Separate Accusative Pronouns in the Holy Quran, A Grammatical and Semantic Study

Abstract

This research aims to explore the semantic implications of the use of disjunctive object pronouns in the Holy Qur’an. The use of the disjunctive form represents a departure from the common purpose of pronouns in general, which is to achieve brevity and conciseness in speech. For this reason, the attached pronoun is more natural to the Arab speaker and closer to their linguistic instinct. Thus, whenever the attached form is possible, the disjunctive form is not used except for specific semantic and rhetorical purposes. It is well known that the language of the Qur’an is distinguished by its precision in the choice of words and structures, which is among the reasons for its inimitability. This motivated us to examine the motives behind the use of the disjunctive pronoun in this divine style of eloquence, which can be summarized in restriction and specification, emphasis on the pronoun itself, or its occurrence as a dependent element following a word that separates it from its governing word.