Downloaded for Personal Non-Commercial Research Or Study, Without Prior Permission Or Charge

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Downloaded for Personal Non-Commercial Research Or Study, Without Prior Permission Or Charge https://theses.gla.ac.uk/ Theses Digitisation: https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/research/enlighten/theses/digitisation/ This is a digitised version of the original print thesis. Copyright and moral rights for this work are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This work cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Enlighten: Theses https://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] THE SEVEN READINGS OF THE QUR'AN: A CRITICAL STUDY OF THEIR LINGUISTIC DIFFERENCES By: Fawzi Ibrahim Abu Fayyad Thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies. University of Glasgow 1989 ProQuest Number: 11007337 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 11007337 Published by ProQuest LLC(2018). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 A b stra ct This thesis is intended as an attempt at a general investigation of the different linguistic features involved in the seven readings. It falls into eight chapters and a general conclusion. At the outset of the thesis, a list of the Arabic technical words is provided with their English equivalents . This is followed by a preface about the topic, its importance, the methods adopted in the thesis, and the main references. Chapter one gives the historical background of the Qur'an, its collection, its seven readings, and the seven readers. Chapter two deals with readings involving variations in sivagh. such as person, gender, number, tense, mood. etc. Index i provides a list of all readings involving sivagh variations . Chapter three deals with readings reflecting elements of lughat variation. Index ii provides a list of all readings involving lughat variations . Chapter four deals with readings involving n a h w variation. Index iii provides a list of all readings involving nahw . Chapter five deals with readings involving some aspects of balagha. Index iv provides a list of all readings involving balagha. Chapter six deals with readings involving variations in nazm. Index v provides a list of all the nazm v ariations. Chapter seven deals with readings deriving from the different Uthmanic codices. Index vi provides a list of all the rasm al-mushaf variations . Chapter eight deals with readings involving variations in m a°na. Index vii provides a list of all readings involving differences in macna. The general conclusion at the end of the thesis covers all eight chapters. iii Acknowledgment Thanks are indeed due to God Almighty, worthy of all praise. " The one who does not tha nk people , does not thank God." I would like to thank Professor John Mattock for all that he has done . I have greatly benefited from his scholarly guidance and valuable suggestions. He has dedicated quite a long time to discussion, research, translation and revision. Without his contribution this work would not have been in its present form. My thanks go to Dr. Mustafa Jumca , of al-Zaqaziq University in Egypt, for his help and encouragement, and to Dr. Ahmad Salah, a specialist in linguistic studies, for helping me with some of the translations. I am also thankful to those others who have helped me in different ways with this thesis, and in particular Dr. Muhyi al-Din Ramadan of al-Yarmouk University in Jordan, who has provided me with useful references for qira'at. For the Qur'anic readings, I am indebted to al-Shaykh Ahmad cAbd al-Hamid Shadi, who has kindly sent me cassettes of the seven readings of the Qur'an. Finally, I am thankful to my family: my daughter, my son and my wife, who lavish me with love and patience. C ontents A b s tra c t .................................................................................... i Acknowledg ment ....................................................................iii Contents ................................................................................... iv Key to transliteration ..............................................................x Terminology ........................................................................... xii Preface................................................................................... xix The Indices .................................................................... xxi Chapter I: Historical Background 1.1. The early differences of the qira'a ........................... 2 1.2. The first collection of the Qur'an by Abu Bakr al-Siddiq ...........................................................................3 1. 3. The second collection of the Qur’an by cUthm an Ibn cA ffa n ...............................................................4 1. 4. al-Ahruf al-sabca. The seven moulds ...................5 1. 5. The selection of the seven readers ............................7 1. b. The seven readers of the > Qur'an .............................6 1. 7. The criteria for accepting readings ..........................10 1. 6. Sound chain of transmission ......................................12 1. Q. Rasm al-mushaf. .........................................................13 1. 10. Arabic usage .................................................................15 1. 11. The reason for different readings .............................17 Notes ..........................................................................................19 Chapter II : Siyagh D e fin itio n .................................................................................. 23 Examples: 2. 1......................................................................... 24 2. 2...............................................................................................2b 2. 3 ............................................................................................ 27 V 2. 3 ..............................................................................................27 2. 4 .............................................................................................. 