08 Nouns and Adjectives: Number 9.5.1 Forms of the Broken Plural There are twenty-nine patterns of broken plural for words derived from triliteral roots, and some additional oncs for words consisting of four or more letters. There are few invariable ules to indicate which singular takes which pattern of broken plural, although some broken plural patterns are more or less associated with specific singular forms. Leaving aside the rarer patterns, the forms of the broken plural in common usc are: a). Judi: sing. plural (Bs infant infants Le door doors 2 pen pens Set market markets My boy boys by. dua: sing. plural Ab country S54 countries man dey men garment Sg garments, clothes dog SIS dogs mountain dt mountains ( This is a common broken plural pattern for masculine adjectives of the form {3 + plural big; ald small; young, tall; long, Seai short sing. byes angry buys hungry She thiestyModern Literary Arabic: A Reference Grammar 109 Sis king Ze tower 2413 lesson. 2 war Let origin Las city \y25 messenger LES book new (very) patient 3b river Jez lee 4e month oe eye soul 133. country, stale sentence corpse room new plural et se se Sak towers lessons origins cities messengers rivers fegs months eyes souls countries, states sentences corpses rooms the broken plural form for masculine and feminine adjectives of colour and110 Nouns and Adjectives: Number physical deficiencies: ‘mase. sing. tem. sing. blue green ath deaf h). maxim occupation share 235 summit piece #032 hunchbacked maxims ‘occupations shares: sammits pieces 1). 3 is a common broken plural pattern for nouns and adjectives of the active particle form jel when referring to male humans: sing. isk CUtb student resident tai, visitor writer worker passenger driver leader ignorant eit envious BE sleeping clever residents students visitors writers workers: passengers drivers leaders J). £48 is also often used for the plural of nouns and adjectives of the active participle formModern Literary Arubie: A Reference Grammar 111 ieG when referring to male humans: magician magicians salesman {salesmen servant servants student students sly, cunning ignorant jai skilful oe k). ad is used for nouns and adjectives of the active participle form jel derived from roots with weak final radical , or .s when referring to male humans: sing. plural 3 Marrator ig} narrators, wrk judge ge builder 4 builders naked cruel; harsh bare footed Aah ). plural side sides mosque mosques coast coasts capital city capital cities feeling, sentiment feelings, sentiments 2, building buildings 255 medicine medi tks place Esai places SUI tongue Lif tongues112. Nouns and Adjectives: Number 2.5 beloved; sweetheart EL beloved; sweethearts mighty; beloved beloved diptote): plural instinct {12 instinets newspaper Ja newspapers mime BUS minutes crime crimes letter fetters curtains veil curtains; veils pillow pillows conscience consciences 0). 40° fire fires neighbour neighbours 36 mouse mice Eee boy, youth Doys, youths l= wall walls 38 bull; ox bulls; oxen Ge leg, thigh legs, thighs p). as sing. {country countries shirt shits riders, horsemen backs rider, horseman back youthful; « youth youths brave blind deafModern Literary Arabic: A Reference Grammar 13 g). £548 (a diptote) is commonly used for nouns and adjectives of the singular form “33 when refersing 19 male humans: sing. plural Jeader, president 24533 leaders, presidents minister 2633 ministers prince ait princes caliph caliphs poor a generous ays ee weak Bike Jet ignorant tae 1). fs! (a diptotc) is also a common plural pattern for nouns and adjectives of the form ie when referring to male humans: plural prophet relative friend doctor ‘ug4 strong ich strong intelligent 8). killed & st wounded oF ap sick eh Goth stupid114 Nouns and Adjectives: Number y. Jus: sing piural UAe desert Sile deserts complaint complaints gift gifts mistake mistakes ‘This is a common broken plural pattern for masculine adjectives of the form bi sing. Suk drunk SuLS satiated, full SLAP angry bees lazy Jes passionate Sire coniused drunk; elated regretful diptote) is used for nouns with four consonants: plural poe dirham ais dirhams “Age jewel Jats jewels L538 star 25135 stars 435 notebook 2343 notebooks BALE skull pee skulls (i) It is uscd for nouns derived from triliteral roots which have the prefix +: sing. plural Ee! foreign: foreigner Jats! foreigners