Classification of the Parts of Speech in Arabic

Simona Olivieri

doi:10.1163/26670755-01010005

Abstract

Abstract In the Arabic linguistic tradition, the classification of the parts of speech (ism ‘noun’, fiʿl ‘verb’, ḥarf ‘particle’) is first introduced by Sībawayhi, who presents the three key elements in his Kitāb (I:1). The section at issue includes the presentation of the elements but does not provide much in terms of grammatical explanation. Nouns are in fact not introduced with their grammatical characteristics, but rather with examples: fa-l-ism: raǧul, wa-faras, wa-ḥāʾiṭ (“and the noun is ‘man’, and ‘horse’, and ‘wall’”) (Kitāb I:1). In addition to nouns, verbs and particles, Arabic grammar further recognized a number of other categories that are not considered as parts of speech but rather fall into the main three. This contribution aims to present relevant classifications of the parts of speech in the Greek and Arabic traditions, with the aim to account for possible external influences on the Arabic formulations, and foster further discussion on the development of the Arabic grammatical disciplines.

Highlights

Introduction and PreliminaryAssumptions1The Kitāb Sībawayhi (8th century), the earliest known treatise on Arabic grammar, introduces most if not all aspects of the discipline
While Olivieri (2020) addresses a specific case of the specialized lexicon, namely theirāb, in this paper we will discuss the topic of the parts of speech, taking the category of nouns as a case in point,2 more in general terms and as per it is treated in the Arabic linguistic tradition
In Ibn al-ʾAnbārī’s analysis of linguistic criteria we find the statement that unanimity is a decisive argument” (Versteegh 1995, 30, fn. 2). 34 the arguments we are advancing here with regard to the classification of the parts of speech and the definition of the category of nouns are in line with the earliest Greek formulations on the matter, namely as per in Plato and Aristotle, we here wish to remark that the Greek tradition has mostly followed the formulations by Dionysius Thrax

Summary

Introduction

Introduction and PreliminaryAssumptions1The Kitāb Sībawayhi (8th century), the earliest known treatise on Arabic grammar, introduces most if not all aspects of the discipline. While Olivieri (2020) addresses a specific case of the specialized lexicon, namely theirāb, in this paper we will discuss the topic of the parts of speech, taking the category of nouns as a case in point,2 more in general terms and as per it is treated in the Arabic linguistic tradition.

Results

Conclusion