Verb Structure in Imām Shāfi’s Anthology: A Morphosemantic Study
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Date
2017-07
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Publisher
University Of Ghana
Abstract
This study seeks to investigate verb structure in Imam Shafi’is poetic works. It is a theme oriented
collection of poems attributed to him which deals with specific themes in a general style. The
choice for this particular literary piece is informed by its exhibition of deliberate and extravagant
display of rhetorical devices, as well as easy accessibility of its content relative to other classical
poetic works, which could barely be appreciated without an advanced Arabic dictionary. This
collection of poems however is made up of nineteen different parts under each of which are group
of assemblies with varying themes. While most of the themes are inter-locked, a few others are
absolutely different. One thing is certain though, beneath each assembly, one will discover a strong
religious tone, a sound moral lesson, as well as a good pearls of wisdom.
Though Imam Shafi’is poetic works certainly lacks the sheer ingenuity, aesthetic flair, and
imaginative thrills unlike other classical poetic works, yet it is replete with vast socio-cultural
knowledge and rich linguistics material worthy of attention. This study on the other hand sought
to highlight how the various forms of Arabic verb structure, mainly three consonantal root and
four consonantal root, and their related extensions contribute to meaning formation in this literary
piece. This was accomplished jointly via a descriptive linguistic analysis & text interpretation
(hermeneutics).
The study discovered that, the various verb structure as used in the poetry had strong connection
with the context within which they were used. The most frequently used verb structure is the three
consonantal root. The three consonantal root, mainly used for the passive voice usually had two
meanings: the literal and the metaphorical.
It is envisaged that the study will help readers appreciate the unique role of verbs in Arabic
sentence in building vocabulary stock, and to discover how abstract rules governing the derivation
of words are applied on a contemporary Arabic text
Description
MPhil. Arabic
Keywords
Imām Shāfi’s Anthology, Morphosemantic Study