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 ʕalayhim sabʕa layālin waṯamāniyata ʔayyāmin ḥusūman fatarā l-qawma fīhā ṣarʕā kaʔannahum ʔaʕjāzu 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 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”)