ABSTRACT
The following examples illustrate agentive nouns functioning as a performer
of action, an object of a transitive verb, and, finally, when preceded by a preposition.
CHAPTer 23
The derivation of agentive nouns from defective verbs (a subcategory of َلَعَف verbs (Form I)) follows the aforementioned ٌلِعاف pattern. For example, from the verb اعَد “to invite,” we derive the agentive noun يعاد “inviter (M),” and from the verb ىََح “to protect,” we derive the agentive noun يماح “protector (M).” When such nouns are indefinite and masculine, they end with an in
sound (tanwiin), represented in the orthography by two kasras, and we thus
obtain ٍعاد “he who invites, an inviter (M)”; ٍماح “a protector (M).” However, when such nouns are made definite by the use of the definite
article ـلا, the tanwiin changes to a yaa’. For example, ٍعاد and ٍماح become يعاّدلا “the inviter (M),” and يمالحا “the protector (M),” respectively. Similarly, when a suffix pronoun is attached to such nouns, the tanwiin changes to a yaa’
as in, for example, ِهيعاد “his inviter,” and اهيماح “her protector.” The yaa’ is also realized in these masculine nouns when they are put in
the accusative, or in the IDhaafaconstruct, as in the following examples:
In addition, the yaa’ is also realized when such nouns are put in the feminine.
