Eight Short Paradigms: Lafīf and Defective Verbs with Morphological Explanations

1. Eight Short Paradigms in This Section

لَفِيفٌ مَفْرُوقٌ، لَفِيفٌ مَقْرُونٌ، نَاقِصٌ
Translation: Separated doubly weak, adjacent doubly weak, and defective verb classes.
Printed page 59 presents eight short paradigms, followed by their morphological explanations on pages 60–61. The order is two separated doubly weak examples, two adjacent doubly weak examples, two yāʾ-final derived examples, and two under the final printed heading.
Identify each verb’s root, pattern and meaning before matching perfect, imperfect, passive, nominal and imperative forms. The recurring question is what happened to the weak radical in each position.

2. How the Weak Radicals Determine the Class

Lafīf mafrūq has weak first and third radicals separated by a sound middle radical: و ل ي. Lafīf maqrūn has adjacent weak middle and final radicals: ط و ي. A defective verb has a weak final radical, which may surface as wāw, yāʾ, or alif.

ClassRootExample
Separated doubly weakو ل يوَلِيَ
Adjacent doubly weakط و يطَوَى
Yāʾ-final defectiveغ ن يأَغْنَى
Wāw-final defectiveس م وسَمَّى

Classify by the underlying root, not simply the written final letter.

3. Separated Doubly Weak: وَجِيَ

وَجِيَ — يَوْجَى
Translation: The core perfect and imperfect forms.
The root is و ج ي and the pattern is باب سمع. The table preserves the source sequence of active, passive, participial and command forms.

FormArabicMeaning
Active perfectوَجِيَHe suffered sore feet
Active imperfectيَوْجَىHe suffers sore feet
Verbal nounوَجِيًاSoreness of feet
Active participleوَاجٍOne whose feet are sore
Passive perfectوُجِيَHe was affected
Passive imperfectيُوجَىHe is affected
Passive participleمُوجًىOne affected
ImperativeاِيجَSuffer sore feet (command form)
Prohibitionلَا تَوْجَDo not suffer sore feet (prohibition form)

The initial wāw remains visible in the imperfect here, whereas the final weak radical appears as alif maqṣūrah; do not assume every separated doubly weak verb drops its first radical.

4. Separated Doubly Weak: وَلِيَ

وَلِيَ — يَلِي
Translation: The core perfect and imperfect forms.
The root is و ل ي and the pattern is باب حسب. The table preserves the source sequence of active, passive, participial and command forms.

FormArabicMeaning
Active perfectوَلِيَHe became near
Active imperfectيَلِيHe is near/follows
Verbal nounوَلِيًاBeing near
Active participleوَالٍOne who is near / in charge
Passive perfectوُلِيَHe was put in charge
Passive imperfectيُولَىHe is put in charge
Passive participleمَوْلِيٌّOne placed under authority
ImperativeلِBe near / follow
Prohibitionلَا تَلِDo not follow (prohibition)

Unlike وَجِيَ, this form drops its initial wāw in يَلِي. Its brief imperative لِ reflects more than one weak-letter deletion.

5. Adjacent Doubly Weak: طَوَى

طَوَى — يَطْوِي
Translation: The core perfect and imperfect forms.
The root is ط و ي and the pattern is باب ضرب. The table preserves the source sequence of active, passive, participial and command forms.

FormArabicMeaning
Active perfectطَوَىHe folded
Active imperfectيَطْوِيHe folds
Verbal nounطَيًّاFolding
Active participleطَاوٍOne who folds
Passive perfectطُوِيَIt was folded
Passive imperfectيُطْوَىIt is folded
Passive participleمَطْوِيٌّSomething folded
ImperativeاِطْوِFold
Prohibitionلَا تَطْوِDo not fold

The consecutive wāw and yāʾ make this an adjacent doubly weak root; طُوِيَ and مَطْوِيٌّ show how each survives in different shapes.

6. Adjacent Doubly Weak: قَوِيَ

قَوِيَ — يَقْوَى
Translation: The core perfect and imperfect forms.
The root is ق و ي and the pattern is باب سمع. The table preserves the source sequence of active, passive, participial and command forms.

FormArabicMeaning
Active perfectقَوِيَHe became strong
Active imperfectيَقْوَىHe becomes strong
Verbal nounقُوَّةًStrength
AdjectiveقَوِيٌّStrong
Passive perfectقُوِيَIt was strengthened (form listed)
Passive imperfectيُقْوَىIt is strengthened (form listed)
Passive descriptive formمَقْوِيٌّOne strengthened (form listed)
ImperativeاِقْوَBecome strong
Prohibitionلَا تَقْوَDo not become strong

قَوِيٌّ is a descriptive adjective (“strong”). Passive shapes are included in the morphology table, but contextual acceptability and frequency differ by verb.

