Sleep Expression Category in Arabic: A Morphosemantic Approach
Abstract views: 83
,
PDF downloads: 41
Abstract
The Arabic language is renowned for its immense richness and depth. It is widely recognized as one of the world's most intricate and expressive languages. This richness stems from several factors, including its extensive vocabulary, complex grammar, and diverse linguistic features. Despite Arabic's reputation for linguistic depth, there is limited morphosemantic analysis focusing on the variety of Arabic nouns derived from verb-root patterns that express sleep. This study aims to investigate these sleep-related nouns to uncover the diverse roots, meanings, and classifications that demonstrate the richness of Arabic vocabulary in this semantic field. This article presents a morphosemantic investigation to determine the verb-root pattern of sleep nouns from which the noun construction originates. The study comprises three main stages. Firstly, each sleep expression is extracted by consulting an online and a classical Arabic dictionary to identify their basic root. Secondly, the meanings of all aforementioned sleep-noun expressions are determined based on the same dictionary. Lastly, the categorization of Arabic sleep nouns is established. This study's findings reveal at least twenty distinct basic roots that convey the concept of sleep in Arabic, each with its unique and distinguishable meaning. These expressions can then be classified into three categories: Durations, Stages, and Time.
Downloads
References
Ahmad Ibrahim, I. (2020). The Morpho-Semantic Aspects of the Derived Triliteral Verbs of the Qur’ân. Majallatu Kulliyati-ll-Adab, 57(3), 158–234. https://doi.org/10.21608/bfa.2020.185732
Almujaiwel, S., & Al-thubaity, A. (2016). Arabic Corpus Processing Tools for Corpus Linguistics and Language Teaching. The Globalization of Second Language Acquisition and Teacher Education, 2, 1-6.
Al-Omari, S. K., & Abu-Melhim, A.-R. H. (2014). Synonymy in English and Arabic with Reference to the Holy Qur'ân: A Contrastive Study. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 4(12), 2619-2626. https://doi.org/10.4304/tpls.4.12.2619-2626
Al-Rawashdeh, B. A. S., Bani Issa, A. H. M., & Rababah, M. A. I. (2024). Substitution in Arabic: Lisan Al-Arab Dictionary as a Model. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 14(1), 116–124. https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1401.13
Al-Thaʿālibī, Abū Manṣūr 'Abd al-Malik. (2000). Fiqhu-ll-lughah wa ʾAsrāru-l- ʿArabiyah, (Al-ṭibāʿah at-thaniyah). Beirut: Al-Maktabah Al-Ashriyah.
Bahammam, A. S. (2011). Sleep From an Islamic Perspective. Annals of Thoracic Medicine, 6(4), 187–192. https://doi.org/10.4103/1817-1737.84771
BaHammam, A. S., & Gozal, D. (2012). Qur’anic Insights into Sleep. Nature and Science of Sleep, 24(4), 81–87. https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S34630
Bounhas, I., Soudani, N., & Slimani, Y. (2020). Building A Morpho-Semantic Knowledge Graph for Arabic Information Retrieval. Information Processing & Management, 57(6), 102124. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ipm.2019.102124
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). (2018). Research Design Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches (5th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.
David, R. Thomas. (2006). A General Inductive Approach for Analyzing Qualitative Evaluation Data. American Journal of Evaluation, 27(2), 237–246. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098214005283748
Edzard, L. (2021). Embedded Direct Speech and Shifting Indexicals in Semitic. Zeitschrift Der Deutschen Morgenlandischen Gesellschaft, 171(2), 275-290. https://doi.org/10.13173/zeitdeutmorggese.171.2.0275
Fabbri, M., Beracci, A., Martoni, M., Meneo, D., Tonetti, L., & Natale, V. (2021). Measuring Subjective Sleep Quality: A Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(3), 1082. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18031082
Ghafar, N. A., Ahmad, H., Hajib, Z. A., Ghazali, N. M., & Mohd, R. A. (2017). Antonyms of Basar in Lisan Al-Arab by Ibn Manzur. Advanced Science Letters, 23(5), 4884–4887. https://doi.org/10.1166/asl.2017.8940
Gladkova, A., & Larina, T. (2018). Anna Wierzbicka, Language, Culture and Communication. Russian Journal of Linguistics, 22(3), 717–748. https://doi.org/10.22363/2312-9182-2018-22-3-499-520
Glanville, P. J. (2018). The Lexical Semantics of the Arabic Verb. Oxford: Oxford Academic.
Hakim, M. A. R. (2016). Sleep In Al-Qur’an: Study on M. Quraish Shihab’s Interpretation in Tafsir Al-Misbah. Bachelor Thesis. UIN Walisongo, Semarang.
Heidari, M. R., Norouzadeh, R., & Abbasi, M. (2014). Sleep in the Quran and Health Sciences. Health Spiritual Medical Ethics, 1(1), 30–36. https://doaj.org/article/b828c644f18e45fab0b3e4e4793597d8
Huehnergard, J. (2018). A Grammar of Akkadian (Third Edition). Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004369160
Ibn Mandzur, M. ibn M. (1883). Lisan al-’Arab (Vol. 01–02). Bullag Misr: al-Matb’ah al-Kubra al-’Amiriyah.
