Arabic Rhetoric: A Pragmatic Analysis (Culture and Civilization in the Middle East)

Rhetoric is the flesh and blood of the Arabic language. It is a linguistic means to a pragmatic end. It is a discipline that aims to sharpen up the linguistic skills of speaking and writing. Rhetoric in Arabic illuminates the bridge between syntax and semantics and shows how linguistics, pragmatics, and aesthetics overlap. Arabic Rhetoric provides an interesting chronological historical account of the birth and development of Arabic rhetorical studies starting from pre-Islamic period to the 21st century. As the present book provides the stylistic mechanisms of Arabic, it can, therefore, be a vital source for learning Arabic as a foreign language as it explains the skilful weaving of Arabic sentences and the stylistic tools needed for effective Arabic discourse. This book is a vital source for contrastive linguistics and literary studies between Arabic and other languages. The tools for contrastive linguistics are available in chapter 4 that deals with the grammar-based theory of word order in Arabic, their pragmatic functions, and their distinct communicative values. This book also aids the reader in contrastive literary analysis in chapters 5 and 6, which provide an explicated analysis of the aesthetic values of Arabic speech acts and their pragmatic functions. Arabic Rhetoric is the first research book in English on this intriguing area of Arabic linguistics that has been overlooked by researchers. It is also the first of its kind that tackles pragmatic issues in Arabic and the notion of icjaz according to the Muctazilite and Ashcari scholastics. These are academic areas of interest to the English speaking researcher and academic. For this reason, Arabic Rhetoric is a valuable source for undergraduate students learning Arabic as a foreign language, for researchers in Arabic, Islamic studies, students of linguistics and academics.