Grammatical Significance of Sentence Modifiers in Ibn al-Dahan’s Grammar, d.1170 A.D.

Abstract

     Meaning can govern formation of a given linguistic phenomenon. This paper, accordingly, attempts an investigative analysis of Ibn Al-Dahan’s treatises on certain Arabic sentence modifiers. Sentence modifiers in Arabic are form- modifying and meaning-changing elements which are, when introduced to the sentence, cause changes in the form or meaning of that sentence. Most sentence modifiers in Arabic are emphatic, phrasal forms. Such modifiers are used as pre-determiners to create new meanings, alter forms, switch references, or emphasize some elements.