# إذا
## Arabic
### Etymology 1.1

Equivalent to a univerbation of إِن (ʔin, “if, introduces protasis”) +‎ ذَا (ḏā, “this, demonstrative pronoun”). A retroactively added protasis may be instead understood by the hearer as a new main clause, therefore “when” became “then”. Like in Latin—well-known—relative pronouns are used as proximal demonstrative pronouns indistinctly: quod erat demonstrandum.
Compare to Hebrew אָז (ʾāz, “so, therefore, then”), Hebrew אַזַי, Aramaic אֱדַיִן (ʾĕḏáyin, “then, at that time”), which may in lack of attestations of conjunctional use instead parallel هٰذَا (hāḏā) however.

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ʔi.ðaː/
* Audio:(file)

#### Conjunction

إِذَا • (ʔiḏā) [with past or jussive]
* when, when it is that; as soon as; if
    Synonyms: (dated) إِذ (ʔiḏ, “when”), لَمَّا (lammā, “when; once”), حِينَ (ḥīna, “(at) the moment that”)
    إِذَا جِئْتَ فَاتَّصِلْ بِيʔiḏā jiʔta fāttaṣil bīAs soon as you arrive, call me.
** 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 4:6:وَٱبْتَلُوا ٱلْيَتَامَى حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغُوا ٱلنِّكَاحَ فَإِنْ آنَسْتُم مِّنْهُمْ رُشْدًا فَٱدْفَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ وَلَا تَأْكُلُوهَا إِسْرَافًا وَبِدَارًا أَن يَكْبَرُوا وَمَن كَانَ غَنِيًّا فَلْيَسْتَعْفِفْ وَمَن كَانَ فَقِيرًا فَلْيَأْكُلْ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ فَإِذَا دَفَعْتُمْ إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ فَأَشْهِدُوا عَلَيْهِمْ وَكَفَى بِٱللَّهِ حَسِيبًاwa-btalū l-yatāmā ḥattā ʔiḏā balaḡū n-nikāḥa fa-ʔin ʔānastum minhum rušdan fa-dfaʕū ʔilayhim ʔamwālahum wa-lā taʔkulūhā ʔisrāfan wa-bidāran ʔan yakbarū wa-man kāna ḡaniyyan fal-yastaʕfif wa-man kāna faqīran fal-yaʔkul bi-l-maʕrūfi fa-ʔiḏā dafaʕtum ʔilayhim ʔamwālahum fa-ʔašhidū ʕalayhim wa-kafā bi-llahi ḥasībanAnd examine the orphans till they seem able to bear intercourse. If you sense prudence from them, pass their money to them, and do not eat it extravangantly nor hastily before their growing up. Whoever is rich should abstain, and whoever is poor may eat [from it] as is custom. And when you pass them the money, summon someone to be a witness against them. It is Allah who is the Reckoner [and who counts your deeds].
** 1930s, “حُمَاةَ ٱلْحِمَى”, أَبُو ٱلْقَاسِمِ ٱلشَّابِيّ, مُصْطَفَى صَادِق الرَّافِعِي (lyrics), مُحَمَّد عَبْدُ ٱلْوَهَّاب (music):إِذَا الشَّعْبُ يَوْمًا أَرَادَ الْحَيَاة / فَلَا بُدَّ أَنْ يَسْتَجِيبَ الْقَدَرʔiḏā aš-šaʕbu yawman ʔarāda l-ḥayā(t) / fa-lā budda ʔan yastajība l-qadarWhen a prideful people wills to live, / Destiny itself will grant their wish.
* (indicates perception, as of a sudden or concurrent action) (with فَ (fa, “then”)) and then, and; thereupon, whereupon; when behold, then behold
    خَرَجْتُ فَإِذَا الْمَطَرُ يَنْهَمِرُḵarajtu fa-ʔiḏā al-maṭaru yanhamiruI went out, and the rain was pouring.
** 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 7:117:وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى مُوسَى أَنْ أَلْقِ عَصَاكَ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا يَأْفِكُونَwa-ʔawḥaynā ʔilā mūsā ʔan ʔalqi ʕaṣāka fa-ʔiḏā hiya talqafu mā yaʔfikūnaAnd We inspired Moses [and said,] "Cast your staff", whereupon it devoured what they were forging.

