The following are two definitions of what a ‘word’ (kalimah) is defined as in the Arabic language by two of the most famous grammarians of this ummah:
1) Ibn Aajurroom:
الكلمة هي لفظ الّذي وضع لمعنى مفرد
al-Kalimah is an utterance (lafth) which conveys a single meaning.
2) Ibn Hishaam:
هي قول مفرد
It is a single statement (qawl).
In order to understand the above definitions correctly, it is necessary to define the meaning of lafth.
al-Lafth can be defined as the following:
الفظ هو الرمي : فقول اكلتُ التمرةَ و لفظتُ النواةَ اي رميتُها من في
al-Lafth is an emission : As is the statement, ‘I ate the date and I spat out (lafathtu) the seed which was emitted from it.’
al-Lafth can be of one of two categories:
1) لفظ مستعمل (lafth musta’mal) :
Musta’mal (literally meaning that which is used) here means a lafth which conveys a meaning, and this is what is meant by ‘qawl’ (statement) which was the word used to define al-kalimah in the definition of Ibn Hishaam stated above.
For example : زيد (Zayd – a persons name)
2) لفظ مهمل (lafth muhmil):
Muhmil (literally meaning that which is not used or that which is disregarded) is a lafth which does not convey a meaning.
For example:
ديز (Dayz – reversal of زيد ) – There is no such word in the Arabic language, and it does not convey a meaning even though it consists of the same letters as given in the example of a lafth musta’mal.
In conclusion, one can see that the two definitions of al-kalimah given by both Ibn Aajurroom and Ibn Hishaam are one of the same.
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