İlahiyat Akademi

Abstract

The explanations about the definition of the concept of ishtirāq, which is understood as polysemy in Turkish, are found first in the triple classification regarding the expressions made by the Arab linguist Sībawayh (d. 180/796), who lived in the 2nd/8th century, in his book named “al-Kitāb” Accordingly, the expressions appear as words with different forms and meanings, words with different forms but the same meaning, and words with the same form but different meanings. Although he did not mention it by name as a term, he described the ishtirāq as words with the same form but different meanings. The linguists who came after him generally followed this classification, no difference was recorded in the definition of this concept and the explanations and examples given were transmitted with very little change. In the modern period, it is observed that the explanations made regarding the concept of ishtirāq are generally presented without any specific condition or limitation, as in the early periods. However, al-Munajjid tried to put a framework by defining this concept as “Words that are not compound but simple, in which the movement and letter order do not undergo any change, and which signify with a special signification in a single environment and within the same period of time, and in which there is no connection between them in terms of meaning and eloquence.”
The issue of the existence of ishtirāq has been debated; some deny its existence by arguing that each word is coined for a single meaning, and putting two different or opposite meanings into a single word creates ambiguity and uncertainty, which ruins the eloquence of language. Others, however, accept it as a reality of language and consider it a richness of the language. Indeed, thanks to this phenomenon, unlimited objects can be described with limited words, which provides flexibility to the language. Moreover, since meanings in language are limitless but words are limited, the need for common words is inevitable. On the other hand, when we consider the prevalence of ishtirāq in all languages, its universal aspect cannot be ignored. The notion that common words cause confusion and uncertainty in meaning is not correct. Rather, to eliminate these negatives and determine the meaning, it is sufficient to consider the context. Furthermore, the notion that common words damage the eloquence of language is not correct. On the contrary, they ensure that speech is clear and literary.
Some have interpreted the concept of "aḍdād" which means "the presence of two opposite meanings in a single word," as part of ishtirāq based on the fact that a word can have multiple meanings. Others have referred to it as a separate concept unique to the Arabic language, arguing that there is no connection between the meanings of the common words, including opposites. Some argue that synonymy should be considered within the scope of polysemy/ multiple meanings, while others claim that because there is no relationship between the meanings, homonymy is different from polysemy.
In this study, the historical development of ishtirāq, one of the concepts in the Arabic language, which has been an ongoing term from the past to the present, has been examined, and its semantic analysis has been conducted to reveal its referential development and conceptual framework. Document analysis method was used to demonstrate conceptual change, and classical and modern sources were chronologically reviewed and compared between periods.