al-Alfaz al-Mukhtalifa fi al-Maani al-Mutalifa
- Author died
- 672 AH
- Editions
- Dār al-Jīl
al-Alfaz al-Mukhtalifa fi al-Maani al-Mutalifa (The Varied Expressions for Congruent Meanings) is a lexical treatise on Arabic synonymy and literary style by the Andalusian grammarian and philologist Ibn Malik (d. 672 AH / 1274 CE) .
Purpose and Scope
In his introduction, Ibn Malik states that adab (literary culture) encompasses many fields of study, the most immediate and essential of which is attaining versatility in expression with eloquence and clarity . He composed the treatise to enable writers and stylists to vary their vocabulary in formal prose, epistolary correspondence (mukatabah and murasalah), and private discourse (munajah) without having to repeat nouns and descriptors when expressing the same underlying concept .
Structure and Content
The work is organized topically into thematic chapters (abwab), listing synonymous and closely related terms under distinct conceptual headings . Ibn Malik structures the compilation by presenting isolated, single expressions (al-fawarid) first, followed by compound variations and rare constructions (al-murakkabat min al-fawarid wa-hiya al-shawarid) .
Each chapter gathers verbs, nouns, and descriptive words associated with a particular meaning. The themes covered include:
- Giving and gifting (al-hibat)
- Scarcity and small quantities (al-qalil)
- Grief and distress (al-ghamm)
- Poverty (al-faqr) and wealth (al-ghina)
- Joy (al-farah) and praise (al-madh)
- Insults (al-shatm) and pride (al-salaf)
- Distance (al-bu'd) and proximity (al-dunuw)
- Disclosure (al-izhhar) and concealment (al-kitman)
- Prosperity (al-rakha'), pasture (al-ushb), and hardship (al-shiddah)
- Dispute (al-khusumah) and assemblies (al-majlis)
- Repentance (al-tawbah), fear (al-khawf), and succession (tatabu' al-shay')
- The past (al-madi), markers and signs (al-alamah), illumination (al-diya'), origins (al-asl), infatuation (al-wulu'), prohibition (al-nahy), and completeness (al-tamm)
Manuscript Tradition and Printed Editions
The work has been preserved in manuscript form, including a copy in the Egyptian National Library (Dar al-Kutub al-Misriyya, MS Taymur 464 Lughah) .
Modern critical editions include:
- An edition edited by Najat Hasan Nawi (or Nawli), published by the Heritage Revival Center at Umm al-Qura University in Mecca .
- An edition edited by Muhammad Hasan Awwad, published by Dar al-Jil in Beirut (1411 AH / 1991 CE) .
Answer updated