Internal Rhymes as Evidence for Old Hijazi: Difference between revisions

Jump to navigation Jump to search
no edit summary
[checked revision][checked revision]
No edit summary
 
(10 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 4: Line 4:
Old Hijazi has two hallmarks that distinguishes it from classical Arabic and the Quranic reading traditions:
Old Hijazi has two hallmarks that distinguishes it from classical Arabic and the Quranic reading traditions:
The loss of Hamzah (glottal stop) (in Arabic ء) and the loss of nunation (the addition of an "N" sound) and final short vowels except in the genetive (possession-showing) noun construct form. In classical Arabic, final short vowels and nunation are only lost when the word is in a pausal position, i.e., when the word is at the end of utterance. This would mean that unlike classical Arabic, the original language of the Quran entirely lacked noun-final nunation and final short vowels except in the genetive construct form.  This means that the last word in a sentence always lacks nunation and a final short vowel while all the words before it don’t lack them. A careful examination of the Quran reveals that if all words were treated in the same way as the words in pausal positions are treated, this would lead to the appearance of hundreds of hitherto unknown internal rhymes.
The loss of Hamzah (glottal stop) (in Arabic ء) and the loss of nunation (the addition of an "N" sound) and final short vowels except in the genetive (possession-showing) noun construct form. In classical Arabic, final short vowels and nunation are only lost when the word is in a pausal position, i.e., when the word is at the end of utterance. This would mean that unlike classical Arabic, the original language of the Quran entirely lacked noun-final nunation and final short vowels except in the genetive construct form.  This means that the last word in a sentence always lacks nunation and a final short vowel while all the words before it don’t lack them. A careful examination of the Quran reveals that if all words were treated in the same way as the words in pausal positions are treated, this would lead to the appearance of hundreds of hitherto unknown internal rhymes.
<center><youtube>kLwUh9jAi_g?t=15</youtube></center>
<center><youtube>nuNguQzcqUg</youtube></center>


==The Grammar of Pausal positions==
==The Grammar of Pausal positions==
Line 140: Line 140:
<span lang="en" dir="rtl">﴿وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ <u>أَغْنَى وَأَقْنَى</u>﴾</span> {{Quran|53|48|}}
<span lang="en" dir="rtl">﴿وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ <u>أَغْنَى وَأَقْنَى</u>﴾</span> {{Quran|53|48|}}


ʾaghnā wa ʾaqnā.  
Classical Arabic: ʾaghnā wa ʾaqnā.  


Old Hijazi: aghnē wa aqnē (the difference in pronunciation of the final letter here reflects a difference between Classical Arabic and Old Hijazi as reconstructed by van Putten)<ref>{{Cite web| title = Dissimilation of ē to ā in the Qurʾānic Consonantal Text| author = Marijn van Putten | work = academia.edu| date = | access-date = 1 March2023|url=https://www.academia.edu/90427143/Dissimilation_of_%C4%93_to_%C4%81_in_the_Qur%CA%BE%C4%81nic_Consonantal_Text| quote = Dissimilation of ē to ā in the Qurʾānic Consonantal Text
Old Hijazi: aghnē wa aqnē (the difference in pronunciation of the final letter in each word here reflects a difference between Classical Arabic and Old Hijazi as reconstructed by van Putten)<ref>{{Cite web| title = Dissimilation of ē to ā in the Qurʾānic Consonantal Text| author = Marijn van Putten | work = academia.edu| date = | access-date = 1 March2023|url=https://www.academia.edu/90427143/Dissimilation_of_%C4%93_to_%C4%81_in_the_Qur%CA%BE%C4%81nic_Consonantal_Text| quote = Dissimilation of ē to ā in the Qurʾānic Consonantal Text
}} </ref>
}} </ref>


<span lang="en" dir="rtl">﴿لَوْ أَنْزَلْنَا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى جَبَلٍ لَرَأَيْتَهُ <u>خَاشِعًا مُتَصَدِّعًا</u> مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ﴾</span> {{Quran|59|21|}}
<span lang="en" dir="rtl">﴿لَوْ أَنْزَلْنَا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى جَبَلٍ لَرَأَيْتَهُ <u>خَاشِعًا مُتَصَدِّعًا</u> مِنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ﴾</span> {{Quran|59|21|}}


khāshiʕan mutaṣaddiʕan. (The two words are in context)
Classical Arabic: khāshiʕan mutaṣaddiʕan. (The two words are in context)