26 2. 5..............................................................................................30 2. b...............................................................................................31 2.7...............................................................................................32 2.6...............................................................................................33 2. 9............................................................................................... 35 2.10 ............................................................................................. 3 b 2.11 ..............................................................................................36 2.12...............................................................................................39 2. 13 .............................................................................................40 2. 14 ............................................................................................42 2. 15.............................................................................................43 2. lb .............................................................................................45 2. 17.............................................................................................4b 2. 16............................................................................................ 47 2. 19............................................................................................ 46 2. 20........................................................................................... 50 2. 2 1........................................................................................... 51 2. 22........................................................................................... 52 2. 23 ............................................................................................53 2. 24 .............................................................................................55 Notes.............................................................................................5? Index. I ................................................................................... b 2 -102 Conclusion ..................................................................................103 Chapter III: Lughat Definition ................................................................................ 10b Examples: 3- 1 ...................................................................... 107 3 . 2.......................................................................................... 106 vi 3- 3 ........................................................................................... l io 3- 4 .........................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • The Attitude of the Pre-Islamic Arabs Towards Arts and Crafts
    The Attitude of the Pre-Islamic Arabs towards Arts and Crafts Ahmad Ghabin, Baqa al-Gharbiya and the Arab College for Education, Israel The Asian Conference on Arts & Humanities 2016 Official Conference Proceedings iafor The International Academic Forum www.iafor.org Diodorus Siculus (60-30 B.C.), referring to the Arabs who inhabited the eastern parts between Syria and Egypt, described them as: “Being difficult to overcome in war they always remain unenslaved; in addition, they never at any time accept a man of another country as their overlord and continue to maintain their liberty unimpaired.” In consequence, no king was ever able to enslave this nation.1 As for their customs, he said (19.94): “They live in the open air, claiming as native land a wilderness that has neither rivers nor abundant springs that could enable a hostile army to obtain water. It is their custom neither to plant grain and set out fruit-bearing trees and use wine nor to construct any permanent abode; and if any man is found acting contrary to this, his penalty is death”. More interestingly another Roman Historian Ammianus Marcellinus (c. 380 CE.) described the Arabs as follow: “nor does any member of their tribe ever take plow in hand or cultivate a tree, or seek food by the tillage of the land; but they are perpetually wandering over various and extensive districts, having no home, no fixed abode or laws; nor can they endure to remain long in the same climate, no one district or country pleasing them for a continuance.” 2 A more decisive statement came from Eusebius ‘father of church history’ (d.
    [Show full text]
  • Twelve Years Old, While Some Say He Was Eighteen Years Old
    SANKORE' Institute of Islamic - African Studies International www.siiasi.org ! " ! Kitaab ‘l-Jihaad (The Book of Military Struggle) 1 1 The etymological root of the word ‘jihaad ’ (military struggle) is from the expression ‘exertion’ ( jahd) which means hardship ( mashaqqa ) and energetic capability ( taaqa ). According to the shari`a it means waging combat and fighting against enemies, which comprises the exertion and emission of utmost capacity in war, or words, or what is connected to it. The one who struggles ( jaahid ) against the enemy, is a mujaahid and jihaad is his actual combat; thus he is the one who struggles in the Way of Allah. Allah ta`ala says: “ …if indeed you go out in jihaad in My Way seeking My pleasure .” Allah ta`ala says: “Say: if your fathers, sons, brothers, wives, relatives, the wealth you have acquired, the merchandise for which you fear loss, and dwellings you desire are more dearer to you than Allah, His Messenger and jihaad in His Way ”; that is in giving victory to the religion of Allah and adhering to His pleasure. This is evidence of the merits of jihaad , and it taking preference over all the things which bring comfort to the soul and its attachments to family and wealth. In the two above cited Qur’anic verses is clear proof against the collaborators in these times who falsely claim that the expression ‘ jihaad ’ is not utilized in the Qur’an in the context of combat and military. Realize, that this claim is a lie from the lower soul, and is taking reliance upon false interpretation ( ta'wil baatil ).
