noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   In Arabic script, the vowel point for "i", appearing as a small diagonal line placed below a letter ( ـِ ) and designating a short i /i/. If the Arabic letter ي (yāʔ) immediately follows, it indicates a long ī /iː/.
2. 2
   In Iranian Persian ـِ represents the vowel /e/. If the letter ـی immediately follows it represents the diphthong /ej/. This usage differs from other Arabic script languages and from classical Persian, in which the diphthong /ej/ did not occur.

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic كَسْرَة (kasra, “a breaking”), instance noun of the verb كَسَرَ (kasara, “to break”).

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.