The dual in Arabic - الْمُثَنَّى
Introduction
In English, we differentiate between singular and plural forms. In contrast, Arabic encompasses three numerical distinctions: singular, plural, and the unique dual form.
المُفْرَدُ
Singular
الْمُثَتَّى
Dual
الْجَمْعُ
Plural
1. Crafting the Dual Form in Arabic
In Arabic, the linguistic beauty of expressing pairs is captured by the dual form, a grammatical feature absent in many languages. This form is articulated by a distinct set of suffixes, carefully chosen based on the case and gender of the nouns.
- General Dual Formation: The fundamental blueprint for crafting the dual form requires affixing the combination of a fatha, an alif, and finally, a noon endowed with a kasrah, represented as:
- ـانِ
- Nominative Case (حَالةُ الرَّفَعِ): When dealing with nouns in the nominative case, a slight variation in suffix emerges. Here, the suffix takes on the pattern of a fatha, a sukoon, and subsequently a noon accompanied by a kasrah:
- ـيْنِ
- Accusative and Genitive Cases for Masculine Nouns: Masculine nouns, when in the accusative or genitive cases, adhere to the aforementioned patterns. It’s crucial to recognize the case to apply the appropriate suffix, ensuring grammatical correctness and preserving the eloquence of the Arabic language.
A. Masculine dual in Arabic
Nominative case
Singular
مُسْلِمٌ – a muslim
Dual
مُسْلِمانِ – two muslims
Accusative case
Singular
مُسْلِمًا – a muslim
Dual
مُسْلِمَيْنِ – two muslims
Genitive case
Singular
مُسْلِمٍ – a muslim
Dual
مُسْلِمَيْنِ – two muslims
Illustration from the Qur'an:
وَأَمَّا الْجِدَارُ فَكَانَ لِغُلَامَيْنِ يَتِيمَيْنِ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ
“And as for the wall, it belonged to two orphan boys in the city” (18:82)
B. Feminine dual in Arabic
In the Arabic language, feminine nouns typically conclude with the distinct character known as ‘Ta Marbouta’ (ة). However, when shifting to the dual form, this ‘Ta Marbouta’ undergoes a transformation into the more conventional ‘Ta maftooha’ (ت).
Upon this transition, the feminine nouns adopt suffixes similar to their masculine counterparts for the dual form. Specifically, they embrace:
- ـانِ
- ـَيْنِ
Thus, the rules for dual formation in feminine nouns align closely with those for masculine nouns in this context.
Here are some illustrative examples to further clarify this grammatical principle:
Nominative case
Singular
مُسْلِمَةٌ
A muslim
Dual
مُسْلِمَتَانِ
two muslims
Accusative case
Singular
مُسْلِمَةً
A muslim
Dual
مُسْلِمَتَيْنِ
Two muslims
Genitive case
Singular
مُسْلِمَةً
A muslim
Dual
مُسْلِمَتَيْنِ
two muslims
Illustration from the Qur'an:
جَعَلْنَا لِأَحَدِهِمَا جَنَّتَيْنِ مِنْ أَعْنَابٍ
We granted to one of them two gardens of grapevines (18:32)
وَلِمَنْ خَافَ مَقَامَ رَبِّهِ جَنَّتَانِ
Conclusion
This lesson on Arabic nuances concludes here. Insha’Allah, our subsequent session will delve into the plural forms in Arabic.
Al-dirassa Institute invites you on a linguistic journey with our expert teachers to master the Arabic language. Should you wish to further your studies, we welcome your inquiries.
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