The linguistic and grammatical movement in al-Andalus, its origins, and its key drivers until the end of the fourth century Hijri

Abstract

The second century of the Islamic calendar marked the beginning of linguistic and grammatical movement in al-Andalus, which was nurtured by gatherings held in mosques established during the days of conquest by the Tabi'in, such as the Grand Mosque of Cordoba. However, the linguistic activity was not limited to Cordoba alone; other cities in al-Andalus were also bustling with scientific activities, including teaching, oral debates, and prolific literary production in language.

By the third century of the Islamic calendar, al-Andalus had reached a significant level of maturity in linguistic sciences. Scholars contributed greatly to these sciences, although their efforts were somewhat overshadowed by their religious duties, unlike scholars in the fourth century who dedicated themselves entirely to linguistic pursuits. This period saw the emergence of specialists in grammar, and it was distinguished by works that reflected the maturity, prosperity, and authenticity of grammatical studies.