LINGUIST List 18.2152
Mon Jul 16 2007
Diss: History of Ling/Ling & Lit/Philosophy of Lang: Gunaydin: 'Al-...'
Editor for this issue: Hunter Lockwood
<hunterlinguistlist.org>
Directory
1. Muhammet
Gunaydin,
Al-Sirafi's theory of 'lingua-logical' grammar: An analytical study of the grammatical work of al-Sirafi...
Message 1: Al-Sirafi's theory of 'lingua-logical' grammar: An analytical study of the grammatical work of al-Sirafi...
Date: 16-Jul-2007
From: Muhammet Gunaydin <gunaydinalumni.upenn.edu>
Subject: Al-Sirafi's theory of 'lingua-logical' grammar: An analytical study of the grammatical work of al-Sirafi...
E-mail this message to a friend
Institution: University of Pennsylvania
Program: Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Dissertation Status: Completed
Degree Date: 2006
Author: Muhammet Gunaydin
Dissertation Title: Al-Sirafi's theory of 'lingua-logical' grammar: An analytical study of the grammatical work of al-Sirafi (Sharh Kitab Sibawayhi) within the context of a discussion on language and logic in medieval Islam
Dissertation URL: http://repository.upenn.edu/dissertations/AAI3211077/
Linguistic Field(s):
History of Linguistics
Ling & Literature
Philosophy of Language
Dissertation Director:
Roger M. A. Allen
Joseph E Lowry
Barbara von Schlegel
Dissertation Abstract:
This is a study of the problematic relationship between language, grammar,and logic in the linguistic thought of Abu Said al-Sirafi (d. 979), thejudge and grammarian. It offers an analytical study of the first sevenchapters of his famous work on grammar, Sharh Kitab Sibawayhi within thecontext of the famous debate over Arabic grammar and Aristotelian logicthat took place in Baghdad, in 932 C.E. between him and Abu Bishr Matta ibnYunus (d. 940), the philosopher and logician. In the debate, againstMatta's thesis that logic is an instrument by which we differentiatecorrect speech from incorrect and sound meaning from unsound, al-Sirafiargues that correct speech can only be distinguished from incorrect bygrammatical investigation, and sound meaning from unsound by reason.Al-Sirafi further argues that grammar includes logic, and thus there is noneed to study logic separately. This study examines al-Sirafi's Sharh toinvestigate whether these ideas are based on a verifiable linguistic theoryfound in his Sharh, or stated only for the sake of discussion during thedebate.
At the end of the study it is concluded that al-Sirafi's approaches tolinguistic issues are consistent and complementary to each other in boththe debate and the Sharh. However, there is no evidence found in the Sharhto support his criticism of logic put forward in the debate.
|