Grammatical Terminology in Abu Muhammad al-Abhari (600 AH): A Grammatical Study

Abstract

Grammatical studies require delving into the fundamental books that encompass grammatical topics. This study aims to explore the grammatical subjects addressed by al-Abhari, his influences, and the unique aspects he presented. It seeks to clarify what was agreed upon, what was disputed, and what distinguished al-Abhari from others, particularly regarding his treatment of grammatical terminology and the topic of nominatives. Among the grammatical terms are the concepts of the definite noun and the five special nouns, as well as the distinction between inflected and non-inflected nouns. The distinction between inflected and non-inflected nouns is a topic of morphological studies that various morphology books have examined. It focuses on nouns that are inflected and those that are not. The norm is for nouns to be inflected, while non-inflected nouns are exceptions with specific cases. Scholars have paid close attention to studying these distinctions, including Sheikh al-Abhari, who dedicated a section in his book to "Inflected and Non-Inflected Nouns." Al-Abhari also elaborated on grammatical terminology and the content of nominatives in his book, presenting it briefly but comprehensively. His grammatical knowledge was shaped by a tradition similar to that of his predecessors, such as al-Zajjaj, Abu al-Hasan al-Ramani, and Abu al-Fath ibn Jinni, with varying degrees of difference. This tradition, cultivated by his teachers, flourished among them and their contemporaries.