Dictionary

duale tantum en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• [dʊˈɑːleɪˈtant̩m] (UK)
• /dʊˈɑːleɪˈtæntəm/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /dʊˈɑːleɪˈtantəm/ (UK)

Etymology

From Latin duāle tantum (“dual as such; dual only”), from duāle + tantum.

Meanings

1. A noun (or specific sense of a noun) that can only occur in the dual, and which lacks forms for singular, plural, and any other number.
   • The only natural-pair noun consistently preferring the dual over the plural, ὄσσε, virtually a duale tantum, refers to the eyes not as mere sense-organs but as ‘windows of the soul’. 1989, Frans Plank, “On Humboldt on the Dual” in Linguistic Categorization, eds. R. Corrigan, F.R. Eckman, and M.P. Noonan, § 2.5, 309
   • The second -c- refers to icgaʹkwal “eel” (duale tantum), a form used alongside of igaʹkwal (masc.). 1909, Edward Sapir, Wishram Texts, page 4, footnote 1:
   • Generally singularia tantum are the most common; we find instances with just the plural or with dual and plural but lacking the singular; dualia tantum are quite rare. 2000, Greville G. Corbett, Number, chapter v, § 5.8.2, 175:

Forms

Relateds

plurale tantum · singulare tantum

Translations (2)

pl duale tantum (grammar: noun that can only occur in the dual) · de Dualetantum (grammar: noun that can only occur in the dual)