Book review
Sībawayhi’s Principles: Arabic Grammar and Law in Early Islamic Thought By Michael G. Carter (= Resources in Arabic and Islamic Studies, 5.).
Atlanta, Georgia: Lockwood Press, 2016. 296 pp. ISBN 1937040585 $ 49.95

Reviewed by Amal Marogy
Cambridge University
Table of contents

Within the rich history of Arab grammatical tradition, Kitāb Sībawayhi (second half of the 8th century) stands as its earliest extant and most reliable source. It is a work of genius that marks the development of traditional grammar as an autonomous discipline and surpasses pure theoretical description of Arabic with painstaking detail. It reflects Sībawayhi’s (d. 793 CE) concern to weave into his descriptive method the diverse social, religious and cultural realities of his time. The journey of the Kitāb from initial obscurity and neglect to becoming the cornerstone of Arabic grammar is every inch as unusual as the rise of its non-native speaker to becoming the ultimate authority on Arabic.

Full-text access is restricted to subscribers. Log in to obtain additional credentials. For subscription information see Subscription & Price. Direct PDF access to this article can be purchased through our e-platform.

References

Talmon, Rafael
1985 “An Eighth-Century Grammatical School in Medina: The Collection and Evaluation of the available material”. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 48.224–236. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Versteegh, Cornelis H. M.
1990 “Grammar and Exegesis. The origins of Kūfan Grammar and the Tafsir Muqātil”. Der Islam 67.205–242. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
1993 Arabic Grammar and Qur’anic Exegesis in Early Islam. Leiden: Brill. DOI logoGoogle Scholar