the Aramaic שָֽׁמְרַ֫יִן = שָֽׁמְרָן for the Hebrew שֹֽׁמְרוֹן Samaria.—We may add to this list אֶפְרַ֫יִם, נַֽהְַרַ֫יִם the river country (in the Tel-el-Amarna letters nârima, na’rima), מִצְרַ֫יִם Egypt, Phoenician מצרם; also the words denoting time, צָֽהֳרַ֫יִם midday (Mêša‛ inscription, line 15 צהרם), and perhaps עַרְבַּ֫יִם in the evening, if the regular expression בֵּין־הָֽעַרְבַּ֫יִם Ex 126, 1612, &c., is only due to mistaking עַרְבַּ֫יִם for a dual: LXX πρὸς ἑσπέραν, τὸ δειλινόν, ὀψέ and only in Lv 235 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 יָדַי Ez 1318 read יָדַ֫יִם. On חַלּוֹנַי (generally taken to be a double window) Jer 2214, see above, § 87 g.
[d] 2. Only apparently dual-forms (but really plural) are the words מַ֫יִם water and שָׁמַ֫יִם heaven. According to P. Haupt in SBOT. (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. מים, שמים 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 (§ 124 b), kept the tone on the ay, thus causing the îm (which otherwise always has the tone, § 87 a) to be shortened to im. Cf. the analogous formations, Arab. tarḍaina, 2nd fem. sing. imperf. of a verb ל״י, for tarḍay + îna, corresponding to taqtulîna in the strong verb; also bibl.-Aram. בָּנַיִ֫ן the abs. st. plur. of the ptcp. Qal of (ל״י) בְּנָה, which otherwise always ends in în with the tone, e.g. in the ptcp. Qal of the strong verb, דָּֽבְחִין sacrificing.
[e] 2. The use of the dual in Hebrew is confined, except in the numerals 2, 12, 200, &c. (see § 97), 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. זְרֹעִים and זְרֹעוֹת arms, never in the dual), e.g. יָדַ֫יִם both hands, אָזְנַ֫יִם both ears, שִׁנַּ֫יִם teeth (of both rows), also נַֽעֲלַ֫יִם a pair of sandals, מֹֽאזְנַ֫יִם a pair of scales, Lat. bilanx, &c.; or things which are at least thought of as forming a pair, e.g. יוֹמַ֫יִם two (successive) days, Lat. biduum; שְׁבֻעַיִ֫ם two weeks; שְׁנָתַ֫יִם two years (in succession), Lat. biennium; אַמָּתַ֫יִם two cubits.[1]
[f] 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. אַרְבַּע רַגְלָ֑יִם four feet, Lv 1123; שֵׁשׁ כְּנָפַ֫יִם six wings (i.e. three pairs), Is 62, Ez 16; even שִׁבְעָה עֵינַ֫יִם seven eyes, Zc 39, כָּל־בִּרְכַּ֫יִם all knees, Ez 717; כָּל־יָדַ֫יִם all hands, Ez 2112; מְצִלְתַּ֫יִם cymbals, Ezr 310; שְׁפַתַּ֫יִם double-hooks, Ez 4043.—To express a certain emphasis the numeral two is used with the dual, as in Ju 1628, Am 312.—See some other remarks on the use of the dual in § 87 o and s.
[g] 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