    [Show full text]
  • Assignment​ ​3.​ ​Report
    Data Science for Design (DESI11100). Group: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Wanying Zhang (s1754403) ​ ​ ​ ​ Hanyu Liu (s1775923) ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Ilyas Zholdasbayev (s1792122) ​ ​ ​ ​ Assignment 3. Report ​ ​ ​ ​ Marriages in Muhammad's tribe ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Introduction A database for given project was provided by Dr. Majied Robinson with the title "Marriages in Muhammad's tribe". The database was represented in multiple tables, such as "Marriage Database", which is the main dataset with all the data and multiple sub-databases for every tribe and clan represented there (e.g. "Qurayshi marriages by clan"). The information of marriages in pre-Islamic and early Islamic period were classified by tribes or clans (subtribes). Aside from basic information such as names of men and women, tribes(subtribes) of both of them, number of children they had, generations of men and women were also indicated (Figure 1). ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Figure 1. "Marriages in Muhammad's tribe" excel table ​ ​ ​ ​​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ th By the information provided from dataholder the 5 ​ generation is the generation of Muhammad, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ th th which means generations before 5 ​ belong to pre-Islamic period while those after 5 ​ belong to ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ early Islamic period. ​ ​ ​ ​ The main interest of dataholder was the question how marriage traditions could affect politics at that time or how otherwise political and social factors probably had an impact on marriage traditions and behaviour. ​ ​ ​ ​ Context Basically, we did not intend to explore every detail of every clan in Quraysh tribe that is presented in our database, but to mainly focus on the major and the most powerful and influential clans which were the rulers of first arabic kingdoms (caliphates): Umayyads and Hashemite. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The reason why we chose them is the fact that a lot of historical sources argue that they were so called sworn enemies.
    [Show full text]
  • Curriculum Vitae
    Curriculum Vitae PERSONAL DETAILS Name Ahmad Abdul Karim Shawkah Al-Kubaisi Nationality Iraqi Academic Associate Professor Position Highest degree Two certificates of Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD) Specialization Interpretation and Sciences of the Qur'an, Qira’at CONTACT DETAILS Current Job Department of foundations religion, Faculty of Sharia and Islamic Address Studies, University of Sharjah, P. O. Box 27272 Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Contact 00971552961989 Number: Office Ext 2057 Email address [email protected] PLACE OF WORK DATES 1. University of Sharjah 1 / 9 /2014 -present 2. College of Islamic and Arabic Studies, Dubai 1 /9 / 2013 – 20 / 8 / 2014 3. Iraqi University, Baghdad, College of Arts, Department of 1 /9 / 2011 – 15 /8 / Science of Quran 2013 4. Ibb University, Yemen, College of Arts, Department of 1 /9 / 2005 – 30 /7 / Sciences of Quran 2011 5. College of Imam Al - Adham Abu Hanifa Al - Nu'man, Baghdad 1 /9 / 2003 – 15 / 8 / 2005 6. Saddam College for Preparing Imams, Sermons Givers and 1 /9 / 2000 – 30 / 8 / Preachers, Baghdad 2003 7. University of Baghdad - College of Islamic Sciences 1 /9 / 1997 – 1 / 7 / 1998 8. Arab-German Open University, Cologne 1 /9 / 2007 – 30 / 8 / (Lecturer and Supervisor for Post Graduate Distance Learning 2012 Programme) 1 WORK EXPERIENCE: (TEACHING) WORK EXPERIENCE: (NON-TEACHING ACADEMIC WORK) Place of Work Dates 1. Head of the Department of Foundations of Religion, 2020 – 2019 College of Shariah and Islamic Studies, University of Sharjah 2. Chairman, Board of Post Graduate Studies, Department 2020 – 2019 of Foundations of Religion, College of Shariah, University of Sharjah 3.
