Arabic Feminine Plural Nouns
Nouns
Number of Nouns
Plural Nouns (continued)
Feminine Plural Nouns
The feminine plural جَمْعُ الْمُؤَنَّثِ الْسَّاْلِمِ is the second type of the regular (suffixal) plural. It is quite more common than the masculine plural.
The primary use of the feminine plural is to pluralize nouns and adjectives with feminine markers in addition to some masculine derived nouns and masculine nouns referring to objects.
Feminine plural nouns have the following ending that is inflected for two cases and two states:
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Feminine Plural Endings |
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Case |
Indefinite State |
Definite/Construct State |
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Subject (Raf”) |
-aat(un) |
-aat(u) |
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Object (Nasb & Jarr) |
-aat(in) |
-aat(i) |
The t of these endings is always pronounced, so it is an “open” t. Other nonstandard versions in Classical Arabic included a “tied” t (-aa(tun), -aa(tin), -aa(tu), and –aa(ti)) with pronunciation similar to that of the feminine -a(t).
When adding the feminine plural ending to nouns with additional -a(t), the -a(t) is removed.
Examples, click on the Arabic word to hear it:
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Stem Noun: mu”allim مُعَلِّم = “teacher“ |
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One male teacher |
mu”allim(un) |
مُعَلِّمٌ |
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One female teacher |
mu”allima(tun) |
مُعَلِّمَةٌ |
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2< female teachers (subject) |
mu”allimaat(un) |
مُعَلِّمَاْتٌ |
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2< female teachers (object) |
mu”allimaat(in) |
مُعَلِّمَاْتٍ |
The pronunciation and state inflection of the feminine plural ending is similar to that of singular nouns. On the other hand, the case inflection of the feminine plural ending is similar to that of the dual and masculine plural endings in that it involves only two cases (the nasb and jarr marking is identical).
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Stem Noun: mu”allim مُعَلِّم = “teacher” |
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Raf” (subject) Female teachers are here. |
mu”allimaat(un) |
مُعَلِّمَاْتٌ |
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Nasb (object) I saw female teachers. |
mu”allimaat(in) |
مُعَلِّمَاْتٍ |
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Jarr (possession/object of preposition) This is a female teachers’ class. I gave it to female teachers. |
mu”allimaat(in) |
مُعَلِّمَاْتٍ |
It looks like the feminine plural ending developed as follows:
-(a)atoona → -aatun
-(a)ateena → -aatin
The feminine plural ending is added to nouns with feminine markers whether they refer to female humans or not.
For example,
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Feminine Plural |
Singular |
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kalimaat(un) |
كَلِمَاْتٌ |
kalima(tun) a word (fem.) |
كَلِمَةٌ |
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kalimaat(in) |
كَلِمَاْتٍ |
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bawwaabaat(un) |
بَوَّاْبَاْتٌ |
bawwaaba(tun) a gate (fem.) |
بَوَّاْبَةٌ |
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bawwaabaat(in) |
بَوَّاْبَاْتٍ |
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muhaawalaat(un) |
مُحَاْوَلاْتٌ |
muhaawala(tun) an attempt (fem.) |
مُحَاْوَلَةٌ |
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muhaawalaat(in) |
مُحَاْوَلاْتٍ |
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musaa”adaat(un) |
مُسَاْعَدَاْتٌ |
musaa”ada(tun) a help (fem.) |
مُسَاْعَدَةٌ |
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musaa”adaat(in) |
مُسَاْعَدَاْتٍ |
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Nouns used as female names can take the feminine plural ending even if they are masculine themselves.
Feminine nouns without feminine markers are irregularly pluralized.
Examples:
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Irregular Plural |
Singular |
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huroob(un) |
حُرُوْبٌ |
harb(un) a war (fem.) |
حَرْبٌ |
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niraan(un) |
نِيْرَاْنٌ |
naar(un) a fire (fem.) |
نَاْرٌ |
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turuq(un) |
طُرُقٌ |
tareeq(un) a route/way (fem.) |
طَرِيْقٌ |
However, adjectives that modify feminine nouns without feminine having markers can take the feminine plural ending.
Fa“laa'< feminine adjectives do not take the feminine plural ending but are pluralized irregularly through the structure fu“l(un). However, this is often breached and the feminine plural ending is often added to such adjectives.
