Arabic Beyond the Arabs
Avicenna: three years with the books of Arabic
ابن سينا: سنواتٌ ثلاث في كتب اللغة
Avicenna was at an amir's gathering when he spoke on a question of language. Abu Mansur al-Jabban told him: «You are a philosopher and a sage, but you have not read enough of the language for your words on it to satisfy.» Stung, Avicenna gave three years to the books of Arabic, sending to Khurasan for al-Azhari's Tahdhib al-Lugha, and then wrote a book on the language which he called Lisan al-ʿArab, not the famous dictionary of Ibn Manzur.
- In brief
- Told he knew too little Arabic, the philosopher went back to it until he wrote a book on it
- Outside Arabic
- Avicenna
«إنك فيلسوف وحكيم، ولكن لم تقرأ من اللغة ما يرضي كلامك فيها، فاستنكف الشيخ من هذا الكلام، وتوفر على درس كتب اللغة ثلاث سنين.»
The story is told by his pupil Abu ʿUbayd al-Juzjani, who was with him for twenty-five years. Avicenna was a Persian, born near Bukhara in 370 AH (980) and died at Hamadan in 428 AH (1037).
Click a card to see it full size; each has a download button for sharing.
Sources
- القفطي، إخبار العلماء بأخبار الحكماء، تحقيق إبراهيم شمس الدين، دار الكتب العلمية، بيروت، ط ١، ١٤٢٦هـ/٢٠٠٥م، ص٣١٠
- ويكيبيديا: ابن سينا (مولده ووفاته)
Spotted a mistake, or have something to add?
Your note comes to us only; it is not published here. We read it, and if it holds we correct the card.
