# Anyone around here know arabic? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 19, 2002, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-around-here-know-arabic/98991 "2002-03-19T03:52:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2002, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-around-here-know-arabic/98991/1 "2002-03-19T03:52:12Z")
I want the plural form of “ifrita” I thought it was ifritaya, but I looked back at the book where I got that, and it doesn’t say that at all. :sigh: And my arabic-english dictionary is MIA ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2002, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-around-here-know-arabic/98991/2 "2002-03-19T03:54:39Z")
Aas salaam malaykam! No, I don’t know Arabic. Sorry. . . ☹ Tripler Malaykam aas salaam! ---
**Author:** ![tisiphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tisiphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tisiphone)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2002, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-around-here-know-arabic/98991/3 "2002-03-19T05:05:39Z")
I’ve read that the plural of _afreet_ is _afreeti_…maybe you add an I? I am far from expert in this, though - my sources are English translations of Arabic folktales. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2002, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-around-here-know-arabic/98991/4 "2002-03-19T05:36:10Z")
If you really really want, and no one else can come up with a good answer before then, I’ll ask my Arabic professor tomorrow for you. ---
**Author:** ![istara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e79b87/32.png) [@istara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/istara)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2002, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-around-here-know-arabic/98991/5 "2002-03-19T11:51:27Z")
Just asked bilingual Arabic friend but she doesn’t get what the word is supposed to mean. (They often spell differently Arabic -\> English). What’s the English meaning? ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2002, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-around-here-know-arabic/98991/6 "2002-03-19T12:10:58Z")
It’s another word for a female Djinn or genie. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-around-here-know-arabic/98991/7 "2002-03-21T03:29:29Z")
Zyada, the plural of ‘ifrît is ‘afârît. That’s called a broken plural because it’s done with internal vowel changes. The plural of most feminines is a lot simpler: you just change -ah to -ât. So the plural of ‘ifrîtah would be ‘ifrîtât. Incidentally, the word ‘afrîtah in Egypt is used to mean a jack (for jacking up your car when it gets a flat tire). ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2002, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-around-here-know-arabic/98991/8 "2002-03-21T04:44:28Z")
Thanks, Jomo! I guess I’ll go with “Ifritah” I am making plans to start a belly dance troupe, and I wanted to use the plural form - a collection of magical women, eh? But the singular sounds nicer to me, so I’ll go with that.