##### Usage notes

* When iḏā is used as the conditional particle in a conditional clause, it may be followed by a past-tense verb regardless of natural time-reference.
* As a particle of surprise the verb that follows is typically found in the present/non-past tense despite having a past-tense sense; most often used in storytelling or relating events, announcing an event or occurrence that follows after another, a sequence.

##### Derived terms

* إِذَا مَا (ʔiḏā mā, “when; whenever”)

### Etymology 1.2
#### Alternative forms

* إِذَنْ (ʔiḏan)

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ʔi.ðan/

#### Adverb

إِذًا • (ʔiḏan)
* then, therefore

### References

* Corriente, Federico, Pereira, Christophe, Vicente, Angeles, editors (2017), Dictionnaire du faisceau dialectal arabe andalou. Perspectives phraséologiques et étymologiques (in French), Berlin: De Gruyter, →ISBN, page 21
* “ˀdyn”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
* “hdn”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–

## Egyptian Arabic
### Alternative forms

* إزا

### Etymology

Learned borrowing from Arabic إِذَا (ʔiḏā).

### Conjunction

إذا • (ʔiza)
* if
    إذا كان معاك فلوس سلفني خمسين جنيهʔiza kān maʕak flūs sallifni ḵamsīn ginīhIf you have some money, lend me fifty pounds.
    إذا مفيش مشكلة ― ʔiza ma-fīš muškila ― If it's not a problem.
* whether, if
    اسأله إذا كان معاه سمكisʔalu ʔiza kān maʕāh samakAsk him whether he has fish.

#### See also

* إن (ʔin, “if”), لو (law, “if”)

## Hijazi Arabic
### Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Arabic إِذَا (ʔiḏā).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ʔi.za/, /ʔi.ða/

#### Conjunction

إذا • (ʔiza, ʔiḏa)
* when, when it is that; as soon as
    Synonym: لَمَّا (lamma)
* if, whether

##### See also

* لو (law, “if (hypothetical)”)

### Etymology 2

Learned borrowing from Arabic إِذًا (ʔiḏan).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ʔi.zan/, /ʔi.ðan/

#### Adverb

إذًا • (ʔizan, ʔiḏan)
* so, then, therefore
    Synonyms: فـ (fa-), أجل (ʔajal)

## South Levantine Arabic
### Etymology 1

Learned borrowing from Arabic إِذَا (ʔiḏā).

#### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ʔi.za/, [ˈʔɪ.za]
* Audio (Ramallah):(file)

#### Conjunction

إذا • (ʔiza)
* if, whether
    Synonyms: إن (ʔin), إنكنّـ (ʔin-kann-)
    إسأله إذا المدير موجود. ― ʔisʔalo ʔiza l-mudīr mawjūd ― Ask him if the manager is there.
    ما بعرف إذا برجع ولّا لأ.ma baʕref ʔiza birjaʕ willa laʔI don't know whether he's coming back or not.
    إذا رجع بكير، بقلّك.ʔiza rijeʕ bakkīr, baʔul-lakIf he gets back early, I'll tell you.

##### Usage notes

* إذا (ʔiza) may be followed by a past tense verb referring to a future action.

##### See also

* لو (law, “if (hypothetical)”), لونّـ (lawenn-, “if (hypothetical)”)

### Etymology 2

Learned borrowing from Arabic إِذًا (ʔiḏan).

#### Adverb

إذا • (ʔiḏan)
* so, then, therefore
    Synonym: فـ (fa-)

#### See also

* لكان (lakān, “so, then, in that case”)