View source for Ghayn

{{Short description|Nineteenth letter of the Arabic alphabet}}
{{About|the Arabic letter|the Cyrillic letter|Ghayn (Cyrillic)}}
{{Italic title}}
{{More citations needed|date=October 2011}}
{{Infobox Semitic letter|letname=''Ghayn''|previouslink=Ẓāʾ|previousletter=''Ẓāʾ''||archar=غ|ipa=ɣ, ʁ|num=28|gem=1000}}
{{Infobox grapheme
| name = ġayn {{lang|ar|غين}}
| letter = غ
| script = [[Arabic script]]
| type = [[Abjad]]
| language = [[Arabic language]]
| phonemes = {{IPA link|ɣ}}, {{IPA link|ʁ}}
| alphanumber = 19
| number = 
| fam1 = <hiero>V28</hiero>
| fam2 = [[File:Ghayn.svg|class=skin-invert-image|20px|Proto-Sinaitic Ghayin]]
| fam3 = [[File:Protoghayn.svg|class=skin-invert-image|20px|Proto-Caananite Ghayin]]
| fam4 = [[File:Phoenician_ayin.svg|class=skin-invert-image|20px|Phoenician Ayin]]
| fam5 = [[File:Ayin.svg|class=skin-invert-image|20px|Aramaic ayn]]
| fam6 = [[File:16_ein.svg|class=skin-invert-image|20px|Nabatean ein]]
| fam7 = [[Ayin#Arabic ʿayn|ع]]
| direction = Right-to-left
}}
{{Arabic-script sidebar}}
The Arabic letter '''{{script/Arabic|غ}}''' ({{langx|ar|غَيْنْ}}, '''{{transliteration|ar|ALA|ghayn}}''' or '''{{transliteration|ar|DIN|ġayn}}''' {{IPA|/ɣajn/}}) is one of the six letters the [[Arabic alphabet]] added to the twenty-two inherited from the [[Phoenician alphabet]] (the others being {{transliteration|ar|ALA|[[Ṯāʾ|thāʼ]]}}, {{transliteration|ar|ALA|[[Ḫāʾ|khāʼ]]}}, {{transliteration|ar|ALA|[[Ḏāl|dhāl]]}}, {{transliteration|ar|ALA|[[ḍād]]}}, {{transliteration|ar|ALA|[[ẓāʼ]]}}). It represents the sound {{IPAslink|ɣ}} or {{IPAslink|ʁ}}. In name and shape, it is a variant of [[ayin|ʻayn]] ({{script/Arabic|ع}}). Its numerical value is 1000 (see [[Abjad numerals]]). In [[Persian language|Persian]], it represents {{IPAblink|ɣ}}~{{IPAblink|ɢ}} and is the twenty-second letter in the new [[Persian alphabet]].

''{{transliteration|ar|ALA|Ghayn}}'' is written in several ways depending on its position in the word:
{{Arabic alphabet shapes|غ}}

== History ==
[[Proto-Semitic language|Proto-Semitic]] {{transliteration|sem|ġ}} (usually reconstructed as [[voiced velar fricative]] {{IPA|/ɣ/}} or [[voiced uvular fricative]] {{IPA|/ʁ/}}) merged with [[ayin|ʻayn]] in most [[Semitic languages]] except for [[Arabic]], [[Ugaritic]] and older varieties of the [[Canaanite languages]]. The [[South Arabian alphabet]] retained a symbol for {{transliteration|sem|ġ}}, {{Script|Sarb|𐩶}}. [[Biblical Hebrew]], as of the 3rd century BCE, apparently still distinguished the phonemes {{transliteration|sem|ġ}} and {{transliteration|sem|ḫ}} {{IPA|/χ/}}, based on transcriptions in the [[Septuagint]], such as that of the name "[[Sodom and Gomorrah|Gomorrah]]" as ''Gomorrha'' ({{lang|grc|Γόμορρᾰ}}) for the Hebrew ''‘Ămōrā'' ({{lang|he|עֲמֹרָה}}). Canaanite languages, including Hebrew, later also merged {{transliteration|sem|ġ}} with ʻayin, and the merger was complete in [[Tiberian Hebrew]].

