Impact of the Grammatical Question on Arabic Linguistic Thinking

Abstract

The Arab-Islamic heritage is an ever-ending treasure trove, which needs to be revisited time and times again in order to further understand the nature of Arabic linguistic thinking as it exists today, reflecting on its linguistic, cognitive and cultural aspects. The study of the development of Arabic grammatical question can clarify the nature of Arabic linguistic thinking, as it originated and developed in the educational environment. This made language questions in general, and questions issues in particular, the major influence in the emergence and evolution of language sciences. Thus, we traced the origins of the grammatical question, from its inception at the hands of Ibn Abbas and Abu al-Aswad, to its development by the latter’s disciples, especially Ibn Abi Ishaq and Abu Amr bin al-Ala’, until it was completed by al-Farahidi and his student Sibawayh. The study concludes with a review of the origins of the grammatical question and the methodology of addressing it as it was established in Sibawayh’s book.