LessonsDefining Majāz and Kināyah: Excluding Clues and the Transition to SimileQuiz

إذ لا دلالة للازم من حيث إنه لازم على الملزوم
For a concomitant, merely as a concomitant, need not indicate its antecedent.

That an antecedent sense suggests a concomitant does not guarantee that the concomitant uniquely identifies that very antecedent. Several different circumstances can yield the same associated quality, so the direction of the inferential movement matters.

For example, a long strap may suggest tallness, but a tall person does not necessarily have a long sword-strap. The presence of an inferred quality is not proof that every particular sign associated with it is physically present. This prevents confusion about the direction of indication.

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An implication need not work in reverse

Defining Majāz and Kināyah: Excluding Clues and the Transition to Simile

إذ لا دلالة للازم من حيث إنه لازم على الملزوم
For a concomitant, merely as a concomitant, need not indicate its antecedent.

That an antecedent sense suggests a concomitant does not guarantee that the concomitant uniquely identifies that very antecedent. Several different circumstances can yield the same associated quality, so the direction of the inferential movement matters.

For example, a long strap may suggest tallness, but a tall person does not necessarily have a long sword-strap. The presence of an inferred quality is not proof that every particular sign associated with it is physically present. This prevents confusion about the direction of indication.