ثيل
ج
جأ
ج
Arabic Letter ج
The fifth letter of the alphabet: called جِيمٌ, which is one of the names of letters of the fem. gender, but which it is allowable to make masc.: it is one of the letters termed مَجْهُورَة [or vocal, i. e. pronounced with the voice, and not with the breath only]: and of the number of the letters termed مَحْقُورَة, and حُرُوفُ القَلْقَلَةِ, because it cannot be uttered in a case of pause without a strong compression, and a strong sound: and it is also one of those termed شَجْرِيَّة, from الشَّجْرُ, which is the place of opening of the mouth. (TA.)
It is sometimes substituted for ى, when the latter letter is doubled, (Ḳ,) or is so substituted by some of the Arabs; (AA, Ṣ;) as in فُقَيْمِجٌّ, for فُقَيْمِىٌّ; (AA, Ṣ, Ḳ;) and مُرِّجٌّ, for مُرِّىٌّ. (AA, Ṣ.) An Arab of the desert recited to Khalaf El-Aḥmar,
* خَالِى عُوَيْفٌ وَأَبُو عَلِجِّ ** الْمُطْعِمَانِ الَّحْمَ بِٱلْعَشِجِّ *
[My maternal uncle is 'Oweyf, and Aboo-'Alijj, who feed with flesh-meat at nightfall]; meaning عَلِىّ and عَشِىّ. (Ṣ.) It is also sometimes substituted for a single ى. (Ṣ, Ḳ.) AZ gives the following ex.:
* يَا رَبِّ إِنْ كُنْتَ قَبِلْتَ حُجَّتِجْ ** فَلَا يَزَالُ شَاحِجٌ يَأْتِيكَ بِجْ *
[O my Lord, if Thou accept my plea, a brayer (or mule) shall not cease to bring me to Thee (i. e. to thy temple)]; (Ṣ;) meaning حُجَّتِى (Ḳ) [and بِى]. أَمْسَجَتْ and أَمْسَجَا are also mentioned as occurring in a verse, for أَمْسَتْ and أَمْسَى [because originally أَمْسَيَتْ and أَمْسَىَ]. (Ṣ.) But all these substitutions are abominable, (Ṣ, Ibn-ʼOsfoor,) and only allowable in cases of poetical necessity. (Ibn-ʼOsfoor.) It is further said that some of the Arabs, among whom were the tribe of Kudá'ah, changed ى, when occurring immediately after ع, into ج; and said, for رَاعٍ, [originally رَاعِىٌ,] رَاعِجٌ: this is what is termed عَجْعَجَةٌ: Fr attributes the substitution of ج for ى to the tribe of Teiyi, and some of the tribe of Asad. (TA.)
Some of the Arabs also changed it into ى; saying شَيَرَةٌ for شَجَرَةٌ, and جَثْيَاثٌ for جَثْجَاثٌ, and يَصَّصَ for جَصَّصَ. (AZ, Ṣ in art. يص.)
[As a numeral, ج denotes Three; and, as such, is generally written without the dot, but thus ح, or thus ح, to distinguish it from ح, which denotes eight.]