Page:Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar (1910 Kautzsch-Cowley edition).djvu/270

 the Aramaic  =  for the Hebrew .—We may add to this list,  (in the Tel-el-Amarna letters nârima, na’rima), , Phoenician ; also the words denoting time,  (Mêša‛ inscription, line 15 ), and perhaps , if the regular expression  , , &c., is only due to mistaking  for a dual: LXX πρὸς ἑσπέραν, τὸ δειλινόν, ὀψέ and only in  ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ἑσπερινῶν. The Arabs also say el ‛išâ’ân, the two evenings, cf. Kuhn’s Literaturblatt, iii. 48.

Instead of the supposed dual  read. On (generally taken to be a double window), see above,.

2. Only apparently dual-forms (but really plural) are the words and. According to P. Haupt in (critical notes on Isaiah, p. 157, line 18 ff.), they are to be derived from the old plural forms (found in Assyrian) mâmi, šamâmi, whence the Hebr. , arose by inversion of the i mâmi, mâimi, maim. It is simpler, however, to suppose that the primitive singulars may and šamay, when they took the plural of extension, kept the tone on the ay, thus causing the îm (which otherwise always has the tone, ) to be shortened to im. Cf. the analogous formations, Arab. tarḍaina, ''2nd fem. sing. imperf''. of a verb, for tarḍay + îna, corresponding to taqtulîna in the strong verb; also bibl.-Aram. the ''abs. st. plur''. of the ''ptcp. Qal of, which otherwise always ends in în with the tone, e.g. in the ptcp. Qal'' of the strong verb,.

2. The use of the dual in Hebrew is confined, except in the numerals 2, 12, 200, &c. (see ), practically to those objects which are by nature or art always found in pairs, especially to the double members of the body (but not necessarily so, cf. and, never in the dual), e.g. , ,  (of both rows), also , , Lat. bilanx, &c.; or things which are at least thought of as forming a pair, e.g.  (successive) days, Lat. biduum; ;  (in succession), Lat. biennium;.

In the former case the dual may be used for a plural, either indefinite or defined by a numeral, where it is thought of in a double arrangement, e.g., ; (i.e. three pairs), , ; even , , , ; , ; , ; , .—To express a certain emphasis the numeral two is used with the dual, as in , .—See some other remarks on the use of the dual in  and s.

It is not impossible that Hebrew at an earlier period made a more extensive and freer use of the dual, and that the restrictions and limitations of its use, mentioned above, belong to a relatively later phase of development. The