Signification and its three kinds

Signification and expressions · al-dalāla wa-anwāʿuhā · pp. 48–50

الدَّلالَةُ وَأَنْواعُها

Draft · awaiting review

Persian text after the print of Kanpur 1279/1862–63 · translation by The Mantiqi, draft

About this text

al-Kubrā الكُبْرَى

al-Sayyid al-Sharīf al-Jurjānī (d. 816/1413)

Text: Persian, transcribed by The Mantiqi from the lithograph, without its marginal glosses: Majmūʿa-yi manṭiq, Maṭbaʿ-i Alṭāfī, Kanpur 1279/1862–63, pp. 1–42 View the scan
Lessons follow: al-Manṭiq al-manhajī li-l-mubtadiʾīn: al-Ṣughrā wa-l-Awsaṭ wa-l-Kubrā, Arabic version and arrangement by Muḥammad Anwar al-Badakhshānī (Jāmiʿat al-ʿUlūm al-Islāmiyya, ʿAllāma Banūrī Town), Islam Insight, Karachi 1420/1999, pp. 42–86. The lessons are The Mantiqi's own explanations in the order of this edition; its text is under copyright and is not reproduced.
Translation: The Mantiqi's own, into English and into vocalised Arabic; a draft. The Arabic is translated from the Persian, not taken from a printed Arabic version.
Review: Draft, awaiting review by Ustadh Muhammad Yusuf.

The text

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Persian original, Majmūʿa-yi manṭiq, Kanpur 1279/1862–63

فصل. دلالت بودن شیء است بحیثیتی که از علم بوی لازم آید علم بشیء دیگر، و آن شیء اول را دال گویند و ثانی را مدلول. و وضع تخصیص شیء است بشیء دیگر بر وجهی که از علم بشیء اول حاصل شود علم ثانی، پس علم بوضع سببی است از اسباب دلالت. و اقسام دلالت بحکم استقرا بر سه قسم است: اول دلالت وضعیه که وضع را در وی دخل است، و آن در الفاظ باشد چون دلالت لفظ زید بر ذات وی، و در غیر الفاظ باشد چون دلالت خطوط و عقود و اشارات و نُصُب بر معانی که از ایشان مفهوم گردد؛ دوم دلالت عقلیه که بمقتضای عقل است، و این نیز در الفاظ باشد چون دلالت لفظ دیز که مسموع باشد از ورای جدار بر وجود لافظ، و در غیر الفاظ باشد چون دلالت مصنوع بر صانع؛ سوم دلالت طبعیه که بمقتضای طبع باشد، و این در الفاظ یافته شود چون دلالت اُح اُح بر درد سینه، و در غیر الفاظ باشد چون دلالت حمرت بر خجل و صفرت بر وجل.

Section. Signification is a thing's being such that knowing it brings with it the knowledge of another thing; the first is called the signifier and the second the signified. Assignment is the fixing of one thing for another in such a way that from knowing the first, knowledge of the second comes about; so knowledge of the assignment is one of the causes of signification. Signification, by induction, is of three kinds. First, conventional signification, in which assignment has a share: it is found in words, as the word “Zayd” signifies his person, and outside words, as lines of writing, knots, gestures and signposts signify the meanings understood from them. Second, rational signification, which goes by what the intellect requires: this too is found in words, as the word “deiz” heard from behind a wall signifies that someone is there saying it, and outside words, as the made thing signifies its maker. Third, natural signification, which goes by what nature requires: it is found in words, as “aḥ, aḥ” signifies pain in the chest, and outside words, as redness signifies shame and paleness fear.

