Landmarks in Linguistic Thought Volume III The Arabic Linguistic Tradition

"Landmarks in Linguistic Thought: The Arabic Linguistic Tradition" introduces the major issues and themes that have determined the development of the Arabic linguistic tradition. Each chapter contains a short extract from a translated "landmark" text followed by a commentary which places the text in its social and intellectual context. The chosen texts frequently offer scope for comparison with the Western tradition. By contrasting the two systems, the Western and the Arabic, this book serves to highlight the characteristics of two very different systems and thus will stimulate new ideas about the history of linguistics. This book presumes no prior knowledge of Arab-Islamic culture or Arabic language.

Landmarks in Linguistic Thought Vol 3 is devoted to a linguistic tradition that lies outside the Western mainstream, namely that of the Middle East.The reader is introduced to the major issues and themes that have determined the development of the Arabic linguistic tradition. Each chapter contains a short extract from a translated `landmark' text followed by a commentary which places the text in its social and intellectual context. The chosen texts frequently offer scope for comparison with the Western tradition. By contrasting the two systems, the Western and the Middle Eastern, this book serves to highlight the characteristics of two very different systems and thus stimulate new ideas about the history of linguistics.This book presumes no prior knowledge of Arabo-Islamic culture and Arabic language, and is invaluable to anyone with an interest in the History of Linguistics. Kees Versteegh is currently Professor of Arabic and Islam at the Middle East Institute of the University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands. His publications include The Explanation of Linguistic Causes (1995),Ed. Arabic Outside the Arab World (1994)

Introduction; Chapter 1 Linguistics and exegesis; Chapter 2 AI-Khalîl and the Arabic lexicon; Chapter 3 Sîbawayhi and the beginnings of Arabic grammar; Chapter 4 The debate between logic and grammar; Chapter 5 The development of linguistic theory; Chapter 6 The relationship between speech and thought; Chapter 7 The ’Ikhwân a?-?afâ’ on the theory of sound and meaning; Chapter 8 The origin of speech; Chapter 9 A new semantic approach to linguistics; Chapter 10 The conventional character of language; Chapter 11 Ibn Ma?â’ and the refutation of the grammarians; Chapter 12 Ibn Khaldûn on the history of Arabic; Chapter 13 The Arabic model and other languages;

Kees Versteegh is currently Professor of Arabic and Islam at the Middle East Institute of the University of Nijmegen, the Netherlands. His publications include Zajjaji's Explanation of Linguistic Causes (1995), (ed.) Arabic Outside the Arab World (1994).