The Interpretation of Verbal Form (Faa’ala): Reality and Challenges

Abstract

The study investigates the interpretation of the verbal form (faa’ala) in Arabic language. The study shows that this verbal form has one and only one interpretation which is the extension of the meaning of the verb that it derives from. The study also shows that the other interpretations of the active participle that were discussed by other ancient and contemporary scholars fall under the basic interpretation of extension of the meaning of the verb. 

    The study addresses the problem that linguists multiply the morphological meanings of the verbal form (faa’ala) although it bears - as far as I see - only one interpretation, which is what I referred to above. This multiplicity leads to an overlap of examples carried on each meaning, without clear boundaries between the meanings. In addition, this multiplicity of meaning directs the examples to meanings that are far from their true morphological meaning. This increases the confusion of the intended meaning of the examples in many texts, such as imposing them on the meaning of participation which they do not tolerate.

The study used the descriptive analytical methodology to reveal the meaning of the verbal form (faa’ala), within the framework of a historical approach in which I followed the efforts of the ancient and contemporary linguists to reveal the stages of development of the morphological meaning of the form.