20
formation of the plural.
- If the ة is preceded by a long vowel, the ة is retained; as—
راه rāh, “a road,” plur. راهها rāhhā.
Final Observations.
20. Arabic words may have the Persian or the Arabic form of plural; thus--
| Sing. | Persian Pl. | Arabic Pl. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| defect | عّیب 'aib | عّیبها 'aibhā |  عّوّائب 'awā,ib 
|
 عُیُوب 'uyūb
| |||
| viceroy | نّائٍب nā,ib | نائٍبان nā,ibān | نُوّاب nūwāb |
| a book | کٍتّاب kitāb | کٍتّابها kitābhā | کُتُاب kutub |
| a labourer | عَامِل 'āmil | عاملان 'āmilān | عماة 'amalat |
In imitation of the feminine plural of Arabic nouns, names applicable to females, or to things without life, sometimes form the plural by the affix (āt) or (iyāt), as—
| Sing. | Plur. | |
| a favour | nawāzish | nawāzishāt |
| an anecdote | naḳl | naḳliyāt |
When the word ends in imperceptible ه (h) the affix becomes جات (jāt), the letter ه being omitted; as—
