Intensive writing assignments both in and outside of class. These courses focus mainly on the Arabian Nights as representative of Arabic folk literature. It is in this text that one can see how popular Islam was practiced by Muslims in certain places and at a certain time. The courses are conducted in Arabic only. In-depth analysis of a particular topic in Arabic morphology, syntax, or lexicography.
Topic varies each semester.
Theories of early grammarians contrasted with contemporary methods of linguistic analysis. Focus is on medieval Arabic grammatical texts. Arabic poetry in classical times, with special attention to Arabic metrics and Arabic literary criticism and theory. Pre-Islamic, Muhammadan, and Umayyad periods. The evolution of Arabic prose from its pre-Islamic beginnings to its full maturity in Abbasid times.