Examples:
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Plural |
Singular |
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humr(un) |
حُمْرٌ |
hamraa'< red (fem.) |
حَمْرَاْء |
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“umy(un) |
عُمْيٌ |
“amyaa'< blind (fem.) |
عَمْيَاْءُ |
Fa“laa feminine adjectives do not take the feminine plural ending but are pluralized irregularly through the structure fu“aalaa.
Examples:
|
Plural |
Singular |
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“utaashaa |
عُطَاْشَىْ |
“atshaa thirsty (fem.) |
عَطْشَىْ |
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sukaaraa |
سُكَاْرَىْ |
sakraa drunk (fem.) |
سَكْرَىْ |
Some basic feminine nouns, including ones with feminine markers, do not take the feminine plural ending or have altered figures when they take it.
Examples:
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Plural |
Singular |
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‘ummahaat(un) |
أُمَّهَاْتٌ |
‘umm(un) a mother (fem.) |
أُمٌّ |
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‘ummahaat(in) |
أُمَّهَاْتٍ |
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banaat(un) |
بَنَاْتٌ |
bint(un) a daughter/girl (fem.) |
بِنْتٌ |
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banaat(in) |
بَنَاْتٍ |
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‘akhawaat(un) |
أَخَوَاْتٌ |
‘ukht(un) a sister (fem.) |
أُخْتٌ |
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‘akhawaat(in) |
أَخَوَاْتٍ |
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sanawaat(un) |
سَنَوَاْتٌ |
sana(tun) a year (fem.) |
سَنَةٌ |
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sanawaat(in) |
سَنَوَاْتٍ |
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shifaah(un) |
شِفَاْهٌ |
shafa(tun) a lip (fem.) |
شَفَةٌ |
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shiyaah(un) |
شِيَاْهٌ |
shaa(tun) shaah(un) shaa‘(un) a goat (masc./fem.) |
شَاْةٌ |
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شَاْهٌ |
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شَاْءٌ |
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milal(un) |
مِلَلٌ |
milla(tun) a denomination (fem.) |
مِلَّةٌ |
The last three plurals are irregular plurals.
Etymologies
‘ummun (mother), bantun (daughter), ‘akhtun(sister).
Another word for “a daughter” in Standard Arabic is ‘ibna(tun) اِبْنَةٌ . A possible common ancestor of bantun and ‘ibnatun is bnatun.
The feminine plural ending is also added to masculine derived nouns that do not refer to male humans.
Many of these are verbal nouns, for example:
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Feminine Plural |
Singular |
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‘i“laanaat(un) |
إِعْلانَاْتٌ |
‘i“laan(un) an announcement (masc.) |
إِعْلانٌ |
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‘i“laanaat(in) |
إِعْلانَاْتٍ |
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‘ijtimaa“aat(un) |
اِجْتِمَاْعَاْتٌ |
‘ijtimaa“(un) a meeting (masc.) |
اِجْتِمَاْعٌ |
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‘ijtimaa“aat(in) |
اِجْتِمَاْعَاْتٍ |
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muqtarahaat(un) |
مُقْتَرَحَاْتٌ |
muqtarah(un) a proposition (masc.) |
مُقْتَرَحٌ |
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muqtarahaat(in) |
مُقْتَرَحَاْتٍ |
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mashroo“aat(un) |
مَشْرُوْعَاْتٌ |
mashroo“(un) a project (masc.) |
مَشْرُوْعٌ |
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mashroo“aat(in) |
مَشْرُوْعَاْتٍ |
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Masculine place and time nouns can also take the feminine plural ending:
|
Feminine Plural |
Singular |
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mataaraat(un) |
مَطَاْرَاْتٌ |
mataar(un) an airport (masc.) |
مَطَاْرٌ |
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mataaraat(in) |
مَطَاْرَاْتٍ |
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maqarraat(un) |
مَقَرَّاْتٌ |
maqarr(un) a location, a residing place (masc.) |
مَقَرٌّ |
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maqarraat(in) |
مَقَرَّاْتٍِ |
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mamarraat(un) |
مَمَرَّاْتٌ |
mamarr(un) a passageway (masc.) |
مَمَرٌّ |
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mamarraat(in) |
مَمَرَّاْتٍ |
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