Van Gelder and Hammond, Arabic specialists at Oxford University, present an unusual study of the term takhyil in Arabic literature. The word itself has several meanings and shades of meaning,
from a poetic creation, to the anthropomorphization of a concept, to a satirical play on words. The editors have translated the work of seven medieval Arabic writers on the literary uses of
takhyil as exemplified in their discussions of poetry, rhetoric, philosophy and other forms of writing. Following this is a section by contemporary scholars that put the earlier works into
historical context. This combination is an excellent way of allowing non-Arabic speaking readers have access to both the text and the commentary. scholars in other fields should take note.
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