3.5AB - Propert 4 Quantity of a Noun Single/Dual

 Section 3.6 - Property 4 Quantity of a Noun عَدَدٌ (Ada-dun)

Quantities of Nouns اِسْمٌ is-mun are classified in three ways: Singular muf-ra-dun مُفْردٌ, Dual مُثَنَّي mu-than-na, and Plural جَمْعٌ jam-un.

 

A.     Singular اَلْمُفْرَدُ al-muf-ra-du

 

A singular specifies a quantity of one as in رَجُلٌ ra-ju-lun meaning “a man”.

 

B.     Dual اَلْمُثَنّٰى al-mu-than-na

 

A dual always specifies a quantity of two. It is specified by

 

1)     adding alphabets (ا) and (ن) for nominative رَفْعٌ raf-un. This gives the sound of aani at the end. For example, رَجُلَانِ ra-ju-laa-ni meaning “two men” in Nominative رَفْعٌ raf-un.

 

2) adding an alphabet (ي) with fathah and alphabet (ن) with kasrah after that for accusative نَصْبٌ nas-bun/ Genitive جَرٌّ jar-run. This gives the sound of ayni at the end. For example, رَجُلَيَنِ ra-ju-lai-ni in Accusative نَصْبٌ nas-bun/Genitive جَرٌّ jar-un.

Examples of Dual Male:

 

Meaning	Dual Accusative نَصْبٌ (nas-bun) and Genitive جَرٌّ (jar-run)	Meaning	Dual Nominative مُثَنّىٰٰ (mu-than-na)	Meaning	Noun
Two truthful males	صَادِقَيْنِ   Saa-di-qai-ni	Two truthful males	صَادِقَانِ   Saadi-qaa-ni	Truthful male	صَادِقٌ   Saa-di-qun
Two pious males	صَالِحَيْنِ   Saa-li-hee-na	Two pious males	صَالِحَانِ   Saa-li-haa-ni	Pious male	صَالِحٌ   Saa-li-hun
Two chairs	كُرسِىَّيْنِ   Kur-siy-yina	Two chairs	كُرسِيَّانِ   Kur-siy-yaa-ni	chair	كُرسِىٌّ   kur-siy-yun
Two walls	جِدَارَيْنِ   Ji-daa-rai-ni	Two walls	جِدَارَانِ   Jidaa-raa-ni	wall	جِدَارٌ   Ji-daa-run
Two houses	بَيْتَيْنِ   Bai-tai-ni	Two houses	بَيْتَانِ   Bai-taa-ni	house	بَيْتٌ   Bai-tun
Two doors	بَابَيْنِ   Baa-bai-ni	Two doors	بَابَانِ   Baba-ni	door	بَابٌ   Baa-bun
Two men	رَجُلَيْنِ   Raju-lai-ni	Two men	رَجُلَانِ   Raju-laa-ni	man	رَجُلٌ   Ra-ju-lun
Two boys	وَلَدَيْنِ   Wala-dai-ni	Two boys	وَلَدَانِ   Wala-daa-ni	boy	وَلَدٌ   Wala-dun
Two pens	قَلَمَيْنِ   Qala-mai-ni	Two pens	قَلَمَانِ   Qala-maa-ni	pen	قَلَمٌ   Qala-mun
Two books	كِتَابَيْنِ   Kitaa-bai-ni	Two books	كِتَابَانِ   Kitaa-baa-ni	book	كِتَابٌ     kitaa-bun

 

Same aani and ayni sounds also appear for the female Nouns. One point to note is that for a female Noun, the round taa (ة) at the end is replaced by a full taa (ت) to make a مُثَنّٰى (mu-than-na) dual.

 

Examples of مُثَنّٰى (mu-than-na) dual Female:

 

