LessonsArabic Syntax Practicum — Parsing Passages from Ten MaqāmātQuiz

«فَقَالَ الشَّيْخُ: مَا مِنِّي خِلَافٌ فَلَا يَكُنْ لِوَعْدِكَ إِخْلَافٌ»
I raise no objection; let there be no breach of your promise.

Mā minnī khilāfun is a declarative negation. In contrast, fa-lā yakun uses prohibitive lā, so yakun is jussive, marked by final sukūn. The phrase about the promise completes what must not exist.

The speaker first reports his own lack of objection, then directs a demand to the governor: no promise must be broken. Two negative forms therefore perform different speech acts.

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Prohibitive lā and the jussive yakun

Arabic Syntax Practicum — Parsing Passages from Ten Maqāmāt

«فَقَالَ الشَّيْخُ: مَا مِنِّي خِلَافٌ فَلَا يَكُنْ لِوَعْدِكَ إِخْلَافٌ»
I raise no objection; let there be no breach of your promise.

Mā minnī khilāfun is a declarative negation. In contrast, fa-lā yakun uses prohibitive lā, so yakun is jussive, marked by final sukūn. The phrase about the promise completes what must not exist.

The speaker first reports his own lack of objection, then directs a demand to the governor: no promise must be broken. Two negative forms therefore perform different speech acts.