Nine Augmented Triliteral Patterns with Hamzat al-Wasl

1. Augmented triliteral patterns

An augmented triliteral still has three root radicals. Additional formative letters change its morphological pattern and may change its basic meaning.
نَصَرَ — root n-ṣ-r, unaugmented: he helped.
اِسْتَنْصَرَ — the same root with added formative letters: he sought help.
Augmentation does not mean simply “more intensity” in every case; the meaning must be learnt in relation to each pattern and verb.

2. Recognising hamzat al-waṣl

Hamzat al-waṣl is pronounced when beginning a word but ordinarily drops in connected speech. It appears at the beginning of the patterns in this section.
اِجْتَنَبَ and اِسْتَنْصَرَ begin with this connecting hamza. It is not a root radical: their roots are j-n-b and n-ṣ-r.
Augmented patterns beginning with hamzat al-qaṭʿ are treated in the book's next separate group.

3. The nine patterns in the source

This section presents nine patterns beginning with hamzat al-waṣl, in the book's order:

No.PatternExample
1اِفْتِعَالاِجْتَنَبَ
2اِسْتِفْعَالاِسْتَنْصَرَ
3اِنْفِعَالاِنْفَطَرَ
4اِفْعِلَالاِحْمَرَّ
5اِفْعِيلَالاِدْهَامَّ
6اِفْعِيعَالاِخْشَوْشَنَ
7اِفْعِوْعَالاِجْلَوَّذَ
8اِفَّاعَلاِثَّاقَلَ
9اِفَّعَّلاِطَّهَرَ

The ordering follows this textbook's classification; several later patterns are uncommon in ordinary Arabic.

4. Root radicals versus formative letters

In اِجْتَنَبَ the root is j-n-b; the initial alif and the inserted tāʾ are formative.
In اِسْتَنْصَرَ the root is n-ṣ-r; the introductory alif, sīn and tāʾ are added.
In اِنْفَطَرَ the root is f-ṭ-r; the initial alif and nūn are added.
A letter is not inherently “extra” in every word. Nūn is original in istanṣara but formative in infaṭara. Determine the root before identifying the pattern.

5. Form iftiʿāl: اجتنب

اِجْتَنَبَ — يَجْتَنِبُ — اِجْتِنَابًا
The verb means to avoid or keep away from something. Its root is j-n-b and its pattern contains an inserted tāʾ after the first radical.
The perfect has initial hamzat al-waṣl; the imperfect is يَجْتَنِبُ and the verbal noun is اِجْتِنَاب.
The pattern does not impose one identical meaning on all roots: lexical meaning still matters.

6. Short paradigm of iftiʿāl

Active forms

Word / formMeaning / explanation
اِجْتَنَبَhe avoided.
يَجْتَنِبُhe avoids.
اِجْتِنَابًاavoiding (verbal noun).
مُجْتَنِبٌone who avoids.
اِجْتَنِبْavoid!
لَا تَجْتَنِبْdo not avoid!

Passive forms

Word / formMeaning / explanation
اُجْتُنِبَit was avoided.
يُجْتَنَبُit is avoided.
مُجْتَنَبٌsomething avoided.

The distinction is not the mere presence of the verb; it is which participant is foregrounded by the active or passive form.

7. Form istifʿāl: seeking an action

اِسْتَنْصَرَ — يَسْتَنْصِرُ — اِسْتِنْصَارًا
The root n-ṣ-r relates to help. In اِسْتَنْصَرَ the meaning is to seek help.
اِسْتَغْفَرَ — he sought forgiveness.
اِسْتَنْصَرَ — he sought assistance.
Requesting or seeking is a frequent value of istifʿāl, but not an exhaustive translation rule for every word in this form.

8. Short paradigm of istifʿāl

TypeArabic formMeaning
Active perfectاِسْتَنْصَرَhe sought help.
Active imperfectيَسْتَنْصِرُhe seeks help.
Verbal nounاِسْتِنْصَارًاseeking help.
Active participleمُسْتَنْصِرٌone seeking help.
Passive perfectاُسْتُنْصِرَhe was asked for help.
Passive imperfectيُسْتَنْصَرُhe is asked for help.
Passive participleمُسْتَنْصَرٌone from whom help is sought.
Imperativeاِسْتَنْصِرْseek help!
Prohibitionلَا تَسْتَنْصِرْdo not seek help!

The kasrah or fatḥah before the final radical distinguishes mustanṣir (active) from mustanṣar (passive).

