LessonsDefining Literal Usage: Linguistic Assignment and Speech ConventionQuiz

In nouns and verbs it is easier to apprehend a fairly self-contained content. “Kitāb” evokes a book, while “kataba” signifies an act of writing. Some particles, however, signal relations that require further expressions to be specified.

“Min” marks a relation of starting from, and “ilā” marks reaching toward an endpoint. In “from the house to the mosque,” the relata become clear. Uttering “min” alone does not identify the particular terms linked by that relation.

This dependence does not render particles meaningless. It characterizes the relational mode of their signification.

Opening interactive controls...

Signification in nouns, verbs, and particles

Defining Literal Usage: Linguistic Assignment and Speech Convention

In nouns and verbs it is easier to apprehend a fairly self-contained content. “Kitāb” evokes a book, while “kataba” signifies an act of writing. Some particles, however, signal relations that require further expressions to be specified.

“Min” marks a relation of starting from, and “ilā” marks reaching toward an endpoint. In “from the house to the mosque,” the relata become clear. Uttering “min” alone does not identify the particular terms linked by that relation.

This dependence does not render particles meaningless. It characterizes the relational mode of their signification.