"Justifying the Naming of an Object by One of Its Acquired Attributes – A Study in the Supplement, Continuation, and Appendix by al-Ṣaghānī (d. 650 AH)"
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Al-Saghani, in his linguistic works, addressed an important phenomenon involving the naming of things based on acquired, rather than inherent, attributes. This represents a clear aspect of semantic development in the Arabic language. He observed that some terms are not applied to objects due to their essential nature, but rather due to an incidental or resulting characteristic associated with them—where the attribute becomes dominant in naming. This type of naming reflects the flexibility of the language and its responsiveness to contextual and practical usage. Al-Saghani’s approach reveals a keen awareness of the relationship between words and meanings, and the reasons that lead speakers to shift the denotations of words based on circumstances. This aligns closely with the concepts of logical and linguistic metaphor, where the name refers to the effect or attribute rather than the object itself. Thus, Al-Saghani’s methodology reflects a deep analytical understanding of lexical evolution in Arabic.
Metrics
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
References
"Linguistic Changes in Contemporary Arabic Dialects" by Haneen Saadoun Majeed, College of Education for Human Sciences, University of Tikrit, Volume (31), Issue (12), 2024.
Al-‘Ayn, by Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad al-Farahidi (d. 170 AH), edited by Mahdi al-Makhzumi and Ibrahim al-Samarra’i, Dar wa Maktabat al-Hilal.
Al-‘Ibar fī Khabar man Ghabar, by Al-Dhahabi, edited by Muhammad al-Sa‘id ibn Basyuni Zaghlul, 1st edition, Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 1985.
Al-A‘lam, by Khair al-Din Al-Zarkali, Beirut: Dar Al-Ilm Lil-Malayeen, 2002.
Al-Aghani, by Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani (d. 356 AH), Dar Ihya’ al-Turath al-‘Arabi – Beirut, 1st edition, 1415 AH.
Al-Maghrib fī Tartīb al-Mu‘arrab, by al-Turtushi (al-Mutarrazi) (d. 610 AH), Dar al-Kitab al-‘Arabi, no edition or date specified.
Al-Manhal al-Safi wa al-Mustawfa ba‘d al-Wafi, by Ibn Taghribirdi, reviewed by Sa‘id Abd al-Fattah Ashour, edited by Muhammad Muhammad Amin, Ahmad Yousuf Najati, and Nabil Muhammad Abd al-‘Aziz, Cairo: General Egyptian Book Organization.
Al-Mukhasas, by Ibn Sīda (d. 458 AH), edited by Khalil Ibrahim Jaffal, Dar Ihya’ al-Turath al-‘Arabi – Beirut, 1st edition, 1417 AH / 1996 CE.
Al-Shaqā’iq al-Nu‘māniyyah fī ‘Ulamā’ al-Dawlah al-‘Uthmāniyyah, by Ahmad ibn Mustafa Tashkubrizadeh (d. 968 AH), Dar al-Kitab al-‘Arabi – Beirut, no edition date.
Al-Takmila wal-Dhayl wal-Silah li-Kitab Taj al-Lughah wa-Sihah al-‘Arabiyyah, by al-Saghani (d. 650 AH), edited by Abd al-‘Alim al-Tahawi, reviewed by Abd al-Hamid Hassan, Cairo: Dar al-Kutub Press, 1970.
Asma’ al-Kutub (The Names of Books), by Abd al-Latif ibn Muhammad ibn Mustafa, known as Lotfi, also known as Riyad Zadah al-Hanafi (d. 1078 AH), edited by Dr. Muhammad Al-Tunji, Dar Al-Fikr – Damascus, 3rd edition, 1403 AH / 1983 CE.
Hadiyyat al-‘Arifin fī Asma’ al-Mu’allifin wa Athar al-Musannifin, by Ismail Pasha al-Baghdadi (d. 1399 AH), first printed by the Imperial Directorate of Education Press, Istanbul, 1951; reprinted by Dar Ihya’ al-Turath al-‘Arabi, Beirut.
Jamharat al-Lughah, by Ibn Duraid (d. 321 AH), edited by Ramzi Munir Ba‘labakki, Dar al-‘Ilm lil-Malayeen – Beirut, 1st edition, 1987.
Jami‘ al-Shuruh wal-Hawashi, by Abdullah Muhammad al-Habashi – an inclusive dictionary of Islamic works and their commentaries.
Kashf al-Zunun ‘an Asami al-Kutub wa al-Funun, by Katib Chalabi (Haji Khalifa) (d. 1067 AH), Al-Muthanna Library – Baghdad, 1941.
Khizanat al-Turath – Index of Manuscripts, published by King Faisal Center, a comprehensive index of Islamic manuscripts in libraries and manuscript centers worldwide.
Lisan al-‘Arab, by Ibn Manzur (d. 711 AH), Dar Sader – Beirut, 3rd edition, 1414 AH.
Mu‘jam Maqayis al-Lughah, by Ibn Faris (d. 395 AH), edited by Abd al-Salam Muhammad Harun, Dar al-Fikr, 1399 AH / 1979 CE.
Siyar A‘lam al-Nubala’, by Al-Dhahabi, edited by Muhammad Ayman al-Shabrawi, Cairo: Dar al-Hadith, 2006.
Tahdhib al-Lughah, by Abu Mansur al-Azhari (d. 370 AH), edited by Muhammad ‘Awad Mur‘ib, Dar Ihya’ al-Turath al-‘Arabi – Beirut, 1st edition, 2001.
Taj al-‘Arus min Jawahir al-Qamus, by Murtada al-Zabidi (d. 1205 AH), edited by a group of scholars, Dar al-Hidayah.