The Rhetorical Terminology in al-Sharīf al-Jurjānī’s (d. 816 AH) Book al-Taʿrīfāt: Between Influence and being Influenced

Abstract

Lexicographical documentation is singled out as one of the glories of the Arab intellectual heritage. The best-known monument of this heritage is Al-Taʿrifāt ("The Definitions") of al-Sharīf al-Jurjānī, a storehouse of the knowledge of the sciences and arts that no one had collected. The book is an amazing record of two thousand and twenty-six definitions. This records a rich variety of intellectual, cultural, and ideological diversity. This study is limited to the rhetorical terms that belong to ʿilm al-badīʿ (the science of rhetorical adornment), which feature in it. The main goal of this study is to investigate how al-Jurjānī handled the rhetorical terminology concerning the realm of badīʿ, to discover the way he approached these terms.  The analysis also seeks to highlight the extent to which al-Jurjānī was influenced by earlier scholars and how he, in turn, influenced those who came after him. To achieve its objectives, the research adopts a comparative approach, supported by additional methods such as descriptive, inductive, and historical analysis. These methodologies allow for a thorough exploration of al-Jurjānī’s lexical choices and terminological frameworks.

Findings of the study indicate that al-Jurjānī was both influenced by his predecessors and had a lasting influence on subsequent scholars. His handling of badīʿ terms was selective rather than comprehensive, and it appears that his approach was not guided by allegiance to a specific school of thought. Instead, he prioritized clarity and accessibility, choosing terms that suited his style or served pedagogical purposes. The study also confirms that scholars such as Zayn al-Dīn al-Manāwī, in his al-Tawqīf ʿalā Muhimmat al-Taʿārīf, and Ibrāhīm ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿArbashāh al-Ḥanafī, in Sharḥ Talkhīṣ Miftāḥ al-ʿUlūm, were notably influenced by al-Jurjānī’s definitions.