to unity, expressing one (specified or not) of the species and no more, by adding ک. When this is the یک مجهول yū-e majhūl (see p. 28) it makes the word indefinite, whether it be a noun or a verb.
Nouns Substantive and Adjective.
All nouns are concrete, that is, substantive.
A noun only exercises the functions of an adjective by being used in a subserviant manner as qualifying another word; e.g. مردخوب mard i khūb, "a good man," not as in English (where good is abstract and meaningless without the substantive being expressed), but "a man (I mean) a good one:" hence we can use a so-called "adjective" as a substantive as خوبی murda, "a good (man)," مرده murda, "a dead (man)," whereas in English, to say "a good," "a dead," is nonsense. There is, in fact, no such thing as an adjective, though one substantive may be used to qualify another.
Number.
The plural is formed by affixing
| ان ān for rational and ها hā for irrational |
creatures; |
as مردان mardān, "men," سنگها sanghā, "stones."
When the word ends in silent ه h an euphonic گ is inserted; as برده banda, "a slave," بردگان bandagūn, "slaves." If it end in ا ā, an euphonic ی y is introduced; as دانا dānā, "wise," دانایان dānāyān.
