Exploring the Genesis of Early Arabic Linguistic Thought: Qur'anic Readers and Grammarians of the Baṣran Tradition (Part II)

While Part I of this article examined the role played by Kufan readers and grammarians in the genesis of Arabic linguistic thought, furnishing a synopsis of issues such as origins, features, and influential individuals, Part II focuses upon a similar treatment of the contribution made by Basran readers and grammarians to the development of this tradition. The article will outline Basran readers’ attempts to devise and implement improvements to orthography, vowel markings and diacritics. It will also gauge the extent to which endeavours therein were gradually augmented by a profoundly theoretical approach to linguistic aspects of the collation, authentication, and articulation of Quranic readings. A survey of this formative period will propose that while the service of scripture is the distinguished objective of early Baßran linguistic activity, the accentuation of abstract considerations in approaches to scripture presages not only a shift in this tradition’s focus, application, and design, but it also marks the emergence of the first pioneering grammarians who place Arabic linguistic thought on an altogether insular plane, composing literature which reflected the new perspective, while preparing the ground for the contributions of Sibawayhi and his many peers