The Term ʿiwaḍ (“Compensation”) and Its Meaning in Sefer ha-Maslul and in the Works of Rabbinic and Arab Grammarians

Abstract

Abstract Sefer ha-Maslul (“Book of the Path”) is a Hebrew grammar book in the Samaritan tradition. The book, known in Arabic as Kitāb al-Tawṭiya (“Book of Introduction”), was composed in that language during the first half of the twelfth century and is the earliest and only known surviving Samaritan grammatical work. It was first published by Zeʾev Ben-Haim in his monumental book, The Literary and Oral Tradition of Hebrew and Aramaic amongst the Samaritans. Grammatical terminology is key to understanding the theory of a grammarian. One can obtain such understanding by tracking a term throughout a work, examining how it is used and whether its usage is consistent. The term ʿiwaḍ (“compensation”) is a central one in Sefer ha-Maslul. In this article I will examine the outlook of its author, the grammarian Abū Isḥāq b. Mārūṯ, as well as the term ʿiwaḍ and its usages. Sefer ha-Maslul was written following the emergence of scientific grammar among Rabbinic, Arab, and Karaite grammarians. Accordingly, I will compare its author’s approach with those of Judah ben David Ḥayyūǧ (a Rabbanite), Ibn Ǧinnī (a Muslim) and Abū l-Farāǧ Hārūn (a Karaite).