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زَوْجٌ ذ primarily signifies A sort of thing of any kind [that is one of a pair or couple]: and زَوْجَانِ signifies a pair, or couple, i. e. any two things paired or coupled together, whether they be likes or contraries: زَوْجٌ signifying either one of such two things: (Az, TA:) or, accord. to 'Alee Ibn- 'Eesà, a sort of thing [absolutely]: (Mgh:) or a sort of thing having its like, (El-Ghooree, Mgh, Msb,) as in the case of species; (Msb;) or having its contrary, (El-Ghooree, Mgh, Msb,) as the moist and the dry, and the male and the female, and the night and the day, and the bitter and the sweet; (Msb;) though sometimes applied to any sort of thing; and to a single thing: (El-Ghooree, Mgh:) or it is applied to a single thing only when having with it a thing of the same kind; (Mgh, Msb;) زَوْجَانِ signifying a pair, or couple, of such things: (Mgh:) the pl. is أَزْوَاجِ: (TA:) you say زَوْجَانِ مِنْ حَمَامٍ and زَوْجَا حَمَامٍ [A pair of pigeons]: (A:) and اِشْتَرَيْتُ زَوْجَى حَمَامٍ [I bought a pair of pigeons], meaning a male and a female: (S:) and زَوْجَا نِعَالٍ [A pair of sandals]: (S, A:) and in like manner زَوْجَيْنِ is used in the Kur xi. 42 and xxiii. 28; (S;) meaning a male and a female: (Bd, Jel:) or, accord. to the M, زَوْجٌ signifies one of a pair or couple: and also a pair or couple together: (TA:) and in like manner says AO, (Mgh, Msb,) and IKt, and IF: (Msb:) and ISh says that it signifies two; (Mgh;) and so says IDrd: (Msb:) so that you say, هُمَا زَوْجٌ as well as هُمَا زَوْجَانِ [meaning They two are a pair, or couple]; (S, K, TA;) like as you say, هُمَا سَوَآءٌ and هُمَا سِيَّانِ: (S, TA:) and عِنْدِى زَوْجُ نِعَالٍ, meaning [I have] two [sandals]; and زَوْجَانِ, meaning four: (Msb:) or زَوْجُ حَمَامٍ as meaning a male and a female [of pigeons] is a phrase which should not be used; one to which the vulgar are addicted: (TA:) IAmb says, the vulgar are wrong in thinking that زَوْجٌ signifies two; for the Arabs used not to employ such a phrase as زَوْجُ حَمَامٍ, but used to say زَوْجَانِ مِنَ الحَمَامِ, (Mgh, Msb, TA,) meaning a male and a female; (TA;) and زَوْجَانِ مِنَ الخِفَافِ, (Mgh, Msb, TA,) meaning the right and the left [of boots]: (TA:) nor did they apply the term زَوْجٌ to one of birds, like as they applied the dual, زَوْجَانِ, to two; but they applied the term فَرْدٌ to the male, and فَرْدَةٌ to the female: (Mgh, Msb:) Es-Sijistánee, also, says that the term زَوْجٌ should not be applied to two, neither of birds nor of other things, for this is a usage of the ignorant; but to every two, زَوْجَانِ: (Msb:) Az says that the grammarians disapprove the saying of ISh that زَوْجٌ signifies two of any things, (Mgh, * TA,) and that زَوْجَانِ مِنْ خِفَافٍ signifies [Two pairs of boots, or] four [boots]; for زَوْجٌ with them signifies one [of a pair or couple]: a man and his wife [together] are termed زَوْجَانِ: and ثَمَانِيَةَ أَزْوَاجٍ in the Kur [vi. 144 and xxxix. 8] means Eight ones [of pairs or couples]: the primary meaning of زَوْجٌ being that first mentioned in this paragraph; (TA:) in the Kur xxii. 5 and 1. 7 [it seems to be implied that it means pair or couple; but more probably in these instances] it means sort, or species: (Bd, Jel:) it is also expl. by the word لَوْنٌ [used in this last sense]: (T, TA;) in the Kur xxxviii. 58, its pl. أَزْوَاجٌ means أَلْوَانٌ and أَنْوَاعٌ [i. e. sorts, or species] of punishment: F explains the sing. as meaning لَوْنٌ مِنَ الدِّيبَاجِ وَنَحْوِهِ [a sort, or species, of silk brocade and the like]; but his restricting the signification by the words من الديباج ونحوه is not right, as is shown by a citation, in the T, of a verse of El-Aashà, in which he uses the phrase كُلُّ زَوْجٍ مِنَ الدِّيبَاجِ [every sort, or species, of silk brocade], as an ex. of زوج in the sense of لون. (TA.) ― -b2- [Hence,] A woman's husband: and a man's wife: in which latter sense ↓ زَوْجَةٌ is also used; (S, M, A, Mgh, * Msb, K; *) as in a verse of El-Farezdak cited in art بول, conj. 10; (S, Mgh;) but it is disallowed by As; (TA;) and the former word is the one of high authority, (Mgh, Msb,) and is that which occurs in the Kur, in ii. 33 and vii. 18, (S, Mgh, Msb, TA,) and in iv. 24, (Mgh, TA,) and in xxxiii. 37: (Mgh:) AHát says that the people of Nejd call a wife ↓ زَوْجَةٌ , and that the people of the Haram use this word: but ISk says that the people of El-Hijáz call a wife زَوْجٌ; and the rest of the Arabs, ↓ زَوْجَةٌ : the lawyers use this latter word only, as applied to a wife, for the sake of perspicuity, fearing to confound the male with the female: (Msb:) the pl. of زَوْجٌ is أَزْوَاجٌ (Msb, K *) and زِوَجَةٌ; (K;) and the pl. of ↓ زَوْجَةٌ is زَوْجَاتٌ (A, Mgh, Msb) and أَزْوَاجٌ also; (A, Msb;) and أَزَاوِيجُ occurs [as a pl. pl., i. e. pl. of أَزْوَاجُ,] in a verse cited by ISk. (TA in art. نأج.) ― -b3- [Hence also,] A consociate, an associate, or a comrade: (A:) its pl. in this sense is أَزْوَاجٌ, (S, A, K,) occurring in the Kur xxxvii. 22. (S, A.) ― -b4- And A fellow, or like: pl. أَزْوَاجٌ: in this sense, each one of a pair of boots is the زوج of the other; and the husband is the زوج of the wife; and the wife, the زوج of the husband. (TA.) You say, عِنْدِى مِنْ هٰذَا أَزْوَاجٌ I have, of this, fellows, or likes. (TA.) ― -b5- As used by arithmeticians, (Mgh, Msb,) contr. of فَرْدٌ; (S, Mgh, Msb, K;) i. e. it signifies An even number; a number that may be divided into two equal numbers; (Msb;) as, for instance, four, and eight, as opposed to three, and seven: (Mgh:) pl. أَزْوَاجٌ. (S, Mgh.) One says زَوْجٌ أَوْ فَرْدٌ [Even or odd?], like as one says خَسًا أَوْ زَكًا [or rather زَكًا أَوْ خَسًا] and شَفْعٌ أَوْ وِتْرٌ. (S, Mgh.) ― -b6- Also A [kind of cloth such as is termed] نَمَط [q. v.]: or silk brocade; syn. دِيبَاجٌ: (TA:) or a نَمَط that is thrown over the [kind of vehicle called] هَوْدَج. (S, K, TA.)

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