Arabic Language and Controversies on the Word al

The ‘al’, ‘alef wa lam’, or ‘lam’-  - is the variation of a word or a noun that has a great number of usages in Arabic sentences, and perhaps it is not an exaggeration if we say that it is the most usable morpheme in the Arabic language. Its varieties, usage and avoidance are among the prominent problems of teachers, which has further created problems not only for immature students, but for the experienced Arab professors as well. The issue around the usage of this word is not a contemporary problem; rather it has been a matter of disagreement and discussion for long. Many books on syntax, eloquence are full of useful items about this word, as well as differences in meaning which is the result of attaching or not attaching this morpheme to other nouns in Arabic. However, researches about variations of “al”, and the meaning differential of this word must be carried out in the future studies.