غُلاَمُboy in Arabic

Example sentences

• قَالَ يَا غُلاَمُ،

  He said, 'O boy,'

  غُلاَمُ — boy. This is the one being addressed by the calling particle before it, the person hailed directly. In this address construction the noun takes a bare single-vowel ending rather than the doubled tanwin it would carry normally. So its shape itself signals 'this is who I am speaking to'.

  From: A Mother's Forgiveness →

• فَقُلْتُ لِمَنْ أَنْتَ يَا غُلاَمُ

  So I said, 'Who do you belong to, O boy?'

  غُلاَمُ — boy. The noun being called out, a boy, taking the special address form under the call-particle before it. Arabic gives a directly-addressed noun a distinct ending rather than its plain subject form. It names the one being spoken to.

  From: A Night with the Prophet →