Les systèmes conditionnels en ’in de l’arabe classique

What is it about?

The aim of this article is to suggest a diachronic analysis of the ’in conditional structures in Classical Arabic. By Classical Arabic we mean the Arabic which is taught in University courses. The central hypothesis is that of the intersection of two structures which exist in pre-Classical Arabic (the Koran) i.e. the potential (or conditional real) ’in yaf‘al, yaf‘al (negation lā yaf‘al) and the temporal habitual ’iā fa‘ala, fa‘ala (negation lam yaf‘al). This intersection has led to the elimination first of the negation lā yaf‘al, resulting in the «classical» structure ’in yaf‘al (fa‘ala), yaf‘al (fa‘ala) (negation lam yaf‘al), then of the form yaf‘al and of the particle ’in itself in Modern Standard Arabic. More precisely, we shall draw attention to the existence in Koranic Arabic of another ’in structure, the form la-’in fa‘ala (negation lam yaf‘al), la-yaf‘alanna (negation lā yaf‘alu). Furthermore, the complementary distribution of ’in fa‘ala, fa‘ala and ’in yaf‘al, yaf‘al structures in two treatises by Ġazālī (d. 505/1111) allows us to suppose the existence of a «gnomic» apocopated in post-Classical Arabic. However, ’in p, q structures are a minority. Therefore, this study draws special attention, all throughout the ages of Arabic language, to the ’in p fa-q structures, where fa- is the mark of a double formal and semantic break, to the order q, ’in p as well as to concessive and potential mixed structures (wa-’in p).

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