The approach of Ibn Khatib Jibrin (739 AH) in controlling and explaining words in his book: Explanation of Strange Words

Abstract

This research explores the methodology of Ibn Khatib Jibrin (d. 739 AH) in the vocalization and explanation of obscure words in his book: Explanation of Obscure Words Found in the Orations of Ibn Nubatah, the Diwan of Al-Mutanabbi, the Maqamat of Al-Hariri, and the Book of Al-Hamasah by Abu Tammam*, authored by Abu Amr Uthman ibn Ali al-Ta’i al-Halabi, known as Ibn Khatib Jibrin (d. 739 AH). The book focuses on interpreting obscure words from four works—two poetic and two prose. Despite the vast material covered, the author paid careful attention to vocalizing and accurately rendering words and expressions using various methods of diacritical notation, such as phonetic annotation, metrical annotation, and annotation by example. His goal was to guide the reader towards correct pronunciation and reading, avoiding distortion, such as misplacing or omitting a diacritical dot. The author's indication of these annotation methods greatly contributes to preserving the linguistic integrity of the texts. The book stands out for its frequent use of such techniques.

Moreover, Ibn Khatib Jibrin employed multiple strategies for explaining obscure vocabulary, including explanation by synonym, by antonym, and by definition, among others. He used a variety of expressions and linguistic tools for these purposes.