Grammarians Differ On The Regent Governing The Mubtada (Subject) And Khabar (Predicate)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57033/mijournals-2026-9-0241Keywords:
Arabic grammar, nahw, mubtada, khabar, regent (omil), nominative (rafʻ), predication (isnad), al-Zamakhshari, al-Mufassal, al-Khwarizmi, al-Jandi, Basran school, Kufan schoolAbstract
This article offers a comparative analysis of the views of medieval Arabic grammarians on one of the contested questions of syntax (nahw): the regent (omil) that governs the nominative case (rafʻ) of the mubtada (subject) and the khabar (predicate). It sets out the three positions on the question – those of the Basran school, of Sibawayh and of the Kufan school – and then examines in detail al-Zamakhshariʼs Basran formulation in al-Mufassal, together with the critical commentaries of Qasim al-Khwarizmi and Taj al-Din al-Jandi on that work and al-Jandiʼs logical refutation of the Kufan theory of “mutual requirement.” The article shows that the question rests not only on grammatical but also on logical and philosophical foundations, and that the commentary (sharh) tradition served not merely to explain but also to generate new scholarly ideas.Downloads
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