Emergence of the terminology related to the linguistic
phenomenon of Ishtigag
Summary As the Arab science of linguistics emerged with its unique body of rules, the extent of disputes prevalent in different schools of grammar in different cities did not decrease, but on the contrary, further intensified despite various arguments presented by the scholars belonging to such schools. It is interesting that since ancient times, the Arab scholars had a difference of opinions as to the origins of ishtigag. Is it an infinitive or a verb? For instance, Basravites believed that the infinitive is the basis and the verb nothing but its derivative. It is possible that this point of view is rooted in Sibaveyhi’s statement that “verbs are samples taken from the most modern nouns”. Kufits have disputed this position. This allows us to conclude that the representatives of both schools have relied on specific arguments analyzed in great details in Ibn Al-Anbari’s “Issues of dispute between Basra and Kufa schools of grammar”.
