nahw

Nahw is the traditional study of Arabic grammar and syntax, focusing on how words combine to form phrases and sentences, how agreement and case markings operate, and how meaning is conveyed through word order, affixes, and particles. It distinguishes morphology (the forms of words) from syntax (sentence structure) and provides rules for analyzing and producing Modern Standard Arabic.

Nahw developed in the early Islamic period. Abu al-Aswad al-Du’ali (c. 603–688) introduced early rules and diacritics that marked case endings and vowel quality. The discipline was systematized in the classical period by Sībawayh in his Kitab al-Kitab, a foundational reference for generations. Two main schools, Basra and Kufah, offered differing analyses of syntax and meaning, and their debates shaped later grammars.

Core topics include i’rab (the marking of case endings) and the distinction between nominal sentences (jumlat al-ismiya) and verbal sentences (jumlat fi’liyya); the roles of subject (mubtada’) and predicate (khabar), and the influence of particles (harf) and verbs (fi’l) on sentence structure. Grammars describe how cases such as marfu’, mansub, and majrur inform syntactic relations and how word order signals grammatical function. They also address the behavior of pronouns, measures of time and aspect, and various syntactic constructions.

Today nahw remains foundational for classical studies, Qur’anic interpretation, and the teaching of Standard Arabic. Modern approaches preserve the Basra-Kufa heritage while some linguists apply descriptive or cognitive methods. The tradition continues to influence education in the Arab world and is studied by scholars and students worldwide.