الاسم المنقوص — The Deficient Noun
The ismul manqūṣ (الاسم المنقوص, "the deficient noun") is a noun derived from a verb whose third radical is a weak letter (yāʾ) — meaning the noun ends in yāʾ (ي). The yāʾ cannot carry ḍamma (marfūʿ) or kasra (majrūr) without creating a phonetically incompatible combination, so it is dropped in those states.
The Phonetic Problem
Arabic yāʾ naturally pulls pronunciation down (jaw drops). The ḍamma is a high vowel (lips round upward). Placing ḍamma on yāʾ creates an irresolvable tension — the two vowels pull in opposite directions. The Arabic sound system resolves this by simply dropping the yāʾ.
What Happens in Each State
| State | Visible Form | What Happened | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marfūʿ | بَاغٍ | yāʾ dropped; tanwīn kasra remains | The two-kasra tanwīn is a phonetic substitute |
| Manṣūb | بَاغِيًا | yāʾ stays — fataḥ + yāʾ is compatible | No problem here |
| Majrūr | بَاغٍ | yāʾ dropped again | Same form as marfūʿ |
Marfūʿ and Majrūr Look Identical
Both the marfūʿ and majrūr forms of ismul manqūṣ look the same (بَاغٍ). You must determine the case from the function of the word in the sentence, not from the visible ending.
Three Cases When the Yāʾ Returns
| Situation | Why Yāʾ Returns | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by أَل (definite article) | Tanwīn is gone; no incompatibility | البَاغِي |
| The noun is a muḍāf | Muḍāf never takes tanwīn; no incompatibility | بَاغِي مَكَّةَ |
| The noun is manṣūb | Fataḥ after yāʾ is phonetically fine | بَاغِيًا |
Common Ismul Manqūṣ Nouns
| With Tanwīn (Dropped Yāʾ) | With أَل (Yāʾ Returns) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| بَاغٍ | البَاغِي | one who transgresses/seeks |
| قَاضٍ | القَاضِي | judge |
| رَاعٍ | الرَّاعِي | shepherd, guardian |
| سَاعٍ | السَّاعِي | one who strives |
Ismul Manqūṣ vs Ismul Maqṣūr
Do not confuse these two categories:
| Feature | Ismul Manqūṣ | Ismul Maqṣūr |
|---|---|---|
| Ends in | yāʾ (from weak 3rd radical) | alif (ā sound, either ā or ى) |
| Problem | yāʾ drops in marfūʿ/majrūr | alif cannot carry any ḥarakah at all |
| Example | قَاضٍ → القَاضِي | فَتَى → الفَتَى |
| iʿrāb | visible in manṣūb; hidden in marfūʿ/majrūr (yāʾ drops) | always muqaddar (implied, never visible) |
Examples from the Quran
| Āyah | Word | Form | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| الَّتِي تَبغِي (Al-Ḥujurāt 49:9) | تَبغِي | verb (muḍāriʿ of بَغَى) | the ism fāʿil would be البَاغِية |
| البَاغِي | البَاغِي | ismul manqūṣ with أَل | yāʾ returns |
From Surah Yusuf Session 8 — مُجْتَبٍ
The ism fāʿil of اِجْتَبَى (Form VIII, root ج-ب-ي) is مُجْتَبٍ — a textbook ismul manqūṣ, since the last root letter is a يَاء.
The Rule Stated More Broadly
The condition is that the last root letter is a wāw or a yāʾ. The underlying form is مُجْتَبِيٌ — yāʾ carrying تَنوِين الضَّمّ. The yāʾ is dropped, and the tanwīn that sat on it transfers back to the preceding letter, which carries a kasrah — producing the characteristic double kasrah, مُجْتَبٍ.
A Double Kasrah Is Not Evidence of Jarr
The teacher was emphatic on this point: seeing ـٍ on مُجْتَبٍ does not mean the word is مَجرُور. It is مَنقُوص. The ending is a phonetic consequence of the dropped yāʾ, not a case marker — and these are phonetic rules, not grammatical ones.
Iʿrāb Requires a Sentence
A related reminder raised in the same discussion: a word standing alone has no iʿrāb at all. Iʿrāb only exists within a structure, because it reflects a word's function in a sentence. مُجْتَبٍ in isolation is just a word; only in اللهُ مُجْتَبٍ does it acquire a case.
The three yāʾ-returning conditions were restated with the standard example قَاضٍ: القَاضِي (with ال), قَاضِي مَكَّة (muḍāf), رَأَيْتُ قَاضِيًا (manṣūb) — the manṣūb case being different because the yāʾ has no phonetic difficulty carrying a فَتْحَة; the problem was only ever with ضَمَّة and كَسْرَة.
Session References
- Surah Al-Hujuraat Session 11: Detailed explanation of ismul manqūṣ; three cases when yāʾ returns; contrasted with ismul maqṣūr; example with بَاغٍ / البَاغِي.
- Surah Yusuf Session 8: مُجْتَبٍ (ism fāʿil of اِجْتَبَى) worked through; the tanwīn-transfer mechanism; warning that a double kasrah does not mean majrūr; the reminder that iʿrāb exists only within a sentence.