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alphabetical letter ج ج The fifth letter of the alphabet: called جِيمٌ, which is one of the names of letters of the fem. gender, but which it is allowable to make masc.: it is one of the letters termed مَجْهُورَة [or vocal, i. e. pronounced with the voice, and not with the breath only]: and of the number of the letters termed مَحْقُورَة, and حُرُوفُ القَلْقَلَةِ, because it cannot be uttered in a case of pause without a strong compression, and a strong sound: and it is also one of those termed شَجْرِيَّة, from الشَّجْرُ, which is the place of opening of the mouth. (TA.) ― -b2- It is sometimes substituted for ى, when the latter letter is doubled, (K,) or is so substituted by some of the Arabs; (AA, S;) as in فُقَيْمِجٌّ, for فُقَيْمِىٌّ; (AA, S, K;) and مُرِّجٌّ, for مُرِّىٌّ. (AA, S.) An Arab of the desert recited to Khalaf El-Ahmar, “ الْمُطْعِمَانِ الَّحْمَ بِا@لْعَشِجِّ خَالِى عُوَيْفٌ وَأَبُو عَلِجِّ
” [My maternal uncle is 'Oweyf, and Aboo-'Alijj, who feed with flesh-meat at nightfall]; meaning عَلِىّ and عَشِىّ. (S.) It is also sometimes substituted for a single ى. (S, K.) AZ gives the following ex.: “ يَا رَبِّ إِِنْ كُنْتَ قَبِلْتَ حُجَّتِجْ
فَلَا يَزَالُ شَاحِجٌ يَأْتِيكَ بِجْ
” [O my Lord, if Thou accept my plea, a brayer (or mule) shall not cease to bring me to Thee (i. e. to thy temple)]; (S;) meaning حُجَّتِى (K) [and بِى]. أَمْسَجَتْ and أَمْسَجَا are also mentioned as occurring in a verse, for أَمْسَتْ and أَمْسَى [because originally أَمْسَيَتْ and أَمْسَىَ]. (S.) But all these substitutions are abominable, (S, Ibn-'Osfoor,) and only allowable in cases of poetical necessity. (Ibn- 'Osfoor.) It is further said that some of the Arabs, among whom were the tribe of Kudá'ah, changed ى, when occurring immediately after ع, into ج; and said, for رَاعٍ, [originally رَاعِىٌ,] رَاعِجٌ: this is what is termed عَجْعَجَةٌ: Fr attributes the substitution of ج for ى to the tribe of Teiyi, and some of the tribe of Asad. (TA.) ― -b3- Some of the Arabs also changed it into ى; saying شَيَرَةٌ for شَجَرَةٌ, and جَثْيَاثٌ for جَثْجَاثٌ, and يَصَّصَ for جَصَّصَ. (AZ, S in art. يص.) -A2- [As a numeral, ج denotes Three; and, as such, is generally written without the dot, but thus ح, or thus ح, to distinguish it from ح, which denotes eight.]
An Arabic-English Lexicon. London. Williams and Norgate. 1863.

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