fatha means in Arabic script, the vowel point for a, appearing as a diagonal line placed above a letter ( ـَ ) and designating a short a /a/. If the Arabic letters ا (أَلِف (ʔalif)) or ى (أَلِف مَقْصُورَة (ʔalif maqṣūra)) immediately follow, it indicates a long ā /aː/. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 88 out of 100.
fatha is pronounced /fɑːt.hɑ/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Arabic فَتْحَة (fatḥa, “an opening”), instance noun of the verb فَتَحَ (fataḥa, “to open”). Refers to the mouth position when pronouncing the /a/ vowel. Doublet of fathe, patach, and ptaha, denoting the open vowel in the Hebrew and Syriac scripts.
noun
- In Arabic script, the vowel point for a, appearing as a diagonal line placed above a letter ( ـَ ) and designating a short a /a/. If the Arabic letters ا (أَلِف (ʔalif)) or ى (أَلِف مَقْصُورَة (ʔalif maqṣūra)) immediately follow, it indicates a long ā /aː/.
- The vowel designated by this mark.
- father