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)

   فِي لَيَالٍ كَتَمَتْ سِرَّ ٱلْهَوَى

   fī layālin katamat sirra l-hawā

   In nights that hid the secret of love.

   • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 69:7:

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

     saḵḵarahā ʕalayhim sabʕa layālin wa-ṯamāniyata ʔayyāmin ḥusūman fa-tarā l-qawma fīhā ṣarʕā ka-ʔannahum ʔaʕjāzu naḵlin ḵāwiyatin

     Which He 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

     wa-l-fajri wa-layālin ʕašrin

     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 (laylataʔiḏin)

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

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”)

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”)