إما
See also: أما, اما, and آما
Arabic
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ʔim.maː/
Etymology 1
Univerbation of إِن (ʾin, “if”) + مَا (mā, relative).
Conjunction
إِمَّا • (ʾimmā)
- used for disjunction, both posited as equal alternatives, either … or, be it that, whether, may it be that, etc.
- كُلُّ شَيْءٍ إِمَّا مَوْجُودٌ وَإِمَّا مَعْدُومٌ.
- kullu šayʾin ʾimmā mawjūdun waʾimmā maʿdūmun.
- Every object is either existent or inexistent.
- 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 20:65:
- قَالُوا يَا مُوسَى إِمَّا أَن تُلْقِيَ وَإِمَّا أَن نَّكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ أَلْقَى
- qālū yā mūsā ʾimmā ʾan tulqiya waʾimmā ʾan nnakūna ʾawwala man ʾalqā
- They said: O Moses! Either throw first, or let us be the first to throw?
- 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 76:3:
- إِنَّا هَدَيْنَاهُ السَّبِيلَ إِمَّا شَاكِرًا وَإِمَّا كَفُورًا
- ʾinnā hadaynāhu s-sabīla ʾimmā šākiran wa-ʾimmā kafūran
- Lo! We have guided him by the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.
Related terms
- أَوْ (ʾaw)
- أَمْ (ʾam)
Etymology 2
إِن (ʾin, “if”) + ـمَا (-mā, “soever”).
Conjunction
إِمَّا • (ʾimmā)
- if ever
- 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 19:26:
- فَإِمَّا تَرَيِنَّ مِنَ الْبَشَرِ أَحَدًا فَقُولِي
- fa-ʾimmā tarayinna mina l-bašari ʾaḥadan fa-qūlī
- If thou meetest any mortal, say:
-
References
- Tropper, Josef (2003), “Sekundäres wortanlautendes Alif im Arabischen”, in Kogan, Leonid, editor, Studia Semitica (Orientalia: Papers of the Oriental Institute; III), Moscow, →ISBN, page 202
South Levantine Arabic
Etymology
From Arabic إِمَّا (ʾimmā).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ʔim.ma/, [ˈʔɪm.ma]
Audio (Ramallah) (file)
Conjunction
إمّا • (ʔimma)
- either (used together with أو (ʔaw, “or”))
- إما بتدفع أجار البيت أو بترحل.
- ʔimma btidfaʕ ʔajār il-bēt ʔaw btirḥal
- Either you pay the rent or you get out.