A COMPARATIVE MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE ṢAḤĪḤ AND MU‘TALL VERBS IN ARABIC AND OTHER SEMITIC LANGUAGES

Abstract

This paper aims to elucidate the morphological structures of the Arabic language, focusing specifically on the Ṣaḥīḥ and Mu‘tall verbs, and to conduct a comparative morphological study of triple verbs across Semitic languages. The objective is to underscore the salient morphological rules governing the transformation of the Arabic triple verb in comparison with other Semitic languages. The study delves into the intricacies of the Ṣaḥīḥ triple verb and its subdivisions, including the Salem, the Mahmooz, and the Muda‘af. It also dissects the defective triple verb and its divisions, such as Mu‘tall, Ajwaf, Nāqis, and Lafīf, providing an analysis of the morphological rules and transformations in relation to other Semitic languages. All Semitic languages, with the exception of Arabic, have preserved one or more stages of the language through phonetic transcription in Latin letters, a fact that has yielded a wealth of insightful findings. This paper draws upon the book "Semitic Languages", among other pertinent sources that address the topic, and employs a comparative descriptive methodology in its investigation. This comprehensive exploration contributes to our understanding of the morphological complexities of the Arabic language in the broader context of Semitic languages.