<P> Al - (Arabic: ال ‎, also transliterated as el - as pronounced in varieties of Arabic) is the definite article in the Arabic language: a particle (ḥarf) whose function is to render the noun on which it is prefixed definite . For example, the word كتاب kitāb "book" can be made definite by prefixing it with al -, resulting in الكتاب al - kitāb "the book". Consequently, al - is typically translated as the in English . </P> <P> Unlike most other particles in Arabic, al - is always prefixed to another word and it never stands alone . Consequently, most dictionaries will not list it as a separate word, and it is almost invariably ignored in collation . Similarly, al - is not a permanent component of the word to which it is prefixed . It is added and removed to toggle between the definiteness and indefiniteness of the word . </P>

What does the el mean in arabic names
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