زَوْج

zawojN * primarily signifies A sort of thing of any kind [ that is one of a pair or couple ]: and zawojaAni signifies a pair, or couple, i. e. any two things paired or coupled together, whether they be likes or contraries: zawojN 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;) zawojaAni signifying a pair, or couple, of such things: (Mgh:) the pl. is A^azowaAji : (TA:) you say zawojaAni mino HamaAmK and zawojaA HamaAmK [ A pair of pigeons ]: (A:) and Ai$otarayotu zawojaY HamaAmK [ I bought a pair of pigeons ], meaning a male and a female: (S:) and zawojaA niEaAlK [ A pair of sandals ]: (S, A:) and in like manner zawojayoni is used in the Kur xi. 42 and xxiii. 28; (S;) meaning a male and a female: (Bd, Jel:) or, accord. to the M, zawojN 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, humaA zawojN as well as humaA zawojaAni [meaning They two are a pair, or couple ]; (S, K, TA;) like as you say, humaA sawaA='N and humaA siy~aAni : (S, TA:) and EinodiY zawoju niEaAlK , meaning [ I have ] two [ sandals ]; and zawojaAni , meaning four: (Msb:) or zawoju HamaAmK 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 zawojN signifies two; for the Arabs used not to employ such a phrase as zawoju HamaAmK , but used to say zawojaAni mina AlHamaAmi , (Mgh, Msb, TA,) meaning a male and a female; (TA;) and zawojaAni mina AlxifaAfi , (Mgh, Msb, TA,) meaning the right and the left [of boots]: (TA:) nor did they apply the term zawojN to one of birds, like as they applied the dual, zawojaAni , to two; but they applied the term farodN to the male, and farodapN to the female: (Mgh, Msb:) Es-Sijistánee, also, says that the term zawojN 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, zawojaAni : (Msb:) Az says that the grammarians disapprove the saying of ISh that zawojN signifies two of any things, (Mgh, * TA,) and that zawojaAni mino xifaAfK signifies [ Two pairs of boots, or] four [ boots ]; for zawojN with them signifies one [ of a pair or couple ]: a man and his wife [together] are termed zawojaAni : and vamaAniyapa A^azowaAjK in the Kur [vi. 144 and xxxix. 8] means Eight ones [ of pairs or couples ]: the primary meaning of zawojN 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 lawonN [used in this last sense]: (T, TA;) in the Kur xxxviii. 58, its pl. A^azowaAjN means A^alowaAnN and A^anowaAEN [i. e. sorts, or species ] of punishment: F explains the sing. as meaning lawonN mina Ald~iybaAji wanaHowihi [ a sort, or species, of silk brocade and the like ]; but his restricting the signification by the words mn AldybAj wnHwh is not right, as is shown by a citation, in the T, of a verse of El-Aashà, in which he uses the phrase kul~u zawojK mina Ald~iybaAji [ every sort, or species, of silk brocade ], as an ex. of zwj in the sense of lwn . (TA.) ― -b2- [Hence,] A woman's husband: and a man's wife: in which latter sense ↓ zawojapN is also used; (S, M, A, Mgh, * Msb, K; *) as in a verse of