| هٰذَا بَاْبُ الِاْبْتِدَاْءِ | 1٣٥٧٠٦ | this is the topic of initiation |
| فَالْمُبْتَدَأُ كُلُّ اسْمٍ ابْتُدِئَ لِيُبْنَى عَلَيْهِ كَلَاْمٌ | 2١١٥٩١ | now the initiatum is every nominal initiated so that speech be constructed upon it |
| وَالْمُبْتَدَأُ وَالْمَبْنِيُّ عَلَيْهِ رَفْعٌ | 3٦٤٢٥٩ | and the initiatum and what is constructed upon it are foregrounding |
| فَالِاْبْتِدَاْءُ لَا يَكُوْنُ إِلَّا بِمَبْنِيٍّ عَلَيْهِ | 4٨٠٤١٠ | for the initiatum is not except with what is constructed upon it |
| فَالْمُبْتَدأُ الْأَوَّلُ وَالْمُبْنِيُّ مَا بَعْدَهُ عَلَيْهِ | 5٣٦٢٢٤ | so the initiatum is first and what is constructed is after it and upon it |
| فَهُوَ مُسْنَدٌ وَمُسْنَدٌ إِلَيْهِ | 6٩٧٥٨٤ | so it is linked and linked-to |
| وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْمُبْتَدَأَ | 7٧٣٦٧٣ | and know that the initiatum |
| لَا بُدَّ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُوْنَ الْمَبْنِيُّ عَلَيْهِ شَيْئًا هُوَ هُوَ | 8٤٢٩٠٢ |
to it there is no avoidance that
what is constructed upon it be
something it is it شيْءٌ هُوَ هُوَ : something which
it is identical to it (the antecedent).
|
| أَوْ يَكُوْنَ فِي مَكَاْنٍ أَوْ زَمَاْنٍ | 9٠١٥١٢ |
or that it be
in a location
or a time These two cases are treated in the following
chapters, but not in this one.
|
| وَهَذِهِ الثَّلَاْثَةُ يُذْكَرُ كُلُّ وَاْحِدٍ مِنْهَا بَعْدَ مَا يُبْتَدَأُ | 10١٨٣٣٠ |
and these three I.e. something identical to the initiated term,
or something in a place, or something in a time. ,
each one of them is mentioned after the initiatum
|
| فَأَمَّا الَّذِي يُبْنَى عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ هُوَ هُوَ | 11١٧٠٥٠ | now as for that upon which is constructed something it is it |
| فَإِنَّ الْمَبْنِيَّ عَلَيْهِ يَرْتَفِعُ بِهِ | 12٩٠٣٧٠ | well indeed what is constructed upon it foregrounds by it |
| كَمَا ارْتَفَعَ هُوَ بِالِاْبْتِدَاْءِ | 13٦٤١٨٣ | just as it itself foregrounds by initiation |
| وَذٰلِكَ قَوْلُكَ عَبْدُ اللهِ مُنْطَلِقٌ | 14٦٨٩٤٩ |
and that is your saying
ʕabdᵘ ـll²āhᵢ munṭaliqᵘⁿ «Abdullah is departing»
|
| ارْتَفَعَ عَبْدُ اللهِ لِأَنَّهُ ذُكِرَ لِيُبْنَى عَلَيْهِ الْـمُنْطَلِقُ | 15٥٤٤٢٦ |
ʕabdᵘ _llāhᵢ ʕAbdᵘ llahᵢ
foregrounds since it is mentioned so that
munṭaliqdeparting
be constructed upon it
|
| وَاْرْتَفَعَ الْـمُنْطَلِقُ لِأَنَّ الْمَبْنِيَّ عَلَى الْمُبْتَدَأِ بِمَنْزِلَتِهِ | 16٨٧٧٢٣ |
and
munṭaliq departing
foregrounds since what is constructed upon the initiatum
is with its disposition
|
| وَزَعَمَ الْخَلِيْلُ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ أَنَّهُ يَسْتَقْبِحُ أَنْ يَقُوْلَ قَاْئِمٌ زَيْدٌ | 17٢٠٦٨٩ |
and al-Khalīl (may Allah have mercy on him) claimed
that he deems it ugly to say
qāɁimᵘⁿ zaydᵘⁿ «Standing-up is Zayd»
|
| وَذَاْكَ إِذَا لَمْ تَجْعَلْ قَاْئِمًا مُقَدَّمًا مَبْنِيًّا عَلَى الْمُبْتَدَإِ | 18١١٤٥٠ |
and that is when you do not treat
qāɁimᵃⁿ standing-uprightᵃⁿ
as something forepositioned
and constructed on the initiatum
|
| كَمَا تُؤَخِّرُ وَتُقَدِّمُ فَتَقُوْلُ ضَرَبَ زَيْدًا عَمْرٌو | 19٠٧٩٠٥ |
as you backposition and foreposition, so you say
