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Nouns

Number of Nouns (continued)

Dual Nouns

A dual noun مُثَنًّى is a noun that refers to two persons or things.

Dual nouns are formed by adding the ending –ȃni to the singular stem. This ending inflects for two cases and two states as follows:

Dual ending
Case	State
	absolute	determinate & construct
Rafʕ	-ȃni	-ȃ
Naṣb & ǵarr	-ayni	-ay

Unlike the singular ending, the dual ending is pronounced at pause except for the final short vowel in the absolute state.

Examples, click on the Arabic word to hear it:

Stem: muʕallim– مُعَلِّم “teacher (masc.)”
One male teacher	muʕallimuṋ	مُعَلِّمٌ
Two male teachers (subject)	muʕallimȃni	مُعَلِّمَاْنِ
Two male teachers (object)	muʕallimayni	مُعَلِّمَيْنِ

Stem: muʕallima·t– مُعَلِّمة “teacher (fem.)”
One female teacher	muʕallima·tuṋ	مُعَلِّمَةٌ
Two female teachers (subject)	muʕallimatȃni	مُعَلِّمَتَاْنِ
Two female teachers (object)	muʕallimatayni	مُعَلِّمَتَيْنِ

The case inflection of dual nouns (and sound plural nouns) involves only two cases instead of three (but these nouns are not diptotes because the two cases are for all the states and there is nunation). The naṣb and ǵarr marking of these nouns is identical. This is why these two cases of the dual (and sound plural) may be collectively called the oblique case.

Stem: muʕallim– مُعَلِّم “teacher”
Rafʕ (subject) E.g. The two male teachers are here.	muʕallimȃni	مُعَلِّمَاْنِ
E.g. The two female teachers are here.	muʕallimatȃni	مُعَلِّمَتَاْنِ
Naṣb (object) E.g. I saw the two male teachers.	muʕallimayni	مُعَلِّمَيْنِ
E.g. I saw the two female teachers.	muʕallimatayni	مُعَلِّمَتَيْنِ
Ǵarr (possession/object of preposition) E.g. This is the two male teachers’ class. E.g. I gave it to the two male teachers.	muʕallimayni	مُعَلِّمَيْنِ
E.g. This is the two female teachers’ class. E.g. I gave it to the two female teachers.	muʕallimatayni	مُعَلِّمَتَيْنِ

 

Irregular Nouns

For a description of irregular noun types, you may click here

 

I. Shortened Nouns

Shortened nouns are nouns whose singulars end with a shortened ʔalif (–ȃ ـا a·y– / ـى).

 

۩ Shortened Nouns With Three Letters

The weak ʔalif of the ending is changed back to its origin (either w or y) when attaching the dual ending. The ʔalif of the form ـا is changed back to w, and the one of the form ـى is changed back to y. The short A vowel preceding the weak ʔalif remains intact.

–aa → –aw–dual ending

–a·y → –ay-dual ending

 

Endings of Triliteral Shortened Nouns
Singular		Dual
		Subject		Object
-aa	ـَاْ	-awȃni	ـَوَاْنِ	-awayni	ـَوَيْنِ
–a·y	ـَىْ	-ayȃni	ـَيَاْنِ	-ayayni	ـَيَيْنِ

 

۩ Shortened Nouns With More Than Three Letters

The weak ʔalif will be always changed to y when attaching the dual ending, regardless of its origin.

–aa/–a·y → –ay-dual ending

 

Endings of Shortened Nouns With More Than Three Letters
Singular		Dual
		Subject		Object
-aa	ـَاْ	-ayȃni	ـَيَاْنِ	-ayayni	ـَيَيْنِ
-a·y	ـَىْ

A final weak ʔalif of any Arabic word with more than three letters will have this figure ـى regardless of its true origin. This suits well the rules of declension. However, there is one exception, which is when the letter preceding the final weak ʔalif in such words is y. In that case, the ʔalif takes the figure ـا .

Examples:

Dual		Singular
ʕaṣawȃni	عَصَوَاْنِ	ʕaṣaa stick/cane (fem.)	عَصَاْ
ʕaṣawayni	عَصَوَيْنِ
fatayȃni	فَتَيَاْنِ	fata·y boy (masc.)	فَتَىْ
fatayayni	فَتَيَيْنِ
maqhayȃni	مَقْهَيَاْنِ	maqha·y café (masc.)	مَقْهَىْ
maqhayayni	مَقْهَيَيْنِ
ʕaṭšayȃni	عَطْشَيَاْنِ	ʕaṭša·y thirsty (fem.)	عَطْشَىْ
ʕaṭšayayni	عَطْشَيَيْنِ
dunyayȃni	دُنْيَيَاْنِ	dunyaa lowest/nearest (fem.)	دُنْيَاْ
dunyayayni	دُنْيَيَيْنِ
musatšfayȃni	مُسْتَشْفَيَاْنِ	mustašfa·y hospital (masc.)	مُسْتَشْفَىْ
musatšfayayni	مُسْتَشْفَيَيْنِ

 

 

II. Extended Nouns
Extended nouns are nouns whose singular stems end with a long A vowel followed by a hamza·t (-ȃʔ ـَاْء ).