7. Yāʾ-Final: أَغْنَى

أَغْنَى — يُغْنِي
Translation: The core perfect and imperfect forms.
The root is غ ن ي and the pattern is باب إفعال. The table preserves the source sequence of active, passive, participial and command forms.

FormArabicMeaning
Active perfectأَغْنَىHe made self-sufficient
Active imperfectيُغْنِيHe makes self-sufficient
Verbal nounإِغْنَاءٌMaking self-sufficient
Active participleمُغْنٍOne who makes sufficient
Passive perfectأُغْنِيَHe was made self-sufficient
Passive imperfectيُغْنَىHe is made self-sufficient
Passive participleمُغْنًىOne made sufficient
ImperativeأَغْنِMake sufficient
Prohibitionلَا تُغْنِDo not make sufficient

Final alif in أَغْنَى and yāʾ in يُغْنِي reflect one underlying yāʾ-final root. Contrast active مُغْنٍ with passive مُغْنًى.

8. Yāʾ-Final: اِلْتَقَى

اِلْتَقَى — يَلْتَقِي
Translation: The core perfect and imperfect forms.
The root is ل ق ي and the pattern is باب افتعال. The table preserves the source sequence of active, passive, participial and command forms.

FormArabicMeaning
Active perfectاِلْتَقَىHe met
Active imperfectيَلْتَقِيHe meets
Verbal nounاِلْتِقَاءٌMeeting
Active participleمُلْتَقٍOne who meets
Passive perfectاُلْتُقِيَHe was met
Passive imperfectيُلْتَقَىHe is met
Passive participleمُلْتَقًىThat which is met
ImperativeاِلْتَقِMeet
Prohibitionلَا تَلْتَقِDo not meet

The root is yāʾ-final; مُلْتَقٍ loses its final yāʾ in the indefinite nominative, unlike مُلْتَقًى.

9. Form II: سَمَّى

سَمَّى — يُسَمِّي
Translation: The core perfect and imperfect forms.
The root is س م و and the pattern is باب تفعيل. The table preserves the source sequence of active, passive, participial and command forms.

FormArabicMeaning
Active perfectسَمَّىHe named
Active imperfectيُسَمِّيHe names
Verbal nounتَسْمِيَةٌNaming
Active participleمُسَمٍّOne who names
Passive perfectسُمِّيَHe was named
Passive imperfectيُسَمَّىHe is named
Passive participleمُسَمًّىThe named entity
ImperativeسَمِّName
Prohibitionلَا تُسَمِّDo not name

The root ends in wāw even though surface forms often end in yāʾ or alif. The two participles have different meanings.

10. Form V: تَلَقَّى

تَلَقَّى — يَتَلَقَّى
Translation: The core perfect and imperfect forms.
The root is ل ق ي and the pattern is باب تفعّل. The table preserves the source sequence of active, passive, participial and command forms.

FormArabicMeaning
Active perfectتَلَقَّىHe received
Active imperfectيَتَلَقَّىHe receives
Verbal nounتَلَقٍّ / تَلَقِّيًاReceiving
Active participleمُتَلَقٍّOne receiving
Passive perfectتُلُقِّيَIt was received
Passive imperfectيُتَلَقَّىIt is received
Passive participleمُتَلَقًّىThat which is received
ImperativeتَلَقَّReceive
Prohibitionلَا تَتَلَقَّDo not receive

The book places this in the last printed group, but its underlying root ل ق ي is yāʾ-final; preserve the printed position without reclassifying the root.

11. Comparing the Two Separated Doubly Weak Verbs

وَجِيَ — يَوْجَى
Translation: He suffered sore feet — he suffers sore feet.
وَلِيَ — يَلِي
Translation: He came near — he comes near.

Featureوَجِيَوَلِيَ
Rootو ج يو ل ي
PatternSamiʿaḤasiba
Initial wāwVisible in imperfectDeleted in imperfect
Imperativeاِيجَلِ
Prohibitionلَا تَوْجَلَا تَلِ

Both are separated doubly weak, yet the initial wāw behaves differently. The precise morphological pattern and vowel environment determine whether a weak radical is deleted.

12. Comparing the Two Adjacent Doubly Weak Verbs

طَوَى — يَطْوِي
Translation: He folded — he folds.
قَوِيَ — يَقْوَى
Translation: He became strong — he becomes strong.