Meaning	مُثَنّىٰ (mu-than-na) dual Accusative نَصْبٌ (nas-bun) / Genitive	Meaning	مُثَنّىٰ (mu-than-na) dual Nominative	Meaning	Noun
Two gardens	جَنَّتَيْنِ   Janna-tai-ni	Two gardens	جَنَّتَانِ   Janna-taa-ni	garden	جَنَّةٌ   Janna-tun
Two words	كَلِمَتَيْنِ   Ka-li-ma-tai-ni	Two words	كَلِمَتَانِ   Ka-li-ma-taa-ni	word	كَلِمَةٌ   Kali-ma-tun
Two heavy (things)	ثَقِيْلَتَيْنِ   Saqee-la-ta-ni	Two heavy (things)	ثَقِيْلَتَانِ   Saqee-la-taa-ni	Heavy (thing)	ثَقِيْلَةٌ   Tha-qeela-tun
Two women	اِمْرَءَتَيْنِ   Imra-a-tai-ni	Two women	اِمْرَءَتَانِ   Imra-a-taa-ni	woman	اِمْرَءَةٌ   Im-ra-a-tun
Two sermons	خُطْبَتَيْنِ   Khut-ba-tai-ni	Two sermons	خُطْبَتَانِ   Khut-ba-taa-ni	sermon	خُطْبَةٌ   Khut-ba-tun
Two signs	اٰيَتَيْنِ   Aya-tai-ni	Two signs	اٰيَتَانِ   Aya-taa-ni	sign	اٰيَةٌ   Aya-tun
Two light (things)	خَفيْفَتَيْنِ   Kha-fee-fa-tai-ni	Two light (things)	خَفيْفَتَانِ   Kha-fee-fa-taa-ni	Light (things)	خَفيْفَةٌ   Kha-fee-fa-tun
Two eyes/springs	عَيْنَيْنِ   Ay-nai-ni	Two eyes/springs	عَيْنَانِ   Ay-naa-ni	eye	عَيْنٌ   Ay-nun
Two hands	يَدَيْنِ   Yad-ai-ni	Two hands	يَدَانِ   Yad-aa-ni	hand	يَدٌ   Yadun
Two girls	بِنْتَيْنِ   Bin-tai-ni	Two girls	بِنْتَانِ   Bin-taa-ni	girl	بِنْتٌ   Bin-tun

 

Arabic Words for “Both”, kilaaكِلَا  and kiltaa كِلْتَا

In Arabic, there is a special way to express the English word “both”.

The following two words are used for this purpose:

• كِلا (kilaa) meaning “both” for masculine singular
• كِلْتا (kiltaa) meaning ”both” for feminine singular

They both express the dual (مُثَنَّى) mu-than-na – however, grammatically, they are singular (مُفْرَدٌ muf-ra-dun). The only difference between كِلا kilaaand كِلْتا kil-taa is gender. كِلا kilaa is masculine and كِلْتا kil-taa is feminine.

There are two ways these duals are used:

1)     When these two are first part مُضَافٌ mu-daa-fun of the Possessive Compound الْإِضَافِيْ مُرَكَّبُ towards a pronoun اَلْمُضْمَرُ al-muz-maru. The 2nd part must be a definite, مُثَنّٰى (mu-than-na) dual Noun. For example,

·        both men (كِلَا الرَّجُلَيْنِ kil-ar-raju-laini)

·        both times (كِلْتَا الْمَرَّتَيْنِ kil-tal-mar-ra-tai-ni)

In this application, both words كِلَا kilaa and كِلْتَا kil-taa are proper Nouns.

2)     When these two are placed after a مُثَنّٰى (mu-than-na) dual Noun, you have to add a مُثَنّٰى (mu-than-na) dual pronoun suffix to كِلَا kilaa and كِلْتا kil-taa respectively

 

both men (الرَّجُلَانِ كِلاهُمَا) ar-raju-laani kilaa-huma

both times (الْمَرَّتَانِ كِلْتاهُمَا) al-mar-ra-taani kilta-hu-ma

 

See the table below for examples.

 

Table 7 - Kila and Kilta usage examples

 

	كِلَا kil-aa – Masculine with a pronoun		كِلْتَا kil-taa - Feminine with a pronoun
Nominative رَفْعٌ raf-un	جَاءَ كِلَاهُمَا   Jaa-a kilaa-hu-maa	Those two males came	جَاءَتْ كِلْتَاهُمَا   Jaa-at kil-taa-hu-maa	Those two females came
Accusative نَصْبٌ Nas-bun	رَأَيْتُ كِلَيهِمَا   Ra-ya-tu ki-lai-himaa	I saw those two males	رَأَيْتُ كِلْتَيْهِمَا   Raa-ya-tu kil-tai-himaa	I saw those two females
Genitive  جَرٌّ Jar-run	مَرَرْتُ بِكِلَيْهِمَا   Marar-tu bi-kila-himaa	I passed by those two males	مَرَرْتُ بِكِلْتَيْهِمَا   Mara-tu bi-kil-tai-himaa	I passed by those two females

 

 

 

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