The treatment of the 'ḥāl' in 'Kitāb Sībawayhi'

Abstract

This dissertation is a study of the treatment of the circumstantial accusative (ḥāl) in the Book of Sībawayhi. The study is aiming at two important goals. Firstly, it is aiming at a complete transformation of Sībawayhi's style into modern idiomatic English. Secondly, it presents the major discussions of the circumstantial accusative in the Book of Sībawayhi. To achieve these goals the relevant section of the Book have been re-arranged into six chapters. The first three chapters concentrate on the categories of word in which a circumstantial accusative may occur. It begins with the discussion of the circumstantial accusative of an adjective, which is followed by the discussion of the circumstantial accusative of a verbal noun and finally of a non-verbal noun. The presentation of these discussions in such an order is based on the priority of each of them in accordance with Sībawayhi's point of view. These chapters are further divided into a number of sub-headings in order to point out the pattern of the sentences in which the circumstantial accusative occurs. For example, the circumstantial accusative may occur in either a verbal or a nominal sentence. The fourth chapter presents Sībawayhi's view concerning the occurrence of the circumstantial accusative in a definite form. It contains a collection of rare examples of this definite circumstantial accusative. Furthermore, it is arranged into a sequence of sub-headings which manifest Sībawayhi's view concerning the degree of rarity of the various types of the definite circumstantial accusative. For example, Sībawayhi regards the definite verbal noun, despite its being exceptional, as the most acceptable form of the definite circumstantial accusative. It is followed by the definite non-verbal noun and finally the definite adjective. The last two chapters concentrate on the discussion of the noun to which a circumstantial accusative refers (ṣāḥibu l-ḥāl) and the agent of the circumstantial accusative (‘āmilu l-ḥāl) respectively. Sībawayhi points out that ṣāḥibu l-ḥāl should be definite. Therefore, he describes its occurrence in an indefinite form as ugly. As far as the agent of the circumstantial accusative is concerned, Sībawayhi recognizes two distinct types of the agent. Firstly, it may be a single word such as a verb or derivative noun such as 'ismu l-fā‘il, 'ismu l-maf‘ūl etc. Secondly, it may be a proposition or a nominal sentence the meaning of which contains the meaning of a verb. Both types of agent, however, are regarded by Sībawayhi as equivalent.