The hamza ( ) is an Arabic script character that, in the Arabic alphabet, denotes a glottal stop and, in non-Arabic languages, indicates a diphthong, vowel, or other features, depending on the language. Derived from the letter ʿAyn, the hamza is written in initial, medial and final positions as an unlinked letter or placed above or under a carrier character. Despite its common usage as a letter in Modern Standard Arabic, it is generally not considered to be one of its letters, although some argue that it should be considered a letter. The hamza is often romanized as a typewriter apostrophe ('), a modifier letter apostrophe (ʼ), a modifier letter right half ring (ʾ), or as the International Phonetic Alphabet symbol ʔ. In Arabizi, it is either written as "2" or not written at all. In the Phoenician, Hebrew and Aramaic alphabets, from which the Arabic alphabet is descended, the glottal stop was expressed by alif (𐤀), continued by Alif (ا) in the Arabic alphabet. However, Alif was used to express both a glottal stop and a long vowel. In order to indicate that a glottal stop is used and not a mere vowel, it was added to Alif diacritically. In modern orthography, hamza may also appear on the line, under certain circumstances as though it were a full letter, independent of an alif.

Etymology

Hamza is derived from the verb ( هَمَزَ ) meaning 'to prick, goad, drive' or 'to provide (a letter or word) with hamzah'.

Hamzat al-waṣl (ٱ)

The hamza ( ء ) on its own is ' ( هَمْزَة الْقَطْع, "the hamzah which breaks, ceases or halts", i.e. the broken, cessation, halting"), otherwise referred to as ' ( قَطْعَة ), that is, a phonemic glottal stop unlike the ( هَمْزَة الوَصْل , "the hamzah which attaches, connects or joins", i.e. the attachment, connection, joining"), a non-phonemic glottal stop produced automatically only if at the beginning of an utterance, otherwise assimilated. Although the ' can be written as an alif carrying a ' sign ٱ (only in the Quran), it is normally indicated by a plain alif without a hamza. ٱ occurs in: It is not pronounced following a vowel ( البَيْتُ الكَبِير, ). This event occurs in the definite article or at the beginning of a noun following a preposition or a verb following a relative pronoun. If the definite article al- is followed by a sun letter, -l- also gives way for the next letter for lām is assimilated.

Orthography

The hamza can be written either alone, as if it were a letter, or with a carrier, when it becomes a diacritic: This form has been proposed for the inclusion to the Unicode Standard, but the Unicode Script Ad Hoc Group stated that it can be unified with the existing. The form above currently being displayed using a standard Arabic Hamza with an altered vertical position.

Arabic "seat" rules

The rules for writing hamza differ somewhat between languages even if the writing is based on the Arabic abjad. The following addresses Arabic specifically.

Summary

Detailed description

I. If the hamza is initial: II. If the hamza is final: III. If the hamza is medial: Not surprisingly, the complexity of the rules causes some disagreement.

Overview tables

The letter (ṭ) stands here for any consonant. Colours: {{legend|MistyRose|The hamza is written over yāʾ }} {{legend|LightCyan|The hamza is written over wāw }} {{legend|Honeydew|The hamza is written over or under alif, , }} {{legend|Lavender|The hamza is written on the line }} Notes:

Hamza in other Arabic-script alphabets

Jawi alphabet

In the Jawi alphabet (Arabic script used to write Malay), hamza is used for various purposes, but is rarely used to denote a glottal stop except in certain Arabic loanwords. The default isolated hamza form is the second least common form of hamza, whereas another form unique to the Jawi script, the three-quarter high hamza (Malay: hamzah tiga suku) is most commonly used in daily Jawi writing. The three-quarter high hamza itself is used in many cases: This exact form is not available in Unicode Standard, as it is unified with ARABIC LETTER HIGH HAMZA, but the common way of writing this form is by using a normal hamza and altering its vertical position. Hamza above alif ⟨⟩ is used for prefixed words using the prefixes ⟨⟩, ⟨⟩, or ⟨⟩, where its root word starts with a vowel (such as (di+ambil), becomes (diambil)). This form as well as hamza below alif ⟨⟩ are both also in Arabic loanwords where the original spelling has been retained. The hamza above ya ⟨⟩ is known as a "housed hamzah", and is most commonly used in Arabic loanwords. It is also used for words which repeat or combine "i" and "é" vowels like (cemeeh meaning "taunt") and for denoting a glottal stop in the middle of a word after a consonant such as (subeditor). More commonly, however, it is used for denoting a schwa after the vowels "i", "é", "o", and "u" such as (chandelier). Hamza above waw ⟨⟩ is completely removed from the Jawi alphabet, and for Arabic loanwords using the letter, it is replaced with a normal waw followed by a three-quarter high hamza instead.

Urdu (Shahmukhi) alphabet

In the Urdu alphabet, hamza does not occur at the initial position over alif since alif is not used as a glottal stop in Urdu. In the middle position, if hamza is surrounded by vowels, it indicates a diphthong or syllable break between the two vowels. In the middle position, if hamza is surrounded by only one vowel, it takes the sound of that vowel. In the final position hamza is silent or produces a glottal sound, as in Arabic. In Urdu, hamza usually represents a diphthong between two vowels. It rarely acts like the Arabic hamza except in a few loanwords from Arabic. Hamza is also added at the last letter of the first word of ezāfe compound to represent -e- if the first word ends with yeh or with he or over bari yeh if it is added at the end of the first word of the ezāfe compound. Hamza is always written on the line in the middle position unless in waw if that letter is preceded by a non-joiner letter; then, it is seated above waw. Hamza is also seated when written above baṛi yeh. In the final form, Hamza is written in its full form. In ezāfe, hamza is seated above choṭi he, yeh or baṛi yeh of the first word to represent the -e- of ezāfe compound.

Uyghur alphabet

In the Uyghur Arabic alphabet, the hamza is not a distinct letter and is not generally used to denote the glottal stop, but rather to indicate vowels. The hamza is only depicted with vowels in their initial or isolated forms, and only then when the vowel starts a word. It is also occasionally used when a word has two vowels in a row.

Kazakh alphabet

In the Kazakh Arabic alphabet, the hamza is used only at the beginning of words, and the only form is high hamza. It is not used to denote any sound, but to indicate that the vowels in the word will be the four front vowels: ⟨⟩ (ä), ⟨⟩ (ı), ⟨⟩ (ö), ⟨⟩ (ü). However, it is not used for words containing another front vowel ⟨⟩ (e) or words containing four consonants ⟨⟩ (g), ⟨⟩ (ğ), ⟨⟩ (k), ⟨⟩ (q).

Wavy hamza in Kashmiri

ٲ اٟ The Kashmiri language written in Arabic script includes the diacritic or "wavy hamza". In Kashmiri the diacritic is called āmālü mad when used above alif: ٲ to create the vowel. Kashmiri calls the wavy hamza sāȳ when below the alif: اٟ to create the sound.

Latin representations

There are different ways to represent hamza in Latin transliteration: