Renewing Arabic Grammatical Theory from a Functionalist Perspective: Functional Arabic Linguistics by Ahmed Al-Mutawakkil as a Model

Abstract

This study addresses the renewal of Arabic grammatical theory from a functionalist perspective, in accordance with the framework proposed by Ahmed Al-Mutawakkil in his linguistic project. In this project, he applied Functional Grammar to the Arabic language, moving beyond the traditional theory of the governing element (ʿāmil) in describing syntactic phenomena. He also provided a comprehensive account of Arabic grammatical rules across its three levels: semantic, syntactic, and pragmatic. This has led us to consider it a suitable pedagogical theory for teaching Arabic grammar at all stages of Algerian education, given its comprehensive capacity to describe grammatical phenomena in Arabic as well as in other natural languages.