Pe (Semitic letter)#Arabic fāʾ

Pe is usually assumed to come from a pictogram of a "mouth" (in Hebrew pe; in Arabic, فا fah).

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{{Infobox grapheme

| name = Fāʾ فاء

| letter = ف

| script = Arabic script

| type = Abjad

| language = Arabic language

| phonemes = {{IPA link|f}}

| alphanumber = 20

| number =

| fam2 = 𐡐

| fam3 = 𐢘

| fam4 = ڡ

| direction = Right-to-left

| fam1 = 𐤐

}}The letter {{lang|ar|ف}} is named {{lang|ar|فاء}} {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|fāʾ}} {{IPA|/faːʔ/}}. It is written in several ways depending on its position in the word:

{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ف}}

In the process of developing from Proto-Semitic, Proto-Semitic {{IPA|/p/}} became Arabic {{IPA|/f/}}, and this is reflected in the use of the letter representing {{IPA|/p/}} in other Semitic languages for {{IPA|/f/}} in Arabic.

Examples on usage in Modern Standard Arabic:

• {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|Fāʾ-fatḥah}} ({{lang|ar|فَـ}} {{IPA|/fa/}}) is a multi-function prefix most commonly equivalent to "so" or "so that." For example: {{lang|ar|نَكْتُب}} {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|naktub}} ("we write") → {{lang|ar|فَنَكْتُب}} {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|fanaktub}} ("so we write").

In Maghrebi scripts, the i'ajami dot in {{Transliteration|ar|fāʼ}} has traditionally been written underneath ({{lang|ar|ڢ}}). Once the prevalent style, it is now mostly used in countries of the Maghreb in ceremonial situations or for writing Qur'an, with the exception of Libya and Algeria, which adopted the Mashriqi form (dot above).

The Maghrebi alphabet, to write {{Transliteration|ar|qāf}} ({{lang|ar|ق}}), a letter that resembles {{Transliteration|ar|fā’}} ({{lang|ar|ف}}) in the initial and medial forms is used, but it is really a {{Transliteration|ar|qāf}} with a single dot ({{lang|ar|ڧ‎}}).

In the Arabic orthographies of Uyghur, Kazakh and Kyrgyz, the letter {{Transliteration|ar|fā’}} has a descender in the final and isolated positions, much like the Maghrebi version of {{Transliteration|ar|qāf}}.{{cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2020/20289-kazakh-kyrgyz-uyghur-annot.pdf|title=Request for glyph changes and annotations for Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Uyghur|access-date=2021-10-03|archive-date=2021-10-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211015005258/https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2020/20289-kazakh-kyrgyz-uyghur-annot.pdf|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2020/20293-0641-issue.pdf|title=U+0641 information for Uyghur, Kazakh and Kyrgyz|access-date=2021-10-03|archive-date=2021-10-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211003040138/https://www.unicode.org/L2/L2020/20293-0641-issue.pdf|url-status=live}}

{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ڧ}}

Theoretically this shape could be approximated by using {{unichar|06A7|ARABIC LETTER QAF WITH DOT ABOVE|use=lang|use2=ug}}, but in practice {{unichar|0641|ARABIC LETTER FEH|use=lang|use2=ug}} is used in databases of these languages, and most commercial fonts for these languages give the codepoint of the usual Arabic {{Transliteration|ar|fā’}} a shape like {{lang|ar|ڧ‎}}.

File:KB Uyghur Arabic.png

When the Uyghur keyboard layout for Microsoft Windows was first added in Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008, the key combination {{key press|Shift|F}} resulted in {{unichar|06A7|use=lang|use2=ug}}.{{cite web|url=https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/globalization/keyboards/kbdughr|title=Uyghur (Legacy) Keyboard|access-date=2021-10-03|archive-date=2021-10-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211003040151/https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/globalization/keyboards/kbdughr|url-status=live}} The Uyghur keyboard layout in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 changed that key combination to give {{unichar|0641|use=lang|use2=ug}}.{{cite web|url=https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/globalization/keyboards/kbdughr1|title=Uyghur Keyboard|access-date=2021-10-03|archive-date=2021-10-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211003040150/https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/globalization/keyboards/kbdughr1|url-status=live}} On the newer systems, the old keyboard layout is still available under the name Uyghur (Legacy).

