An ajwaf root has a weak middle radical (ʿayn al-kalimah). The traditional name reflects the position of the weak radical in the “hollow” middle of the root.
قَالَ — “he said,” from ق و ل.
بَاعَ — “he sold,” from ب ي ع.
Both perfect forms display an alif, but their roots differ: one has wāw and the other yāʾ. Their imperfect forms يَقُولُ and يَبِيعُ help reveal this difference. The visible alif alone is insufficient.
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Ajwaf: Weak Middle Radical
The Seven Morphological Classes: Sound, Hamzated, Weak and Doubled
An ajwaf root has a weak middle radical (ʿayn al-kalimah). The traditional name reflects the position of the weak radical in the “hollow” middle of the root.
قَالَ — “he said,” from ق و ل.
بَاعَ — “he sold,” from ب ي ع.
Both perfect forms display an alif, but their roots differ: one has wāw and the other yāʾ. Their imperfect forms يَقُولُ and يَبِيعُ help reveal this difference. The visible alif alone is insufficient.