Old Hijazi: khāshiʕā mutaṣaddiʕā.
Old Hijazi: khāshiʕā mutaṣaddiʕā.
Line 153: Line 153:
<span lang="en" dir="rtl">﴿وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي ‌<u>الْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ</u> وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ﴾</span>  
<span lang="en" dir="rtl">﴿وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي ‌<u>الْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ</u> وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ﴾</span>  


“al-baʾsāʾi wal-ḍarrāʾi”. This example occurs three times: {{Quran|2|177|}},{{Quran|6|42|}}, {{Quran|7|94|}}. It also occurs once in the nominative {{Quran|2|214|}} “al-baʾsāʾu wal-ḍarrāʾu”. In all these 4 occurrences, the two words were in context, not in pausal form. In Old Hijazi, the two words in the four instances are pronounced as: al-baʾsāʾ wal-ḍarrāʾ. Note that although Old Hijazi had lost the use of Hamzah/glottal stop, the Hamzah is still retained in a word-final position that is preceded by a long 'a' vowel.  
Classical Arabic: al-baʾsāʾi wal-ḍarrāʾi
 
Old Hijazi: al-baʾsāʾ wal-ḍarrāʾ
 
This example occurs three times: {{Quran|2|177|}},{{Quran|6|42|}}, {{Quran|7|94|}}. It also occurs once in the nominative {{Quran|2|214|}} “al-baʾsāʾu wal-ḍarrāʾu”. In all these 4 occurrences, the two words were in context, not in pausal form. In Old Hijazi, the two words in the four instances are pronounced as: al-baʾsāʾ wal-ḍarrāʾ. Note that although Old Hijazi had lost the use of Hamzah/glottal stop, the Hamzah is still retained in a word-final position that is preceded by a long 'a' vowel.  


The previous examples were internal rhymes that appear both in a classical Arabic pronunciation and in an Old Hijazi pronunciation. But when the Quran is read in Old Hijazi, hundreds of internal rhymes appear, which means that imposing classical Arabic on the Quran has led to the loss of hundreds of internal rhymes.
The previous examples were internal rhymes that appear both in a classical Arabic pronunciation and in an Old Hijazi pronunciation. But when the Quran is read in Old Hijazi, hundreds of internal rhymes appear, which means that imposing classical Arabic on the Quran has led to the loss of hundreds of internal rhymes.
Line 213: Line 217:
“Those are the disbelievers, the wicked ones”  
“Those are the disbelievers, the wicked ones”  


Old Hijazi pronunciation:          hum ǝl-kafarah ǝl-fajarah
Old Hijazi pronunciation:          humu l-kafarah al-fajarah


Classical Arabic pronunciation: humu l-kafaratu l-fajarah
Classical Arabic pronunciation: humu l-kafaratu l-fajarah


The Quran uses two words for “disbelievers”: kāfirūn/kāfirīn (used 126 times) and kuffār (used 19 times). This verse is the only time the Quran uses the word “kafarah” for “disbelievers”. The reason for this is for the word to internally rhyme with the next word: ǝl-fajarah (the wicked ones). Reading the verse in Classical Arabic ruins the rhyme between the two words and thus makes this unique choice for the word pointless:
The Quran uses two words for “disbelievers”: kāfirūn/kāfirīn (used 126 times) and kuffār (used 19 times). This verse is the only time the Quran uses the word “kafarah” for “disbelievers”. The reason for this is for the word to internally rhyme with the next word: al-fajarah (the wicked ones). Reading the verse in Classical Arabic ruins the rhyme between the two words and thus makes this unique choice for the word pointless:


humu l-kafaratu l-fajarah.  
humu l-kafaratu l-fajarah.  
Line 223: Line 227:
The last word cannot be pronounced “l-fajaratu” because it’s at the end of the verse and hence the ‘u’ marker for the nominative isn’t added. And since that nothing was added, the final feminine ‘h’ remains and doesn’t turn into a ‘t’.
The last word cannot be pronounced “l-fajaratu” because it’s at the end of the verse and hence the ‘u’ marker for the nominative isn’t added. And since that nothing was added, the final feminine ‘h’ remains and doesn’t turn into a ‘t’.


