of possession or belonging. In the case of words for containers, the iḍāfah may express what is contained: فِنْجَانُ قَهْوَةٍ finjānu qahwatin "a cup of coffee". The iḍāfah may indicate the material something is made of: خَاتَمُ خَشَبٍ khātamu khashabin "a wooden ring, ring made of wood". In many cases the two members become a fixed coined phrase, the idafah being used as the equivalent of a compound noun used in some Indo-European languages such as English. Thus بَيْتُ ٱلطَّلَبَةِ baytu al-ṭalabati can mean "house of the students", but is also the normal term for "the student hostel".

Forming ''iḍāfah'' constructions

First term

The first term in iḍāfah has the following characteristics:
The second term in iḍāfah has the following characteristics when it is a noun:
iḍāfah constructions of multiple terms are possible, and in such cases, all but the final term are in the construct state, and all but the first member are in the genitive case. For example: سَرْقةُ جَوَازِ سَفَرِ أِحَدِ اللَاعِبِينَ sarqatu jawāzi safari ’aḥadi l-laa‘ibīna "the theft of the passport of one of the athletes".

Indicating definiteness in ''iḍāfah'' constructions

The iḍāfah construction as a whole is a noun phrase. It can be considered indefinite or definite only as a whole. An idafah construction is definite if the second noun is definite, by having the article or being the proper name of a place or person. The construction is indefinite if it the second noun is indefinite. Thus idafah can express senses equivalent to:
But it cannot express a sense equivalent to 'the house of a director': this sense has to be expressed with a prepositional phrase, using a preposition such as لـِـ li-. For example:
Nothing can appear between the two nouns in iḍāfah. If an adjective modifies the first noun, it appears at the end of the iḍāfah.

Modifying the first term

An adjective modifying the first noun appears at the end of the iḍāfah and agrees with the noun it describes in number, gender, case, and definiteness.
first word:
gender, case, number		stateArabic scripttransliterationtranslation
feminine nominative singularindefinite فُرْشَاةُ أَسْنَانٍfurshāt-u ’asnān-ina toothbrush
feminine nominative singularindefinite فُرْشَاةُ أَسْنَانٍ كَبِيرَةٌfurshāt-u ’asnān-in kabīrat-una big toothbrush
feminine nominative singulardefinite فُرْشَاةُ ٱلْأَسْنَانِfurshāt-u l-’asnān-ithe toothbrush
feminine nominative singulardefinite فُرْشَاةُ ٱلْأَسْنَانِ ٱلْكَبِيرَةُfurshāt-u l-’asnān-i l-kabīrat-uthe big toothbrush
masculine nominative singularindefinite طَبِيبُ أَسْنَانٍṭabīb-u ’asnān-ina dentist
masculine nominative singularindefinite طَبِيبُ أَسْنَانٍ كَبِيرٌṭabīb-u ’asnān-in kabīr-una big dentist
masculine nominative singulardefinite طَبِيبُ ٱلْأَسْنَانٍṭabīb-u l-’asnān-ithe dentist
masculine nominative singulardefinite ٌطَبِيبُ ٱلْأَسْنَانٍ ٱلْكَبِيرṭabīb-u l-’asnān-i l-kabīr-uthe big dentist
feminine nominative singularproper noun مَدِينَةُ شِيكَاغُوmadīnat-u shīkāghocity of Chicago, the city of Chicago
feminine nominative singularproper noun مَدِينَةُ شِيكَاغُو ٱلْكَبِيرَةُmadīnat-u shīkāgho l-kabīrat-uthe big city of Chicago
masculine nominative singularproper noun اِبنُ أَحْمَدَibn-u ’aḥmad-ason of Ahmad, the son of Ahmad
masculine nominative singularproper noun اِبنُ أَحْمَدَ كَبِيرُibn-u ’aḥmad-a kabīr-uthe old son of Ahmad, Ahmad's old son

Modifying the last term

An adjective modifying the last term appears at the end of the iḍāfah and agrees with the noun it describes in number, gender, definiteness, and case.
second word :
gender, number		stateArabic scripttransliterationtranslation
feminine singularindefinite نَهْرُ مَدِينَةٍnahr-u madīnat-ina river of a town
feminine singularindefinite نَهْرُ مَدِينَةٍ جَمِيلَةٍ‎nahr-u madīnat-in jamīlat-ina river of a beautiful town
feminine singulardefinite نَهْرُ المَدِينَةِnahr-u al-madīnat-ithe river of the town
feminine singulardefinite نَهْرُ المَدِينَةِ الجَمِيلَةِ‎nahr-u al-madīnat-i al-jamīlat-ithe river of the beautiful town
masculine singularindefinite نَهْرُ بَلَدٍnahr-u balad-ina river of a country
masculine singularindefinite نَهْرُ بَلَدٍ جَمِيلٍ‎nahr-u balad-in jamīl-ina river of a beautiful country
masculine singulardefinite نَهْرُ البَلَدِnahr-u al-balad-ithe river of the country
masculine singulardefinite نَهْرُ البَلَدِ الجَمِيلِ‎nahr-u al-balad-i al-jamīl-ithe river of the beautiful country

Modifying both terms

If both terms in the idāfa are modified, the adjective modifying the last term is set closest to the idāfa, and the adjective modifying the first term is set further away. For example:

''Iḍāfah'' constructions using pronouns

The possessive suffix can also take the place of the second noun of an iḍāfah construction, in which case it is considered definite. Indefinite possessed nouns are also expressed via a preposition.