Dhikr Maani Abniyat al-Asma al-Mawjuda fi al-Mufassal
- Author died
- 672 AH
- Editions
- Institute of Arabic Manuscripts (ALECSO)
Dhikr Maani Abniyat al-Asma al-Mawjuda fi al-Mufassal (Mention of the Meanings of Noun Patterns Found in al-Mufassal) is a concise morphological and lexicographical treatise by the grammarian Ibn Malik (600–672 AH / 1203–1274 CE). It is dedicated to defining and explaining the meanings of nominal forms and vocabulary items cited in al-Zamakhshari’s grammatical work al-Mufassal.
Content and Structure
The treatise serves as an explanatory companion to the morphological examples in al-Mufassal, providing brief definitions and lexical clarifications for rare or specialized nouns and morphological structures. The text covers:
- Triliteral and augmented forms: The opening section lists various nominal patterns and rare words, defining terms such as al-ablam (palm leaves), tandub (a species of tree), tatful (fox), al-yarmaʿ (glistening stones), al-hiblaʿ (a glutton), al-asbahān (a clear day), and al-yarmān (a severe day).
- Quadriliteral nouns (al-Rubāʿī): This section covers four-radical forms and their augmentations, defining words including al-fitahl (a mythical ancient epoch), al-kuntaʾal (short in stature), al-samaydaʿ (a noble chief), al-fadawks (a name for a lion), and al-kannahwar (dense clouds).
- Quinqueliteral nouns (al-Khumāsī): This section defines five-radical forms, including al-jahmarish (an old woman), al-qudhaʿmil (a massive camel, or trivial household items), al-jirdahl (a strong camel), al-khuzaʿbīl (falsehood), and al-qabaʿtharā (a large camel).
The work concludes with a supplementary list of nouns found in al-Mufassal that the author notes were left without commentary, including al-jaranbah, al-dawāsir, ʿuruffān, al-qurāsiyah, janafāʾ, al-ghumadān, al-sufurraq, hirbadhā, al-qirshibb, al-kunābīl, al-jihinbār, al-qandawīl, al-ʿirtalīl, hindimān, ʿiffirriyān, and qirtabūs.
Transmission and Publication
A manuscript copy of the treatise is preserved in the al-Zahiriyyah Library (al-Asad Library) in Damascus under manuscript number 1593. The text was printed in Amman in 1987 and in Kuwait in 1989.
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