إجا

From Arabic جَاءَ (jāʔa).

The epenthetic initial syllable could have resolved a constraint against the structure of the natural reflexes *جا (*jā, “he came”), *جوا (*jaw, “they came”), and *جت (*jat, “she came”). This is the same phenomenon that may have contributed to the suffixed forms of لَـ (la-, “to, for, toward”) and the development of South Levantine Arabic إشي (ʔiši, “something”) versus North Levantine Arabic شي (šī).

إجا • (ʔija) I (non-past يجي (yiji) or ييجي (yīji), verbal noun مجية (majye) or مجوة (majwe) or جية (jayye), active participle جاي (jāy, jē) or جايي (jāyi))

1. to come
2. to arrive
3. (figurative) to take a shape, form, or connotation

   بتجي شوي دبشة كلمة مجدوب قول عنو مش ذكي

   btiji šwayy dibše kilmit majdūb ʔūl ʕanno miš zaki

   The word dumbass comes off a little coarse, just say he's not smart

   بالفصحى بتجي الألف أو مقصورة أو ممدودة حسب جذر الفعل شو هو

   bil-fuṣḥa btiji l-ʔalif ʔaw maʔṣūra ʔaw mamdūde ḥasab jizr l-fiʕl šu huwwe

   In Fusha, the letter alif is either an alif maqsura or a long alif depending on what the root of the verb is

• The imperative is تع، تعا (taʕ, taʕa, “come!”, masculine singular), تعي (taʕi, feminine singular), تعوا (taʕu, plural).

• إجى (ʔija) (alternative spelling)
• أجا (ʔaja)

From Arabic جَاءَ (jāʔa).

• IPA^(key): /ʔi.ʒa/, [ˈʔi.ʒa], [ˈʔi.d͡ʒa]

• Audio (al-Lidd):

  (file)

إجا • (ʔija) I (present بيجي (bīji), active participle جاي (jāy))

1. to come

   Antonym: راح (rāḥ)

   فيه حدا جاي غيري؟ ― fīh ḥada jāy ḡēri ― Is anyone coming aside from me?

   هو دايمًا بيجي عالوقت المناسب.

   huwwe dāyman bīji ʕal-waʔt li-mnāseb

   He always comes at the appropriate time.

   إجى الجيش بقوّة عيسكريّة كبيرة.

   ʔija l-jēš bi-ʔuwwa ʕaskariyye kbīre

   The army came with a lot of (lit. big) military power.

   إجت شويّة قهوة على قميصي.

   ʔijat šwayyet ʔahwe ʕala ʔamīṣti

   A little coffee got on (lit. came to) my shirt.

   تعال عندي (لعندي) نحكي شويّ عن الموضوع.

   taʕāl ʕindi (la-ʕindi) niḥki šwayy ʕan il-mōḍūʕ

   Come over to my place to talk a bit about the issue.

2. (by extension) to arrive

   من أوّل ما إجيت وإنتي بتحطّي مكياج.

   min ʔawwal mā ʔijīt w ʔinti bitḥoṭṭi mikyāj

   You've been putting on makeup from the moment I arrived.

   (literally, “Since as soon as I arrived you're putting makeup.”)

3. to come up to, to approach [with ل (la-) ‘to’]

   إجتلي وطلبت منّي أعملّها معروف.

   ʔijat-li w-ṭalbat minni ʔaʕmil-lha maʕrūf

   She came up to me and asked me to do her a favor.

4. (by extension) to get, to receive (with recipient as direct object)

   إجاني كتير تلفونات من عيلتي اليوم.

   ʔijāni ktīr telefōnāt min ʕēlti l-yōm

   I got a lot of calls from my family today.

   إجتني فرصة أروح أدرس طبّ في بريطانيا.

   ʔijatni furṣa ʔarūḥ ʔadros ṭibb fi brīṭānya

   I got an opportunity to go study medicine in the UK.

5. (by extension) to fit (in a space) [with في (fi) ‘into something’]

   Antonym: وسع (wasaʕ)

   ولا يمكن هالخزانة تيجي بالغرفة.

   wala yumken hāl-ḵazāne tīji bil-ḡorfe

   There's no way this wardrobe will fit in the room.

6. (by extension) to fit (of clothes) [with على (ʕala)]

   للأسف البنطلون ما بيجي علي (على قدّي) منيح.

   lil-ʔasaf il-banṭalōn ma bīji ʕalay (ʕala ʔaddi) mnīḥ

   Unfortunately the pants don't fit me well.

• The imperative of this verb is irregular, derived from Arabic تَعَالَ (taʕāla, “come here”).

• إجا عالوجع (ʔija ʕal-wajʕ, “to come right on time”)
• جاعبال (jāʕbāl, “to feel like (doing something)”)
• إجا يكحّلها عماها (ʔija ykaḥḥelha ʕamāha, “to make matters worse”)