The Formation of Semantic Fields in Ibn Qutaybah’s (d. 276 AH) Adab al-Kātib: The Field of Human Traits as a Case Study (A Lexical-Semantic Study)

Abstract

Ibn Qutaybah’s (d. 276 AH) book, Adab al-Kātib, is considered one of the
educational linguistic works that occupies a middle ground between a linguistic
lexicon and a didactic book. The author did not merely intend to compile words
on a purely lexicographical basis, nor to establish abstract grammatical rules.
Rather, he sought to refine the writer's language and regulate his expressive tools
by selecting words, elucidating their differences, and determining their proper
usage in various contexts. This approach resulted in the construction of multiple
semantic fields distributed across linguistic, social, and ethical themes, reflecting
Ibn Qutaybah’s vision of language as an instrument for both knowledge and
behavior.
However, addressing all the semantic fields present in Adab al-Kātib exceeds the
limits of a single scientific article due to their breadth and complexity.
Therefore, we decided to limit the scope to the field of "human traits" because of
its lexical density and semantic richness, in addition to its revelation of the
underlying value-based and ethical dimensions of the book. In this context,
language intersects with societal perceptions, evaluative criteria, and models of
desirable or unacceptable human behavior.