Belarusian: Dual

[Mac_Linguist]

Could someone please explain the Belarusian dual grammatical number and it's relation to South Slavic languages (particularly Macedonian)?

For example, compare these:

• Дзьве назе and дзьве нагі (Belarusian) vs Две нозе (Macedonian)

• Дзьве руцэ and дзьве рукі (Belarusian) vs Две раце (Macedonian)

Does anyone, then, know of "две ноги" and "две раки" ever being used alongside the current forms in Macedonian?

Weird question, I know.

Thank you.

 

[Irbis]

In Slovenian we have:
dve roki (tri roke)
dve nogi (tri noge)

But it is interesting that for those dual body parts we normally use plural unless we want to emphasise that there are two.

To sem prijel z rokami. (I grab this with my hands.)
To sem prijel z dvema rokama. (I grab this with two hands.)

But for things other than body parts the dual form is compulsory.

 

[cyanista]

If you are referring to the grammar book on knihi.com then you must be aware that it's quite an old book written by Branislau Taraskievic almost 100 years ago.

...his major contribution is considered to be his "Belarussian Grammar for Schools"<...>. This book <...> was the major codification of the modern Belausian literary language. The linguistic standard that is presented there is still considered "classical" (as opposed to the "Soviet" version imposed by the Stalinist authorities in 1933), and is widely used by independent Belarusian press and bookprinting.
Source

Дзьве назе and дзьве руцэ is not standard modern Belarusian as I know it. I've never heard it used in speech and would never use it myself. To me such forms would sound outdated or dialectal - or both.

 

[kusurija]

In Czech there is also residues of dual:
ruce (not ruky - pl.NOM.) rukama (not rukami pl. INSTR.)
- - - - nohama (not nohami pl. INSTR.)
oči (not oka- pl.NOM.) očima (not oky pl. INSTR.)(eyes)
(cf. oka means loops(slings, gins) or tarns or ladder or spots of oil on soup surface)
uši (not ucha- pl.NOM.) ušima (not uchy pl. INSTR.)(ears)
(cf. ucha means lugs, bows, handles...)
ramenama (pl. INSTR.)
tvářema (pl. INSTR.)
kolenama (pl. INSTR.)
prsama (pl. INSTR.)
...

 

[winpoj]

" ramenama (pl. INSTR.)
tvářema (pl. INSTR.)
kolenama (pl. INSTR.)
prsama (pl. INSTR.)"

Are you claiming that these are correct forms in standard Czech, Kusurija? If so, I beg to differ.

 

[kusurija]

" ramenama (pl. INSTR.)
tvářema (pl. INSTR.)
kolenama (pl. INSTR.)
prsama (pl. INSTR.)"

Are you claiming that these are correct forms in standard Czech, Kusurija? If so, I beg to differ.

I was claiming about residues of dual in Czech language! Nothig less or more. Spoken language is also language. Btw. mentioned forms formerly used be correct.