diff --git a/src/arabic/CatAra.gf b/src/arabic/CatAra.gf
index 7bc37f088..246c30e9a 100644
--- a/src/arabic/CatAra.gf
+++ b/src/arabic/CatAra.gf
@@ -93,5 +93,6 @@ concrete CatAra of Cat = CommonX - [Utt]  ** open ResAra, Prelude, ParamX in {
 linref
 
   CN = \cn -> uttCN cn ! Masc ;
+  N = \n -> uttCN (useN n) ! Masc ;
 
 }
diff --git a/src/arabic/NounAra.gf b/src/arabic/NounAra.gf
index 7547064c4..ddb788e3e 100644
--- a/src/arabic/NounAra.gf
+++ b/src/arabic/NounAra.gf
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ lin
       cn.s ! number 
            ! nounState det.d number 
            ! nounCase c det.n det.d ;
-    adj : Case -> Str = \c ->
-      cn.adj ! number
+    adj : NTable -> Case -> Str = \ntable,c ->
+      ntable ! number
              ! (definite ! det.d) -- Indef remains Indef, rest become Def
              ! c
     } in {
@@ -22,30 +22,34 @@ lin
         case cnB4det det.isPron det.isNum det.n det.d of {
           False => determiner c 
                 ++ noun c 
-                ++ adj c
+                ++ adj cn.s2 c
+                ++ adj cn.adj c
                 ++ cn.np ! c ; 
           True => noun (cas c) -- deal with possessive suffix
-               ++ determiner c 
-               ++ adj c 
+               ++ determiner c
+               ++ adj cn.s2 c
+               ++ adj cn.adj c 
                ++ cn.np ! c
         };  
       a = { pgn = agrP3 cn.h cn.g number;
-            isPron = False }
+            isPron = False } ;
+      empty = []
     };
 
   UsePN pn = {
     s =  pn.s;
-    a = {pgn = (Per3 pn.g Sg); isPron = False }
+    a = {pgn = Per3 pn.g Sg ; isPron = False} ;
+    empty = []
     };
 
   UsePron p = p ;
 
-  PredetNP pred np = {
+  PredetNP pred np = np ** {
     s = \\c => case pred.isDecl of {
       True => pred.s!c ++ np.s ! Gen ; -- akvaru l-awlAdi
       False => pred.s!c ++ np.s ! c
-      };
-    a = np.a
+      } ;
+    a = np.a ** {isPron=False}
     } ;
 
 {-
@@ -167,21 +171,18 @@ lin
 
   MassNP cn = ---- AR
     {s = \\c => cn.s ! Sg ! Indef ! c ++ cn.np ! c ++ cn.adj ! Sg ! Indef ! c ; 
-     a = {pgn = Per3 cn.g Sg ; isPron = False}} ;
+     a = {pgn = Per3 cn.g Sg ; isPron = False} ;
+     empty = []} ;
 
 --  MassDet = {s = \\_,_,_,_ => [] ; d = Indef;
 --             isNum = False; isPron = False} ;
 
   UseN,
-  UseN2 = \n -> n ** {
-    adj = \\_,_,_ => [];
-    np  = \\_     => []};
+  UseN2 = useN ;
   Use2N3 n3 = n3 ;
   Use3N3 n3 = n3 ** {c2 = n3.c3} ;
 
-  ComplN2 n2 np = UseN n2 **  --- IL
-    {s = \\n,s,c => n2.s ! n ! s ! c ++ n2.c2.s ++ np.s ! n2.c2.c} ;
-
+  ComplN2 n2 np = UseN n2 ** {np=np.s} ;
 
   ComplN3 n3 np = ComplN2 n3 np ** {c2 = n3.c3} ;
 
diff --git a/src/arabic/ParadigmsAra.gf b/src/arabic/ParadigmsAra.gf
index 2905bb7f7..d1958ae4d 100644
--- a/src/arabic/ParadigmsAra.gf
+++ b/src/arabic/ParadigmsAra.gf
@@ -70,7 +70,8 @@ resource ParadigmsAra = open
    mkN : (sg,pl : Str) -> Gender -> Species -> N ;
    mkN : NTable -> Gender -> Species -> N ;  -- loan words, irregular
    mkN : (root,sgPatt,brokenPlPatt : Str) -> Gender -> Species -> N ; -- broken plural
-   mkN : N -> (attr : Str) -> N ; -- Compound nouns
+   mkN : N -> (attr : Str) -> N ; -- Compound noun with invariant attribute
+   mkN : N -> N -> N ; -- Compound noun where both parts inflect
 ---   mkN : (root,sgPatt : Str) -> Gender -> Species -> N                -- sound feminine plural
 ---    = sdfN ;
    } ;
@@ -97,6 +98,8 @@ resource ParadigmsAra = open
   mkPN = overload {
     mkPN : Str -> PN        -- Fem Hum if ends with ة, otherwise Masc Hum
      = smartPN ;
+    mkPN : N -> PN 
+     = \n -> lin PN (n ** {s = \\c => n.s ! Sg ! Const ! Bare}) ; -- no idea /IL
     mkPN : Str -> Gender -> Species -> PN
      = mkFullPN ;
     } ;
@@ -343,7 +346,12 @@ resource ParadigmsAra = open
    mkN : (root,sgPatt,brokenPlPatt : Str) -> Gender -> Species -> N   -- broken plural
      = brkN ;
    mkN : N -> (attr : Str) -> N                                       -- Compound nouns
-     = \n,attr -> n ** { s = \\num,s,c => n.s ! num ! s ! c ++ attr } ; --- IL (TODO: all kinds of compounds)
+     = \n,attr -> n ** {s2 = \\n,s,c => attr} ;
+   mkN : N -> N -> N                                                  -- Compound nouns
+     = \n1,n2 -> n1 ** {s2 =
+      \\n,s,c => n1.s2 ! n ! s ! c -- card
+              ++ n2.s  ! n ! s ! c -- type
+              ++ n2.s2 ! n ! s ! c} ; -- blood
    } ;
 
