Comparative Semitic Studies and Their Impact on the Levels of Linguistic Analysis of the Arabic Language: “From Linguistic Comparison to the Poetic Text”

Abstract

This research aims to study the levels of linguistic analysis in lights of the findings of comparative Semitic studies. It moves from linguistic comparison to the analysis of poetic texts, employing a scientific approach that seeks to re-employ the comparative method by interpreting Arabic linguistic phenomena within its comprehensive framework. In short, the research is based on a fundamental premise; a deep scientific understanding of the Arabic language can’t be complete without studying its historical and linguistic relationship with its Semitic counterparts, given the shared characteristics (phonetics, morphology, syntax, and lexicography) that these languages ​​possess, stemming from a common Semitic origin. To achieve the research objectives, a descriptive, analytical, and comparative approach was adopted to reveal the impact of Semitic studies on the development of linguistic analysis levels. This was accomplished through four main levels: the comparative level, the rhythmic/phonetic level, the lexical/morphological level, and the cultural/literary level.

Thus, a number of findings emerged, the most important of which are: that delving into Semitic studies contributes to explaining many linguistic phenomena that remained obscure in traditional Arabic studies; in addition, it provides a contemporary methodological framework that helps us trace the historical development of the Arabic language and understand its deep structure and its relationship to the shared Semitic heritage; and that expanding the horizons of Arabic linguistic studies through the comparative method restores balance to linguistic study and enhances our reading of literary texts, enabling a deeper and more aesthetically pleasing reading. Therefore, we recommend the necessity of integrating Semitic studies into the curricula of Arabic language departments as a global and methodological imperative that contributes to building a more accurate understanding of the origins of the Arabic language and its linguistic and cultural history.