متى ما

متى (“when; whenever”) +‎ ـمَا (-mā, “soever”).

مَتَى مَا • (matā mā) (+ past or jussive)

1. when; whenever; if ever

   مَتَى مَا تَجِئْ عِنْدِي أَسْعَدْ كَثِيرًا

   matā mā tajiʔ ʕindī ʔasʕad kaṯīran

   Whenever you come by my place, I feel so happy.

   • 7th century CE, Kaʿb ibn Zuhayr, أَعلَمُ أَنّي مَتى ما يَأتِني قَدَري [My Fate]:

     أَعْلَمُ أَنِّي مَتَى مَا يَأْتِنِي قَدَرِي * فَلَيْسَ يَحْبِسُهُ شُحٌّ وَلَا شَفَقُ

     ʔaʕlamu ʔannī matā mā yaʔtinī qadarī * falaysa yaḥbisuhu šuḥḥun walā šafaqū

     I know so well that when my fate
     Comes by for me, neither grudging
     Nor pitying can hold him back.

Unlike other words such as أَيْنَمَا (ʔaynamā), كَيْفَمَا (kayfamā), etc. which are written as one word, مَتَى مَا (matā mā) is written as two words.