ليلة

ليلة

Arabic

Etymology

From the root ل ي ل‎ (l-y-l). From Proto-Semitic *layl-. Can be analyzed as a singulative noun, from لَيْل‎ (layl, “nighttime”) +‎ ـَة‎ (-a, singulative suffix). Cognate with Classical Syriac ܠܹܠܝܵܐ‎ (lēlyā), Aramaic לֵילְיָא‎ (lēləyā), Hebrew לַיְלָה‎ (láyla).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /laj.la/

Noun

لَيْلَة • (layla) f (plural لَيْلَات‎ (laylāt) or لَيَالٍ‎ (layālin))

1. a night

   Antonym: يَوْم‎ (yawm)

   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 69:7:

     ‏سَخَّرَهَا عَلَيْهِمْ سَبْعَ لَيَالٍ وَثَمَانِيَةَ أَيَّامٍ حُسُومًا فَتَرَى ٱلْقَوْمَ فِيهَا صَرْعَى كَأَنَّهُمْ أَعْجَازُ نَخْلٍ خَاوِيَةٍ‎

     saḵḵarahā ʿalayhim sabʿa layālin waṯamāniyata ʾayyāmin ḥusūman fatarā l-qawma fīhā ṣarʿā kaʾannahum ʾaʿjāzu naḵlin ḵāwiyatin

     Which He [i.e., Allāh] imposed upon them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so you would see the people therein fallen as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees.

   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 89:1-2:

     ‏وَٱلْفَجْرِ وَلَيَالٍ عَشْرٍ‎

     wal-fajri walayālin ʿašrin

     By the dawn. And [by] ten nights

2. soiree

Declension

Declension of noun لَيْلَة (layla)

Singular	singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	لَيْلَة layla	اللَّيْلَة‎ al-layla	لَيْلَة laylat
Nominative	لَيْلَةٌ laylatun	اللَّيْلَةُ‎ al-laylatu	لَيْلَةُ laylatu
Accusative	لَيْلَةً laylatan	اللَّيْلَةَ‎ al-laylata	لَيْلَةَ laylata
Genitive	لَيْلَةٍ laylatin	اللَّيْلَةِ‎ al-laylati	لَيْلَةِ laylati
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	لَيْلَتَيْن‎ laylatayn	اللَّيْلَتَيْن‎ al-laylatayn	لَيْلَتَيْ‎ laylatay
Nominative	لَيْلَتَانِ‎ laylatāni	اللَّيْلَتَانِ‎ al-laylatāni	لَيْلَتَا‎ laylatā
Accusative	لَيْلَتَيْنِ‎ laylatayni	اللَّيْلَتَيْنِ‎ al-laylatayni	لَيْلَتَيْ‎ laylatay
Genitive	لَيْلَتَيْنِ‎ laylatayni	اللَّيْلَتَيْنِ‎ al-laylatayni	لَيْلَتَيْ‎ laylatay
Plural	sound feminine plural‎; broken plural diptote in ـٍ (-in)
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	لَيْلَات‎‎; لَيَالِي‎ laylāt‎; layālī	اللَّيْلَات‎‎; اللَّيَالِي‎ al-laylāt‎; al-layālī	لَيْلَات‎‎; لَيَالِي‎ laylāt‎; layālī
Nominative	لَيْلَاتٌ‎‎; لَيَالٍ‎ laylātun‎; layālin	اللَّيْلَاتُ‎‎; اللَّيَالِي‎ al-laylātu‎; al-layālī	لَيْلَاتُ‎‎; لَيَالِي‎ laylātu‎; layālī
Accusative	لَيْلَاتٍ‎‎; لَيَالِيَ‎ laylātin‎; layāliya	اللَّيْلَاتِ‎‎; اللَّيَالِيَ‎ al-laylāti‎; al-layāliya	لَيْلَاتِ‎‎; لَيَالِيَ‎ laylāti‎; layāliya
Genitive	لَيْلَاتٍ‎‎; لَيَالٍ‎ laylātin‎; layālin	اللَّيْلَاتِ‎‎; اللَّيَالِي‎ al-laylāti‎; al-layālī	لَيْلَاتِ‎‎; لَيَالِي‎ laylāti‎; layālī

Derived terms

• لَيْلَتَئِذٍ‎ (laylataʾiḏin)

Related terms

• لَيْل‎ (layl)
• لَيْلَى‎ (laylā)

References

• Wehr, Hans (1979), “ليل”, in J. Milton Cowan, editor, A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, 4th edition, Ithaca, NY: Spoken Language Services, →ISBN

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Moroccan Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic لَيْلة‎ (layla).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /laj.la/, /liː.la/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

لَيْلة or لِيلة • (layla or līla) f (plural لَيْلات‎ (laylāt) or لِيلات‎ (līlāt))

1. a night

Derived terms

• هاد الليلة‎ (hād el-layla, hād el-līla, “tonight”)

Related terms

• ليل‎ (layl, līl, “nighttime”)

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South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic لَيْلَة‎ (layla).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /leː.le/, [ˈleː.le]
• IPA^(key): /leː.la/, [ˈleː.la]

• Audio (Amman)

  (file)

Noun

ليلة • (lēle) f (singulative, collective ليل‎ m (lēl), plural ليالي‎ (layāli))

1. a night, late evening

   Antonym: يوم‎ (yōm)

Derived terms

• الليلة‎ (il-lēle, “tonight”)

See also

• ليل‎ (lēl, “nighttime”)
• نهار‎ (nhār, “daytime”)