Most bilateral roots can have their second letter doubled, similar to what was demonstrated in the video you just watched.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Additionally, a root in its most basic form, فَعَلَ, cannot have two consecutive identical letters. The only way this occurs is through the pattern فَعَّلَ, where the second letter is both emphasized with a شدة (ّ) and repeated.
Interestingly, many bilateral roots can also be doubled to emphasize their meaning. This process differs from simply doubling the last letter. Understanding Arabic morphology and the roots of words is crucial for comprehending their foundational meanings and how they manifest in various linguistic forms.
This discussion specifically focuses on verbs, excluding considerations of conjugation.
| Meaning | Phonetic | Arabic | Root (in MSA) | Examples |
| To pat | TabTab | طبطب | طب (ṭab), which means medicine or medical science. | You can hear this word in Nancy Ajram’s famous song. |
| To curse | SabSab | سبسب | This trilateral root “سب””is used in various forms to convey meanings related to cursing, insulting, or reviling. | مين البلى إغلاق يلي سبسب بالصف؟
Mean elbala akhla2 yale sabsab bil saf? Who is the rude that cursed in class? |
| To Spoil | TashTash | تشتش | The root word تش actually means to get drenched. The relationship to the meaning could be to spoil someone to an extent that you drench them with gifts or love. | جوزي كتير بتشتش بنتي بالهداية.
Jawze ktir bitashtesh bente bil haydeyah. My husband spoils my daughter with gifts. |
| To go crazy | Khash-Khash | خشخش | The root (kha-sha) word means fear or being afraid. | في شي براسو؟ شكلو خشخش.
Fi shi b raso? Shaklo khash-khash. |
| To gossip | Ja’Ja’ | جقجق | The root meaning of the word is associated with the sound or action of “chirping” or “twittering,” typically referring to the sound made by birds. | يا ويلي شو جقجق سامي عليكي!
Ya wayle shu ja2ja2 Sami 3laike! OMG how much Sami gossiped about you! |
| To wake up (feeling refreshed) | Sa7Sa7 | صحصح | The root generally carries the meaning related to “being correct,” “being sound,” or “being accurate.” | يلا نام لا تصحصح وتركز بالشغل بكرا.
Yala nem la tsa7se7 bilshughul bukra. Come up sleep so you can focus “be accurate” at work tomorrow |
| To complain | AfAf | أفاف | The word comes from “to sigh”. | ليش عام تقفقف؟ في شي؟
Lesh 3am t2af2ef? Fi shi? Why are you sighing? Is everything okay? |
| To pick up | LamLam | لملم | This root is derived from the trilateral root “لمم” which conveys the core idea of bringing together or assembling things. | لملم الموضوع وبلا جرصة!
Lamlem el-mawdo3 w bala jursah! Gather the topic and stop the problem from everyone knowing. |
| To spill | SharShar | شرشر | This root generally conveys the idea of “crumbling” or “disintegrating into small pieces.” | كول على طاولة ما تشرشر.
Kul 3ala el-tawleh ma tshar-sher. Eat on the table and don’t spill. |
| To jump up & down (from fear or excitement) | FarFar | فرفر | The root meaning of the Arabic word is associated with the concept of scattering or dispersing. | هالجبان فرفر لما شافنه!
Hal jaben farfar lama shefneh. This coward freaked out when he saw me. |
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