A Morpho - Semantic Study of Dericatives in Badīc Al-Zamān Alhamadhāni’s Assemblies

Abstract

The study focused on the Morpho-Semantic structure of derivatives in Badīc al-Zamān al-Hamadhāni. It sought to answer three key questions: To what extents has the maqāmāt featured derivatives? What are the major types of derivatives in maqāmāt? And what are the connotations of these derivatives in various contexts? In order to answer these three questions, the researcher had to combine descriptive approach with contextual analysis. This made it possible for him to trace, identify, and classify the various derivatives found in the maqāmāt, and to describe and analyze them appropriately. The study contributes towards a purposeful application of grammar rules on relevant classical text, a phenomenon that many researchers have been calling for in recent times. Below are some of the major findings of the study: 1. Derivation is one of the crucial tools of generating words and increasing vocabulary stock and jargons in Arabic language. 2. Derivatives contribute in identifying the actual root of words, which in turn helps to differentiate foreign words from original ones. 3. There is a clear variation in the degree of occurrence of the derivatives; the descriptive derivatives occurred 278 times, while prescriptive derivatives occurred 384 times. 4. The various connotations of the derivatives contributed towards enriching literary images and portraits in maqāmāt.