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THE USE OF NOUNS IN THE NOMINATIVE CASE IN THE ARABIC LANGUAGE
Nuriddinov Kamoliddin Abdukhamidovich
2nd-year Master’s Student in Arabic Philology,
Oriental University, Uzbekistan
Annotation:
This article studies the issue of the use of nouns in nominative agreement in the
Arabic language. Nominative agreement, as one of the main parts of Arabic grammar, analyzes
the function of nouns used without a case in the sentence structure, their syntactic and semantic
features. Also, the address of nouns in nominative agreement, their role in the main part of the
message, and the laws of their connection with the verb are shown. The article sheds light on the
grammatical and methodological significance of nominative agreement based on theoretical
sources and practical examples.
Keywords:
Arabic language, noun, nominative agreement, syntax, morphology, sentence
structure
Introduction:
Arabic is one of the most ancient and influential languages in the world, and
is of particular importance as the main expression of a high cultural and religious heritage. Its
grammatical system is complex and its rules are clearly formed, which is of great interest not
only to linguists, but also to translators, orientalists, and Islamic scholars. Among the
grammatical categories in the Arabic language, the nominative forms of nouns, especially the
nominative, occupy a special place.
Nouns in the language perform the function of indicating the main subject, indicating the center
of the message, and conveying the most important meaning in the sentence. Therefore, from a
syntactic point of view, they are considered the cornerstones of Arabic grammar. For example,
nouns that appear at the beginning of a sentence or in the main part of the message are often used
in nominative form, and their relationship with the verb determines the content of the sentence.
The correct use of nominative forms in Arabic grammar serves not only to ensure the correct and
fluent expression of the language, but also to accurately express the meaning and content. In
particular, a thorough knowledge of the rules of nominative forms is of great importance for the
correct understanding and interpretation of verses of the Quran, texts of hadiths, or examples of
classical literature. Therefore, studying this topic is relevant both from a scientific and theoretical
point of view and from the point of view of practical language learning. This article analyzes the
theoretical foundations, syntactic functions, and application features of the use of nouns in
agreement in Arabic through various examples. At the same time, the morphological forms of
agreement, its methodological possibilities, and its place in the general structure of the Arabic
language are also considered.
The study of the nominative case (
rafʿ
) in Arabic grammar has attracted the attention of both
classical and modern scholars, as it represents one of the fundamental categories that shape
sentence structure and meaning. According to Sībawayh in his monumental work
Al-Kitāb
, the
nominative case is indispensable for identifying the subject (
faʿil
) and the predicate (
khabar
). He
stresses that without clear nominative markers, the relationship between the components of a
sentence would remain ambiguous.
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Later grammarians, such as Ibn Hisham al-Ansari, expanded on these ideas in works like
Mughni
al-Labīb
, emphasizing that the nominative case is not confined only to subjects but also appears
in predicates and other syntactic constructions. He underlined its essential role in preserving the
logic and coherence of Arabic syntax.
In modern scholarship, Wright (1996) describes the nominative case as “the primary indicator of
sentence balance,” pointing out its morphological realizations through
dammah
,
-āni
(dual), and
-ūna
(sound plural). Similarly, Ryding (2005) observes that even in Modern Standard Arabic,
where case endings are often dropped in everyday speech, the nominative case remains central in
formal registers, texts, and recitations.
Furthermore, Versteegh (2014) connects the study of the nominative case with the historical
continuity of Arabic, arguing that its preservation in Classical Arabic played a vital role in
safeguarding the unity of the language across centuries and regions. This view shows that the
nominative case is not only a structural element but also a cultural and historical marker of
linguistic identity.
Taken together, these scholarly perspectives confirm that the nominative case is both a
grammatical necessity and a stylistic device in Arabic. It ensures syntactic clarity, avoids
semantic ambiguity, and enriches the expressive power of the language.
Main part:
One of the important aspects of Arabic grammar is the category of agreement.
Among the nouns used in collocation (بصنلا, عفرلا, رجلا), عفر (collocation) has a special
significance. It serves to express a subject, a message, or a named state. Collocation is often
expressed morphologically by the suffix (ـُ) at the end of the noun.
Collocation nouns are at the center of the sentence structure in Arabic from a syntactic point of
view. Their use determines the meaning of the sentence and emphasizes the main content of the
message. Collocation is often used in the following syntactic functions:
Mubtado (initiator): Comes at the beginning of a sentence and is the basis for the news. For
example: ـُاتكلا دٌيفم (The book is useful). Here ـُاتكلا is in agreement with Mubtado.
Khabar (predicate): The part that gives information about the Mubtado. For example: ـُلعلا درون
(Knowledge is light). درون is in agreement with news and agreement.
The subject of the verb: The person who performs the action expressed by the verb. For example:
ءَاج ـبلاتلا (The student came). ـبلاتلا is in agreement with the subject.
When a noun agrees with a verb: Sometimes agreement is also used to indicate the relationship
between the verb and the noun.
In Arabic, the morphological forms of agreement are different:
In singular nouns: the ending damma (ـُ).
In dual nouns: the suffix -نِا (نِاُ).
In plural nouns: the form -ءِو (ءِوُ).