ḍaraba zaydᵃⁿ ʕamrᵘⁿ «He struck Zayd[acc], did Amr[nom]»
|
| وَ عَمْرٌو عَلَى ضَرَبَ مُرْتَفِعٌ | 20٥٨٩٠١ |
and
ʕamrᵘⁿ ʕAmrᵘⁿ
is foregrounded on
ḍarabastruck-he
|
| وَكَاْنَ الْحَدُّ أَنْ يَكُوْنَ مُقَدَّمًا وَيَكُوْنَ زَيْدٌ مُؤَخَّرًا | 21٣٨٥٠٦ |
and the discipline is that it be
forepositioned and that
zaydᵘⁿ Zaydᵘⁿ
be backpositioned
|
| وَكَذٰلِكَ هٰذَا | 22٤٨٢٢٤ | and likewise is this |
| الْحَدُّ فِيْهِ أَنْ يَكُوْنَ الِاْبْتِدَاْءُ [ فِيْهِ ] مُقَدَّمًا | 23٢٠٢٥٦ | the discipline in it is that the initiation in it be forepositioned |
| وَهٰذَا عَرَبِيٌّ جَيِّدٌ | 24٢٥٥٣٧ | and this is excellent Arabic |
| وَذٰلِكَ قَوْلُكَ تَمِيْمِيٌّ أَنَا | 25٩٨٢٠٨ |
and that is your saying
tamīmiyyᵘⁿ Ɂanā
«Tamīmī, am I»
|
| وَمَشْنُوْءٌ مَنْ يَشْنَؤُكَ | 26٩٧٧٥٥ |
and
mašnūɁᵘⁿ man yašnaɁᵘ-ka
«»
|
| وَرَجُلٌ عَبْدُ اللهِ | 27٤٤٧٨٦ |
and
rajulᵘⁿ ʕabdᵘ allāhᵢ «A man, is Abdullah»
|
| وَخَزٌّ صُفَّتُكَ | 28٣٨٠٣٤ |
and
xazzᵘⁿ ṣuffatᵘ-ka
«Silk, is your saddle-pad»
|
| فَإِذَا لَمْ يُرِيْدُوْا هٰذَا الْمَعْنَى وَأَرَاْدُوَا أَنْ يَجْعَلُوْهُ فِعْلًا | 29٨٢٨٣٣ | but when they do not intend this meaning and they intend that they treat it as an action |
| كَقَوْلِهِ يَقُوْمُ زَيْدٌ وَقَاْمَ زَيْدٌ | 30٠٣٥٦٦ |
like his saying
yaqūmᵘ zaydᵘⁿ «Zayd stands up»
and
qāma zaydᵘⁿ«Zayd will stand up»
«Zayd stood up»
|
| قَبُحَ لِأَنَّهُ اسْمٌ | 31٢١١٤٧ |
it is ugly since it is a nominal That is, قَاْئِمٌ زَيْدٌ is ugly if you
treat the participle قَاْئِمٌ as expressing
يَقُوْمُ or قَاْمَ.
|
| وَإِنَّمَا حَسُنَ عِنْدَهُمْ | 32٣٢٨٩٦ | and yet it is felicitous for them |
| أَنْ يَجْرِيَ مَجْرَى الْفِعْلِ | 33٨٠٩٣٦ | that it follow the course of the action |
| إِذَا كَاْنَ صِفَةً جَرَى عَلَى مَوْصُوْفٍ | 34٢٥١٦٥ | when it is a descriptor flowing on something described |
| أَوْ جَرَى عَلَى اسْمٍ قَدْ عَمِلَ فِيْهِ | 35٠٠٦٢٥ | or flowing on a nominal that has elaborated in it |
| كَمَا أَنَّهُ لَا يَكُوْنُ مَفْعُوْلًا فِي ضَاْرِبٍ | 36٧٠٧٥١ |
just as there is not
a coactum in
ḍāribᵢₙ striking
|
| حَتَّى يَكُوْنَ مَحْمُوْلًا عَلَى غَيْرِهِ | 37٨٣٠٧٦ | unless it be supported on something else |
| فَتَقُوْلُ هٰذَا ضَاْرِبٌ زَيْدًا | 38١٥٨٤٢ |
so you say
hāðă ḍāribᵘⁿ zaydᵃⁿ «This one is striking Zayd»
«This one strikes Zayd»
«This one will strike Zayd»
|
| وَأَنَا ضَاْرِبٌ زَيْدًا | 39٦٩٣٢٩ |
and
Ɂanā ḍāribᵘⁿ zaydᵃⁿ «I am striking Zayd»
«I strike Zayd»
«I will strike Zayd»
|
| وَلَا يَكُوْنُ *ضَاْرِبٌ زَيْدًا عَلَى ضَرَبْتُ زَيْدًا وَضَرَبْتُ عَمْرًا | 40٨٦١٠٧ |
and
* ḍāribᵘⁿ zaydᵃⁿ *«Striking (he) Zayd»
is not on
ḍarab-tu zaydᵃⁿ«I struck Zayd»
and
ḍarab-tu ʕamrᵃⁿ«I struck Amr»
|
| فَكَمَا لَمْ يَجُزْ هٰذَا كَذٰلِكَ | 41٣٥٥٥٧ | so as this does not pass like that |
| اسْتَقْبَحُوْا أَنْ يَجْرِيَ مَجْرَى الْفِعْلِ الْمُبْتَدَأُ | 42٥٥٥٣٢ | they deem it ugly that the initiatum follow the course of the action |
| وَلِيَكُوْنَ بَيْنَ الْفِعْلِ وَالِاسْمِ فَصْلٌ | 43٣٦٥٧٤ |
and that there be between
the action and the nominal a separation I.e. ضَاْرِبٌ زَيْدٌ عَمْرًا, where
زَيْدٌ separates the (verbal) participle from
the direct object, is just as ugly as
ضَاْرِبٌ عَمْرًا.
