Editing Yodh (section)

==Arabic yāʼ==
{{Infobox grapheme
| name = Yāʾ ياء
| letter = <span style="line-height:normal;">ي</span>
| variations = 
| image = 
| imagesize = 200
| imagealt = 
| script = [[Arabic script]]
| type = [[Abjad]]
| typedesc = 
| language = [[Arabic language]]
| phonemes = {{IPAblink|j}}, {{IPAblink|iː}}
| unicode = 
| alphanumber = 4
| number = 
| usageperiod = 
| children = 
| equivalents = 
| associates = 
| direction = Right-to-left
| fam1 = 𐤉
| fam2 = 𐡉
| fam3 = 
| fam4 = ى
}}

The letter {{lang|ar|ي}} is named ''{{Transliteration|ar|ALA|yāʼ}}'' ({{lang|ar|يَاء}}). It is written in several ways depending on its position in the word:
{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ي}}

It is pronounced in four ways:
* As a consonant, it is pronounced as a [[palatal approximant]] '''{{IPA|/j/}}''', typically at the beginnings of words in front of short or long vowels.
*A [[vowel length|long]] <!--The value may change across North Africa and West Asia--> {{IPA|/iː/}} usually in the middle or end of words. In this case it has no diacritic, but could be marked with a [[Kasrah|kasra]] in the preceding letter in some traditions.
*A [[vowel length|long]] {{IPA|/eː/}} In many [[varieties of Arabic|dialects]], as a result of the [[monophthongization]] that the diphthong {{IPA|/aj/}} underwent in most words.
* A part of a [[diphthong]], {{IPA|/aj/}}. Then, it has no diacritic but could be marked with a sukun in some traditions. The preceding consonant could have no diacritic or have {{Transliteration|ar|DIN|[[fatḥa]]}} sign, hinting to the first vowel in the diphthong, i.e. {{IPA|/a/}}.

As a vowel, yāʾ can serve as the "seat" of the [[hamza]]: {{lang|ar|ئ}}

Yāʾ serves several functions in the Arabic language. Yāʾ as a prefix is the marker for a singular [[imperfective aspect|imperfective]] verb, as in {{lang|ar|يَكْتُب}} ''{{Transliteration|ar|DIN|yaktub}}'' "he writes" from the root {{lang|ar|ك-ت-ب}} K-T-B ("write, writing"). Yāʾ with a [[shadda]] is particularly used to turn a noun into an adjective, called a ''nisbah'' ({{lang|ar|نِسْبَة}}). For instance, {{lang|ar|مِصْر}} ''{{Transliteration|ar|DIN|Miṣr}}'' ([[Egypt]]) → {{lang|ar|مِصْرِيّ}} ''Miṣriyy'' (Egyptian). The transformation can be more abstract; for instance, {{lang|ar|مَوْضَوع}} ''mawḍūʿ'' (matter, object) → {{lang|ar|مَوْضُوعِيّ}} ''mawḍūʿiyy'' ([[wikt:objectivity|objective]]). Still other uses of this function can be a bit further from the root: {{lang|ar|اِشْتِرَاك}} ''ishtirāk'' (cooperation) → {{lang|ar|اِشْتِرَاكِيّ}} ''ishtirākiyy'' ([[socialism|socialist]]). The common pronunciation of the final {{IPA|/-ijj/}} is most often pronounced as {{IPA|ar|i|}} or {{IPA|ar|iː|}}.

A form similar to but distinguished from yāʾ is the ''{{Transliteration|ar|DIN|ʾalif maqṣūrah}}'' ({{lang|ar|أَلِف مَقْصُورَة}}) "limited/restricted [[aleph|alif]]", with the form {{lang|ar|ى}}. It indicates a final long <!--Across North Africa & West Asia it has different values [e, ɛ, æ, a, ä]--> {{IPA|/aː/}}.

=== Alif maqṣūrah ===
{{further|Aleph#alif_maqsura}}
In Arabic, ''alif maqṣūrah'' is the letter ''yāʼ'' without its two dots, and it is thus written as:
{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ى}}
However, this letter cannot be used initially or medially in Arabic. The ''alif maqṣūrah'' with [[hamza]] is thus written as:
{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ئ}}

===Perso-Arabic ye===
<!-- [[ی]] redirects here -->
{{Arabic script sidebar|Pashto|nav=no}}
{{Arabic script sidebar|Persian|nav=no}}

In the [[Persian alphabet]], the letter is generally called ''ye'' following [[Persian language|Persian-language]] custom. In its isolated and final forms, the letter does not have dots ({{lang|fa|ی}}), much like the Arabic ''[[Aleph#Alif maqṣūrah: ى|Alif maqṣūrah]]'' or, more to the point, much like the custom in Egypt, Sudan and sometimes Maghreb. On account of this difference, Perso-Arabic ''ye'' is located at a different [[Unicode]] [[code point]] than both of the standard Arabic letters. In computers, the Persian version of the letter automatically appears with two dots initially and medially: (<big>{{lang|fa|یـ ـیـ ـی}}</big>).
{{Arabic alphabet Naskh and Nastaliq shapes|ی}}

In [[Kashmiri language|Kashmiri]], it uses a ring instead of dots below (ؠ) (<big>{{script/Arabic|ؠ ؠـ ـؠـ ـؠ}}</big>).
{{Arabic alphabet shapes|ؠ}}

=== Returned yāʾ ===
In different calligraphic styles like the [[Hijazi script]], [[Kufic]], and [[Nastaʿlīq script]], a final ''yāʾ'' might have a particular shape with the descender turned to the right (<span style="margin-right:1em;">{{Nastaliq|ـے}}</span>), called {{Transliteration|ar|al-yāʾ al-mardūdah/al-rājiʿah}} ("returned, recurred ''yāʾ''"),<ref>{{cite book |last1=Gacek |first1=Adam |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GfZYCcOL8dYC&pg=PA29 |title=The Arabic manuscript tradition: a glossary of technical terms and bibliography: supplement |date=2008 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-9004165403 |location=Leiden |page=29}}</ref> either with two dots or without them.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Yūsofī |first1=Ḡolām-Ḥosayn |title=Encyclopædia Iranica |date=1990 |volume=IV |pages=680–704 |chapter=Calligraphy |chapter-url=http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/calligraphy |access-date=2015-10-03 |archive-date=2021-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025231747/http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/calligraphy |url-status=live }}</ref>

In [[Urdu alphabet|Urdu]] this is called ''[[baṛī ye]]'' ("big ye"), but is an independent letter used for /ɛː, eː/ and differs from the basic ye (''choṭī ye'', "little ye"). For this reason the letter has its own [[code point]] in Unicode. Nevertheless, its initial and medial forms are not different from the other ''ye'' (practically ''baṛī ye'' is not used in these positions).
{{Arabic alphabet Naskh and Nastaliq shapes|ے}}