Etymograph

English

fatha

Fatha comes from Arabic فَتْحَة ‘an opening’, from فَتَحَ ‘to open’, and ultimately from Proto-Semitic *pataḥ-.

  1. Proto-Semiticc. 4000–3000 BCE*pataḥ-‘to open’reconstructed
  2. Arabicc. 500–presentفَتَحَfataḥa‘to open’
  3. Arabic, derivedc. 500–presentفَتْحَةfatḥa‘an opening’
  4. Englishtodayfatha

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Semiticc. 4000–3000 BCE*pataḥ-‘to open’reconstructed
  2. Arabicc. 500–presentفَتَحَfataḥa‘to open’
  3. Arabic, derivedc. 500–presentفَتْحَةfatḥa‘an opening’
  4. Englishtodayfatha

The story

Refers to the mouth position when pronouncing the /a/ vowel.

Every English word from Proto-Semitic *pataḥ-

Today it means

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/.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Semitic *pataḥ- / fatha

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