The Authenticity of Arabic Grammar in Light of its Origins

Abstract

The question of how Arabic grammar emerged has long occupied a central place in both linguistic and Orientalist scholarship. Numerous Orientalists have attempted to trace the origins of this discipline and to determine whether it developed within a distinctly Arab intellectual milieu or whether it was shaped by methodological and scientific traditions from other cultures. Their inquiry has particularly focused on Sibawayh’s 'Kitāb', a work that constitutes an exceptional phenomenon in the history of Arab scholarly writing due to its remarkable methodological coherence and terminological precision. The core question that arises is how such a monumental and fully formed work could have appeared without being preceded by clearly documented stages of theoretical growth. The debate over the authenticity of Arabic grammar and the extent of its independence from external influences remains a pivotal issue in contemporary linguistic research. The sudden emergence of Sibawayh’s ''Kitāb'' as a comprehensive and rigorously structured grammatical system—within a historical context largely devoid of explicit theoretical precursors—raises an epistemological problem that calls for a reconsideration of the methodological frameworks used to trace and document the foundational phases of Arabic grammatical thought.