THE FUNCTIONAL FEATURES IN THE BOOK OF 'DALA'IL AL-I'JAZ' OF EL DJOURDJANI

Abstract

Many linguists relate language with its intended function, mostly, is communicative and expressive. This linguistic function is manifested across four levels of language: phenetics, morphology, syntax, and semantics. Some scholars add another level, which is the pragmatic level, such as in the theory of functional grammar. This level delves into studying the communicative and expressive function, in other words, what a language exchange between the speaker and the listener accomplishes in a specific social, material, and cultural context. In this study, we aim to highlight the functional roots in our Arabic heritage, through Al-Jurjani's book 'Dala'il al-I'jaz' ('The Miraculous Inimitability'), exploring how the functional aspects manifest in Arabic scholars' works, especially within 'Dala'il al-I'jaz".