Rules of Doubled Letters
Definition of a Doubled Letter
A doubled letter is one that is marked with a shadda, indicating that it consists of two identical characters. The first character is usually silent, while the second is pronounced with a vowel. For instance, in the word “معلِّم,” the letter “ل” appears twice: the first “ل” is silent, while the second is pronounced with a kasra.
Alternatively, the second letter can be pronounced with a fatha, as seen in the word “عدَّ,” where the letter “د” is treated as two letters: the first “د” is silent and the second is pronounced with a fatha. Similarly, in the word “يهدُّ,” the first “د” is silent, and the second “د” carries a damma.
Rules for the Doubled Past Tense
The conditions under which the past tense verb may be doubled are as follows:
- When a pronoun is added to the past verb, or a clear noun or an independent subject pronoun is included, we will double the letter. For example: “ردَّ مصطفى” and with the addition of the feminine تاء, it becomes “ردَّت سعاد.”
- We remove the doubling from the letter when a moving subject pronoun is added to the verb, such as when including the “نون النسوة” or the active تاء. For example: “مسسسنَ” and “حفَفتُ.”
Rules for the Doubled Present Tense
The scenarios in which a present tense verb may be doubled are as follows:
- If the verb requires a hidden pronoun and is followed by نون النسوة, the doubling must be removed. For instance: “يَشْدُدن.”
- When the present tense verb is attached to a silent pronoun such as “ياء المخاطبة” for femininity, “ألف الاثنين,” or “واو الجماعة,” the doubling remains unchanged. Examples include: “يشدَّا” and “يُطِلٌّون.”
- There are instances where either option is valid—removing the doubling or leaving it in place—especially when the present tense verb is in the jussive form and accompanied by a clear noun or hidden pronoun, such as in “وليمْلِلْ الذي عليه الحق.”
Rules for the Doubled Imperative
The conditions under which an imperative verb may be doubled are as follows:
- When an imperative verb is followed by a silent pronoun, the letter must be doubled. For example: “شُدُّوا” or “مُرُّوا.”
- If the imperative verb is followed by the pronoun “واو الجماعة,” “ألف الاثنين,” or “ياء المخاطبة,” then the doubled letter must be assimilated. However, if it is followed by “نون النسوة,” the doubling must be removed. An example of this is the doubling in the verb: “ردُّوا,” with the corresponding present tense “يرتدد.”
- In cases where a hidden pronoun precedes a doubled imperative verb, we have the option to either remove the doubling or retain it. For example: “غُضَّ صوتك” or “أُغضُض صوتك.”
There are exceptional cases where the doubling must be removed, including:
- Doubling must be removed when the noun is diminished. For instance: “فخٌّ” becomes “فُخَيخ” in diminutive form, aligning with the pattern “فُعَيل.”
- Doubling must also be removed in the case of an exclamatory form of the verb, such as in: “أفعل به,” for example: “أحبب به وأَشْدِد.” Assimilation is not permissible in “أحبب” or “أَشْدِد” because they follow the “أَفْعِل” pattern.