The verse is spelled in the Qur'an as: hum al-kafarah al-fajararh. The classical Arabic pronunciation turns the feminine ending of the word “al-kafarah” into a ‘t’. So the word should be spelled with a ‘t’ الكفرت if it were spelled as it is pronounced. Yet the word in the Quran isn’t spelled with a ‘t’ in accordance with the claimed pausal spelling rule (and all other feminine nouns with this ending are likewise not spelled this way) which justifies the mismatch between the spelling of the Quran and the Classical Arabic pronunciation. Note how if the verse is read the same way it’s spelled then the two words rhyme with each other. This observation applies on all Old Hijazi internal rhymes except the ones where the classical Arabic pronunciation only adds final short vowels on words that don’t end with the feminine ‘ah’. In this special case there’s no mismatch between the classical Arabic pronunciation and the spelling as short vowels cannot be spelled in Arabic. An example of this is:
The verse is spelled in the Qur'an as: humu l-kafarah al-fajararh. The classical Arabic pronunciation turns the feminine ending of the word “al-kafarah” into a ‘t’. So the word should be spelled with a ‘t’ الكفرت if it were spelled as it is pronounced. Yet the word in the Quran isn’t spelled with a ‘t’ in accordance with the claimed pausal spelling rule (and all other feminine nouns with this ending are likewise not spelled this way) which justifies the mismatch between the spelling of the Quran and the Classical Arabic pronunciation. Note how if the verse is read the same way it’s spelled then the two words rhyme with each other. This observation applies on all Old Hijazi internal rhymes except the ones where the classical Arabic pronunciation only adds final short vowels on words that don’t end with the feminine ‘ah’. In this special case there’s no mismatch between the classical Arabic pronunciation and the spelling as short vowels cannot be spelled in Arabic. An example of this is:


العليم الحكيم  
العليم الحكيم  


al-ʕalīm ǝl-ḥakīm (Old Hijazi)
al-ʕalīm al-ḥakīm (Old Hijazi)


al-ʕalīmu l-ḥakīm (Classical Arabic)
al-ʕalīmu l-ḥakīm (Classical Arabic)
Line 283: Line 287:
<span lang="en" dir="rtl">﴿مِنْ شَرِّ <u>الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ</u>۝﴾{{Quran|114|4|}}</span>   
<span lang="en" dir="rtl">﴿مِنْ شَرِّ <u>الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ</u>۝﴾{{Quran|114|4|}}</span>   


OH: min sharri l-waswās ǝl-khannās
OH: min sharri l-waswās al-khannās


CA: min sharri l-waswāsi l-khannās
CA: min sharri l-waswāsi l-khannās
Line 337: Line 341:


==Examples of Old Hijazi internal rhymes in Hadith==
==Examples of Old Hijazi internal rhymes in Hadith==
The first example is from the seven aḥruf Hadith listed in a huge number of Hadith sources. The two rhyming words in this Hadith always come at a possible pausal position and sometimes at the end of the Hadith, such as:
The first example is from the seven aḥruf Hadith listed in a huge number of Hadith sources. The two rhyming words in this Hadith always come at a possible pausal position and sometimes at the end of the Hadith, such as:  


Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shaybah. Dar Al-Taj. vol.6 p.137  
Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shaybah. Dar Al-Taj. vol.6 p.137  


«نَزَلَ الْقُرْآنُ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ كُلٌّ ‌<u>شَافٍ ‌كَافٍ</u>»
نَزَلَ الْقُرْآنُ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ كُلٌّ ‌<u>شَافٍ ‌كَافٍ</u>


Old Hijazi: shāf kāf
Old Hijazi: shāf kāf
Line 347: Line 351:
Classical Arabic: shāfin kāf, or shāfin kāfī
Classical Arabic: shāfin kāf, or shāfin kāfī


Sahih Muslim. Matbaʿat Isa Al-Babi. vol.1 p.412
Sahih Muslim. Matbaʿat Isa Al-Babi. vol.1 p.412
   
   
Line 354: Line 357:
Old Hijazi: al-mātham wal-maghram
Old Hijazi: al-mātham wal-maghram
   
   
Classical Arabic: al-maʾthami wal-maghram  
Classical Arabic: al-maʾthami wal-maghram


Sunan Ibn Majah. Dar Al-Risalah Al-ʿilmiyyah. vol.5 p.17
Sunan Ibn Majah. Dar Al-Risalah Al-ʿilmiyyah. vol.5 p.17
Autochecked users, em-bypass-1, em-bypass-2, recentchangescleanup
164

edits

Navigation menu