Linguistic Violence in the Grammatical level

Abstract

This study explores the manifestations of linguistic violence within the Arabic grammatical tradition, aiming to uncover the symbolic and ideological dimensions embedded in grammatical structures. It does so by analyzing grammatical terminology and the implicit discourse in Sibawayh’s *Al-Kitab*, with particular attention to issues of gender (masculine and feminine), grammatical predominance, and their representations in classical grammatical thought.In pursuit of this objective, the study considers that Arabic grammar, though seemingly a neutral linguistic system, inherently reflects symbolic violence. This is evident in its mechanisms of classification and codification, and in the way, grammarians conceptualized relationships such as origin versus derivative, and masculine versus feminine. The study also seeks to demonstrate how grammar evolved from a tool for regulating language into a system that exercises symbolic authority over speakers and interlocutors.The research adopts an analytical approach grounded in linguistic and cultural criticism, combining descriptive linguistic analysis with cultural critique. It draws on Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of symbolic violence to deconstruct grammatical discourse and trace representations of authority within it.By doing so, the study opens new horizons for reexamining the Arabic grammatical heritage through a critical lens that restores the human dimension of language and reveals its embedded patterns of symbolic domination and subtle violence.The study concludes that Arabic grammar cannot be separated from its cultural and social context. It is a knowledge system that has contributed to the entrenchment of symbolic hegemonies, necessitating a contemporary critical rereading that rehumanizes language and liberates it from the latent violence within its grammatical framework.