9. Form infiʿāl: اِنْفَطَرَ

اِنْفَطَرَ — يَنْفَطِرُ — اِنْفِطَارًا
Its root is f-ṭ-r; the verb means “to split open.” The initial alif and nūn are additional, while fāʾ, ṭāʾ and rāʾ are original.

Word / formMeaning / explanation
اِنْفَطَرَit split open.
يَنْفَطِرُit splits open.
مُنْفَطِرٌsplitting or split open, according to context.

The event is presented as happening to the subject itself, without requiring a regular direct object.

10. The infiʿāl paradigm and its scope

اِنْفَطَرَ — يَنْفَطِرُ — اِنْفِطَارًا — مُنْفَطِرٌ
This pattern commonly has an intransitive sense. The textbook's short display therefore emphasises the active verb, verbal noun, participle, imperative and prohibition.

Word / formMeaning / explanation
اِنْفَطِرْsplit open!
لَا تَنْفَطِرْdo not split open!
اِنْقَلَبَturned over; اِنْصَرَفَ — departed/turned away.

Do not force an ordinary transitive passive-object translation onto an intransitive example. Any special lexical construction must be considered separately.

11. Form ifʿilāl: colour and state

اِحْمَرَّ — يَحْمَرُّ — اِحْمِرَارًا
The root is ḥ-m-r. This example indicates becoming red, not causing another object to become red. The doubled final rāʾ is a characteristic of the pattern.

Word / formMeaning / explanation
اِحْمَرَّit turned red.
مُحْمَرٌّreddening or red-coloured.
Related examples include اِخْضَرَّturned green, and اِصْفَرَّ — turned yellow.

Many verbs of this pattern concern becoming a colour or entering a state.

12. Short paradigm of ifʿilāl

Word / formMeaning / explanation
اِحْمَرَّit turned red.
يَحْمَرُّit turns red.
اِحْمِرَارًاbecoming red.
مُحْمَرٌّbecoming red.
اِحْمَرَّturn red!
لَا تَحْمَرَّdo not turn red!

This verb is generally intransitive. It must not be confused with the causative حَمَّرَ “he reddened something”: becoming red and making something red are different events.

13. Form ifʿīlāl: اِدْهَامَّ

اِدْهَامَّ — يَدْهَامُّ — اِدْهِيمَامًا
This pattern can describe an intensified colour state. اِدْهَامَّ signifies becoming very dark green or nearly black.
Its added structure and doubled final radical distinguish it from the plain triliteral.
مُدْهَامٌّ is the corresponding descriptive participial form. Both iḥmarra and idhāmma concern colour states, but their weights and verbal nouns differ.
اِدْهَامَّ — become very dark green!; لَا تَدْهَامَّ — do not become dark green!

14. Distinguishing ifʿilāl and ifʿīlāl

اِحْمَرَّ — اِحْمِرَارًا
Becoming red; its verbal noun follows the ifʿilāl pattern.
اِدْهَامَّ — اِدْهِيمَامًا
Becoming very dark green or nearly black; its verbal noun follows the ifʿīlāl pattern.
A doubled final radical alone is insufficient to classify a verb. The full template and the lengthening in the verbal noun distinguish these two.

15. Form ifʿīʿāl: اِخْشَوْشَنَ

اِخْشَوْشَنَ — يَخْشَوْشِنُ — اِخْشِيشَانًا
The root kh-sh-n concerns roughness. اِخْشَوْشَنَ means “became very rough.”
مُخْشَوْشِنٌ — something becoming rough.
This form is structurally longer than the unaugmented خَشُنَ. Its extra wāw, repeated shīn and altered verbal noun help identify the augmented pattern.

16. Inflection and sense of اخشوشن

Word / formMeaning / explanation
اِخْشَوْشَنَit became very rough.
يَخْشَوْشِنُit becomes very rough.
اِخْشِيشَانًاbecoming very rough.
مُخْشَوْشِنٌbecoming rough.
اِخْشَوْشِنْbecome rough!
لَا تَخْشَوْشِنْdo not become rough!

The verbal noun must not be constructed by merely copying the perfect spelling: the imperfect and maṣdar follow their own vocalic pattern.

17. Form ifʿiwʿāl: اِجْلَوَّذَ

اِجْلَوَّذَ — يَجْلَوِّذُ — اِجْلِوَّاذًا
In the textbook this example denotes a horse running swiftly. The augmented wāw and its doubling are visible features of the pattern.
مُجْلَوِّذٌ — one running swiftly.
The form is relatively uncommon in ordinary usage. Learn its source-given paradigm rather than inventing forms by analogy with a more familiar class.

