al-Ittiba - Abu Ali al-Qali
- Author died
- 356 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat al-Khanji
Kitab al-Ittiba‘ (The Book of Reduplication) is a philological treatise by the Arab lexicographer and grammarian Abu Ali al-Qali (288–356 AH / 901–967 CE), dedicated to the study of al-ittiba‘—a stylistic and lexical feature in Arabic where a word is followed by a rhyming or metrically parallel partner for reinforcement, nuance, or phonetic harmony .
Scope and Classification
Al-Qali opens the work by dividing the phenomenon of al-ittiba‘ into two principal categories :
- Synonymous pairs: The second word carries the same meaning as the first and is introduced to provide emphasis (taʾkid) because its phonetic form differs from that of the primary word . Examples include qasim wasim (both denoting beauty), daʾil baʾil (slender or meager), ghaniyy maliyy (wealthy), and khafif dhafif (swift) .
- Divergent pairs: The second word carries a meaning distinct from that of the first word . Examples include aswan atwan (referring to someone sorrowful and pacing in grief), atshan natshan (thirsty and agitated), and qabih shaqih (exceedingly hideous or broken) .
Methodology and Sources
The text proceeds through an extensive compilation of paired formulas commonly used by the Arabs . For each pair, al-Qali provides morphological analysis, explains etymological roots, and analyzes whether phonetic alterations—such as consonant substitution (ibdal) or letter additions—were introduced to harmonize the ending of the second word with the first .
To corroborate his linguistic interpretations, al-Qali cites verses from classical Arabic poetry by poets such as Khalid ibn Zuhayr, al-Ajjaj, al-Qutami, and Labid, as well as Quranic usage and Prophetic traditions . He also records transmissions and dialectal observations from prominent earlier authorities, including Ibn Durayd, Abu Zayd al-Ansari, al-Asma'i, Ibn al-A'rabi, al-Lihyani, Yunus ibn Habib, Abu Ubaydah, Ya‘qub ibn al-Sikkit, and Sibawayh .
Reception and Citations
Material from the treatise was incorporated by al-Qali into his larger dictations, Kitab al-Amali . Subsequent lexicographers and encyclopedists, including Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti in al-Mizhar fi ‘Ulum al-Lughah and Siddiq Hasan Khan in al-Bulghah fi Usul al-Lughah, relied directly on al-Qali's classification and cited his definitions and examples when treating the subject of al-ittiba‘ .
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