Word Formation in Pre-Islamic Poetry: A Semantic Study

Abstract

This study investigates the creative dimension of word usage in pre-Islamic poetry, focusing on linguistic stimuli embedded in the text—namely sounds, vocabulary, structures, and rhetorical cues—as artistic tools that shape meaning and generate aesthetic resonance. The research is grounded in the belief that the word is central to text appreciation, and that understanding its phonetic and semantic aspects enriches one’s perception of the poetic structure of early Arabic verse. Pre-Islamic poetry was selected as the subject due to its linguistic richness and artistic sophistication, revealing how early Arab poets skillfully crafted meaning with intention and precision. The study concludes that pre-Islamic poetic creativity was not purely spontaneous but rather deliberate and artful, establishing the word as both a semantic and aesthetic unit that deepens our understanding of Arabic rhetorical heritage.