Persian borrowing so much from Arabic has adopted many plural from that language. ه at the end of a word, representing the Arabic ة, often becomes ات āt in the plural, according to the Arabic usage..
In "irrational" words derive from the Arabic Persians very frequently use the Arabic plural, but they insert a j for euphony in the case of the feminine plural in ات āt; as قلعه kal'a, "a fortress," pl. قلعه ḳilā,[1], (
Persian characters) ḳal'ajāt, "fortresses." They even erroneously transfer this construction to purely Persian words; as نوشته navishta, " a writing," نوشتجات navishtajät, "writings;" but this is only done in words implying a irrational being or thing.
When the Arabic feminine in ه = ة is affixed to a noun implying a rational object, as معشوق máshūḳ, "beloved," معشوقه máshūḳah, "a mistress", it becomes ūt, and not jūt.
In colloquial Persian ها hā is used as the plural for nearly all words, rational and irrational alike.
Dual.
In some words the Arabic dual form is borrowed: as طرف tarf, "a side," (Persian characters) tarfain "the two sides" or "parties:" this always ends in این ain.
Dual.
From a grammatical point of view the Persian language
- ↑ The irregular or "broken" Arabic plurals are treated of in the Arabic section of this work.