    [Show full text]
  • All Rights Reserved
    ProQuest Number: 10731409 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10731409 Published by ProQuest LLC(2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 SCHOOL OF ORIENTAL AND AFRICAN STUDIES (University of London) MALET STREET, LONDON, WC1 E 7HP DEPARTMENT OF THE NEAR AND MIDDLE EAST Telegrams: SOASUL. LONDON W.C.I Telephone: 01-637 2388 19 March 1985 To whom it may concern Miss Salah's thesis, "A critical edition of al-Muthul 1ala Kitab al-Muqarrab fi al-Nahw by Ibn 'Usfur al-Ishbil-i" , has this month been examined and accepted by the University of London for the degree of Ph.D. It is a well executed piece of text editing, and I consider it worthy of publication. H .T. - Norris Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies in the University of London A CRITICAL EDITION of AL-MUTHUL CALA KITAB AL-MUQARRAB FI AL-NAHW by IBN CUSFUR AL-ISHBILI ^VOIJJMEKT ~ ' 1 v o l C/nUj rcccwed //; /.A /• *.' e^ f EDITED by FATHIEH TAWFIQ SALAH Thesis presented for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy In the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies 1985 DEDICATION to My late father Who, since my childhood, used to encourage me in my studies and who always used to support me by giving me a feeling of trust, confidence and strong hope of success.
    [Show full text]
  • According to Ibn Dureid and Ibn Sayyidah)
    Annals of R.S.C.B., ISSN:1583-6258, Vol. 25, Issue 6, 2021, Pages. 7113 - 7127 Received 25 April 2021; Accepted 08 May 2021. What is Not Proven in the Nouns by Analogy (According to Ibn Dureid and Ibn Sayyidah) Research Extracted from a Master's Thesis M.Sc. student: Rasha Abbood Khalaf College of Education Ibn Rushd for Human Sciences University of Baghdad [email protected] Supervised by: Prof. Hassan Jaffar Sadiq Ibn Rushd Department at the College of Education for Human Sciences University of Baghdad [email protected] Abstract This research is concerned with studying some expressions whose eloquence was questioned by analogy with Ibn Duraid and Ibn Sayyidah. Thus, I argued that it is (not proven) in the language. The ad hoc is an analytical and evaluation study that seeks to uncover the faults that led them to this conclusion due to uncertainty. Introduction The Arabic dictionary has been covered with many evaluative rulings, such as (it is not proven). This means our discussion of what is not proven in the analogy according to Ibn Dureid and Ibn Sayyidah. As for the first: (What is not proven in the nouns by analogy with Ibn Durrid), what is permissible (armud, and alhuzuma), and the second: (what is not proven in names according to Ibn Sayyidah), what is permissible (alddahyad, and fewlaa). Then a conclusion with the most prominent results. Chapter one What is not proven in the nouns by analogy according to Ibn Dureid 1. Armud Ramadan, rhyming (falan), and the plural is (armad), rhyming (Afal), It is one of the rhymes of the http://annalsofrscb.ro 7113 Annals of R.S.C.B., ISSN:1583-6258, Vol.
    [Show full text]
  • Pendahuluan Menggagas Prototipe Mushaf Al-Qur'an
    KORDINAT Vol. XX No.1 Tahun 2021 ISSN 1411-6154 | EISSN 2654-8038 PENDAHULUAN MENGGAGAS PROTOTIPE MUSHAF AL-QUR’AN STANDAR INDONESIA RIWAYAT QALUN MENURUT - Sofyan Hadi Institut PTIQ Jakarta Email: [email protected] Abstract : This research was written with the aim of presenting a manuscript of the Al-Qur'an which is easily accessible to the Muslim community in Indonesia in studying and practicing reading the Qur'an from the history of Qalun through the initial step in the form of "Prototype of Indonesian Standard Al-Qur'an Manuscripts. The History of Qalun according to Tharîq al. -Syâtibiyyah ”. In this study, the findings of differences in the reading of the history of Hafsh and the history of Qalun according to tharîq al- Syâthibiyyah are presented, both in terms of general principles (ushyliyyah) and certain readings in certain verses and letters (farsy al-hurûf). In the ushûliyyah rule, the difference is in the mim jama 'rule, ha` kinâyah, idghâm saghîr, mad munfashil, two hamzah in one word, two hamzah in two words, ya` idhâfah, ya` zâidah, and the As for the difference in farsy al-hurûf there are certain .التَّ ُْ ٰسى تَ word .ملك,َيخذعُن,َيكزبُن ;words in certain verses, such as the word Furthermore, the findings related to the punctuation marks (dhabth) applied to the Indonesian Standard Al-Qur`an Manuscripts of the history of Hafsh and several Al-Quran manuscripts of the history of Qalun circulating in the Islamic world today, including the Mushaf al-Jamâhîriyyah History of Qalun from Libya. Madinah al- Munawwarah, Jordan, Tunisia and Egypt.
