Dual in Slovenian

Slovenian from a typological perspective. Berlin : Akademie Verlag, Sprachtypologie und Universalienforschung = Language typology and Universals, vol. 56, issue 3 (2003), [165]-181 p.This article is a description of the category of the dual in Slovenian. It includes typical paradigms and a description of the use of the dual as prescribed by the grammar of Standard Slovenian. Special reference is made to an interesting, but not typological unique phenomenon p paires nouns such as roke 'hands', rokavice 'gloves', etc. are used in their plural forms in Slovenian despite the existence of the dual in the language. The article points out the difference between the use of the dual in the standard language and the use of the dual in Slovenian dialects and the colloquial language of Ljubljana. The later variants omit the dual in certain grammatical forms, for example, in the oblique cases, in the forms with feminine gender, etc. The author maintains that the notion of markedness of dual forms, consistent with the meaning of the dual being marked against plural, plays an important role in the structures that are most widespread in the colloquial lanugage and re the core of the Slovenian dual. Finally, the author stresses the relevance of the dual when the speaker is referring to two persons and consequently the importance of dual personal names.