Issawi, J. M. Al. (2021). Cultural-Bound Meaning of Animal Names in Arabic. English Linguistics Research, 10(1), 42–55. https://doi.org/10.5430/elr.v10n1p42
Jahrami, H., Trabelsi, K., Vitiello, M. V., & Bahammam, A. S. (2023). The Tale of Orthosomnia: I Am So Good at Sleeping That I Can Do It with My Eyes Closed and My Fitness Tracker on Me. Nature and Science of Sleep. 15, 13–15. https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S402694
Kaye, A. S., & Holes, C. (1997). Modern Arabic: Structures, Functions and Varieties. Language, 73(1), 190–191. https://doi.org/10.2307/416614
Kholiska, R. K., Nur, A., & Wahidi, R. (2021). The Process of Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep in the Qur'ân: Neuroscience Perspective on the QS. Al-Kahfi 18. Jurnal Studi Ilmu-Ilmu Al-Qur’an dan Hadis, 22(2), 2548-4737. https://doi.org/10.14421/qh.2021.2202-03
Leslau, M. Wolf. (1995). Reference Grammar of Amharic. Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz.
Lyons, J. (1977). Semantics (Vol. 1). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Maisyah, N. (2021). Makna Tidur dalam Al-Qur‟an: Perspektif Tafsir Kontekstual Abdullah Saeed. Bachelor Thesis: IAIN Salatiga, Salatiga.
McCarter, P. K. (2008). Hebrew. In Roger D. Woodard.The Ancient Languages of Syria-Palestine and Arabia (pp. 36–81). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511486890.006
Mendenhall, G. E. (2006). Arabic in Semitic Linguistic History. Journal of the American Oriental Society, 126(1), 17–26. https://www.jstor.org/stable/20064451
Mohamad Nor, Z., Nabilah Yusoff, N., Fakhrol Razi, F. R., & Sanusi, N. A. (2018). A Good Night’s Sleep: A Narrative Review from Islamic Perspectives in Relation to Modern Sciences. IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia, 17(2), 117–122. https://doi.org/10.31436/imjm.v17i2.933
Nida, E. A. (1975). Semantic Structure and Translating. The Bible Translator, 26(1), 120-132. https://doi.org/10.1177/0260093575026001
Riad, I., & Khadafi, M. Z. (2023). Qailullah (Tidur Siang) dalam Tradisi Sunnah: Manfaatnya Bagi Kesehatan dan Produktivitas. Jurnal Religion: Jurnal Agama, Sosial, dan Budaya, 1(6), 1301-1315. https://doi.org/10.55606/religion.v1i6.831
Sahar Faiq, A. (2007). Synonymy in English and Arabic: A Contrastive Study. Journal of Education and Science, 14(22), 1–14. https://search.mandumah.com/Record/445570
Sayed, F. (2015). A Few Surprising Facts About the Arabic Language. Retrieved March 2, 2026, from https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/surprising-facts-about-arabic-language
Setiyadi, A. C. (2011). Konsep Zaman dalam Nahwu (Tinjauan Sintaksis Semantis). At-Ta'dib: Journal of Pesantren Education, 6(2), 223–238. https://doi.org/10.21111/at-tadib.v6i2.557
Setiyadi, A. C. (2024). Jussive Particles and Nouns in Classical Arabic (CA) and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) Conditional Sentences. Berlin: Frank & Timme GmbH.
Setiyadi, A. C., Anhar, A., & Anwar, H. S. (2022). Existence of Arabicization Methods for Naturalising Contemporary Technical Vocabularies into the Arabic Language. REiLA: Journal of Research and Innovation in Language, 4(3), 309–319. https://doi.org/10.31849/reila.v4i3.9369
Setiyadi, A. C., Anhar, A., Awaluddin, G., & Marasabessy, M. (2022). The Word "Al Haq" and Its Contextual Meanings in the Qur'ân: An Analytical Descriptive Study. Diwan: Jurnal Bahasa dan Sastra Arab, 8(1), 13–31. https://doi.org/10.24252/diwan.v8i1.26873
Setiyadi, A. C., & Sa’adah, U. (2019). Tammām Hassān wa Ārāuhu Ḥaula Tajdīd an-Naḥwi (Dirāsah Waṣfiyyah Taḥlīliyyah fī Kitābihi al-Lugah al-‘Arabiyyah Ma’nāhā wa Mabnāhā). LISANUDHAD, 6(2), 128. https://doi.org/10.21111/lisanudhad.v6i2.3533
Trabelsi, K., BaHammam, A. S., Chtourou, H., Jahrami, H., & Vitiello, M. V. (2023). The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly of Consumer Sleep Technologies Use Among Athletes: A Call for Action. In Journal of Sport and Health Science, 12(4), 486–488. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2023.02.005
Tumiran, M. A., Saat, R. M., Rahman, N. N. A., & Adli, D. S. H. (2010). Sleep From Neuroscience and Islamic Perspectives: Comprehension and Practices of Muslims with Science Background in Malaysian Education System. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 9, 560–564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2010.12.197
Zemánek, P. (2021). Two Hundred Ways to Call a Lion in Arabic: Names or Epithets?. Zeitschrift Der Deutschen Morgenlandischen Gesellschaft, 171(2), 343–374. https://doi.org/10.13173/zeitdeutmorggese.171.2.0343
Zuhdi, 'Isham Al-‘Abd. (2010). ʾĀyātu an-Naum fīl Qurʾān al-Karīm, Dirāsah Maudhūʿiyah. Majalah Al-Jāmiʿah al-ʾIslāmiyah (Silsilatu ad-Dirāsah al-Insāniyah), 18(02), 215–250. https://journals.iugaza.edu.ps/index.php/IUGJIS/article/view/1357/1292
The journal operates an Open Access policy under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.


_(1).png)
.png)
.png)
1.png)
.png)

_-_Copy_-_Copy.png)