LE} song. gt songs (i) It is used for nouns derived from triliteral roots which have the prefix ¢ , thus for nouns of place and time derived from Form I verbs: sing plural Lk oftice LK officesModer Literary Arabic: A Reference Grammar 115 shelter slaughterhouse place, site place of arrival kitchen factory shelters slaughterhouses places places of arrival kitchens factories This includes those nouns of place and time derived from roots with a final radical , or g- The resulting plural is a defective noun: sing. As place of exile et cals place of entertainment SS building brothel place where or from where the wind blows dwelling, residence row, line, battle line oe outlet, drain; mouth [of a river) They may occasionally end with t@’ marbata: sing, plural oh Saks mill, flour mill gets ee Eck print shop, printing office wes jis fishery, fishing ground Jyuas tomb, burying place x places of exile places of entertainment buildings brothels plural Bee we 5 lis dwellings, residences Slat rows Eta: outlets schools mills tanneries print shops, printing offices fisheries tombs, burying places (ii) It is similarly used for nouns of instrument which have the prefix ¢ : sing. plural sickle de SLL, claw, talon Ne sickles claws, talons116 Nouns and Adjectives: Number 45h fan fans ite, trap traps brooms Si, umbrella ik: umbrelias When the noun of instrument is derived from verbs with weak final radical , or , the resulting plural is a defective noun: sing. is frying pan JL. toy, plaything frying pans toys spanner, wrench spanners, wrenches sieve sieves iron irons anchor anchors colander, filter colanders, filters ventilator ventilators 5}. stairs, staircase GIA staircases (iv) It is used for the noun of vessel, which takes the same singular forms as the noun of instrument (Slade , ad, and Si, washbasin washbasins ashtray ashtrays inkwell inkwells test tube test tubes 35} provision bag provision bags (v) It may be used for the plural of the elative when referring to male humans: sing plural 281 biggeribiggest si more/most generous vst smaller/smallest isl jail betterfbest jel (a diptote) is used for nouns with four consonants the penultimate letter of which is vy. jyModem Literary Arabic: A Reference Grammar 117 a long vowel: sing. Gyite box boxes Sed garden 5 gardens barrel barrels window windows sultan sultans cup cups pig pigs volcano E51Z volcanoes It is thus used for some adjectives when referring to male humans: sing. plural imprisoned miserable, wretched Este rocket rockets Sp5 dictionary dictionaries tle spy spies sé lantern lanterns fest buffalo Lel5é buffaloes It is used for nouns of instrument and nouns of place and time of the form Ju sing. plural ploughs gauges mortars balance, scales balances drain pipe, gutter time of birth drain pipes, gutters times of birth118 Nouns and Adjectives: Number appointment, appointed time ‘kei appointments w). dij is used for nouns of four or more consonants which refer to male humans: teacher, professor pupil, student philosopher doctor plural Listal teachers, professors pupils, students philosophers doctors pharmacist pharmacists veterinary surgeons 3iky veterinary surgeon x). Note the following unusual broken plurals: sing. 1 water waters ob mouth mouths 2) brother brothers “brothers” or “brethren” in a political i of religious organization | 9.6 Further Remarks 9.6.1 Many nouns and adjectives have more than one broken plural form with little or no difference in meaning. They may not, however, all be equally commonly used. For example: sing. plurals j sea Sa) seas roof cist roofs group, troop S651 groups, troops kind, variety 2,si81 kinds, varieties friend friends | stadents Cub student Jaz new angry lazy i 9.6.2 When a singular word has two or more meanings, each of these may have a specificModern Literary Arabic: A Reference Grammar 119 plural form. For example: plural 2 Shouse; line of poetry SUT lines of poetry | order; matter, affair matters, affairs edge; letter letters eye; important man important men JE slave; servant (of 3 ce & servants (of God), human God), human being beings 9.6.3 Many nouns have both a broken plural and a sound plural with the same meaning, For example: sing. broken pl. ta, card, ticket cards, tickets suit suits tear tears eke table tables He world Spe worlds {Bi tamity Sa! families S31 land, region 55351 lands, regions