Died Circa 796
Grammarian

Career. Little is known about the life of Sibawayh, who, more than any other individual, was the foundational grammarian of Arabic. It is likely that he was born between about 755 and 766 and died around 793-796. Like many wellknown grammarians, the language he became expert in was not his mother tongue. He was of Persian origin and migrated at an early age to Basrah, where he studied hadith, law, and grammar with many well-known teachers, including the famous Khalil ibn Ahmad (died between 776 and 791), who had a considerable influence on Sibawayh.

Writings. Sibawayh's only work is called Kitab Sibawayh ("The Book of Sibawayh"), which was edited after his early death by his student al-Akhfash al-Awsat (died between 825 and 835). A huge book for its time, this comprehensive treatment of Arabic grammar spans nine hundred pages. Sibawayh started with seven introductory chapters and then dealt with syntax...