Elementary Arabic Morphology 1

The Division of Nouns Into Single, Dual and Plural

50. What is a single noun?

51. What is a dual?

52. What is a plural?

53. How is a masculine sound plural formed?

54. How is a feminine sound plural formed?

55. How is a broken plural formed?

56. A single noun is a noun that denotes one thing. For example**:** غلامٌ حصانٌ (a horse, a male servant)

57. A dual noun is a noun that denotes two things and is formed by adding:

• an alif and a nūn; for example: کِتابانِ رَجُلانِ (two books, two men)

• a yā' and a nūn; for example: کِتابَینِ رَجُلَینِ

52. A plural noun is a noun that denotes more than two things and is divided into three categories: a masculine sound plural, a feminine sound plural and a broken plural.

53. A masculine sound plural is formed by adding:

• a wāw and a nūn; for example: مُسلِمُونَ صَادِقُونَ (Muslims, truthful people)

• a yā' and a nūn; for example: مُسلِمِینَ صَادِقِینَ

54. A feminine sound plural is formed by adding an alif and tā'; for example: ذاهِبات کاتِبات (female authors, female leavers)

55. A broken plural is formed by changing the form of the single noun; for example: رِجالٌ ﺃرغِفَة (loaves of Syrian bread, men)