Definiteness (taʿrīf) identifies the subject for the audience. The text examines several grammatical means of doing so and, beyond grammar, the rhetorical reason for choosing one over another.
FormIllustration
Pronounهُوَ — he
Proper nameزَيْدٌ — Zayd
Demonstrativeهَذَا — this
Relative expressionالَّذِي حَضَرَ — the one who came
Definite articleالرَّجُلُ — the man / the class of man
Iḍāfah (الإضافة)كِتَابُ زَيْدٍ — Zayd’s book
A form’s grammatical definiteness is not the whole rhetorical question. Each can affect focus, honor, contempt, generality or the amount of identification the listener receives.