moon letter

noun

Etymology: translation of Arabic alhurūf alqamarīyah; from the fact that the l of the Arabic definite article al is not assimilated to the initial q of qamar moon, used as a type word

: an Arabic consonant to which the l of a preceding definite article al is not assimilated in pronunciation — called also lunar letter; opposed to sun letter

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Arabic Gram. any letter, as ba or mim, representing a consonant that does not assimilate the l of a prefixed definite article. Cf. sun letter.

[trans. of Ar al-huruf al-qamoriyah, so called from the use of al-qamar (the moon) to illustrate nonassimilation of l in al the]