Qur'anic Researchers' View on Polysemy and Homonymy in Qur'an and Wujllh words

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor in Quran and Hadith at of Isfahan University

2 Associate Professor in Arabic Group at of Isfahan University

Abstract

Much have been said on polysemy and homonymy by linguistics. The Sunni
Quranic researchers have considered a word having different meanings as
homonymy and have studied the issue in different disciples of Arabic and
Islamic Studies as lexicology, logic, usul, Qur'anic knowledges as in "Wujuh
and Naza'er".
The late Sunni Scholars have shown much interest about the sense relation
of Quranic words and have found a general denotation in different usage of
the wujuh words, while considering them as homonyms has led to intricacy
and forced them to regard these different usages as allegoric and metaphoric.
Shia Scholars, on the other hand, have believed in polysemy in such
occassions as the result of Qur'an's inimitability both literally and
semantically.
According to this view, such meaning of the word is' a referent of a general
meaning, which is completely coherent with Quran having numerous inward
stages of meaning. As a result there is no need to consider the different usage
of the Qur'anic words as allegoric and metaphoric. It is one reality that exists
in its different referents and is considered as different denotation in Qur'anic
linguistics.
 

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