Semantic Dynamics Between Text And Context Selected Models From The Grand Lexicon Of Precious Gems/ دينامية المعنى بين النص والسياق نماذج مختارة من معجم النفائس الكبير

Abstract

This study examines semantic dynamics through the relationship between lexical meaning and textual context in The Grand Lexicon of Precious Gems. It addresses the problem of how lexical items acquire, shift, and expand their meanings across different linguistic and contextual environments. The study aims to analyze the role of context in determining intended meaning and to identify patterns of semantic development represented in selected lexical entries of the dictionary. A descriptive-analytical approach is employed, with the contextual method serving as the primary analytical framework. The data are drawn from selected entries in The Grand Lexicon of Precious Gems and are supported by contextual evidence from Qur’anic verses, Prophetic traditions, poetry, prose, and Arabic expressions. The analysis demonstrates that lexical meaning cannot be adequately determined through isolated dictionary definitions; rather, context functions as the principal mechanism for specifying, restricting, and directing meaning. The selected examples, including khatm, ‘abir, ‘atiq, ‘ayn, qabdh, qadhf, maqṣam, makhraj, mu‘abbad, and wajh, reveal substantial semantic variation according to their textual and situational environments. The findings further show that the dictionary does not merely reproduce inherited lexical meanings but documents their expansion and contextual diversification, linking established Arabic lexicographical heritage with actual patterns of language use. Thus, contextual analysis provides a more precise account of semantic meaning and demonstrates the dynamic relationship between lexical units, textual environments, and communicative interpretation.