LessonsĪjāz, Iṭnāb and Musāwāt: Standards of Expression and Their DistinctionsQuiz

The ordinary use of competent speakers provides a practical conventional reference for measuring how much expression is expected for a meaning. It helps us decide whether one formulation uses less or more wording than another.

However, conventional usage and the most fitting rhetorical expression are not identical. A sentence acceptable in everyday conversation may be insufficient in consolation, exhortation or argument. The criterion must ultimately attend to the demands of the particular situation.

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Conventional speech as a point of comparison

Ījāz, Iṭnāb and Musāwāt: Standards of Expression and Their Distinctions

The ordinary use of competent speakers provides a practical conventional reference for measuring how much expression is expected for a meaning. It helps us decide whether one formulation uses less or more wording than another.

However, conventional usage and the most fitting rhetorical expression are not identical. A sentence acceptable in everyday conversation may be insufficient in consolation, exhortation or argument. The criterion must ultimately attend to the demands of the particular situation.