۩ Extended Nouns With Four Letters or Fewer

In extended nouns with four letters or fewer, the final hamza·t ء is always an original letter. When attaching the dual ending, the ء will be changed back to its origin (w or y) if the ء itself is not the origin.

-ȃʔ → –ȃʔ–dual ending

-ȃʔ → –ȃw–dual ending

-ȃʔ → –ȃy-dual ending

Endings of Extended Nouns With Four Letters or Fewer
Singular		Dual
		Subject		Object
-ȃʔ	ـَاْء	-ȃʔȃni	ـَاْءَاْنِ	-ȃʔayni	ـَاْءَيْنِ
-ȃʔ	ـَاْء	-ȃwȃni	ـَاْوَاْنِ	-ȃwayni	ـَاْوَيْنِ
-ȃʔ	ـَاْء	-ȃyȃni	ـَاْيَاْنِ	-ȃyayni	ـَاْيَيْنِ

Unlike the shortened ʔalif, whose figure denotes its origin, the origin of the hamza·t of an extended ʔalif cannot be told from its written figure.

It is possible, though not ideally correct, to keep the hamza·t of the extended ʔalif always without change when attaching the dual ending. This is typical of Modern Standard Arabic.

Examples:

Dual		Singular
dȃʔȃni	دَاْءَاْنِ	dȃʔ disease (masc.)	دَاْء
dȃʔayni	دَاْءَيْنِ
binȃyȃni	بِنَاْيَاْنِ	binȃʔ building (masc.)	بِنَاْء
binȃʔȃni	بِنَاْءَاْنِ
binȃyayni	بِنَاْيَيْنِ
binȃʔayni	بِنَاْءَيْنِ
samȃwȃni	سَمَاْوَاْنِ	samȃʔ heaven (fem.)	سَمَاْء
samȃʔȃni	سَمَاْءَاْنِ
samȃwayni	سَمَاْوَيْنِ
samȃʔayni	سَمَاْءَيْنِ

 

۩ Extended Nouns With More Than Four Letters

In extended nouns with more than four letters, there is a chance that the hamza·t ء of the extended ʔalif is an additional letter (i.e. the extended ʔalif is a suffix).

If the hamza·t is an original letter, it will be changed back to its origin (w, y, or kept ʔ ) when adding the dual suffix.

-ȃʔ → –ȃʔ–dual ending

-ȃʔ → –ȃw–dual ending

-ȃʔ → –ȃy-dual ending

 

However, it is possible to always keep the hamza·t unchanged when attaching the dual ending. This is typical of Modern Standard Arabic.

Examples:

Dual		Singular
ʔinšȃʔȃni	إِنْشَاْءَاْنِ	ʔinšȃʔ construction (masc.)	إِنْشَاْء
ʔinšȃʔayni	إِنْشَاْءَيْنِ
bannȃyȃni	بَنَّاْيَاْنِ	bannȃʔ builder (masc.)	بَنَّاْء
bannȃʔȃni	بَنَّاْءَاْنِ
bannȃyayni	بَنَّاْيَيْنِ
bannȃʔayni	بَنَّاْءَيْنِ
miʕṭȃwȃni	مِعْطَاْوَاْنِ	miʕṭȃʔ giving, generous (masc./fem.)	مِعْطَاْء
miʕṭȃʔȃni	مِعْطَاْءَاْنِ
miʕṭȃwayni	مِعْطَاْوَيْنِ
miʕṭȃʔayni	مِعْطَاْءَيْنِ

 

When the-ȃʔ is a feminine marker, the hamza·t is always turned into w when attaching the dual ending.

-ȃʔ → –ȃw–dual ending

 

Dual		Singular
xaḍrȃwȃni	خَضْرَاْوَاْنِ	xaḍrȃʔ green (fem.)	خَضْرَاْء
xaḍrȃwayni	خَضْرَاْوَيْنِ
samrȃwȃni	سَمْرَاْوَاْنِ	samrȃʔ brunette (fem.)	سَمْرَاْء
samrȃwayni	سَمْرَاْوَيْنِ
mȗmiyȃwȃni	مُوْمِيَاْوَاْنِ	mȗmiyȃʔ mummy (fem.)	مُوْمِيَاْء
mȗmiyȃwayni	مُوْمِيَاْوَيْنِ

 

 

III. Defective Nouns

Defective nouns are nouns that end with a long I vowel (-iy ـِيْ ) whose terminal y belongs to the root.

Defective nouns take the dual ending just as regular nouns.

