Mar 25, 2002 18:11
22 yrs ago
Arabic term
John Kinory (X)
John Kinory (X)
One-stop Hebrew language services
Works in: English to Hebrew, German to English, Hebrew to English, and 3 more.
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The gender of ships and boats
Arabic
Tech/Engineering
Ships and boats and yachts and ...
I don't need the terms themselves (except insofar as is needed to clarify the answer); only what is the most common gender in Arabic for ships, boats and other waterborne craft.
Responses
+2
27 mins
Alaa Zeineldine
Egypt
Egypt
Native in Arabic
&
Arabic
Egypt
The best in IT ... and in Automotive
Native in: Arabic 
, English
Works in: English to Arabic, Arabic to English, English, and 1 more.
Related KudoZ points
:
12
Selected
Mixed
It depends on which type of vessel. Here are some examples:
Masculine:
Boat مركب (can also be feminine)
Small boat or dinghy قارب
Rowboat or canoe زورق
Yacht يخت
Fishing boat صندل
Feminine:
Ship سفينة
Sail boat فلوكة
Ferry معدية
Note that the plural in most of these cases is irregular جمع تكسير and does not have to follow the singular. For example the plural of فلوكة is فلك which fits better with masculin adjectives, but can work both ways. In fact, the gender of the feminine feminine words here is virtual feminine مؤنث مجاز, which sits more comfortably with feminie adjectives, but I do not think it would be grammatically incorrect to treat them as masculine either.
Best regards,
Alaa Zeineldine
Masculine:
Boat مركب (can also be feminine)
Small boat or dinghy قارب
Rowboat or canoe زورق
Yacht يخت
Fishing boat صندل
Feminine:
Ship سفينة
Sail boat فلوكة
Ferry معدية
Note that the plural in most of these cases is irregular جمع تكسير and does not have to follow the singular. For example the plural of فلوكة is فلك which fits better with masculin adjectives, but can work both ways. In fact, the gender of the feminine feminine words here is virtual feminine مؤنث مجاز, which sits more comfortably with feminie adjectives, but I do not think it would be grammatically incorrect to treat them as masculine either.
Best regards,
Alaa Zeineldine
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
Comment: "Thanks very much, and my appreciation to everyone else."
13 mins
Stephen Franke
United States
United States
United States
Service, quality, discretion, teamwork
Native in: English
Works in: English to Arabic, Arabic to English, Kurdish to English, and 3 more.
Fenminie gender used for ships, boats and other seaborne vessels
Greetings.
The feminine gender is used to refer to ships, boats and other seaborne vessels.
Yu might bera in mind that the forms for the plural can vary cosniderably, i.e.,
o safiina => sufin / sufaa'in (commercial ship)
o mudamir => mudamiraat (naval destroyer)
o shaaHina => shaaHinaat (cargo carrier/transport ship)
HTH.
Regards from Los Angeles,
S. H. Franke
The feminine gender is used to refer to ships, boats and other seaborne vessels.
Yu might bera in mind that the forms for the plural can vary cosniderably, i.e.,
o safiina => sufin / sufaa'in (commercial ship)
o mudamir => mudamiraat (naval destroyer)
o shaaHina => shaaHinaat (cargo carrier/transport ship)
HTH.
Regards from Los Angeles,
S. H. Franke
Reference:
+1
1 hr
No general rule applies here
The following list illustrates the variety:
سفينة
feminine by its ending.
باخرة
feminine by its ending
بارجة
“barge”: feminine by its ending.
قارب
masculine
زورق
masculine
جندول
“gondola”: masculine
مركب
masculine
مركبة
feminine by its ending
فلك
feminine (can be a collective term)
Here are a few local terms from the Persian Gulf region:
جالبوت
masculine
بوم
masculine
سمبوك
masculine
شوح
masculine
And from Iraq:
بلم
masculine
Fuad
سفينة
feminine by its ending.
باخرة
feminine by its ending
بارجة
“barge”: feminine by its ending.
قارب
masculine
زورق
masculine
جندول
“gondola”: masculine
مركب
masculine
مركبة
feminine by its ending
فلك
feminine (can be a collective term)
Here are a few local terms from the Persian Gulf region:
جالبوت
masculine
بوم
masculine
سمبوك
masculine
شوح
masculine
And from Iraq:
بلم
masculine
Fuad
Discussion
This has occurred to me. But I must admit, to my shame, that I do need the explanations in English; and after all, I did post it as 'Ships' etc.
I may move it later, though.
Thanks,
John
I will wait to see if anyone else answers, because this is becoming really interesting (and certainly not according to what I was led to believe was the situation). So please bear with me if I don't grade yet.
Thanks again!