Places in the Najd Region Immortalized by Arab Poetry: A Geolinguistics Study

Abstract

This research focuses on the names of places mentioned in the poetry of the pre-Islamic and Islamic eras, with the aim of connecting the old and the modern by revealing the names of ancient places that have preserved their names until the present day in the Najd region. The study is based on maps prepared by the Saudi Geological Survey and books, using a descriptive approach. What sets this research apart is its specialization in studying the names of places in the Najd region in the modern era. The research results include the collection of the names of famous places in the Najd region from the books of contemporary geographers, the analysis of poetic examples of place names from various books and poets' collections, and the highlighting of the efforts of contemporary Saudi geographers, indicating the importance of geographical linguistics in defining place names. The research also shows how poetic examples illustrate the connection between poets and places, which invalidates the assertion that pre-Islamic poetry was written after the advent of Islam. Finally, the study determines the locations of places according to latitude and longitude, as well as topographical characteristics such as mountains, valleys, plains, residential areas, and administrative connections.