Featureطَوَىقَوِيَ
Rootط و يق و ي
PatternḌarabaSamiʿa
Imperfect endingFinal yāʾFinal alif maqṣūrah
Imperativeاِطْوِاِقْوَ
Descriptive formطَاوٍقَوِيٌّ

The middle and final root consonants are both weak. They need not remain visibly adjacent after morphological change: weakening may transform either radical.

13. Locating the Weak Radicals Across Four Classes

Written forms may change, but the underlying root determines the morphological class.

VerbFirst radicalMiddle radicalFinal radicalClass
وَلِيَوليSeparated doubly weak
طَوَىطويAdjacent doubly weak
أَغْنَىغنيYāʾ-final
سَمَّىسموWāw-final

Both أَغْنَى and سَمَّى end in alif maqṣūrah on the surface. The former derives from final yāʾ and the latter from final wāw, so their categories differ.

14. Verbal Nouns in the Derived Yāʾ-Final Patterns

أَغْنَى — إِغْنَاءٌ
Translation: He made sufficient — making sufficient.
اِلْتَقَى — اِلْتِقَاءٌ
Translation: He met — meeting.

Derived formPerfectImperfectVerbal noun
Form IVأَغْنَىيُغْنِيإِغْنَاءٌ
Form VIIIاِلْتَقَىيَلْتَقِياِلْتِقَاءٌ

Both maṣdars end in hamzah after alif, but their prefixes and underlying derivational patterns differ. Weakening does not erase the distinct Form IV and Form VIII markers.

15. Active and Passive Participles of أَغْنَى

مُغْنٍ — مُغْنًى
Translation: One who makes sufficient — one who is made sufficient.

AspectActive participlePassive participle
Formمُغْنٍمُغْنًى
Related imperfectيُغْنِييُغْنَى
RoleAgentRecipient of action
Final spellingKasrah tanwīnAlif maqṣūrah

The contrast reflects both voice and weak-final morphology. An indefinite active participle loses its final yāʾ in the nominative/genitive, unlike the passive participle ending with alif maqṣūrah.

16. Active and Passive Forms of اِلْتَقَى

مُلْتَقٍ — مُلْتَقًى
Translation: One who meets — one who is met; also, in usage, a meeting place.

Featureمُلْتَقٍمُلْتَقًى
Derived formForm VIIIForm VIII
Related voiceActivePassive
Weak endingFinal yāʾ deletedAlif maqṣūrah retained
Core senseThe meeting personThe met person/thing

The second word can also function as a noun for a meeting place in context. Morphological form and contextual meaning should be distinguished.

17. Gemination and Prefixes in Forms II and V

سَمَّى — يُسَمِّي — تَسْمِيَةٌ
Translation: He named — he names — naming.
تَلَقَّى — يَتَلَقَّى — تَلَقِّيًا
Translation: He received — he receives — receiving.

FeatureForm IIForm V
Perfectسَمَّىتَلَقَّى
Imperfectيُسَمِّييَتَلَقَّى
Verbal nounتَسْمِيَةٌتَلَقِّيًا
Active participleمُسَمٍّمُتَلَقٍّ

Both have middle-radical gemination, but Form V also carries the derivational tāʾ prefix, visible in its imperfect يَتَلَقَّى.

18. Reading the Printed Heading without Losing the Root

On printed page 60, both سَمَّى and تَلَقَّى appear beneath the heading wāw-final defective. The first has root س م و, but the generally established root of the second is ل ق ي.

VerbRootFinal radicalClassification by root
سَمَّىس م وWāwWāw-final
تَلَقَّىل ق يYāʾYāʾ-final

Preserve the book’s placement as source evidence, but do not infer that both share a final wāw. Root analysis and a printed subsection heading are different kinds of information.

19. Commands and Prohibitions Across All Eight Verbs

An imperative directs an addressee to act, while a prohibition uses لَا with the negative jussive. Weak-final imperatives may lose their final radical and become strikingly short.

PerfectImperativeProhibition
وَجِيَاِيجَلَا تَوْجَ
وَلِيَلِلَا تَلِ
طَوَىاِطْوِلَا تَطْوِ
قَوِيَاِقْوَلَا تَقْوَ
أَغْنَىأَغْنِلَا تُغْنِ
اِلْتَقَىاِلْتَقِلَا تَلْتَقِ
سَمَّىسَمِّلَا تُسَمِّ
تَلَقَّىتَلَقَّلَا تَتَلَقَّ

The short لِ and longer اِطْوِ come from roots of the same three-radical length; the visible disparity comes from morphological deletions, not from shorter original roots.

