broken plural

Questions

What does broken plural mean?

An irregular plural formed by changing the pattern of consonants and vowels inside the singular form, found in the Semitic languages and other Afroasiatic languages such as Berber. An example in Arabic is مَكَاتِب (makātib, “desks”), the plural form of مَكْتَب (maktab, “desk”).

Where does broken plural come from?

Calque of Arabic جَمْع مُكَسَّر (jamʕ mukassar).

How to pronounce broken plural

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “broken plural”.
2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “broken plural”.
4. Repeat and practice — Say “broken plural” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.