Dual pronouns

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The dual pronoun is a subclass of the pronouns and is used to identify the two number (the dual). Dual pronouns are more often used as relics in the first person.

Examples

Lithuanian
  • aš 'I' (singular)
  • mudu 'we both' (1st person dual),
  • judu 'you both' (2nd pers.),
  • abudu 'both' (3rd pers.)
  • mes 'we' (plural)
North Frisian
  • ik 'I' (singular)
  • wat 'we both' (1st person dual nominative),
  • unk 'us both' (1st person dual dative / accusative),
  • jat 'you both' (2nd person dual nominative),
  • junk 'you both' (2nd person dual dative / accusative)
  • we 'we' (1st person plural nominative),
  • üs 'us' (1st person plural dative / accusative),
  • jam 'you / you' (2nd person plural nominative / dative / accusative)
Slovenian

In Slovenian, the dual is created by adding dva :

  • midva , vidva , onidva - dual masculine arises from mi , vi , oni - plural masculine
  • medva , vedva , onedva - dual feminine arises from me , ve , one - plural feminine

So the Slovenes say in the dual “we two”, “you two” and “you two”.

Accordingly, the 3rd person is dual neuter and plural onadva and ona .

Standard Arabic

Although the Arabic pronouns distinguish between genera (masculine and feminine) in the singular and plural, there are no differences in the dual plural:

Singular

أَنْتَ (ʾanta) - "Du (m.)" (2nd person singular masculine),
أَنْتِ (ʾanti) - "Du (f.)" (2nd person singular feminine),
هُوَ (huwa) - "he" (3rd person) . Person singular masculine),
هِيَ (hiya) - "she" (3rd person singular feminine)

dual

أَنْتُمَا (ʾantumā) - "your" (2nd person dual),
هُمَا (humā) - "she" (3rd person dual)

Plural

أَنّتُمْ (ʾantum) - "you" (2nd person plural masculine),
أَنْتُنَّ (ʾantunna) - "your" (2nd person plural feminine),
هُمْ (hum) - "she" (3rd person plural masculine),
هُنَّ ( hunna) - "she" (3rd person plural feminine)

Dual forms in the first person do not exist.

See also

literature