Ibn Jinni's Linguistic Thought: A Comparative Linguistic Study

Abstract

The research aims to study Ibn Jinni's linguistic theory  in the light of comparative linguistics through some of the linguistic terms that he established in his book Al-Khasa'is. The research focuses on examining Ibn Jinni's holistic perspective in establishing some linguistic laws, and whether these laws, which are the focus of study, can be realized in the Semitic languages. Among these laws is derivation, which he divided into categories: minor derivation, major derivation, and the greatest derivation, and he set a limit for each of them. The research was limited to studying major and greatest derivation in the Semitic languages Arabic, Hebrew, and Syriac, and explaining the general meaning that encompasses the words in both derivations.  This study depends on Arabic, Hebrew, Syriac, and comparative dictionaries. The research proved that Ibn Jinni's holistic perspective in his definition of major and greatest derivation can be   realized in the Semitic languages Arabic, Hebrew, and Syriac.