Semantic Dimensions of the Phonological Structure in the Poem “My Heart Reflects on the Homeland” by Mustafa bin Ibrahim

Abstract

Since the the early stages of writing, Arabic linguists have been concerned with the relationship between sound and meaning. The phoneme, the smallest non-meaningful unit of sound, carries meanings and connotations when it enters into the structure of a word. Choosing one phoneme over another is driven by semantic distinctions that the phoneme carries and embodies.

Al-Khalil bin Ahmed Al-Farahidi and later Ibn Hani realized the nature of the relationship between sounds and their meanings, dedicating chapters to it in their works. The movements of the sound, such as fat-ha, damma, and kasra, also contribute to the appropriateness of the meanings they symbolize. The poem " My Heart Reflects on the Homeland and the Aura" by the poet "Mustafa bin Ibrahim" was selected for analysis based on the fact that phonemes, with their different vowels and characteristics, play an effective role in connecting words to their meanings