الحمل على المعنى: دراسة تاريخيّة في تطوّر مفاهيم التأويل

Abstract

This historical corpus linguistic study explores semantic interpretation as a concept in Arabic. This concept arose to address the syntactic deviations that seemed to violate the standard grammar rules in both classical Arabic and the Qur’anic text. The core issue revolves around whether this phenomenon is legitimate within Arabic grammar theory and how it influences the understanding and analysis of linguistic structures. The study thus traces the origins and evolution of Arabic semantic interpretation, moving from instinctive, usage-based interpretations to systematic theories. It highlights key moments and expressions of the phenomenon in Qur’anic readings, classical poetry, and modern usage. Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, the study examines the diverse perspectives of Arabic grammarians—from supporters to critics. Additionally, the study explores how the phenomenon transitioned from a spontaneous linguistic practice to a formal concept within the framework of Arabic grammar.

The findings show that Arabic semantic interpretation is a genuine linguistic phenomenon that demonstrates the flexibility of the Arabic grammar system. It allows grammarians to view non-standard and irregular structures as natural extensions of usage rather than errors. The study also emphasizes the potential usefulness of semantic interpretation in analyzing modern linguistic structures and teaching Arabic in ways that mirror real language use. It concludes by suggesting the creation of a textual corpus to provide examples of the phenomenon for further statistical and contextual analysis.