Public PhD Viva-Voce Examination of Ms. Afrah Saif, from the Department of Arabic Language, Faculty of Languages

The Public Viva-Voce Examination for the PhD Dissertation hereto entitled, Riddles in Arabic Grammer-A Grammatical and Semantic Study, submitted by Ms. Afrah Mahyoub Hamid Saif Qasem, Department of Arabic Language, Faculty of Languages, Sana’a University, was held on Thursday, 28/08/1446 Hijri corresponding to 27/02/2025. The Viva-Voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Post-Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:
1. Prof. Abdul karim Musleh Al-Bahla, Main supervisor, Dhamar university, Member.
2. Assoc. Prof. Abdullah Rajhi Mohammed Ghanem, External Examiner, Hodeidah University, Member.
3. Assoc. Prof. Ahmed Hassan Hassan Al-Arusi, Internal examiner, Sana’a University, Chair.
The study aimed to explore the origins and causes of grammatical riddles, highlight their significance in various fields, particularly in Arabic grammar, trace the development of riddle composition from early times to its establishment as an independent field ,and analyze the mechanisms of grammatical riddle formation through syntactic structures, semantic ambiguity, and script- related aspects. Additionally, it studied grammatical riddles and puzzles from both grammatical and semantic perspectives.
The study concluded with a number of findings, including that grammatical riddles are an integral part of Arabic and Islamic heritage throughout history. They emerged due to religious, social, cultural, or psychological reasons, rather than mere intellectual amusement or entertainment. Moreover they serve as an effective tool for teaching grammar, linking and applying grammatical rules in an engaging and stimulating way, provided that excessive complexity is avoided the study also highlighted that excessive complexity is avoided. The study also highlighted that grammatical riddles reflect the depth of scholars’ and poets’ knowledge and their impact on societal culture. Furthermore, the research identified five main levels of riddle construction: phonetic, morphological, syntactic, semantic ambiguity, and various syntactic issues, demonstrating that complex grammatical problems.
The researcher made several recommendations, including Bringing to light the efforts of early scholars in the field of grammatical riddles, as it is a valuable area of study in grammatical research. Many manuscripts on grammatical and linguistic riddles require further study, verification, or examination within a specific historical period.
Encouraging Arabic language teachers to utilize riddles in grammar instruction by employing question-and answer-based riddles to connect grammatical rules in way that suits learners’ levels and enhances their creative thinking.
The PhD dissertation has been examined and is recommended by the Viva-Voce Committee for acceptance and approval. The Candidate was recommended to be awarded the degree of PhD majoring in Linguistics.
The viva was attended by academics, researchers, students, and other interested individuals, including the researcher’s colleagues and family members.