Editing Arabic (section)

====Derivation====
Like other [[Semitic languages]], and unlike most other languages, Arabic makes much more use of [[nonconcatenative morphology]], applying many templates applied to roots, to [[Morphological derivation|derive]] words than adding prefixes or suffixes to words.

For verbs, a given root can occur in many different [[Derived stem|derived verb stems]], of which there are about fifteen, each with one or more characteristic meanings and each with its own templates for the past and non-past stems, active and passive participles, and verbal noun. These are referred to by Western scholars as "Form I", "Form II", and so on through "Form XV", although Forms XI to XV are rare.

These stems encode grammatical functions such as the [[causative]], [[intensive]] and [[reflexive verb|reflexive]]. Stems sharing the same root consonants represent separate verbs, albeit often semantically related, and each is the basis for its own [[Verb conjugation|conjugational]] paradigm. As a result, these derived stems are part of the system of [[derivational morphology]], not part of the [[inflection]]al system.

Examples of the different verbs formed from the root {{Script/Arabic|كتب}} ''{{transliteration|ar|k-t-b}}'' 'write' (using {{Script/Arabic|حمر}} ''{{transliteration|ar|ḥ-m-r}}'' 'red' for Form IX, which is limited to colors and physical defects):
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Most of these forms are exclusively [[Classical Arabic]]
! Form !! Past !! Meaning !! Non-past !! Meaning
|-
| I || ''{{transliteration|ar|kataba}}'' || 'he wrote' || ''{{transliteration|ar|yaktubu}}'' || 'he writes'
|-
| II || ''{{transliteration|ar|kattaba}}'' || 'he made (someone) write' || ''{{transliteration|ar|yukattibu}}'' || "he makes (someone) write"
|-
| III || ''{{transliteration|ar|kātaba}}'' || 'he corresponded with, wrote to (someone)' || ''{{transliteration|ar|yukātibu}}'' || 'he corresponds with, writes to (someone)'
|-
| IV || ''{{transliteration|ar|ʾaktaba}}'' || 'he dictated' || ''{{transliteration|ar|yuktibu}}'' || 'he dictates'
|-
| V || ''{{transliteration|ar|takattaba}}'' || ''nonexistent''|| ''{{transliteration|ar|yatakattabu}}'' || ''nonexistent''
|-
| VI || ''{{transliteration|ar|takātaba}}'' || 'he corresponded (with someone, esp. mutually)' || ''{{transliteration|ar|yatakātabu}}'' || 'he corresponds (with someone, esp. mutually)'
|-
| VII || ''{{transliteration|ar|inkataba}}'' || 'he subscribed' || ''{{transliteration|ar|yankatibu}}'' || 'he subscribes'
|-
| VIII || ''{{transliteration|ar|iktataba}}'' || 'he copied' || ''{{transliteration|ar|yaktatibu}}'' || 'he copies'
|-
| IX || ''{{transliteration|ar|iḥmarra}}'' || 'he turned red' || ''{{transliteration|ar|yaḥmarru}}'' || 'he turns red'
|-
| X || ''{{transliteration|ar|istaktaba}}'' || 'he asked (someone) to write' || ''{{transliteration|ar|yastaktibu}}'' || 'he asks (someone) to write'
|}

Form II is sometimes used to create transitive [[denominative verb]]s (verbs built from nouns); Form V is the equivalent used for intransitive denominatives.

The associated participles and verbal nouns of a verb are the primary means of forming new lexical nouns in Arabic. This is similar to the process by which, for example, the [[English gerund]] "meeting" (similar to a verbal noun) has turned into a noun referring to a particular type of social, often work-related event where people gather together to have a "discussion" (another lexicalized verbal noun). Another fairly common means of forming nouns is through one of a limited number of patterns that can be applied directly to roots, such as the "nouns of location" in ''ma-'' (e.g. ''{{transliteration|ar|maktab}}'' 'desk, office' < ''{{transliteration|ar|k-t-b}}'' 'write', ''{{transliteration|ar|maṭbakh}}'' 'kitchen' < ''{{transliteration|ar|ṭ-b-kh}}'' 'cook').

The only three genuine suffixes are as follows:
* The feminine suffix ''-ah''; variously derives terms for women from related terms for men, or more generally terms along the same lines as the corresponding masculine, e.g. ''{{transliteration|ar|maktabah}}'' 'library' (also a writing-related place, but different from ''{{transliteration|ar|maktab}}'', as above).
* The [[Arabic grammar#Nisba|nisbah]] suffix ''-iyy-''. This suffix is extremely productive, and forms adjectives meaning "related to X". It corresponds to English adjectives in ''-ic, -al, -an, -y, -ist'', etc.
* The feminine [[Arabic grammar#Nisba|nisbah]] suffix ''-iyyah''. This is formed by adding the feminine suffix ''-ah'' onto nisba adjectives to form abstract nouns. For example, from the basic root ''{{transliteration|ar|š-r-k}}'' 'share' can be derived the Form VIII verb ''{{transliteration|ar|ishtaraka}}'' 'to cooperate, participate', and in turn its verbal noun ''{{transliteration|ar|ištirāk}}'' 'cooperation, participation' can be formed. This in turn can be made into a nisbah adjective ''{{transliteration|ar|ištirākiyy}}'' 'socialist', from which an abstract noun ''{{transliteration|ar|ishtirākiyyah}}'' 'socialism' can be derived. Other recent formations are ''{{transliteration|ar|jumhūriyyah}}'' 'republic' (lit. "public-ness", < ''{{transliteration|ar|jumhūr}}'' 'multitude, general public'), and the [[Gaddafi]]-specific variation ''{{transliteration|ar|jamāhīriyyah}}'' 'people's republic' (lit. "masses-ness", < ''{{transliteration|ar|jamāhīr}}'' 'the masses', pl. of ''{{transliteration|ar|jumhūr}}'', as above).