زَوْجٌ
1.
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, according 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 plural 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 Qur'an, 11:42 and xxiii. 28; (S;) meaning a male and a female: (Bd, Jel:) or, according 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 سَوَاءٌ 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 Qur'an, 6:144 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 Qur'an, 22:5 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 explained by the word لَوْنٌ [used in this last sense]: (T, TA;) in the Qur'an, 38:58, its plural أَزْوَاجٌ means أَلْوَانٌ and أَنْوَاعٌ [i. e. sorts, or species] of punishment: F explains the singular 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 example of زوج in the sense of لون. (TA.)
2.
[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 Qur'an, 2:33 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 plural of زَوْجٌ is أَزْوَاجٌ (Msb, K *) and زِوَجَةٌ; (K;) and the plural of
زَوْجَةٌ is زَوْجَاتٌ (A, Mgh, Msb) and أَزْوَاجٌ also; (A, Msb;) and أَزَاوِيجُ occurs [as a plural plural, i. e. plural of أَزْوَاجُ,] in a verse cited by ISk. (TA in article نأج.)
3.
4.
5.
As used by arithmeticians, (Mgh, Msb,) opposite 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:) plural 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.)