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! width="14%" | Proto-Semitic 
! width="14%" | [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]]
! width="14%" colspan="2" | [[Arabic language|Arabic]]
! width="14%" colspan="2" | [[Canaanite language|Canaanite]]
! width="14%" colspan="2" | [[Tiberian Hebrew|Hebrew]]
! width="14%" colspan="2" | [[Aramaic language|Aramaic]]
! width="14%" colspan="2" | [[South Arabian alphabet|South Arabian]]
! width="14%" colspan="2" | [[Ge'ez language|Geʻez]]
|-
! {{transliteration|sem|ġ}}
| -
| <span style="font-si

، ze:190%; line-height:115%;">{{lang|ar|غ}}</span> || {{transliteration|ar|ALA|gh}}
| [[Image:Phoenician ayin.svg|class=skin-invert-image|16px]] || {{transliteration|sem|ġ, ʻ}}
| <span style="font-size:190%; line-height:115%;">{{lang|he|ע}}</span> || {{transliteration|he|ʻ}}
| <span style="font-size:190%; line-height:115%;">{{lang|he|ע}}</span> || {{transliteration|he|ʻ}}
| [[Image:Himjar ghajn.PNG|class=skin-invert-image|16px]] || {{transliteration|sem|ġ}}
| <span style="font-size:190%; line-height:115%;">ዐ</span> || {{transliteration|sem|ʻ}}
|-
|}

== Usage ==
The letter {{transliteration|ar|ALA|ghayn}} ({{lang|ar|غ}}) is preferred in the [[Levant]] (nowadays), and by [[Al Jazeera Media Network|Aljazeera]] TV channel, to represent {{IPAslink|ɡ}}, e.g., {{lang|ar|[[w:ar:هونغ كونغ|هونغ كونغ]]}} ([[Hong Kong]]), {{lang|ar|[[w:ar:البرتغال|البرتغال]]}} ([[Portugal]]), {{lang|ar|[[w:ar:أغسطس|أغسطس]]}} ([[August]]), and {{lang|ar|[[w:ar:غاندالف|غاندالف]]}} ([[Gandalf]]). Foreign publications and TV channels in Arabic, e.g. [[Deutsche Welle]],<ref>{{cite web| title=Leningrad لينينغراد spelled with غ rather than ج| url=https://m.dw.com/ar/%D8%AD%D9%81%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%AD-%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B2%D8%A9-%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A8%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%AF%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%A9-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A7/a-64054336|access-date=14 December 2022}}</ref> and [[Alhurra]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.alhurra.com/egypt/2022/12/13/%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1-%D9%82%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%B6%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%84%D9%88%D8%BA%D8%B1-%D8%B4%D9%87%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9 | title= "Blogger" بلوغر is spelled with غ, not ج about an article on Egypt quoting an Egyptian official Facebook post spelling it بلوجر with ج |access-date=14 December 2022}}</ref> follow this practice. It is then often pronounced {{IPA|/ɡ/}}, not {{IPA|/ɣ/}}, though in many cases, {{lang|ar|غ}} is pronounced in loanwords as expected ({{IPAslink|ɣ}}, not {{IPAslink|ɡ}}).

Other letters can be used to transcribe {{IPAslink|ɡ}} in loanwords and names, depending on whether the local [[varieties of Arabic|variety of Arabic]] in the country has the phoneme {{IPAslink|ɡ}}, and if it does, which letter represents it and whether it is customary in the country to use that letter to transcribe {{IPAslink|ɡ}}. For instance, in Egypt, where {{lang|ar|ج}} is pronounced as {{IPAblink|ɡ}} in all situations even in Modern Standard Arabic<ref>{{Cite book |last=al Nassir |first=Abdulmunʿim Abdulamir |url=https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/10917/1/354409.pdf |title=Sibawayh the Phonologist |publisher=University of New York |year=1985 |pages=80 |language=ar |access-date=23 April 2024}}</ref> (except in certain contexts, such as [[tajwid|reciting the Qur'an]]), {{lang|ar|ج}} is used to transcribe foreign {{IPAblink|ɡ}} in all contexts. The same applies to coastal [[Yemen]], as well as southwestern and eastern [[Oman]]. In [[Algerian Arabic]], [[Hejazi Arabic]] and [[Najdi Arabic]], it is {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|[[Qoph|qāf]]}} ({{script/Arabic|ق}}). In Iraq, [[gaf]] ({{script/Arabic|گ}}) is more used. In Morocco, ''gāf'' ({{script/Arabic|ݣ}}) or ''kāf'' ({{script/Arabic|ك}}) is used. In [[Tunisia]] and [[Algeria]], {{script/Arabic|ڨ}} or {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|qāf}} {{script/Arabic|ق}} is used. In [[Lebanon]], the letter {{script/Arabic|چ‎‎}} is often used to create the phoneme {{IPAslink|ɡ}} in foreign loanwords, such as in {{lang|ar|چوچل}} ([[Google]]) or {{lang|ar|چورچيا}} ([[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]).

