The New International Encyclopædia/Al

AL, äl. The article in the Arabic language. The pronunciation of the initial vowel is vague, so that the article vacillates between al and el. Before dentals, sibilants, and liquids, the l sound is assimilated to the following oonsonant, so that, e.g., el-shams (the sun) becomes esh-shams; and again, the initial vowel is frequently elided, when the word preceding the vowel ends in a vowel, e.g., Abu-l-Feda for Abu-al-Feda. The essential element of the article is the l, which belongs to the category of natural sounds having a demonstrative force. The Arabic article appears in such English words as algebra, alchemy, alcove, and Alhambra, which are directly derived from the Arabic.