Increase in Arabic Letters in terms of Concept and Quantum: A comparative study with other Semitic Languages
Sultan Qaboos University, Oman
ABSTRACT
This study attempts to investigate the linguistic thought in Semitic languages about the increase's letters (added letters or extra letters); in terms of their concept and quantum, proceeding from the Arab Thought to the whole of the Semitic Thought. The increase in the language set by Arab linguists are two types: the first one have to repeat a radical in the verb; in the second, which this study intends to investigate, the increase must be among added letters or extra letters collected by ’alJawma tansAhu, or sa’altumUnIhA. In this research, several methodological questions about the concept of increase in Semitic languages and its quantum were raised. Major findings are as follows: Subject of the study is still in need of reconsideration of the methodology in Semitic languages, particularly Arabic, in need to put one approach and clear, which absorbs all the studied patterns underneath it, and excludes all we could enter into another level of linguistic analysis. This research has classified the views of linguists on the subject of study in Semitic languages, and attributed them to two concepts in the Arabic, to absolute, and non-absolute. The last one divided into two types: The first distinguishes between the phonemic and some morphemic increases on the morphological level; the second doesn't distinguish between them. The case in old Syriac is closer to Arabic ; because the linguists - who wrote in Arabic - are clearly influenced by Arab heritage. The concept of the increase by the linguists of Akkadian, Ugaritic, Mandaic, Hebrew (except Ibn Ganah) , Ge'ez and Amharic (specially Leslau) is mostly closest to the Arabic non-absolute concept of the increase, with their two types, on the morphological level. The Amharic has what is different from most of the Semitic languages; where it has morphemic suffixes could be one of the increase's letters , such as Indo-European languages. This study determined the increase's letters and their quantum in the Semitic languages; it put the letters in exchange for Arabic word " sa’altumUnIhA "; and specified what increased or decreased of them in Semitic languages; and selected the short or long vowels of increase - at the end of words - which was characterized by Ge'ez language, which does not represent a sign of declination in them.