A Multidisciplinary Investigation of Abū Hilāl al-ʿAskarī’s Literary Heritage (d. 395- 400 AH-1005 CE), Insights from Lexicography, Linguistics, and Literary Criticism

Abstract

This thesis is a comprehensive study of Abū Hilāl al-ʿAskarī. It attempts to achieve two main objectives: Reintroducing Abū Hilāl’s biography and re-evaluating his opinion on two major literary critical issues, namely “wording and meaning” (al-lafẓ wa-l-maʿnā), and synonyms (al-mutarādifāt). The study includes the complete works of Abū Hilāl in order to achieve a precise and integrated view of his literary tradition. Materials from multiple disciplines, such as morphology, syntax, lexicography, and literary criticism, have been employed throughout the thesis and subjected to deep readings so as to produce complete analyses of Abū Hilāl’s opinions on these literary issues. This approach leads to a more genuine and qualitative description of both the personal and literary aspects of Abū Hilāl and his works. These aspects were not clearly identified in prior studies that took a less comprehensive approach. This thesis benefits from two main streams in terms of methodology: the methodology of taste by Shākir, and the “death of the author” by Barthes, which are discussed in Chapter One.