Changing Traditions: Al-Mubarrad’s Refutation of Sibawayh and the Subsequent Reception of the Kitab

Dealing with the development of Arabic linguistics as a distinct Islamic science, this study ranges from the founding father of Arabic grammar, Sibawayh, up through the classical era, focusing on the grammarian al-Mubarrad (285-898 AD). After providing an introduction to the environment in which Arabic grammar evolved, the text analyzes al-Mubarrad’s position vis-a-vis Sibawayh and other contemporary grammarians. Finally, al-Mubarrad’s decisive role in the development of Arabic linguistics is discussed. A separate edition of the oldest extant commentary on the Kitab sibawayh , by Ibn Wallad, is also included.