Maani al-Nahw
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- Dar Al-Fikr for Printing, Publishing and Distribution
Maani al-Nahw (The Meanings of Grammar) is a multi-volume study of Arabic grammatical semantics by the Iraqi scholar Fadil Salih al-Samarrai, dedicated to uncovering the precise meanings and stylistic distinctions conveyed by Arabic syntactic structures.
Background and Purpose
Al-Samarrai composed the work over more than ten years of continuous research and textual reflection. He noted that classical Arabic grammar had traditionally prioritized inflectional endings (iʿrāb and bināʾ), and although it treated issues such as word order and omission, many semantic nuances between varying grammatical structures remained unexamined in standard treatises of grammar and rhetoric. The author described the book as an attempt to establish a "jurisprudence of grammar" (fiqh al-naḥw) centered on meaning, arguing that any shift from one syntactic construction to another necessarily reflects a shift in intended meaning rather than mere stylistic redundancy, with the exception of dialectal variants.
To illustrate this purpose, the book investigates subtle semantic differences between superficially similar phrasing, such as contrasting modes of categorical negation (e.g., using lā versus mā min), the differing nuances between particles of negation, and variations among particles used for causation (such as lām, kay, bāʾ, min, fī, ʿan, and ʿalā).
Method and Linguistic Framework
The primary textual corpus of the work is the Quran, whose verses the author indexed topically to analyze syntactic variations and contextual determinants of meaning, alongside classical references in grammar, rhetoric, lexicography, exegesis (tafsīr), and Quranic sciences.
In analyzing the Arabic sentence, al-Samarrai identifies five foundational elements that govern its meaning:
- Individual vocabulary (al-mufrada).
- Morphological structure (al-bināʾ al-ṣarfī), where differences in morphological form correspond to differences in meaning.
- Syntactic composition (al-taʾlīf), encompassing both partial construction (such as varying prepositions attached to a verb) and complete sentence construction (such as fronting, deferral, omission, and emphasis).
- Phonetic intonation (al-naghma al-ṣawtiyya), through which tone and vocal modulation alter or intensify the meaning of an utterance.
- Historical semantic evolution (al-taṭawwur al-tārīkhī li-l-dalāla), reflecting shifts in the conventional meaning of phrases over time.
Publication
The work was printed in Mosul by Matba'at Dar al-Hikma in 1991 (also issued under the Ministry of Higher Education in Mosul and Dar al-Hikma in Baghdad). It was subsequently published in Amman by Dar al-Fikr in 1420 AH (2000 CE).
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