Nouns: Paucal

01

From Collective to Paucal

The most common use of the paucal form occurs with "collective nouns." These are words that refer to a substance or a group of things as a whole (like "fruit" or "trees" in a general sense).

To count these items, Arabic follows a specific derivation process:

• Collective Form: Refers to the species or group in general.
• Singulative: Created by adding ⁧ة⁩ (tā’ marbūṭah) to the collective, referring to a single unit.
• Paucal Plural: Created by adding the long suffix ⁧⁧ـَات⁩⁩ (-āt-āt-āt-at) to the root, referring to a few specific units (3-10).

Here is the progression using the word for "apples":

• ⁧تُفَّاحٌ⁩

  tuffāḥuntuffāḥuntuffāḥuntufaḥun

  apples (collective/generic)

• ⁧تُفَّاحَةٌ⁩

  tuffāḥatuntuffāḥatuntuffāḥatuntufaḥatun

  an apple (one unit)

• ⁧تُفَّاحَاتٌ⁩

  tuffāḥātuntuffāḥātuntuffāḥātuntufaḥatun

  a few apples (paucal)

This distinction allows you to be precise about whether you are talking about the category of things or a specific, countable small number.

• ⁧أُحِبُّ السَّمَكَ.⁩

  Uḥibbu al-samaka.Uḥibbu al-samaka.Uḥibbu ʾal-samaka.Uḥibu al-samaka.

  I like fish (in general).

• ⁧أَكَلْتُ سَمَكَاتٍ.⁩

  Akaltu samakātin.Akaltu samakātin.Akaltu samakātin.Akaltu samakatin.

  I ate a few fish (specifically 3-10).

02

Paucal Patterns in Broken Plurals

While the ⁧⁧ـَات⁩⁩ (-āt-āt-āt-at) suffix is a standard way to form the paucal for collective nouns, "broken plurals" (irregular plurals that change the internal structure of the word) also have specific patterns that indicate paucity.

If a noun has two different plural forms, one is often reserved for small numbers (paucal) and the other for large numbers or general statements (multitude).

Common patterns for the paucal include:

• ⁧⁧أَفْعُلٌ⁩⁩ (’af‘ulun)
• ⁧⁧أَفْعَالٌ⁩⁩ (’af‘ālun’af‘ālun’af‘ālun’af‘alun)
• ⁧⁧أَفْعِلَةٌ⁩⁩ (’af‘ilatun)
• ⁧⁧فِعْلَةٌ⁩⁩ (fi‘latun)

For example, the word "month" ⁧⁧شَهْرٌ⁩⁩ (shahrun) has two plurals.

• ⁧أَشْهُرٌ⁩

  ’ashhurun’ashhurun’ashhurun’ashurun

  months (paucal: a few months)

• ⁧شُهُورٌ⁩

  shuhūrunshuhūrunshuhuwrunshuhwrun

  months (multitude: many months or months in general)

In Modern Standard Arabic, this distinction is sometimes relaxed, and the "paucal" form might be used for general plural contexts. However, when counting specifically between 3 and 10, the paucal form is grammatically preferred if it exists.

03

Usage with Numbers

When using specific numbers between 3 and 10, you must use the genitive plural of the noun. If the noun has a specific paucal form, this is the form you should use with these numbers.

• ⁧ثَلَاثَةُ أَشْهُرٍ⁩

  thalāthatu ’ashhurinthalāthatu ’ashhurinthalāthatu ’ashhurinthalathatu ’ashurin

  three months

• ⁧خَمْسُ وَرَقَاتٍ⁩

  khamsu waraqātinkhamsu waraqātinkhamsu waraqātinkhamsu waraqatin

  five papers (sheets)