In “would that his eyes were alike,” the ambiguity need not be traced to two unrelated dictionary meanings. The central word expresses equality, but the standard of equality is left unassigned.
1. Take the healthy eye as the standard and both would become healthy.
2. Take the impaired eye as the standard and both would become impaired.
Tawjīh may therefore operate through the relation expressed by a whole statement, rather than a single word’s multiple lexical senses.
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Tawjīh, Serious Intent in Jest, Feigned Ignorance, Qawl bi-l-Mūjib and Iṭrād
In “would that his eyes were alike,” the ambiguity need not be traced to two unrelated dictionary meanings. The central word expresses equality, but the standard of equality is left unassigned.
1. Take the healthy eye as the standard and both would become healthy.
2. Take the impaired eye as the standard and both would become impaired.
Tawjīh may therefore operate through the relation expressed by a whole statement, rather than a single word’s multiple lexical senses.