The Functional Semantics of the Verb in Arabic/ الدلالة الوظيفية للفعل في اللغة العربية

Vesim Accan

Abstract


This study presents a theoretical and historical examination of the concept of functional semantics in linguistic research. It explores its definitions and traces its development in modern linguistics, while reviewing the functional theories that emerged to address the shortcomings of earlier linguistic approaches. Particular attention is given to the role of situational context and discourse conditions in the interpretation of meaning. The study also surveys functional-semantic approaches and their applications in the works of Arab linguists. The research investigates the functional semantics of the Arabic verb at two principal levels. The first examines the functional meaning of the verb outside syntactic structure, focusing on the contributions of Arab morphologists who analyzed the verb as an independent linguistic unit. Their analyses were based on two main criteria: tense and the distinction between basic and augmented verb forms. According to the criterion of tense, verbs are classified into the past tense, denoting past time; the imperfect tense, denoting present and future time; and the imperative, expressing future-oriented action. With regard to verb formation, scholars identified the functional meanings contributed by additional letters to the structure of the basic verb. The second level examines the functional semantics of the verb within linguistic structure, where verbal meaning is influenced by contextual indicators, affixes, and accompanying linguistic elements. The study demonstrates how context may shift a verb from its original temporal reference to another temporal value. Thus, a past-tense verb may express present or future meaning, an imperfect verb may denote present, future, or even past time, and an imperative verb may function as a statement referring to a past event rather than as a command.

Keywords


Functional Semantics; Arabic Language; Verb; Tense; Event

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.18860/ijazarabi.v9i4.44006

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