TRADITIONAL CONCEPT OF ARABIC GRAMMAR AND A MULTIFUNCTIONAL INTERPRETATION OF SYNTACTIC ELEMENTS

Abstract

This paper attempts to explore the issue of multifunctional interpretation of syntactic elements in Arabic grammar. Thus, the aim of the research is to investigate the reasons underlying different grammatical interpretation of the same syntactic element in Arabic grammar. The focus is on an indefinite noun in the accusative case, which performs various functions within a sentence, the most common being the function of an absolute object. Through the analysis of a selected part of the Qur’anic text, the paper presents scholars’ attitudes towards this phenomenon. The findings showed that various multifunctional grammatical interpretations appeared from the very beginning of the standardization of grammar rules in Arabic. With its main postulates: an analytical approach, the concept of regency, the rule of implying certain grammar units, traditional concept of Arabic grammar left some space for the application of a functional-semantic criterion in the sentence analysis, which resulted in the appearance of different stances on the function of an indefinite noun in the accusative case. Grammatical multifunctionality is noticeable in the stances of Sibawayha, Ibn Hisham and others, while it is particularly notable within the studies dealing with the lingua-stylistic issues related to the Qur’anic text. The qualification of one syntactic from a few grammatical functions in a sentence and text results in lingua-stylistic implications in terms of textual economy and semantics.