18. Short paradigm of اجلوذ

Word / formMeaning / explanation
اِجْلَوَّذَthe horse ran swiftly.
يَجْلَوِّذُit runs swiftly.
اِجْلِوَّاذًاrunning swiftly.
مُجْلَوِّذٌone running swiftly.
اِجْلَوِّذْrun swiftly!
لَا تَجْلَوِّذْdo not run swiftly!

The perfect, imperfect and verbal noun do not share identical vocalisation. All three must be consulted when recognising the pattern.

19. The eighth pattern: اِثَّاقَلَ

اِثَّاقَلَ — يَثَّاقَلُ
This example conveys becoming heavy, burdened or reluctant to move. The doubled thāʾ distinguishes the form from a simple triliteral spelling.
اِثَّاقَلَ — he became heavy or sluggish.
مُثَّاقِلٌ — one becoming sluggish.
Assimilation contributes to this surface spelling. Counting the visible letters alone does not account for the doubled consonant or the morphological pattern.
اِثَّاقُلًا — becoming sluggish (verbal noun); اِثَّاقَلْ — become sluggish!

20. Assimilation in اِثَّاقَلَ

The shaddah on thāʾ in اِثَّاقَلَ represents an assimilated consonantal sequence, not mere decorative pronunciation. The form is morphologically related to تَثَاقَلَ.
يَثَّاقَلُ — he becomes heavy or sluggish.
لَا تَثَّاقَلْ — do not become sluggish!
In such forms, the surface spelling and the underlying morphological analysis must be distinguished; otherwise the doubled letter can be miscounted.

21. The ninth pattern: اِطَّهَرَ

اِطَّهَرَ — يَطَّهَرُ
Its basic sense is becoming pure or undergoing purification. Its root is ṭ-h-r and the doubled consonant is an important feature of the surface form.
اِطَّهَرَ — he became pure.
مُطَّهِّرٌ — a person becoming purified, in this pattern's descriptive sense.
طَهَّرَ (“he purified something”) differs from اِطَّهَرَ (“he became pure”). The former may take an object; the latter emphasises the subject's state.

22. Assimilation and the ninth paradigm

اِطَّهَرَ — يَطَّهَرُ — اِطَّهَارًا
Assimilation changes the visible spelling in this pattern. The initial alif of اِطَّهَرَ is hamzat al-waṣl; this is not the same as an assumed hamzat al-qaṭʿ pattern أَطْهَرَ.
اِطَّهِرْ — become pure!
لَا تَطَّهَرْ — do not become pure!
Here meaning, gemination and vocalisation must be kept together; unvowelled spelling alone is insufficient for a full morphological analysis.

23. Active and passive nouns across the patterns

Word / formMeaning / explanation
مُجْتَنِبٌone who avoids; مُجْتَنَبٌ — something avoided.
مُسْتَنْصِرٌa seeker of help; مُسْتَنْصَرٌ — one asked for help.
مُنْفَطِرٌsplitting, from the intransitive infiʿāl example.

The active/passive contrast is clear in the first two. Several colour, state and inchoative patterns are typically intransitive, and ordinary transitive passive-object translations should not be manufactured for them.

24. A shared rule for non-basic paradigms

In unaugmented triliterals, distinct familiar patterns for nouns of place, instrument and comparison were studied earlier.
For the augmented paradigms here, the book does not ordinarily give separate instrument nouns or elative nouns as regular entries. Its rule is that the passive-participle shape of non-basic verbs may also carry a place/time sense where usage allows.
For example مُسْتَنْصَرٌ has passive-participle morphology; a locative or temporal reading requires actual lexical and contextual support. A theoretically possible template is not necessarily an attested word.

25. Putting the nine patterns together

Word / formMeaning / explanation
Iftiʿālاِجْتَنَبَ: avoided.
Istifʿālاِسْتَنْصَرَ: sought help.
Infiʿālاِنْفَطَرَ: split open.
Ifʿilālاِحْمَرَّ: turned red.
Ifʿīlālاِدْهَامَّ: became dark green/blackish.
Ifʿīʿālاِخْشَوْشَنَ: became rough.
Ifʿiwʿālاِجْلَوَّذَ: ran swiftly.
Iffāʿalاِثَّاقَلَ: became sluggish.
Iffaʿʿalاِطَّهَرَ: became pure.

For a correct classification, bring together root, added letters, perfect, imperfect, verbal noun and meaning.