Normally, the letter {{lang|ar|ف}} {{Transliteration|ar|fāʼ}} renders {{IPA|/f/}} sound, but may also be used some names and loanwords where it can render {{IPA|/v/}}, might be arabized as {{IPA|/f/}} in accordance to its spelling, e.g., {{lang|ar|يُونِيلِفِر}} (Unilever). It may be used interchangeably with the modified letter {{lang|ar|ڤ}} - {{Transliteration|ar|ve}} (with 3 dots above) in this case. The letter fāʾ with three dots above is no longer used in Persian, as the {{IPAblink|β}}-sound changed to {{IPAblink|b}}, e.g. archaic {{lang|fa|زڤان}} {{IPA|/zaβɑn/}} > {{lang|fa|زبان}} {{IPA|/zæbɒn/}} 'language'{{cite web |url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/persian-language-1-early-new-persian |title=PERSIAN LANGUAGE i. Early New Persian |work=Iranica Online |access-date=18 March 2019 }}

The character is mapped in Unicode under position U+06A4.{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ڤ}}

The Maghrebi style, used in Northwestern Africa, the dots moved underneath (Unicode U+06A5), because it is based on the other style of {{Transliteration|ar|ALA|fāʼ}} ({{script/Arabic|ڢ}}):{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ڥ}}

The Hebrew spelling is {{lang|he|פֵּא}}. It is also romanized pei or pey, especially when used in Yiddish.{{cite book|last=Daniels|first=Peter T.|title=The World's Writing Systems|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ospMAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA736|year=1996|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-507993-7|page=736}}{{cite book|last=Kahn|first=Lily|title=Colloquial Yiddish: The Complete Course for Beginners|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pn61aXjJLpUC&pg=PA3|year=2013|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-136-96779-5|page=3}}

{{Main|Modern Hebrew phonology|Hebrew alphabet#Ancient Hebrew}}

The letter Pe is one of the six letters which can receive a Dagesh Kal. The six are Bet, Gimel, Daleth, Kaph, Pe, and Tav.

File:Double Pe.png

A notable variation on the letter Pe is the Pe Kefulah (Doubled Pe), also known as the Pei Lefufah (Wrapped Pe). The Pe Kefulah is written as a small Pe scribed within a larger Pe. This atypical letter appears in Torah scrolls (most often Yemenite Torahs{{Cite book |title=Introduction to the Tiberian Masorah |last=Yeivin |first=Israel |publisher=SBL Press |year=1985 |location=Atlanta |pages=47–48}} but is also present in Sephardic and Ashkenazi Torahs), manuscripts, and some modern printed Hebrew Bibles. When the Pe is written in the form of a Doubled Pe, this adds a layer of deeper meaning to the Biblical text.{{cite journal |last1=Thompson |first1=Deborah B. |title=Teaching Otiot Meshunot from Scribal Biblical Hebrew Texts |journal=Hebrew Higher Education |date=2019 |volume=21 |pages=50–64 |url=https://www.dropbox.com/s/uh4c73q8vsp86ck/HHE%2021%20-%20Thompson%20-%20Article.pdf?dl=0 |access-date=2 September 2019 |archive-date=31 May 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240531100347/https://www.dropbox.com/s/uh4c73q8vsp86ck/HHE%2021%20-%20Thompson%20-%20Article.pdf?dl=0 |url-status=live }} This letter variation can appear on the final and non-final forms of the Pe.

There are two orthographic variants of this letter which indicate a different pronunciation:

When the Pe has a "dot" in its center, known as a dagesh, it represents a voiceless bilabial plosive, {{IPA|/p/}}. There are various rules in Hebrew grammar that stipulate when and why a dagesh is used.

When Pe appears without the dagesh dot in its center ({{lang|he|פ}}), then it usually represents a voiceless labiodental fricative {{IPA|/f/}}.

At the end of words, the letter's written form changes to a Pe/Fe Sophit (Final Pe/Fe): {{lang|he|ף}}.

When a word in modern Hebrew borrowed from another language ends with {{IPA|/p/}}, the non-final form is used (e.g. {{lang|he|ּפִילִיפ}} {{IPA|/ˈfilip/}} "Philip"), while borrowings ending in {{IPA|/f/}} still use the Pe Sofit (e.g. {{lang|he|כֵּיף}} {{IPA|/kef/}} "fun", from Arabic). This is because native Hebrew words, which always use the final form at the end, cannot end in {{IPA|/p/}}.

In gematria, Pe represents the number 80. Its final form represents 800 but this is rarely used, Tav written twice (400+400) being used instead.

{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ܦ‎}}

{{charmap

|05E4|name1=Hebrew Letter Pe

|05E3|name2=Hebrew Letter Final Pe

|0641|name3=Arabic Letter Feh

|0726|name4=Syriac Letter Pe

|0810|name5=Samaritan Letter Pi

}}

{{charmap

|10394|name1=Ugaritic Letter Pu

|10850|name2=Imperial Aramaic Letter Pe

|10910|name3=Phoenician Letter Pe

}}

{{Reflist}}

{{commons category|Pe (letter)}}

{{Arabic language}}

{{Hebrew language}}

{{Northwest Semitic abjad}}

als:פ

Category:Phoenician alphabet

Faʼ

Category:Hebrew letters

Fe

Category:Letters with final form

ar:ف

arc:ܦܐ

de:Pe

fr:Pe (lettre)

he:פ

kk:ف

nl:Pee

ru:Мордовия

fi:Pe (kirjain)