    [Show full text]
  • Human Ignorance Jahiliyyah
    Human Ignorance ( Jahiliyyah ): Past & Present Ayaz Khan ∗ Abstract The main theme of this article is that the man of today is as ignorant and arrogant as the Makkan Merchants were at the time of Revelation of the Holy Qur’an and the living Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). By implication it is contended that Islam is as relevant to our predicament as it was relevant to the Makkan non-believers. So if we dream about the resurgence of Islam, we are obliged to return to the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) and transcend all sectarian divisions. In our view that is the only way that can guarantee the salvation of Muslims from a long lingering disgrace and humiliation. In fact our contention is that Islam can save the entire mankind from a collective suicide. Keywords: Jahilliyah, Islam, Socio-moral order, Justice, New World Order. When the belief in the Unity of God is divorced from human heart, the mind and soul naturally gets “darkened”. The ultimate ramifications of disbelief (in the Unity of God) emerge in the shape of entire change of life standards and approaches, leading the man to judge things and the world around from false paradigm. As a result, man falls far away from the right path and the eternal chastisement in the hell becomes his destiny. This moral, spiritual, social and even economic turpitude of a community is defined in the Qur’an as Jahilliyah or Ignorance. 1 In brief, Jahilliyah signifies that a man (or a community) has become oblivious of God and has turned its back to the Sunnah of His Prophet(s).
    [Show full text]
  • Jurnal Al-Mawarid Vol.8 Nomor 2, Sep-Febr 2013
    JURNAL AL-MAWARID VOL.8 NOMOR 2, SEP-FEBR 2013 DIFFERENT QIRAAT AND ITS IMPLICATION IN DIFFERENT OPINION OF ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE Dr. Muhammad Roy Purwanto1 ABSTRACT Al- Qur'an is the sacred book of Islam. It has also been called, in English, the Koran and it ;(قرآن) the Quran. Qur'an is the currently preferred English transliteration of the Arabic original means “recitation”. Although it is referred to as a "book", when a Muslim refers to the Qur'an, they are referring to the actual text, the words, rather than the printed work itself. Muslims believe that the Qur'an available today is the same as that revealed to Prophet Muhammad and by him to his followers, who memorized his words. Scholars accept that the version of the Qur'an used today was first compiled in writing by the third Caliph, Uthman ibn Affan. He sent copies of his version to the various provinces of the new Muslim empire, and directed that all variant copies be destroyed. Uthman's version organized the revelations, or surah, roughly in order of length, with the longest surah at the start of the Qur'an and the shortest ones at the end. More conservative views state that the order of most surah was divinely set. Later scholars have struggled to put the surah in chronological order, and among Muslim commentators at least there is a rough consensus as to which suras were revealed in Mecca and which at Medina. Infact, according to Zamahsyari, different readings of holy Qu’an carries big implication in different opinion in Islamic jurisprudence.
