El Legal Lebnaaniyyi

AN OLD PROJECT REVIVED

By Bishop John Adel Elya

Jaan 3aadel Iliyya

Sa3iid 3aql's language – El Legga l-Lebneeniyyi

INTRODUCTION to the “Lebanese Language”? that is the Arabic language in the Levantine idiom (Lebanon, Syria and Palestine) in Western characters as invented by the famous Lebanese poet Saiid Aql and adapted to the United States.

The general principle in this attempt is:

There is no one letter for two sounds (X in English is for q & s) and no two letters for the same sound (c & s; s & z. or sh & tion, or kh or gh to render some Arabic sounds, etc. There is always one letter for one sound and one sound is rendered by one letter only.

Thus:

X becomes the Arabic letter in xaliib=milk; in xmaar=donkey; xarb=war.

C is always the (so far) sound of sh - cams=sun; ca3b=people; cuu=what.

K is the (so far) sound “kh”, as in Kuuri=priest; kamiiri=yiest; kamr=wine; kebz=bread; kanziir=pork to eat or pig to raise.

J is the only letter to render this sound as in jamra=live charcoal; jamiil=beautiful; jaziiri=island.

G in this language is the old "gh"; so the name Daager; gani=rich; zgiir=small; gabara=dust

Q is the only letter to render that sound, which is no more rendered by "K" or the letter c (which is always the English "sh") By the way, the “u” which accompanies the “q” is a waste of ink and of time! No two letters for one sound!

Z I s the only letter for that sound; because “s” is always and only s as in Samiir & Sabaax (morning) NB: Rooz (pronounced as in English Rose) or the name Rawza in Arabic is the flower Rose.

“AIN” - One exception to the rule “No one symbol for two different sounds” is (temporarily, until we get the authentic fonts) the “AYN” rendered by the number 3 (Number three). The letter “3” is used for two different sounds, the letter “Ain” and the number three. A letter has been forged by Saiid Akl to render the “AIN” (eye) by a Y with a tail on the left as the “ain” in Hebrew. Until we have that symbol, we may use the number 3 which looks as the mirror image of the letter AIN in Arabic.

THE HAMZA

Sa3iid 3aql invented a special letter for the “hamza.” It is a truncated Q, i.e. Q opened on the side. Until we have his characters, we may replace it by the number two (2)

Garii2 means drowned of course and xarii2 is burning. He also uses the “Hamza” (Q truncated) at the beginning of the word. However, I think that we may omit it all together at the beginning of a word if the sound is clear. So 2amar or Amar = Moon.
Imm or 2imm = mother

EMPHATIC LETTERS

Emphatic letters such as Sad, Dad, Tah. Zah or the vowell "a" itself in some instances have been represented by special fonts, which are not available to us in ordinary computers. They are self evident most of the time; however, they may be indicated, for the time being, by underlining them or preferably by the capital form . DAAR=Courtyard; RAAS=head; NAAR=fire; DRUUri=necessary. ALLA=God

Vowels

A short vowel is short. If long, it is written twice, such as in NAAR=fire; qbiir=big; zgiir=small; cuu=what; amiir=prince.

As Easy as A B C

The above remarks may be a good start for Sa3iid 3aql’s new language, which he called "el-legga l-Lebneeniyyi".

All this could be explained and taught and learned in less that one hour.

A person can read this language without having to understand it first, as is the case of the regular Arabic.

Cu awlaq bi has SALA c-ca3biyyi lxelwi ? Fiina noncor hal legga 3a ca3bna lli biyifhamu 3arabi, bass ma mya3rfu yu2ru l 3arabi bil xruuf el 2asliyyi. Fiina nballec nesta3mel hal legga lli sammaaha Sa3iid 3aql “El Legga l Lebneeniyyi.”

SAla Ca3biyyi 2adiimi

Xattayt raasi 3a fraaci, sab3 selbaan 3a raasi.

Madd el Masiix yamiinu, ca3ca3it 2anajiilu.

Tza3za3it ij jbeel, tili3 minna tleet rehbaan:

Botros wBuulos wMaar Yuhannal Me3mdaan.

3alayhon acraf is salaam!

Yaa Rabb, la tmawwitni laa xarii2 wlaa garii2 wlaa mcarcax 3at tarii2;

Bass mawti haniyyi, w qerbeeni tariyyi.

Yaa Rabb ticfaq 3alayyi w3a 2immi wbayyi w3a qell 2ixwtil masiixiyyi!

* * *

W-Maar Eliaas yaa jaarna, yaa saaqen bi daarna,

Wdaarna daar el Masiix, wel Masiix ftadaana w-bi dammu ctaraana!

* * * * *

Qaas el 3ara2

Ya qaasi ya axla qaas

Ya l qellaq ri22a w 2ixsaas

B3ilmi bib3ataq 3al BATN,

Cu wassalaq 3ala r raas?

El jawaab:

La tkalli baalaq te3baan

Bilxaader w-bil MAAdi,

Aam caflaq batnaq melyaan,

tili3 3a mxallil FAAdi.

* * * * *

Ec caa3er bikaateb martu:

2in baraqti l qawn qirmaaliq baraq,

Win 2imti l yawm mnicba3 cic baraq