Arabic translation

فَصْلٌ. الدَّلَالَةُ كَوْنُ الشَّيْءِ بِحَيْثُ يَلْزَمُ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ بِهِ الْعِلْمُ بِشَيْءٍ آخَرَ، وَيُسَمَّى الْأَوَّلُ دَالًّا وَالثَّانِي مَدْلُولًا. وَالْوَضْعُ تَخْصِيصُ شَيْءٍ بِشَيْءٍ بِحَيْثُ يَحْصُلُ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ بِالْأَوَّلِ الْعِلْمُ بِالثَّانِي، فَالْعِلْمُ بِالْوَضْعِ سَبَبٌ مِنْ أَسْبَابِ الدَّلَالَةِ. وَالدَّلَالَةُ بِحُكْمِ الِاسْتِقْرَاءِ ثَلَاثَةُ أَقْسَامٍ: الْأَوَّلُ الدَّلَالَةُ الْوَضْعِيَّةُ الَّتِي لِلْوَضْعِ فِيهَا مَدْخَلٌ، وَتَكُونُ فِي الْأَلْفَاظِ كَدَلَالَةِ لَفْظِ زَيْدٍ عَلَى ذَاتِهِ، وَفِي غَيْرِ الْأَلْفَاظِ كَدَلَالَةِ الْخُطُوطِ وَالْعُقُودِ وَالْإِشَارَاتِ وَالنُّصُبِ عَلَى الْمَعَانِي الْمَفْهُومَةِ مِنْهَا. وَالثَّانِي الدَّلَالَةُ الْعَقْلِيَّةُ الَّتِي تَكُونُ بِمُقْتَضَى الْعَقْلِ، وَهِيَ أَيْضًا تَكُونُ فِي الْأَلْفَاظِ كَدَلَالَةِ لَفْظِ «دَيْز» الْمَسْمُوعِ مِنْ وَرَاءِ الْجِدَارِ عَلَى وُجُودِ اللَّافِظِ، وَفِي غَيْرِ الْأَلْفَاظِ كَدَلَالَةِ الْمَصْنُوعِ عَلَى الصَّانِعِ. وَالثَّالِثُ الدَّلَالَةُ الطَّبْعِيَّةُ الَّتِي تَكُونُ بِمُقْتَضَى الطَّبْعِ، وَتُوجَدُ فِي الْأَلْفَاظِ كَدَلَالَةِ «أُحْ أُحْ» عَلَى وَجَعِ الصَّدْرِ، وَفِي غَيْرِ الْأَلْفَاظِ كَدَلَالَةِ الْحُمْرَةِ عَلَى الْخَجَلِ وَالصُّفْرَةِ عَلَى الْوَجَلِ.

Google Translate ↗pp. 8–9

The lesson

(dalāla) is a thing's being such that knowing it brings of something else. The first is the signifier (dāll), the second the signified (madlūl): clouds signify rain, smoke signifies fire. Assignment (waḍʿ) is the fixing of one thing for another so that the second is known from the first; it is one cause of signification, beside the intellect and nature.

By is of three kinds. Conventional signification (waḍʿiyya) depends on assignment: the word “Zayd” for Zayd, but also lines of writing, knots, gestures and signposts for what they were set up to mean. Rational signification (ʿaqliyya) comes from the intellect alone: a voice behind a wall signifies someone speaking; a made thing signifies its maker. Natural signification (ṭabʿiyya) comes from nature: “aḥ, aḥ” signifies pain in the chest, redness of the face signifies shame, paleness fear. Each of the three can be verbal or non-verbal.

Of these, the one that counts in is verbal conventional . Minds and natures differ, and the custom in learning and teaching meanings is to use words that signify by assignment.

Terms

الدَّلالَةُ al-dalāla: signification: knowing one thing brings knowledge of another
الدّالُّ al-dāll: the signifier
المَدْلُولُ al-madlūl: the signified
الوَضْعُ al-waḍʿ: assignment: fixing one thing for another
الدَّلالَةُ الوَضْعِيَّةُ al-dalāla al-waḍʿiyya: conventional signification
الدَّلالَةُ العَقْلِيَّةُ al-dalāla al-ʿaqliyya: rational signification
الدَّلالَةُ الطَّبْعِيَّةُ al-dalāla al-ṭabʿiyya: natural signification

Examples

دَلالَةُ الدُّخانِ عَلَى النّارِ
smoke signifying fire
دَلالَةُ المَصْنُوعِ عَلَى الصّانِعِ
the made thing signifying its maker: rational, non-verbal
دَلالَةُ «أَحْ أَحْ» عَلَى وَجَعِ الصَّدْرِ
“aḥ aḥ” signifying chest pain: natural, verbal

Test yourself

3 questions on this lesson. With 6 out of 10 or more (two stars) the next lesson opens.

Question 1
A voice heard behind a wall signifies that someone is there. This signification is…
Question 2
Redness in the face signifying shame is…
Question 3
Which signification is the one that counts in logic?

Next lesson: Correspondence, inclusion and implication

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