Mastering Arabic Vocabulary

Arabic, a Semitic language, is based on a consonantal root system whereby almost
every word in the language is derived from a root. Although there are exceptions,
most Arabic words have a triliteral root (made up of three consonants or radicals),
and it is this root that defines the underlying meaning of the word. Thus, words
which are derived from the same root will frequently have a shared basic meaning.
We can see how the consonantal root system works using the root ك ت ب (k t b)
where words derived from this root have a meaning linked to ‘writing’: