Khayr al-Kalam fi al-Taqassi an Aghlat al-Awwam
- Author died
- 992 AH
- Editions
- Alam al-Kutub
Khayr al-Kalam fi al-Taqassi ‘an Aghlat al-‘Awwam (The Best of Words in Investigating the Errors of the Common People) is a treatise on Arabic linguistic correction and common solecisms by the Ottoman Hanafi scholar, historian, and judge Ibn Lali Bali (934–992 AH / 1527–1584 CE) .
Background and Purpose
Ibn Lali Bali compiled the work from standard lexicons and authoritative treatises dedicated to refuting speech errors, aiming to clarify correct usage and counter widespread popular mistakes . In his introduction, he notes that he extracted these entries from linguistic treatises written by reliable authorities and dedicated the collection to an unnamed dignitary .
Structure and Methodology
The work is organized alphabetically according to the letters of the Arabic alphabet (‘ala huruf al-mu‘jam) . Under each letter, Ibn Lali Bali cites incorrect colloquial pronunciations, morphology, or syntactic constructions prevalent among the common people (al-‘awamm), juxtaposes them with the correct classical Arabic forms, and provides grammatical and lexical justifications .
In addition to noting solecisms, he occasionally comments on poetic recitations and provides his own evaluations, quoting grammatical authorities to support or weigh differing views .
Sources
In composing the work, Ibn Lali Bali drew upon prominent classical works in lexicography, grammar, and linguistic correction, including:
- Durrat al-Ghawwas fi Awham al-Khawass by al-Hariri
- Taqwim al-Lisan by Ibn al-Jawzi
- Tathqif al-Lisan by Umar ibn Khalaf al-Siqilli
- Lahn al-‘Awwam by Abu Bakr al-Zubaydi
- Asas al-Balagha by al-Zamakhshari
- Al-Sihah by al-Jawhari
- Al-Qamus al-Muhit by al-Fairuzabadi
- Grammatical treatises and commentaries by Ibn Jinni, al-Radi al-Astarabadhi, and Ibn al-Sa'ati
Manuscripts and Publication
Manuscripts of the text are preserved in several libraries, including:
- An autograph copy in the Zahiriyya Library in Damascus (MS 6386)
- The Fatih Library in Istanbul (MS 3757 adab)
- The Qadiriyya Library in Baghdad (MS 1492/1, copied in 1091 AH)
The book was edited by Hatim Salih al-Damin and published in Baghdad in 1981 in the journal of the Iraqi Scientific Academy (Majallat al-Majma‘ al-‘Ilmi al-‘Iraqi) . It was subsequently published in Beirut in 1403 AH / 1983 CE, and again in 1407 AH / 1987 CE as part of a collection of four linguistic correction texts (Arba‘at Kutub fi al-Tashih al-Lughawi) .
Answer updated