الوعي بالشفاهية و الكتابية عند العرب : قراءة في مصنفات الجاحظ

Abstract EN

The present research discusses the issue of "orality" versus "writing", a key issue in investigating literature and culture – especially in connection with cultures which have experienced a radical transformation from orality to writing.

The research focuses on al-Jaheth’s (Abu "Uthman" Amr bin Bahr, d.

255 A.H.) handling of orality and the written culture, along with the various issues that pertain to these two cultures, as may be noticed in several writings: Al-Bayan wa al-Tabyeen, al-Hayawan, and Letters, to mention just three.

Al-Jaheth’s "oral" affiliation may be vividly witnessed in chapters where he handles oration, for instance, here is revealed his awareness of the rules of oral performance in its different manifestations: sound/rhythm, structural and semantic aspects.

He even tackles complementary and fine tools that enhance oral effectiveness: gestures, signs and nods; and instruments like sticks, bows and turbans.

All such supplementary tools and instruments are related to the origins, components and the impact of orality.

Al-Jaheth takes up quite a few concepts that pertain to orality and its issues – he devotes whole sections to the tongue and the various issues related to it; he takes up the subject of granting speech a higher rank than silence: these and other similar issues discussed by Al-Jaheth are indeed worthy of the attention of modern researchers – they will find rich material in his writings for an investigation of the orality-writing duality.

Al-Jaheth paid much attention to orality and its problems.

He devoted whole chapters to public speakers who were rendered speechless in the middle of their speech.

He took up issues of faltering, dumbfounded speakers and all aspects of aphasias: here one finds a discussion of the problems of orality, an investigation of its rules and the circumstances under which the oral texts are produced – contrasting this with writing and the written text.

Likewise, al-Jaheth sheds light on the issues of writing and books: issues like orthography and methods of authorship; editing and proofreading.

Besides, he stresses the beneficiary effects of the written culture.

He contrasts the pen and the tongue in a way that reveals his understanding of both types of culture and their ways, the interrelations between them, their relative part in actual use, and the distinctive features of each type.

All these last points are pointed out in detail and discussed in the present research