Author: M G Carter
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 2004
Language: English
Pages: 159
ISBN/UPC (if available): 0195660455
Description
The eighth-century scholar Sibawayhi is recognized as the first systematic grammarian of Arabic. Michael G Carter discusses his life and background, his relationship with his teachers, the intellectual context of his grammatical theories, and how his general concept of language shaped his approach to Arabic.
So thorough is Sibawayhi's impressive work-known simply as the Book-that it remains the seminal authority on classical Arabic. By outlining the central ideas of Sibawayhi as well as describing his legacy and achievements, this book provides an accessibly written and non-technical introduction to the whole subject of Arabic linguistics, and to the life and times of the man who founded the discipline.
REVIEW
This series, conceived by the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies and jointly published by Oxford University Press and I B Tauris, provides an introduction to outstanding figures in the history of Islamic civilization. Written by leading scholars, these books are designed to be the essential first point of reference for any reader interested in the growth and development of Islamic history and culture.
-General Editor: Dr F A Nizami
Series Manager: R M Ritter
Contents
Foreword
Introduction
Sibawayhi the person
The Kitab: Composition, data and terminology
The Kitab: Arrangement and general principles
Syntax
Morphology
Phonology
The legacy of the Kitab
Further Reading
Index