Vocal Concepts of Ibn Manzur in the Lisaan al-‘Arab

Abstract

This research was aimed at studying the vocal concept of Ibn Manzur in the Lisaan al-‘Arab Dictionary, focusing vocal modifications. Descriptive analysis and historical approaches were integrated. The research questions were how did Ibn Manzur study places of articulation and characteristics of Arabic alphabets and how did he study vocal modification.   

The findings indicate the following:

1. Ibn Manzur’s concepts on places of articulation tend to correspond to Khalil bin Ahmad’s. The articulators cover pharyngeal, coronal, labial, laminal denti-alveolar, laminal alveolar, laminal lower-dental, laminal upper-dental, radical and dorsal. However, they view differently in case of the place of articulation of Hamza: Khalil considers it a coronal, while Ibn Manzur pharyngeal.
2. Ibn Manzur similarly views to Sibawaihu Ibn Junnii, Ibn Sina and Sakakii on four places of articulation including radical, laminal lower-dental, laminal upper-dental and laminal denti-alveolar. Differently, the latter consider Dhod a dorsal.
3. Ibn Manzur concludes that the Arabic alphabets have three features: voiced sounds, ejective sounds and implosive sounds. The first feature is in accordance with Ibn Junnii and the other two are similar to Sibawaihu Ibn Junnii and Ibn Sina.