An Introduction to Koranic & Classical Arabic

DESCRIPTION

An Introduction to Koranic and Classical Arabic is an elementary-level grammar of standard classical Arabic, the literary norm of the Arabic language that has not changed appreciably in fourteen hundred years. An indispensable tool for all who are interested in Islamic religion, science, and literature, the language presented in this book will enable the learner to study firsthand the primary sources of Islamic civilization and the classics of the Islamic Near East.

The grammar is presented clearly and in a logical progression amply illustrated by examples, most of which, along with the readings, have been taken directly from the text of the Koran and the body of hadith (the reports of Muhammad’s sayings) and supplemented with extracts from other classical sources.

In the forty lessons, designed to cover a normal academic year, all essential features of grammar are covered, and the student will acquire an active base vocabulary of over 450 common words and productive roots, from which many times that number of individual lexical items can be regularly and predictably formed. In the course of readings, passive exposure is given to more than 400 additional items of vocabulary.

A Key to Exercises for this book is available.

REVIEWS

“Thackston’s textbook is the most recent addition to Arabic instructional materials. It is perhaps the friendliest Western grammar of Arabic. Its grammatical explanations are lucid and concise, yet they provide a complete, adequate description of a basic grammar of Arabic. The book comprises a preface, a chapter on preliminary matters, 40 lessons, supplementary readings from the Koran (Qur’an – the holy book of muslims) and hadith literature (traditions of the prophet Muhammad), 10 appendixes, English-Arabic and Arabic-English glossaries, an index of verb and derivational patterns (56 of them), and a general index. All the lessons have one consistent design: Each one is subdivided into sections and subsections. The explanations are accompanied by numerous examples. Each lesson concludes with a vocabulary list and two types of exercises: grammatical manipulation (providing case and mood endings) and translation.

… As a textbook, this work is particularly useful in programs where a reading proficiency of the Koran and hadith is desirable within a relatively short period of time, given that the students already have a reasonable grasp of Arabic structures and vocabulary. Overall, it is a very well designed book of basic grammar that can serve as a useful supplement for intermediate and advanced students of Arabic in various programs.”

— Mahdi Alosh, The Ohio State University
Modern Language Journal

AUTHOR

WHEELER M. THACKSTON is Professor of Persian and other Near East Languages at Harvard University.