ليلة
Arabic
Etymology
From the root ل ي ل (l y l). From Proto-Semitic *layl-. Can be analyzed as a singulative noun, from لَيْل (layl, “nighttime”) + ـَة (-a, singulative suffix). Cognate with Classical Syriac ܠܹܠܝܵܐ (lēlyā), Aramaic לֵילְיָא (lēləyā), Hebrew לַיְלָה (láyla).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /laj.la/
Noun
لَيْلَة • (layla) f (plural لَيْلَات (laylāt) or لَيَالٍ (layālin))
- a night
- Antonym: يَوْم (yawm)
- فِي لَيَالٍ كَتَمَتْ سِرَّ ٱلْهَوَى
- fī layālin katamat sirra l-hawā
- In nights that hid the secret of love.
- 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 69:7:
- سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَبْعَ لَيَالٍ وَثَمَانِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومًا فَتَرَى ٱلْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَى كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍ
- saḵḵarahā ʕalayhim sabʕa layālin wa-ṯamāniyata ʔayyāmin ḥusūman fa-tarā l-qawma fīhā ṣarʕā ka-ʔannahum ʔaʕjāzu naḵlin ḵāwiyatin
- Which He imposed upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so you would see the people therein fallen as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees.
- soiree
Declension
| singular | singular triptote in ـَة (-a) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| indefinite | definite | construct | |
| informal | لَيْلَة layla |
اللَّيْلَة al-layla |
لَيْلَة laylat |
| nominative | لَيْلَةٌ laylatun |
اللَّيْلَةُ al-laylatu |
لَيْلَةُ laylatu |
| accusative | لَيْلَةً laylatan |
اللَّيْلَةَ al-laylata |
لَيْلَةَ laylata |
| genitive | لَيْلَةٍ laylatin |
اللَّيْلَةِ al-laylati |
لَيْلَةِ laylati |
| dual | indefinite | definite | construct |
| informal | لَيْلَتَيْن laylatayn |
اللَّيْلَتَيْن al-laylatayn |
لَيْلَتَيْ laylatay |
| nominative | لَيْلَتَانِ laylatāni |
اللَّيْلَتَانِ al-laylatāni |
لَيْلَتَا laylatā |
| accusative | لَيْلَتَيْنِ laylatayni |
اللَّيْلَتَيْنِ al-laylatayni |
لَيْلَتَيْ laylatay |
| genitive | لَيْلَتَيْنِ laylatayni |
اللَّيْلَتَيْنِ al-laylatayni |
لَيْلَتَيْ laylatay |
| plural | sound feminine plural; broken plural diptote in ـٍ (-in) | ||
| indefinite | definite | construct | |
| informal | لَيْلَات; لَيَالِي laylāt; layālī |
اللَّيْلَات; اللَّيَالِي al-laylāt; al-layālī |
لَيْلَات; لَيَالِي laylāt; layālī |
| nominative | لَيْلَاتٌ; لَيَالٍ laylātun; layālin |
اللَّيْلَاتُ; اللَّيَالِي al-laylātu; al-layālī |
لَيْلَاتُ; لَيَالِي laylātu; layālī |
| accusative | لَيْلَاتٍ; لَيَالِيَ laylātin; layāliya |
اللَّيْلَاتِ; اللَّيَالِيَ al-laylāti; al-layāliya |
لَيْلَاتِ; لَيَالِيَ laylāti; layāliya |
| genitive | لَيْلَاتٍ; لَيَالٍ laylātin; layālin |
اللَّيْلَاتِ; اللَّيَالِي al-laylāti; al-layālī |
لَيْلَاتِ; لَيَالِي laylāti; layālī |
Derived terms
- لَيْلَتَئِذٍ (laylataʔiḏin)
Related terms
References
- Wehr, Hans (1979) “ليل”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN
Moroccan Arabic
Etymology
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /laj.la/, /liː.la/
Audio: (file)
Noun
لَيْلة or لِيلة • (layla or līla) f (plural لَيْلات (laylāt) or لِيلات (līlāt))
- a night
Derived terms
- هاد الليلة (hād el-layla, hād el-līla, “tonight”)
Related terms
- ليل (layl, līl, “nighttime”)
South Levantine Arabic
Etymology
Pronunciation
Noun
ليلة • (lēle) f (singulative, collective ليل m (lēl), plural ليالي (layāli))
Derived terms
- الليلة (il-lēle, “tonight”)