|
| وَإِنْ كَاْنَ مُوَاْفِقًا لَهُ فِي مَوَاْضِعَ كَثِيْرَةٍ | 44١٧٠١٧ | even if it agrees with it in copious situations |
| فَقَدْ يُوَاْفِقُ الشَّيْءُ الشَّيْءَ ثُمَّ يُخَاْلِفُهُ لِأَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِثْلَهُ | 45٨٩٦٠٣ | for the thing may agree with the thing then disagree with it since it is not like it |
| وَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا ذٰلِكَ فِيْمَا مَضَى | 46٢٠٨٠٤ | and we have written that in what passed |
| وَسَتَرَاْهُ فِيْمَا يُسْتَقْبَلُ إِنْ شَاْءَ اللهُ | 47٢٦٥٩٦ | and you will see it in what is coming if God will. |
›‹
١٣٢هٰذَا بَاْبُ الِاْبْتِدَاْءِ
١٣٢
هٰذَا بَاْبُ الِاْبْتِدَاْءِCommentary
The nominal participle as the initiatum
Participles with verbal force
Segments 29 - 40: A participle with verbal force may not function as the initiatum, because such participles are anaphoric. They always describe something antecedently mentioned, as in مَرَرْتُ بِرَجُلٍ ضَاْرِبٍ أَبَاْهُ “I passed by a man striking his father”, or they are elaborated by a preceding term, as in أَنَا ضَاْرِبٌ زَيْدًا “I am striking (will strike) Zayd”, where ضَاْرِبٌ is elaborated by أَنَا, which is the initiatum. That cannot be the case when the participle is treated as the initiatum as in ضَاْرِبٌ زَيْدًا or قَاْئِمٌ زَيْدٌ, where the participle functions as a nominal.
Or as Sībawayhi puts it, the participle cannot have a direct object (which implies verbal force) unless it has an anaphoric antecedent. But that does not mean a participle cannot come first in the utterance; it just means that in that case it cannot function as the initiatum. So as he explains in segments 17 - 24, قَاْئِمٌ زَيْدٌ is “ugly” (according to al-Khalīl) if you treat قَاْئِمٌ as the initiatum. But if you treat this utterance as a re-ordering of زَيْدٌ قَاْئِمٌ then it is “excellent Arabic”.
Dicta
-
ʕabdᵘ ـll²āhᵢʕAbdᵘ llahᵢmunṭaliqᵘⁿdepartingᵘⁿ«Abdullah is departing»
-
qāɁimᵘⁿstanding-uprightᵘⁿzaydᵘⁿZaydᵘⁿ«Standing-up is Zayd»
-
ḍarabastruck-hezaydᵃⁿZaydᵃⁿʕamrᵘⁿʕAmrᵘⁿ«He struck Zayd[acc], did Amr[nom]»
-
tamīmiyyᵘⁿTamīmīɁanāI«Tamīmī, am I»
-
mašnūɁᵘⁿ[مَشْنُوْءٌ]manwhoyašnaɁᵘ-ka[يَشْنَؤُكَ]«»
-
rajulᵘⁿa manʕabdᵘaslaveallāhᵢAllah«A man, is Abdullah»
-
xazzᵘⁿsilkṣuffatᵘ-kayour saddle-pad«Silk, is your saddle-pad»
-
yaqūmᵘhe-standsᵘzaydᵘⁿZaydᵘⁿ«Zayd stands up»«Zayd will stand up»
-
qāmastood-hezaydᵘⁿZaydᵘⁿ«Zayd stood up»
-
hāðăthisḍāribᵘⁿstrikingᵘⁿzaydᵃⁿZaydᵃⁿ«This one is striking Zayd»«This one strikes Zayd»«This one will strike Zayd»
-
ɁanāIḍāribᵘⁿstrikingᵘⁿzaydᵃⁿZaydᵃⁿ«I am striking Zayd»«I strike Zayd»«I will strike Zayd»
-
ḍāribᵘⁿstrikingᵘⁿzaydᵃⁿZaydᵃⁿ«Striking (he) Zayd»
-
ḍarab-tustruck-IzaydᵃⁿZaydᵃⁿ«I struck Zayd»
-
ḍarab-tustruck-IʕamrᵃⁿʕAmrᵃⁿ«I struck Amr»
Colophon
Pagination
Derenbourg
١-٢٣٩
بلاق
١-٢٧٨
هارون
٢-١٢٦
يعقوب
٢-١٢٥
البكّاء
٢-٢١٣
Status(revision / pct complete)
Last update
2026-04-27
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Segmentation
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Dicta
3 / 100%