-iy → –iy–dual ending

Endings of Defective Nouns
Singular		Dual
		Subject		Object
-iy	ـِيْ	-iyȃni	ـِيَاْنِ	-iyayni	ـِيَيْنِ

 

Examples:

Dual		Singular
qȃḍiyȃni	قَاْضِيَاْنِ	qȃḍiy a finalizing/finalizer (masc.) → a judge (masc.)	قَاْضِيْ
qȃḍiyayni	قَاْضِيَيْنِ
dȃʕiyȃni	دَاْعِيَاْنِ	dȃʕiy Inviting/inviter (masc.)	دَاْعِيْ
dȃʕiyayni	دَاْعِيَيْنِ

 

 

Annexed Duals

There are five dual nouns for which there are no singulars. These are called the “annexed duals” مُلْحَقَاْتُ الْمُثَنَّىْ .

Annexed Duals
Meaning	Object Case		Subject Case
Two (masc.)	ʔiθnayni	اِثْنَيْنِ	ʔiθnȃni	اِثْنَاْنِ
Two (fem.)	ʔiθnatayni	اِثْنَتَيْنِ	ʔiθnatȃni	اِثْنَتَاْنِ
	θintayni	ثِنْتَيْنِ	θintȃni	ثِنْتَاْنِ
Both (of) (masc.)	kilay	كِلَيْ	kilȃ	كِلا
Both (of) (fem.)	kiltay	كِلْتَيْ	kiltȃ	كِلْتَاْ

The last two words lack their final -ni because they exist only in the construct state which is used to form genitive constructions. Dual nouns (as well as the regular masculine plurals) lose their final -ni in the construct state. This will be covered later.

Note

The inflectional dual suffix -ȃni must be distinguished from the derivational suffix -ȃn which is found in verbal nouns and verbal adjectives.

Example		Structure
Deprivation	حِرْمَاْنٌ	fiʕlȃnuṋ verbal noun	فِعْلانٌ
Big loss	خُسْرَاْنٌ	fuʕlȃnuṋ verbal noun	فُعْلانٌ
Boiling	غَلَيَاْنٌ	faʕalȃnuṋ verbal noun	فَعَلانٌ
Thirsty	عَطْشَاْنُ	faʕlȃnu verbal adjective	فَعْلانُ*

*Diptote.

The suffix -ȃn also derives nouns from nouns, e.g. ʔinsȃnuṋ إِنْسَاْنٌ “a human being” from ʔinsuṋ إِنْسٌ “a human being.” This suffix is found in some broken plural structures.

Example		Structure
Children	وِلْدَاْنٌ	fiʕlȃnuṋ broken plural	فِعْلانٌ
Herds	قُطْعَاْنٌ	fuʕlȃnuṋ broken plural	فُعْلانٌ

 

Proper nouns with the -ȃn suffix are nomina diptota (e.g. عُثْمَاْنُ ، حَمْدَاْنُ ، سَلْمَاْنُ). Faʕlȃnu adjectives are diptota when their feminine form is faʕla·y, which is true for most of them.

Extra Note: Modern Variations

In the modern spoken vernaculars the dual declension is still productive, but the dual ending has only one form for all cases and states.

The most common form of the dual ending in the modern vernaculars is:

–ēn

Examples from Aleppo Arabic:

yōmēn = two days

ktābēn = two books

telfezyōnēn = two televisions

ktābēn ʔ⋅əl-walad = [the] two books [of] the boy

ktābēn-ī = [the] two books [of] me

A rare form of the ending found in some dialects is -ayn.

Exercise 1

Can you change the following singular nouns to dual nouns in the subject case?

 

Pen (masc.)	قَلَم
Paper (fem.)	وَرَقَة
Fulgurating (fulguration) (masc.)	سَنَاْ
Forum (masc.)	مُنْتَدَىْ
Black (fem.)	سَوْدَاْء
Self-sufficing (self-sufficiency) (masc.)	اِكْتِفَاْء
Medication (masc.)	دَوَاْء
Judge (masc.)	قَاْضِيْ

 

 

Answers

قَلَمَاْنِ

وَرَقََتَاْنِ

سَنَوَاْنِ

مُنْتَدَيَاْنِ

سَوْدَاْوَاْنِ

اِكْتِفَاْءَاْنِ

دَوَاْءَاْنِ

قَاْضِيَاْنِ

 

Exercise 2

Can you change the following dual nouns to singular nouns?

Two apples	تُفَّاْحَتَاْنِ
Two bones	عَظْمَيْنِ
Two ranges	مَدَيَاْنِ
Two gorgeous (women)	حَسْنَاْوَيْنِ
Two afflictings (two afflictions)	بَلاءَيْنِ
Two giftings	إِهْدَاْءَاْنِ
Two sponsors	رَاْعِيَتَيْنِ

 

 

 

Answers

Apple (fem.)	تُفَّاْحَة
Bone (masc.)	عَظْم
Range (masc.)	مَدَىْ
Gorgeous (fem.)	حَسْنَاْء
Afflicting (affliction) (masc.)	بَلاء
Gifting (masc.)	إِهْدَاْء
Sponsor (fem.)	رَاْعِيَة

 

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