From Classical Syriac ܦܬܘܐ (peṯwā, “spinning out, breadth (of words)”), with some details in the sectarian semantics of Late Antiquity Aramaic crossed with Arabic, that led to the present specification, now being obscure. أَفْتَى (ʔaftā, “to deliver a formal opinion”) was parallelly borrowed.
فَتْوَى • (fatwā) f (dual فَتْوَيَانِ (fatwayāni), plural فَتَاوَى (fatāwā) or فَتَاوٍ (fatāwin))
| Singular | singular invariable | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | فَتْوَى fatwā |
الْفَتْوَى al-fatwā |
فَتْوَى fatwā |
| Nominative | فَتْوَى fatwā |
الْفَتْوَى al-fatwā |
فَتْوَى fatwā |
| Accusative | فَتْوَى fatwā |
الْفَتْوَى al-fatwā |
فَتْوَى fatwā |
| Genitive | فَتْوَى fatwā |
الْفَتْوَى al-fatwā |
فَتْوَى fatwā |
| Dual | Indefinite | Definite | Construct |
| Informal | فَتْوَيَيْن fatwayayn |
الْفَتْوَيَيْن al-fatwayayn |
فَتْوَيَيْ fatwayay |
| Nominative | فَتْوَيَانِ fatwayāni |
الْفَتْوَيَانِ al-fatwayāni |
فَتْوَيَا fatwayā |
| Accusative | فَتْوَيَيْنِ fatwayayni |
الْفَتْوَيَيْنِ al-fatwayayni |
فَتْوَيَيْ fatwayay |
| Genitive | فَتْوَيَيْنِ fatwayayni |
الْفَتْوَيَيْنِ al-fatwayayni |
فَتْوَيَيْ fatwayay |
| Plural | broken plural invariable; broken plural diptote in ـٍ (-in) | ||
| Indefinite | Definite | Construct | |
| Informal | فَتَاوَى; فَتَاوِي fatāwā; fatāwī |
الْفَتَاوَى; الْفَتَاوِي al-fatāwā; al-fatāwī |
فَتَاوَى; فَتَاوِي fatāwā; fatāwī |
| Nominative | فَتَاوَى; فَتَاوٍ fatāwā; fatāwin |
الْفَتَاوَى; الْفَتَاوِي al-fatāwā; al-fatāwī |
فَتَاوَى; فَتَاوِي fatāwā; fatāwī |
| Accusative | فَتَاوَى; فَتَاوِيَ fatāwā; fatāwiya |
الْفَتَاوَى; الْفَتَاوِيَ al-fatāwā; al-fatāwiya |
فَتَاوَى; فَتَاوِيَ fatāwā; fatāwiya |
| Genitive | فَتَاوَى; فَتَاوٍ fatāwā; fatāwin |
الْفَتَاوَى; الْفَتَاوِي al-fatāwā; al-fatāwī |
فَتَاوَى; فَتَاوِي fatāwā; fatāwī |