Manifestations of Antithesis in Arabic Songs - A Study at the Semantic Level -

Abstract

This research, entitled "Manifestations of Antonymy in Arabic Nasheeds: A Semantic-Level Study," aims to investigate the phenomenon of antonymy as one of the prominent semantic phenomena in the Arabic language and to demonstrate its role in enriching meaning and highlighting diverse semantic implications within nasheed discourse. It also seeks to shed light on the role of context in directing meaning and determining the intended significance of antonymous expressions. Furthermore, the study examines how Arabic nasheeds employ antonymy as both an artistic and semantic device that contributes to constructing expressive imagery and conveying intellectual and emotional messages.

The study is organized into four sections. The first section discusses the concept of context linguistically and terminologically, clarifying its significance in interpreting meanings, revealing linguistic intentions, eliminating ambiguity, and determining the appropriate meaning of expressions. The second section is devoted to the concept of antonymy, the viewpoints of linguists concerning it, its causes, and its types. It also addresses the differences among scholars, including those who affirmed and those who denied the existence of this phenomenon, while explaining its various forms and patterns.

The third section examines the impact of context on antonymy, demonstrating that context plays a fundamental role in determining the intended meaning and that the relationship between context and antonymy is complementary, contributing to semantic orientation and preventing ambiguity. The fourth section is dedicated to a semantic study of manifestations of antonymy in Arabic nasheeds through the analysis of selected examples, examining antonymous words and structures and revealing their expressive and aesthetic functions as well as their role in reinforcing meaning.