The concept of intertextuality: from its technical meaning to a critical

Abstract

The term "intertextuality" is a critical term, and critical studies have differed in defining its concept. Although the word "intertextuality" exists in traditional dictionaries, there is some convergence between the tangible and the abstract meaning of the term. Therefore, in establishing this concept, we had to search historically for its origins and trace its transformations in various fields of knowledge, leading to the common technical understanding within linguistic studies. This understanding is considered an essential part of any semiotic study of poetry belonging to the post-structuralist era. We discussed the beginnings and roots of intertextuality within the Western perspective, intertextuality in the Arab heritage, and pointed to the patterns of intertextuality and the mechanism of technique, as well as the sources of intertextuality. These sources included the manifestations of intertextuality and the aesthetics that are formed according to the narrator's ideology and their stance on events, through their selection of texts that address the same themes or the rereading of quoted texts in light of the text. The novel aspect of intertextuality is that it not only considers the correspondence between texts but also opens its scope to interpretation and reading. The reader, with their varying levels of understanding and cultural background, is the one who will unveil the intertextuality and unravel the enigma of the text and the intricate relationships between it and other texts.