The Impact of Digital Language on the Structure of Arabic Derivation : A Morphological Study

Abstract

This study examines the role of pronominal reference in constructing textual cohesion and contextual meaning in Surat Al-Ahzab. It adopts a descriptive-analytical approach and analyzes representative occurrences of first-, second-, and third-person pronouns according to reference domain, direction, and span. Grammatical, contextual, and comparative exegetical evidence is used where reference is disputed. The analysis shows that pronouns do more than replace nouns: they regulate shifts in discourse, sustain referential continuity, and connect the surah’s major thematic strands. Boundaries of reported speech, thematic salience, and semantic compatibility emerge as decisive criteria for identifying antecedents. Pronominal shifts also perform rhetorical functions without disrupting cohesion. Verses 5, 33, 37, 53, 59, and 72 provide especially significant instances of event reference, composite antecedents, and multiple discourse participants. The study concludes that pronouns are best interpreted within their referential chains and discourse segments rather than as isolated sentence-level forms.