THE ISSUE OF DERIVATION: VERB AND MASDAR, WHICH ONE DERIVES FROM THE OTHER?

Аннотация

This article analyzes the relationship between verbs and masdars (verbal nouns) in Arabic linguistics, one of the significant debates in the field. The views of the Kufa and Basra linguistic schools on this issue are examined, along with their main arguments. The Kufan linguists propose that the verb is the primary form from which the masdar is derived. In contrast, the Basran school considers the masdar as the original form, from which the verb is generated based on scientific principles. Additionally, the article discusses the concepts of verbs and masdars, their grammatical characteristics, and their distinctions. This topic is important not only for understanding the key aspects of Arabic morphology but also for comprehending word formation processes in general linguistics. By addressing this long-standing scholarly debate in Arabiclinguistics, thearticle provides abroader perspectiveonword formation processes. Keywords: erb, masdar, Arabic linguistics, Kufan school, Basran school, word formation, morphology, linguistic debates, grammatical analysis, word derivation. Outline 1.Introduction: Concept ofverbs andmasdars 2.Kufan perspectives 3.Basran perspectives 4.Theoretical approaches totheKufan and Basran debate 5. Conclusion: Summary of key differences between the Kufan and Basran schools’ perspectives Introduction. The Central Question in Arabic Linguistics A key issue in Arabic grammatical analysis is whether the verb (fi‘l) or the masdar (verbal noun) istheroot form. Before delving intothis debate, itis essential to define verbs andmasdars. Averb (fe‘l) is apart of speech that expresses an action, state, oroccurrence. In asentence, verbs usuallyplay acentral roleand change according to tense (past, present, orfuture) and subject. Main Characteristics ofVerbs: 1. Expressing an action: A verb conveys an action (e.g., to walk, to write) or a state (e.g., to calm down, tosleep). 2.Tensevariations: Verbs can take past, present, or futuretense forms. •Pasttense: “He wrote.” •Present tense: “He is writing.” •Future tense: “He will write.” 3.Subjectrelation: Verbs indicate who is performing theaction (e.g., “Iwrote,” “You wrote”). Examples: •“Iread”(verb: “read,”past tense). •“He isrunning” (verb: “running,”present tense). page1769 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ISSN:2692-5206,ImpactFactor:12,23 AmericanAcademicpublishers,volume05,issue03,2025 Journal: https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijai A masdar (verbal noun) represents the pure action itself without specifying tense or subject. It behaves like a noun and can function as a subject, object, or other grammatical element in a sentence. Main Characteristics ofMasdars: 1.Naming an action: A masdarrepresents anaction without linkingit to timeorsubject. •Example: “Runningis beneficial.”(Here, “running”is a masdarrepresenting the general act.) 2. Formation: In Uzbek, masdars typically end in “-moq” (e.g., “o‘qimoq” - “to read,” “yozmoq” -“to write”). 3.Similarities tonouns: Masdars function likenouns inasentence. •Example: “Writingis anart.”(The masdar “writing”serves as thesubject.) Differences Between Verbs andMasdars: 1.Averbexpresses an action with tense andsubject agreement. •Example: “I ran.” (Past tense, first-person subject.) 2.Amasdar represents theaction in a general sense, withoutspecifying tenseorsubject. • Example: “Running is good for health.” (The action itself is referenced, but the doer and time areunspecified.) Verbs and Masdars inArabic In Arabic, a similar relationship exists between verbs and masdars. The masdar (ردصم) is considered the root form, from which verbs of various tenses and conjugations are derived. Arabic has numerous masdar patterns governed by specific grammatical rules. Masdars generally behave likenounsinArabic. Examples: •Masdar: برض (zarb - “striking”) •Verb: تبرض(zarabtu -“Istruck”) TheKufan Perspective: Verbs are the RootForm Kufan linguists argue that the masdar derives from the verb. They claim that a verb ensures the validityofa masdarand provides its meaning. For instance: •امم ايَقَِي ايِ(“He stood up”) •امبرر ضي بي ري ضي (“Hestruck ablow”) According to the Kufans, this proves that masdars originate from verbs. Some Kufan scholars support this claim with the argument that masdars function as reinforcements for verbs. Since reinforcements are subordinate to what they reinforce, verbs mustbethe primary form. Additionally, they note that certain verbs lack corresponding masdars, implying that verbs are fundamental whilemasdars are derived. Examples: •معن(“good”) •سئب(“bad”) Sincetheseverbs have nomasdar, Kufan scholars argue that masdars are secondary. TheBasran Perspective: Masdars are theRoot Form Basran scholars counter thisview, asserting that themasdar is theoriginal form. Ibn Yaish states: “The masdar indicates an action in an absolute sense, while a verb ties the action to a specific time.The absolutealways precedes the particular.” Basran scholars argue that because masdar