See also: مبنى

Arabic edit

Arabic numbers (edit)
[a], [b], [c], [d] ←  1 ٢
2
3  → [a], [b]
    Cardinal: اِثْنَان (iṯnān)
    Ordinal: ثَانٍ (ṯānin)
    Multiplier: ثُنَائِيّ (ṯunāʔiyy), مُثَنًّى (muṯannan)
    Distributive: ثُنَاءَ (ṯunāʔa), مَثْنَى (maṯnā)
    Fractional: نِصْف (niṣf)

Etymology 1 edit

Root
ث ن ي (ṯ-n-y)

Noun edit

مَثْنَى (maṯnām

  1. two at a time, in a group of two, in twos
    • 609–632 CE, Qur'an, 35:1:
      اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ فَاطِرِ ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ جَاعِلِ ٱلْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا أُولِي أَجْنِحَةٍ مَثْنَى وَثُلَاثَ وَرُبَاعَ يَزِيدُ فِي ٱلْخَلْقِ مَا يَشَاءُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
      al-ḥamdu lillahi fāṭiri s-samāwāti wal-ʔarḍi jāʕili l-malāʔikati rusulan ʔūlī ʔajniḥatin maṯnā waṯulāṯa warubāʕa yazīdu fī l-ḵalqi mā yašāʔu ʔinna l-laha ʕalā kulli šayʔin qadīrun
      All praise is for Allah, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, Who made angels ˹as His˺ messengers with wings—two, three, or four. He increases in creation whatever He wills. Surely Allah is Most Capable of everything.
Declension edit

Etymology 2 edit

Arabic numbers (edit)
[a], [b], [c] ←  1 ٢
2
3  → [a], [b]
    Cardinal: اِثْنَان (iṯnān)
    Ordinal: ثَانٍ (ṯānin)
    Multiplier: ثُنَائِيّ (ṯunāʔiyy), مُثَنًّى (muṯannan)
    Distributive: ثُنَاءَ (ṯunāʔa), مَثْنَى (maṯnā)
    Fractional: نِصْف (niṣf)

Derived from the passive participle of ثَنَّى (ṯannā, to double), from the root ث ن ي (ṯ-n-y).

Adjective edit

مُثَنًّى (muṯannan) (feminine مُثَنَّاة (muṯannāh), masculine plural مُثَنَّوْن (muṯannawn), feminine plural مُثَنَّيَات (muṯannayāt))

  1. double, two-fold
  2. (grammar) dual
Declension edit

Noun edit

مُثَنًّى (muṯannanm (dual مُثَنَّيَانِ (muṯannayāni), plural مُثَنَّيَات (muṯannayāt))

  1. (grammar) dual
    • a. 796 CE, Sībawayh, Al-Kitāb, volume 3, الخانجي, published 1988, page 492:
      وإِنَّمَا صَارَتِ التَّاءُ والوَاوُ والنُّونُ لِتَثْلِيثِ أَدْنَى العَدَدِ إِلَى تَعْشِيرِهِ وهُوَ الوَاحِدُ، كَمَا صَارَتِ الأَلِفُ والنُّونُ لِلتَّثْنِيَةِ، ومُثَنَّاهُ أَقَلُّ مِنْ مُثَلَّثِهِ. أَلَا تَرَى أَنَّ جَرَّ التَّاءِ ونَصْبَهَا سَوَاءٌ، وجَرَّ الِاثْنَيْنِ والثَّلَاثَةِ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَى حَدِّ التَّثْنِيَةِ ونَصْبَهُمْ سَوَاءٌ. فهَذَا يُقَرِّبُ أَنَّ التَّاءَ والوَاوَ والنُّونَ لِأَدْنَى العَدَدِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ وَافَقَ المُثَنَّى
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)
Declension edit