heraf

Heraf is a term encountered in linguistic discussions as an alternative transliteration for the Arabic word harf, or huruf in its plural form. In Arabic grammar, harf designates a class of function words—particles that indicate grammatical relations rather than carrying lexical content. The category includes prepositions such as bi, li, min, ila; conjunctions such as wa; and other particles that govern syntax but have limited independent meaning.

Haruf are one of the three broad word classes in traditional Arabic grammar, alongside ism (noun) and fi'l (verb). They function to connect nouns and clauses, mark case in some frameworks, or indicate logical or temporal relations. The exact roles and subcategories of harf can vary among grammarians and historical periods, but their core feature is syntactic rather than lexical contribution.

The spelling "heraf" is not the standard scholarly form; most modern works use harf or huruf. However, transliteration variations arise when Arabic terms are rendered into non-Arabic scripts, so "heraf" may appear in some texts or older sources as a variant.

Beyond linguistics, "Heraf" may occur as a surname or place name in certain cultures, though such uses are relatively uncommon and not tied to a single widely documented location.