    [Show full text]
  • Journal of Religion & Society
    Journal of Religion & Society Volume 9 (2007) The Kripke Center ISSN 1522-5658 Muhammad’s Jewish Wives Rayhana bint Zayd and Safiya bint Huyayy in the Classic Islamic Tradition Ronen Yitzhak, Western Galilee College, Israel Abstract During his life, the Prophet Muhammad (570-632) married 12 different wives among whom were two Jewish women: Rayhana bint Zayd and Safiya bint Huyayy. These two women were widows whose husbands had been killed in wars with Muslims in Arabia. While Rayhana refused to convert to Islam at first and did so only after massive pressure, Safiya converted to Islam immediately after being asked. Rayhana died a few years before Muhammad, but Safiya lived on after his death. Classic Islamic sources claim that the Muslims did not like Rayhana because of her beauty and so made an issue of her Jewish origin, with Muhammad being the only one to treat her well. After Muhammad’s death, Safiya lived among his other wives in Mecca, but did not take part in the political intrigues at the beginning of Islam, in contrast to the other wives, especially the most dominant and favorite wife, Aisha. Introduction [1] According to Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad married 12 different wives and had even more concubines. The custom of taking concubines was widespread in ancient times and therefore also was practiced in Arabia. Concubines were often taken in the context of war booty, and it seems that this is the reason for including in the Qur’an: “(you are forbidden) the married women, but not the concubines you, own” (Q 4:24; al-Qurtubi: 5.106).
    [Show full text]
  • Which Quran? (PDF)
    Which Quran? Written By Layth Al-Shaiban ([email protected]) Disclaimer. The reader is strongly advised to independently verify all information given as per 17:36. Hafs Version Warsh Version All Muslims are taught from a very early age that the Quran is a perfectly preserved book and that God has taken it upon himself to guard each verse, word, and letter of the Quran from any errors or changes: “Indeed it is We who have sent down the Reminder, and indeed it is We who will preserve it.” (Quran 15:9) However, one of the least discussed or debated subjects amongst Muslims and even amongst students of the Scripture are the variant texts of the Quran, namely: Hafs & Warsh. Although there are other versions in print, such as in Qalun in Libya, or Al-Duri in Sudan, this paper will primarily deal with the examination of Hafs and Warsh. To know whether the Quran you are reading is Hafs or Warsh, there is a simple test: Look at the first Chapter/Sura of the Quran. If you see that the ‘Basmallah’ (the opening of the chapter which reads: ‘In the name of God, the Almighty, the Most Merciful’) has a number ascribed after it (the number 1), then you have the ‘Hafs’ version…If there is no number and it is treated like the other 112 Basmallahs, then you have the Warsh version. How Did These Versions Exist? As far as we can be aware, the revelation of the Quran began at around the 7th century A.D. by the angel Gabriel to the prophet Mohammed.
    [Show full text]
  • European Academic Research
    EUROPEAN ACADEMIC RESEARCH Vol. V, Issue 7/ October 2017 Impact Factor: 3.4546 (UIF) ISSN 2286-4822 DRJI Value: 5.9 (B+) www.euacademic.org Investigating the World of Arab Lexicographers MAISAA BAKRI ISMAIL MOHAMMED Abstract: Principled dictionary-making is, by definition, guided by a series of rules, mostly involving the notions of generality (of entries) and specificity (of audience). A dictionary must specify the general case when possible, and must address its audience. Thus a definition of the English word 'chair' would not immediately make reference to the ability to rock back and forth, since this is a property of a subset of chairs, and not chairs in general. Similarly a dictionary entry for 'thong' will include radically different primary senses depending on whether the dictionary has been written for Australian release ('item of open footwear') or for North American ('skimpy underwear'). While these guiding principles have been established and followed for good reasons in the creation and publication of all major dictionaries, there are some cases when it makes good sense to follow another route. The desire for a dictionary of a language is as strong for speakers of non- national languages as it is for national languages, and in some cases clearly stronger. Key words: dictionary-making- generality-primary senses- open footwear- underwear INTRODUCTION Arab lexicographers are undeniably pioneers in the world of dictionary making. Their contribution in this field has been very great that they affected the making of dictionary. They 3265 Maisaa Bakri Ismail Mohammed- Investigating the World of Arab Lexicographers were the first to introduce to the world of alphabetical lists which continued to affect the making of dictionaries to-date.
    [Show full text]