Mahmud Az-Zamakhshari and Evolution of Arabic Linguistic Thought: A Central Asian Contribution to Global Philology

Abstract

This study investigates the seminal contributions of Mahmud az-Zamakhshari (467/1075–538/1144), a prominent Khorezmian scholar, to the development of Arabic linguistic theory, lexicography, and educational methodology. Situated within the intellectual landscape of medieval Central Asia (Mawerannahr), Zamakhshari’s work represents a critical juncture in the evolution of Arabic grammar and philology, wherein rationalist principles and multilingual competence converged to form a distinctive scholarly paradigm. Focusing on his key texts – al-Mufassal fi san‘at al-i‘rab, al-Kashshaf ‘an haqa’iq at-tanzil, Mukaddamatu-l-adab, and Asas al-Balagha – this paper analyzes his systematic grammatical classification, phonetic observations, and lexicographic innovations, particularly in the context of non-Arab Islamic pedagogy. Zamakhshari’s integration of theological reasoning with linguistic precision, most notably in al-Kashshaf, reflects a unique epistemological synthesis that influenced subsequent generations of grammarians and exegetes across the Islamic world. Special attention is given to his trilingual and intercultural approach to lexicography, which addressed the linguistic needs of Arabic, Persian, and Turkic-speaking audiences and laid the groundwork for comparative philological inquiry. Through methodical textual analysis and historiographic contextualization, the study reaffirms Zamakhshari’s enduring impact on Arabic linguistic scholarship and positions him as a central figure in the broader history of global linguistics.