A Comparative Lexical Study of Qur?anic Arabic

572 CHAPTER FIVE
5.4.1 Distribution patterns 1-4
These patterns relate to instances where cognates of Arabic lexemes
originate in single areas of Semitic, to the exclusion of the other
areas. The following points should be noted:
- Domain A (the universe): SS cognates exceed those in NWS,
whereas the figures for Ug. and Akk. are negligible.
- Domain B (the physical being): NWS cognates exceed those in SS.
However, SS cognates in B3 (satisfaction of bodily needs) are almost
double those in NWS.
— Domain C (the soul and the intellect): Here the situation is quite
balanced, with equal figures for SS and NWS in Cl (intelligence,
perception, etc.), NWS exceeding SS in C2 (state of mind), and
SS having more cognates than NWS in C3 (the will: desire and
action).
- Domain D (Man—the social being): Equal figures for SS and NWS
in D3 (social life) and D6 (financial transactions), whereas SS
exceeds NWS in D2 (language), and NWS displaying more cognates
than SS in D4 (occupations, trades, etc.).
- Domain E (social organization): The figures for SS and NWS are
almost equal.
— Domain F (Man and the universe): With the exception of Fl (existence),
the figures for SS and NWS are almost equal.
- Domain G (grammatical categories): SS cognates exceed NWS
ones.
As regards Ugaritic and Akkadian, the former's cognates are more
numerous in domains B, C, D, even though in most cases the figures
from these two areas of Semitic are almost negligible.
Summing up, NWS cognates (161 lexemes—9.4% of the total)
exceed those attested in SS (152 lexemes—8.9%), but the difference,
as can be seen, is not very significant. These figures are indicative
of the position occupied by the Arabic lexicon within the general
Semitic distribution, namely one of relative even posture between
these two areas of Semitic. The cognates which originate exclusively
from these two areas account for almost one-fifth (18.2%) of the
Qur'anic lexicon. On the other hand, those from Ugaritic and ES
(col. 3 and 4 respectively) account only for 1.9% of the total.