Particles of Meaning in Radi Al-Din Al-Astarabadhi’s Commentary on al-Kafiyah: a Functional Reading in Light of Pragmatic Linguistics

Abstract

This research aims to provide a functional analysis of the particles of meaning (ḥuruf al-ma’ani) in al-Radi al-Astarabadhi’s commentary on al-Kafiyah, within the framework of pragmatic methodology. The study is grounded in the hypothesis that al- Radi’s examination of these particles was not merely an enumeration of their apparent meanings but rather reflected a profound understanding of the relationship between linguistic structure and communicative function. To substantiate this claim, the article traces how al-Radi connects the semantic values of particles with speaker intentions and the contexts in which they occur, thereby demonstrating his recognition of their capacity to perform speech acts and shape meaning.

The research concludes that al-Radi’s approach embodies pragmatic principles within the Arabic grammatical tradition and that revisiting his works from this perspective opens new path for understanding the depth of Arabic syntax and its capacity to encompass the functional dimensions of language.