   mkV = overload {
@@ -464,6 +472,7 @@ resource ParadigmsAra = open
 
   mkFullN nsc gen spec =
     { s = nsc; --NTable
+      s2 = emptyNTable;
       g = gen;
       h = spec;
       lock_N = <>
@@ -476,14 +485,12 @@ resource ParadigmsAra = open
     } in mkFullN (reg kitAb kutub) gen spec;
 
   brkN root sg pl gen spec =
-    let { raw = brkN' root sg pl gen spec} in
+    let { raw = brkN' root sg pl gen spec} in raw **
     { s = \\n,d,c =>
         case root of {
           _ + #hamza + _ => rectifyHmz(raw.s ! n ! d ! c);
           _ => raw.s ! n ! d ! c
-        };
-      g = gen;
-      h = spec ; lock_N = <>
+        }
     };
 
   sdfN =
@@ -525,31 +532,31 @@ resource ParadigmsAra = open
       lin N3 (n ** {c2 = mkPreposition p ; c3 = mkPreposition q}) ;
   } ;
 
-  mkPron : (_,_,_ : Str) -> PerGenNum -> NP = \ana,nI,I,pgn ->
-    { s =
+  mkPron : (_,_,_ : Str) -> PerGenNum -> Pron = \ana,nI,I,pgn ->
+    lin Pron { s =
         table {
           Acc => BIND ++ nI; -- object suffix
           Gen => BIND ++ I;  -- possessive suffix
           _   => ana
         };
       a = {pgn = pgn; isPron = True };
-      lock_NP = <>
+      empty = []
     };
 
   proDrop : NP -> NP = ResAra.proDrop ; -- Force a NP to lose its string, only contributing with its agreement.
 
   -- e.g. al-jamii3, 2a7ad
-  regNP : Str -> Number -> NP = \word,n ->
+  regNP : Str -> Number -> NP = \word,n -> lin NP
     { s = \\c => fixShd word (dec1sg ! Def ! c) ;
       a = {pgn = Per3 Masc n; isPron = False };
-      lock_NP = <>
+      empty = []
     };
 
   -- e.g. hadha, dhaalika
-  indeclNP : Str -> Number -> NP = \word,n ->
+  indeclNP : Str -> Number -> NP = \word,n -> lin NP
     { s = \\c => word ;
       a = {pgn = Per3 Masc n; isPron = False };
-      lock_NP = <>
+      empty = []
     };
 
   mkQuant7 : (_,_,_,_,_,_,_ : Str) -> State -> Quant =
diff --git a/src/arabic/ResAra.gf b/src/arabic/ResAra.gf
index 9fdb5c91c..50d9dc68b 100644
--- a/src/arabic/ResAra.gf
+++ b/src/arabic/ResAra.gf
@@ -106,9 +106,10 @@ resource ResAra = PatternsAra ** open  Prelude, Predef, OrthoAra, ParamX  in {
     --types of open classes:
 
     NTable = Number => State => Case => Str;
+    emptyNTable : NTable = \\n,s,c => [] ;
 
     Preposition : Type = {s : Str ; c : Case} ;
-    Noun : Type = {s : NTable ; g : Gender; h : Species} ;
+    Noun : Type = {s,s2 : NTable ; g : Gender; h : Species} ;
     Noun2 : Type = Noun ** {c2 : Preposition} ;
     Noun3 : Type = Noun2 ** {c3 : Preposition} ;
 
@@ -129,8 +130,13 @@ resource ResAra = PatternsAra ** open  Prelude, Predef, OrthoAra, ParamX  in {
     uttAP ap = \\g => ap.s ! NoHum ! g ! Sg ! Def ! Nom ; ----IL
 
     CN : Type = Noun ** {adj : NTable ; np : Case => Str};
+
+    useN : Noun -> CN = \n -> n ** {adj = \\_,_,_ => []; np = \\_ => []} ;
+
     uttCN : CN -> (Gender => Str) ;
-    uttCN cn = \\_ => cn.s ! Sg ! Indef ! Bare ;
+    uttCN cn = \\_ => cn.s   ! Sg ! Indef ! Bare ++ 
+                      cn.s2  ! Sg ! Indef ! Bare ++ 
+                      cn.adj  ! Sg ! Indef ! Bare ;
 
     NumOrdCard : Type = {
       s : Gender => State => Case => Str ;
@@ -1206,7 +1212,8 @@ patHollowImp : (_,_ :Str) -> Gender => Number => Str =\xaf,xAf ->
 
     NP : Type = {
       s : Case => Str ;
-      a : Agr
+      a : Agr ;
+      empty : Str -- to prevent ambiguities with prodrop
       } ;
 
     proDrop : NP -> NP = \np -> 
@@ -1215,7 +1222,10 @@ patHollowImp : (_,_ :Str) -> Gender => Number => Str =\xaf,xAf ->
         _    => np
       } ;
 
-    emptyNP : NP = {s = \\_ => [] ; a = {pgn = Per3 Masc Sg ; isPron = False}} ;
+    emptyNP : NP = {
+      s = \\_ => [] ; 
+      a = {pgn = Per3 Masc Sg ; isPron = False} ;
+      empty = []} ;
 
     IP : Type = {
       s : Bool -- different forms for "what is this" and "what do you do"