20. Voice Comparison Across the Eight Examples

Active voice highlights the doer, whereas passive voice presents the affected participant in the grammatical position of the subject. The textbook tables provide both morphological series.

Active perfectActive imperfectPassive perfectPassive imperfect
وَجِيَيَوْجَىوُجِيَيُوجَى
وَلِيَيَلِيوُلِيَيُولَى
طَوَىيَطْوِيطُوِيَيُطْوَى
قَوِيَيَقْوَىقُوِيَيُقْوَى
أَغْنَىيُغْنِيأُغْنِيَيُغْنَى
اِلْتَقَىيَلْتَقِياُلْتُقِيَيُلْتَقَى
سَمَّىيُسَمِّيسُمِّيَيُسَمَّى
تَلَقَّىيَتَلَقَّىتُلُقِّيَيُتَلَقَّى

A listed morphological passive does not guarantee equal real-world frequency, particularly for intransitive verbs; distinguish grammatical formation from customary usage.

21. Explaining the Initial Wāw in the Two Mafrūq Verbs

يَوْجَى — يَلِي
Translation: He suffers sore feet — he is near/follows.
The source’s explanation distinguishes a form retaining the initial wāw from one where it disappears. The root و ل ي reveals why يَلِي begins without the root’s wāw.

Analytical baseSurface formChange
يَوْلِييَلِيInitial wāw deletion
يَلِيلِ (imperative)Further shortening in command

A verb can undergo separate changes to its first and third weak radicals, depending on the particular inflectional environment.

22. Explaining طَوَى and قَوِيَ

طَوَى — يَطْوِي — اِطْوِ
Translation: He folded — he folds — fold!
قَوِيَ — يَقْوَى — اِقْوَ
Translation: He became strong — he becomes strong — become strong!
In طَوَى the final yāʾ surfaces as alif in the perfect, remains yāʾ in the imperfect and is deleted in the imperative. قَوِيَ instead produces imperfect يَقْوَى, ending with alif maqṣūrah. Both roots have adjacent wāw and yāʾ; distinct morphological patterns explain the different outputs.

23. Explaining the Derived Yāʾ-Final Verbs and Their Maṣdars

إِغْنَاءٌ — اِلْتِقَاءٌ
Translation: Making sufficient — meeting.
The textbook’s analysis connects the final hamzah in each maṣdar with transformations of a weak-final stem before the alif. Yet the derived prefixes differ: Form IV أَغْنَى and Form VIII اِلْتَقَى retain different pattern markers.

VerbImperfectMaṣdarImperative
أَغْنَىيُغْنِيإِغْنَاءٌأَغْنِ
اِلْتَقَىيَلْتَقِياِلْتِقَاءٌاِلْتَقِ

Do not derive the verbal noun merely from the spelling of the perfect. The form’s underlying derivational pattern determines its verbal noun formation.

24. Explaining the Verbal Nouns of سَمَّى and تَلَقَّى

تَسْمِيَةٌ — تَلَقِّيًا
Translation: Naming — receiving.
The maṣdar تَسْمِيَةٌ contains the geminated middle radical, a yāʾ in the stem and a final tāʾ marbūṭah. تَلَقِّيًا contains geminated qāf followed by final yāʾ and accusative tanwīn. The source provides weakening explanations for these outcomes.

MaṣdarDerived formRootVisible ending
تَسْمِيَةٌForm IIس م وTāʾ marbūṭah
تَلَقِّيًاForm Vل ق يYāʾ

Gemination occurs in both, but their roots and derivational prefixes differ. Surface similarity should not override root identification.

25. Integrated Review: Identify Root, Pattern and Change

وَجِيَ، وَلِيَ، طَوَى، قَوِيَ، أَغْنَى، اِلْتَقَى، سَمَّى، تَلَقَّى
Translation: Having sore feet, approaching, folding, becoming strong, making sufficient, meeting, naming and receiving.

VerbRootPattern
وَجِيَو ج يباب سمع
وَلِيَو ل يباب حسب
طَوَىط و يباب ضرب
قَوِيَق و يباب سمع
أَغْنَىغ ن يباب إفعال
اِلْتَقَىل ق يباب افتعال
سَمَّىس م وباب تفعيل
تَلَقَّىل ق يباب تفعّل

Analyze each word in the order root → derived pattern → weak-letter behavior → active/passive or command form. This prevents confusion between مُغْنٍ and مُغْنًى, and between the underlying final radicals of سَمَّى and تَلَقَّى.