Deletion in Diminutive Forms in Kitab Sibawayh: A Computational Morphological Approach

Abstract

This study examines deletion patterns in diminutive forms in Kitab Sibawayh from the perspective of computational morphology. Combining traditional Arabic grammatical analysis with computational methods, the research investigates the morphological chapters dealing with deletion in diminutive formation and proposes algorithmic models capable of representing these linguistic rules. The study first constructs a digital corpus of relevant examples, automatically extracts recurring morphological patterns, and compares computational results with manual linguistic analysis. It further explores the dominant morphological structures that undergo diminutivization, the organization of these patterns in Sibawayh’s analysis, and the variation in the distribution of examples across different diminutive forms. Building on these findings, the research develops computational algorithms that model the diminutive rules described in Kitab Sibawayh. The results demonstrate that Arabic morphological rules are highly suitable for computational implementation when they are accurately described by linguistic specialists. The study concludes that converting traditional morphological principles into computational algorithms provides a foundation for developing intelligent lexical resources, automated morphological analysis systems, and advanced educational applications for teaching Arabic grammar, thereby strengthening the integration of Arabic linguistic heritage with contemporary computational linguistics.