مُثَنَّى
muthanna
Dual
Sarf · morphologyNumber & plural typecore term244+ in the Qur'an
Also written: Muthanna · Dual · Mufrad
In one line
Dual
Classical definition
المُثَنَّى مَا دَلَّ عَلَى اثْنَيْنِ أَوِ اثْنَتَيْنِ بِزِيَادَةِ أَلِفٍ وَنُونٍ أَوْ يَاءٍ وَنُونٍ، يُرْفَعُ بِالأَلِفِ.
(الألفية)
What it is
Where English jumps straight from “one” to “many,” Arabic has a dedicated form for exactly two — the dual (muthanna). It is the simplest pattern in the language: add ـَانِ in the rafa' state and ـَيْنِ in nasb and jarr, with no exceptions. Two of anything, and you reach for the dual.
Related terms
مُفْرَد · mufrad
الْمُفْرَد · al-mufrad
جَمْع تَكْسِير · jam' taksir
جَمْع مُذَكَّر سَالِم · jam' mudhakkar salim
▶ Watch the lessons
From the free course The Language of Quran — Easier than English (Book 1) (LoQ1), taught by Ustad Muhammad Arjan Ali.