Landmarks in Linguistic Thought: The Arabic Linguistic Tradition introduces the major issues and themes that have determined the development of the Arabic linguistic tradition. Each chapter contains a short extract from a translated 'landmark' text followed by a commentary which places the text in its social and intellectual context. The chosen texts frequently offer scope for comparison with the Western tradition. By contrasting the two systems, the Western and the Arabic, this book serves to highlight the characteristics of two very different systems and thus will stimulate new ideas about the history of linguistics. This book presumes no prior knowledge of Arab-Islamic culture or Arabic language.