مَثْنَى

(S, Mgh) and ↓ ثُنَاءُ (T, S) [Two and two; two and two together; or two at a time and two at a time]: they are imperfectly decl., in like manner as [مَثْلَثُ and] ثُلَاثُ, as explained in article ثلث; (S, TA;) [because] changed from the original form of اِثْنَانِ اثْنَانِ; (T, Mgh, TA;) or because of their having the quality of epithets and deviating from the original form of اِثْنَانِ; (Sb, S in article ثلث, q. v.;) or because they deviate from their original as to the letter and the meaning; the original word being changed as above stated, and the meaning being changed to اِثْنَانِ اثْنَانِ. (S ibid.) You say, جَاوءُوا مَثْنَى and ↓ ثُنَاءَ (M, K) or مَثْنَى مَثْنَى, (S,) but this is a repetition of the word only, not of the meaning, (Mgh,) and in like manner one says of women, (M, K, *) i. e. They came two [and] two. (S, M, K.) And it is said in a tradition, صَلَاةُ اللَّيْلِ مَثْنَى مَثْنَى, i. e. The prayer of night is two rek'ahs [and] two rek'ahs (رَكْعَتَانِ رَكْعَتَانِ). (TA.) [See also other exs. voce ثُلَاثُ.]

مَثْنَى الأَيَادِى The repeating a benefit, or benefaction; or reiterating it; conferring it twice, or thrice; (As, T, K;) or twice, or more than twice: (K:) or the shares remaining of the slaughtered camel (A'Obeyd, T, S, M, K) in the game called المَيْسِر, (A'Obeyd, T, S, K,) which shares a bountiful man used to purchase, and give for food to the أَبْرَام, (A'Obeyd, T, S, M, K,) i. e., those who took no part in the game, not contributing: (M:) or the taking a portion time after time. (AA, T, S, M.)

مَثَانٍ [is plural of مَثْنًى as signifying A place of doubling, or folding &c.: and hence means

] The knees and elbows of a horse or similar beast. (T, K.)

And The bends of a valley. (T, K. See ثِنْىٌ.)

And, as plural of مَثْنًى, The chords of the lute that are after the first: (M, K:) or مثنى signifies a chord [of a lute] composed of two twists: or, as some say, the second chord. (Har p. 244. See مَثْلَثٌ.)

مَثْنًى also signifies The زِمَام [or noserein] of a she-camel: and Er-Rághib says that the مثناة [i. e. ↓ مَثْنَاة or ↓ مِثْنَاة] is the doubled, or folded, part of the extremity of the زِمَام. (TA.)

المَثَانِى as relating to the Qur'an is plural of مَثْنًى, (Mgh,) or of ↓ مَثْنَاةٌ: (AHeyth, T, Mgh:) it has three applications, according to A'Obeyd: (T, Mgh:) it signifies The Qur'an altogether; (A'Obeyd, T, S, M, Mgh, K;) so in the Qur'an xxxix 24; (A'Obeyd, T, Mgh;) meaning that the mention of reward and punishment is repeated, or reiterated, in it; (Fr, T;) or so called because the verse of mercy is conjoined with that of punishment; (S;) or because narratives and promises and threats are repeated in it; or because one peruses it repeatedly without being wearied: (Mgh:) or it signifies, (M, K,) or signifies also, (A'Obeyd, T, S, Mgh,) [the first chapter, called] the فَاتِحَة, (A'Obeyd, T, S, M, Mgh,) or الحَمْدُ, (K,) which means the same; (TA;) so in the Qur'an, 15:87; (A'Obeyd, T, Mgh;) because it is repeated, or recited twice, in every [act of prayer termed a] رَكْعَة, (Fr, Zj, AHeyth, T, S,) or with every chapter, (Th, M,) or in every prayer; (Mgh;) or because containing praise of God: (Zj, T, Mgh:) [but see السَّبْعُ المَثَانِى voce سَبْعَةٌ:] or it signifies, (M, K,) or signifies also, (A'Obeyd, T, S, Mgh,) the chapters that are less than those containing a hundred verses, (S, M, Mgh,) or that are less than the long ones (الطُّوَل, q. v.), and less than those containing a hundred verses, (A'Obeyd, T, K, but in [most of] the copies of the K دُونَ المِأَتَيْنِ is put in the place of دُونَ المِيءِينَ, which is the right reading, TA,) and more than [those of the portion called] the مُفَصَّل, (A'Obeyd, T, Mgh, K,) as is related on the authority of the Prophet by Ibn-Mes'ood and 'Othmán and Ibn- 'Abbás; (AHeyth, T;) because, (Mgh,) or as though, (T,) occupying the second place after those containing a hundred verses: (T, Mgh:) or the chapters, (T, K,) six and twenty in number, (T,) entitled الحَجّ and القَصَص and النَّمْل and النُّور and الأَنْفَال and مَرْيَم and العَنْكَبُوت and الرُّوم and يَاسِين and الفُرْقَان and الحِجْر and الرَّعْد and سَبَا and المَلَايءِكَة and إِبْرَاهِيم and صَاد and مُحَمَّد and لُقْمٰن and الغُرَف and المُوءْمِن and الزُّخْرُف and السَّجْدَة and الأَحْقَاف and الجَاثِيَة and الدُّخَان (T, K) and الأَحْزَاب, (K,) which last has been omitted by the copyists of the T: (TA:) or the chapters of which the first is the بَقَرَة, and the last is بَرَاءَة: or what is repeated, of the Qur'an, time after time. (M, K.)