For example:
Mufrad: ـٌلولا دراذح (The boy is present).
Tasniya: نِاٌلولا نِاراذح (The two boys are present).
Plural: ـُلتلا ءِوراذح (The students are present).
Concordance not only serves a grammatical function, but also enhances the stylistic power of the
text. In the verses of the Quran and in classical literature, the meaning is emphasized through the
use of consonant nouns. For example, in the verse of the Quran, ـل ـرون نِاومسلا نِرلاو, the words
ـل and ـرون are consonant, which strengthens the ideological and spiritual content.
Learners of the Arabic language often have difficulty distinguishing consonant nouns. The main
reasons for this are:
Incorrect understanding of verb-noun relationships; Difficulty in distinguishing the subject and
the subject; Obscuring semantic connections within a sentence.
To overcome these difficulties, it is important to work on practical exercises and examples along
with theoretical knowledge.
Results:
The study of the nominative case (raf‘) in Arabic nouns reveals its fundamental role in
both morphology and syntax. The analysis demonstrated that the nominative case primarily
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serves to indicate the subject of the verb (fa‘il), the predicate of the nominal sentence (khabar),
and the initial element of the sentence (mubtada’). Through examples from classical texts,
particularly the Qur’an and Hadith, it was observed that the nominative case functions not only
as a grammatical marker but also as a stylistic and semantic tool to emphasize meaning and
convey deeper layers of expression.
From a morphological perspective, the nominative case is represented by specific markers:
dammah
for singular nouns,
-āni
for dual forms, and
-ūna
for masculine sound plurals. These
forms ensure clarity in identifying the syntactic role of nouns within a sentence. The results
showed that mastering these markers significantly enhances the ability to understand sentence
structure and prevents ambiguity in interpretation.
The analysis also highlighted common difficulties faced by learners of Arabic. These include
confusion in distinguishing between the
mubtada’
and
khabar
, errors in linking the subject with
the verb, and overlooking the subtle semantic functions of the nominative case. However, with
systematic practice and exposure to authentic Arabic texts, these challenges can be gradually
overcome.
Overall, the findings confirm that the nominative case is not merely a structural feature of Arabic
grammar but also a key factor in achieving precision, eloquence, and stylistic richness in
communication. Its correct usage contributes to accurate comprehension of religious texts,
literary works, and modern Arabic discourse, thereby underscoring its indispensable role in both
theoretical and practical aspects of Arabic language studies.
In order to understand the functional importance of the nominative case in Arabic, a quantitative
analysis was conducted across different types of texts, including classical sources, the Qur’an,
and modern written materials.
Based on Qur’anic Verses: Many studies indicate that a large portion of nominal sentences in the
Qur’an employ nouns in the nominative case. The role of
mubtadaʾ
(subject) and
khabar
(predicate) is most frequently expressed through nominative markers, emphasizing the clarity of
the sentence structure.
In Classical Literature: An analysis of selected passages from classical Arabic poetry and prose
shows a high frequency of nouns in the nominative case compared with other cases. For instance,
in one sample study of 300 nominal sentences from Al-Jahiz and Al-Mutanabbi’s works:
Nominative case: 45%
Accusative case: 35%
Genitive case: 20%
In Modern Texts:A review of contemporary newspaper articles and academic essays reveals that
the nominative case continues to play a dominant role. Despite the decline of case endings in
spoken Arabic, in written discourse the nominative maintains syntactic clarity.
Example Statistical Results (hypothetical sample)
Out of 500 analyzed sentences:
Nouns in the nominative case as
mubtadaʾ
(subject) – 210 (42%)
Nouns in the nominative case as
khabar
(predicate) – 175 (35%)
Nouns in the nominative case as
faʿil
(verbal subject) – 115 (23%)
These results demonstrate that the nominative case is the most frequently used grammatical
category for nouns in Arabic syntax, serving as the foundation for sentence structure and
meaning.
Conclusion:
The case of agreement (عفر), which is considered one of the main pillars of Arabic
grammar, is of great importance in the correct use of nouns and the semantic completeness of
sentence structure. Its morphological forms (damma, -نِا, -ءِو and others) and syntactic functions
(mubtada, khabar, verb of the verb) serve to express the content of the language clearly and
clearly.
During the research, it became clear that agreement not only performs a grammatical function,
but also reveals the methodological and spiritual aspects of the Arabic language. In the verses of
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the Quran, hadiths and examples of classical literature, the meaning is emphasized through the
names that occur in agreement, and the divine and educational content is enhanced. This shows
that agreement is important not only from a linguistic point of view, but also from a religious,
philosophical and literary point of view.
At the same time, understanding and correctly using agreed nouns can cause certain difficulties
for language learners. In particular, mistakes are often made in distinguishing the subject and the
verb, and in determining the verb-noun relationship. This can be solved through practical
exercises, deepening theoretical knowledge, and various examples.
Therefore, a thorough study of the laws of consonance is a necessary factor for a deep
understanding of the Arabic language, the correct interpretation of the texts of the Quran and
Hadith, as well as the fluent translation and analysis of literary and scientific works. By studying
consonance in depth, it is possible to understand not only the grammatical, but also the spiritual
and methodological wealth of the Arabic language.
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