لكن

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Arabic

Etymology

Uncertain. Bravmann proposes an origin in إِلَّا كَانَ (ʔillā kāna, “except that were”), but does not provide a convincing explanation for the contraction of the ā or for the suspicious similarity to أَنْ (ʔan) and أَنَّ (ʔanna) in the alternation of the ending.[1]

Etymology 1.1

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /laː.kin.na/
  • Audio:(file)

Conjunction

لٰكِنَّ • (lākinna)

  1. but, however
Usage notes
  • لٰكِنَّ (lākinna) functions like إِنَّ (ʔinna) and أَنَّ (ʔanna), shifting the subject of the subordinate clause to the accusative case. The subject of the subordinate clause must immediately follow لٰكِنَّ (lākinna); if it is a pronoun, it must be expressed. Contrast this syntactic function and the following examples with لٰكِنْ (lākin) below.
    لٰكِنَّ الرَّئِيسَ كَانَ أَذْكَى مِمَّا تَوَقَّعَ النَّاس
    lākinna r-raʔīsa kāna ʔaḏkā mimmā tawaqqaʕa n-nās
    but the president was smarter than people expected
    لٰكِنَّهُ كَانَ أَذْكَى مِمَّا تَوَقَّعَ النَّاس
    lākinnahu kāna ʔaḏkā mimmā tawaqqaʕa n-nās
    but he was smarter than people expected
Inflection
    Inflected forms
Base form لٰكِنَّ (lākinna)
Personal-pronoun-
including forms 		Singular Dual Plural
Masculine Feminine Common Masculine Feminine
First person لٰكِنَّنِي (lākinnanī) لٰكِنَّنَا (lākinnanā)
Second person لٰكِنَّكَ (lākinnaka) لٰكِنَّكِ (lākinnaki) لٰكِنَّكُمَا (lākinnakumā) لٰكِنَّكُمْ (lākinnakum) لٰكِنَّكُنَّ (lākinnakunna)
Third person لٰكِنَّهُ (lākinnahu) لٰكِنَّهَا (lākinnahā) لٰكِنَّهُمَا (lākinnahumā) لٰكِنَّهُمْ (lākinnahum) لٰكِنَّهُنَّ (lākinnahunna)
See also

Etymology 1.2

Pronunciation

Conjunction

لٰكِنْ • (lākin)

  1. but, however
  2. but, rather
    Synonym: بَلْ (bal)
    لَمْ يُسَافِرِ الطُّلَابُ لٰكِنْ وَكِيلُهُمْ
    lam yusāfiri ṭ-ṭulābu lākin wakīluhum
    The students didn’t travel but their principal did.
  3. but not, after an affirmative.
Usage notes
  • لٰكِنْ (lākin) acts as a simple conjunction, with the subject of the subordinate clause in the nominative; the subject may follow immediately or be delayed. If it is a pronoun, it may be omitted. Contrast this syntactic function and the following examples with لٰكِنَّ (lākinna) above.
    لٰكِنِ الرَّئِيسُ كَانَ أَذْكَى مِمَّا تَوَقَّعَ النَّاس
    lākini r-raʔīsu kāna ʔaḏkā mimmā tawaqqaʕa n-nās
    but the president was smarter than people expected
    لٰكِنْ (هُوَ) كَانَ أَذْكَى مِمَّا تَوَقَّعَ النَّاس
    lākin (huwa) kāna ʔaḏkā mimmā tawaqqaʕa n-nās
    but he was smarter than people expected
  • لٰكِنْ (lākin) is often preceded by وَـ (wa-, “and”).
Derived terms
Descendants

References

  1. ^ Bravmann, Meïr Max (1977) “Arabic lākin(na) and Related Expressions”, in Studies in Semitic Philology (Studies in Semitic Languages and Linguistics; VI), Leiden: E. J. Brill, pages 338–342

South Levantine Arabic

Conjunction

لكن • (lāken)

  1. Alternative spelling of لاكن (lāken, “but, however”)
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