SIBAWAIHI [

See also:

• ABU

Abu Bishr, or Abu-1

See also:

• HASAN

Hasan`Amr

See also:

• IBN

ibn`Uthman ibn Qanbar, known as SIBAWAIHI or SIBUY1] (c. 753-793)  , Arabian grammarian, was by origin a Persian and a freedman . Of his early years nothing is known . At the age of thirty-two he went to Basra, where he was a pupil of the celebrated grammarian Khalil . Later he went to Bagdad, but soon left, owing to a dispute with the Kufan grammarian Kisk'i, and returned to Persia, where lie died at the age of about forty . His great grammar of Arabic, known simply as The Book, is not only the earliest systematic presentation of Arabic grammar, but is recognized among Arabs as the most perfect . It is not always clear, but is very full and valuable for its many illustrations from the Koran and the poets . The Book was published by H . Derenbourg (2 vols., Paris, 1881-1889), and a German translation, with extracts from the commentary of Sirafi (d . 978) and others, was published by G . Jahn (Berlin, 1895-1900) . (G . W .