Verso la semplificazione della grammatica araba: l’analisi linguistica di Ibn Maḍā’ al-Qurṭubī

The Andalusian grammarian Ibn Maḍā’ al-Qurṭubī (1119-1196 a. C.) represents a figure of extraordinary innovation inside the Arabic Linguistic Tradition. His purpose, illustrated in the work al-Radd ʻalà al-Nuḥāt “The refutation of grammarians”, is removing from Arabic grammar all the abstract principles traditionally used by Arab grammarians, particurly the theory of government, in favor of a major pedagogical efficiency of the linguistic discipline. The aim of the present paper is to show how the Andalusian grammarian gets rid of this particular concept, tracing the programmatic points of the new method he adopts in illustrating some traditional linguistic issues. The attention will be focused on the empirical application of this method in three specific chapters of his work namely, “the conflict in government” (tanāzuʽ), “the verbal occupation” (ištiġāl), “the particles fa- and wa- followed by subjunctive mood”.