Arabic Linguistics

SOME CONSIDERATIONS OF WORD ORDER
IN KĀNA CONSTRUCTIONS
41
Ramzi BAALBAKI
American University of Beirut
The word order of constructions with kāna or any of its sisters (hereafter:
kāna constructions) is one of the most complex issues with which the later
grammatical sources are concerned. These sources cite a host of examples of such
constructions and uniformly point to the differences among grammarians as to
their acceptability or otherwise. The purpose of this study is to unfold the general
patterns into which these constructions may be grouped and to examine the
analytical tools which the grammarians employed in determining their conformity
to the criteria of their grammatical system. Based on that, it may be possible to
demonstrate how the complexity of this issue was aggravated by the failure of the
grammarians to propose a single principle which could act as a point of reference
in accepting or refusing the constructions at hand, instead of resorting to diverse
methods of analysis as the need arises in each case.
We can divide the material related to word order in kāna constructions into
six groups, each of which represents a specific issue with which the grammarians
were concerned, and reveals the various patterns of word order which the
permissible and impermissible constructions exhibit. For the sake of uniformity,
our examples will be, wherever possible, standardized by using the same words
(e.g., Zayd, qā‟im, t}a„āmaka, etc.) although different sources sometimes do vary
in the choice of words in their examples. Reference will be made to a particular
source only where there is a need to do so. 1
I. Variation models:
The most ―basic‖ construction, or model sentence, has to be kāna Zaydun
qā‟iman since it has kāna, the umm 2 and not any of its ahàwāt, and since its word
order begins with the operant followed by its subject and its predicate. Any other
construction, as one can conclude from the grammarians, must be considered a
variation on this one through a process of taqdīm and ta‟h`īr (preposing and
postposing, or hysteron-proteron). The model variations, therefore, are:
1. Zaydun kāna qā‟iman
2. kāna qā‟iman Zaydun
3. qā‟iman kāna Zaydun.