How do Semitic languages mark gender and number on nouns?

In Semitic languages, nouns are marked for gender and number primarily through the use of suffixes and internal stem modifications.1

Gender

The feminine gender is typically indicated by adding the suffix -(a)t to a nominal or adjectival stem, contrasting with the masculine form which lacks this ending. For example, in Arabic, kātib-un (masculine) becomes kātib-at-un (feminine) for "writer". Some stem classes use alternative methods, such as specific vowel patterns, to distinguish gender.1

Number

Semitic languages generally distinguish between singular, plural, and, in some older languages, dual forms. Plurality is marked in two primary ways:12

• Sound Plurals: These use a long-vowel ending or specific suffix to indicate plurality.1
• Broken Plurals: Common in languages like Arabic and Ethiopic, these involve changing the internal pattern of the stem itself rather than adding a simple suffix. These patterns can be systematic, such as the CaCāCiC- configuration for four-consonant stems, or isolated and irregular.1

Additionally, some Semitic languages exhibit "gender polarity," where a noun may change its gender when transitioning from singular to plural.2