When representing the sound in transliteration of Arabic into Hebrew, it is written as {{lang|he|ע׳}} or {{lang|he|ר׳‎}}. In English, the letter {{lang|ar|غ}} in Arabic names is usually transliterated as {{transliteration|ar|ALA|gh}}, {{transliteration|ar|DIN|ġ}}, or simply ''g'': {{lang|ar|بغداد}} {{transliteration|ar|ALA|Baghdād}} '[[Baghdad]]', {{lang|ar|قرغيزستان}} {{transliteration|ar|ALA|Qirghizstan}} '[[Kyrgyzstan]]', {{lang|ar|سنغافورة}} {{transliteration|ar|ALA|Singhafura}} '[[Singapore]]', or {{lang|ar|غزة}} {{transliteration|ar|ALA|Ghazzah}} '[[Gaza City|Gaza]]', the last of which does not render the sound {{IPAblink|ɣ}}~{{IPAblink|ʁ}} accurately. The closest equivalent sound to be known to most [[English language|English]]-speakers is the [[Standard French|Parisian]] [[French language|French]] "[[French r|r]]" {{IPAblink|ʁ}}. The [[Maltese alphabet]] is written in the [[Latin alphabet]], the only Semitic language to do so in its [[standard language|standard form]], and uses ⟨[[g]]⟩. It is usually represented as [[voiced velar plosive]].

[[Turkish language|Turkish]] ğ, which in modern speech has no sound of its own (similar to the soft ''g'' in [[Danish language|Danish]] and the [[hard sign|hard]] and the [[soft sign]]s in [[Russian language|Russian]]), used to be spelled as غ in the [[Ottoman Turkish|Ottoman script]].<ref>Lewis, Geoffrey: ''Turkish Grammar: Second Edition'', pp. 4–5. New York: Oxford University Press Inc, 2011. {{ISBN|978-0-19-870036-4}}</ref> Other [[Turkic languages]] also use this Latin equivalent of ghayn (ğ), such as [[Tatar language|Tatar]] (Cyrillic: г), which pronounces it as [ʁ]. In Arabic words and names where there is an ayin, Tatar adds the ghayn instead (عبد الله, ʻ''Abd Allāh, ’Abdullah;'' Tatar: '''Ğ'''abdulla'','' '''Г'''абдулла; [[Yaña imlâ alphabet|Yaña imlâ]]: غابدوللا /'''ʁ'''abdulla/).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tatar (Standard) |url=https://eurphon.info/languages/html?lang_id=46 |website=eurphon.info}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Quranic Names – Abdullah |url=https://quranicnames.com/abdullah/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Tatar Names |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221027192517/https://magarif-uku.ru/tatar-isemnere/ir-at/ |language=tt}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ilya |first=Yevlampiev |date=2011 |title=Title: Revised Proposal to encode Arabic characters used for Bashkir, Belarusian, Crimean Tatar, and Tatar languages |url=https://unicode.org/L2/L2011/11209-n4072-arabic.pdf}}</ref>

== Related characters ==
For related characters, see [[ng (Arabic letter)#Other characters used to represent /ŋ/|''ng'' (Arabic letter)]] and [[ayin]].

==Character encodings==
{{charmap
|063A|name1=Arabic Letter Ghain
|FECD|name2=Arabic Letter Ghain<br/>isolated form
|FECE|name3=Arabic Letter Ghain<br/>final form
|FECF|name4=Arabic Letter Ghain<br/>initial form
|FED0|name5=Arabic Letter Ghain<br/>medial form
}}
{{charmap
|06A0|name1=Arabic Letter Ain With Three Dots Above
|075D|name2=Arabic Letter Ain With Two Dots Above
|08B3|name3=Arabic Letter Ain With Three Dots Below
}}

==See also==
* [[Ng (Arabic letter)]]
*[[Arabic phonology]]
*[[Gaf]]
*[[Ayin]]
*[[Ghayn (Cyrillic)|Cyrillic Ghayn]], used for several Central Asian languages

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Arabic language}}
{{Northwest Semitic abjad}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Arabic letters]]
[[Category:Urdu letters]]