Ketab-E-Qayyem

Ketab-E-Qayyem

Analyzing the Role of Lexical Stress in the Semantic Distinction of Different Types of “Mā” in the Holy Qur’an

Document Type : Research Paper

Author
Heidar far shrazi
Associate professor, Department of Arabic, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, Iran. E-mail: shirazi@pgu.ac.ir
10.30512/kq.2025.22897.4019
Abstract
This study aims to examine the role of lexical stress in distinguishing among the meanings of different types of “ma” (negative, relative, interrogative, infinitival, conditional, and exclamatory) in the Holy Qur’an. It investigates the phonetic status of this feature and its influence on the interpretation of Qur’anic verses, particularly in contexts involving multiple possible meanings. The study adopts a descriptive–analytical and comparative approach centered on lexical stress. The data were collected through library research using authoritative Qur’anic commentaries and classical and modern phonetic texts. The data analysis was performed through a comparison of eight semantic-phonetic pairs. The analytical criteria included stress intensity, intonation patterns (rising/falling), phonetic duration, and pause position. The approach involved comparing the rules of Qur’anic recitation with those of modern linguistics. The findings classify the different forms of “ma” into two main phonetic groups: primary and secondary. The primary group comprises the negative “ma”, characterized by the strongest stress and longest pause, the exclamatory “ma”, characterized by high stress, prolonged duration, and falling intonation, and the interrogative “ma”, characterized by moderate stress and rising intonation. The secondary group includes the relative, conditional, infinitival, intensive, and redundant forms, with the infinitival form exhibiting the weakest stress. The distinction between the negative and relative forms is reflected in the transfer of stress to the relative clause, while the distinction between the interrogative and exclamatory forms is manifested in the degree of prolongation and final intonation. Distinguishing the relative form from the infinitival form is primarily based on syntactic rules, although the weaker stress of the infinitival form can also serve as a useful indicator. Lexical stress, together with pausing and duration, plays a decisive role in distinguishing the meanings of different types of “ma” and becomes particularly prominent in contexts involving multiple possible meanings. However, in certain syntactically unambiguous structures, modifying the stress merely results in disrupted expression. By expanding interpretive perspectives, this study emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary research integrating phonetics and Qur’anic interpretation and demonstrates that reconsidering the stress system can contribute to a deeper understanding of the phonetic rhetoric of the Qur’an.
Keywords
Holy Qur&rsquo
an, Lexical stress, Phonetic length, Word intonation, Semantic distinction, Types of mā
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 21 April 2025
  • Revise Date 27 June 2025
  • Accept Date 14 August 2025