نعت - Adjective
نعت is one of the five categories of توابع, those words that follow the اعراب of a proceeding word (متبوع)
This post will explain one of the five categories of توابع words, نعت. Whereas the تابع in this situation is called the نعت, the متبوع is called the منعوت.
Nomenclature
نعت comes from نَعَتَ يَنعَتُ which means “to describe” or “characterize” something.
Definition of نعت
The definition of نعت is:
تابع يدل على معنى في متبوعه أو في متعلِّق متبوعه
It is a tāb’i that describes the matbū’ or something connected to the matbū’
Are صفة and نعت synonymous?
In most cases, نعت is used interchangeable with صفة, and منعوت with موصوف. However, a nuanced difference is present between them whereby a صفة is a quality that is inherent in the person/thing and does not change. A نعت is a description that is not inherent and is subject to change.
Example of a صفة:
تلك البنت السمراء (That girl is brown)
In this case, السمراء is a صفة because it is an inherent feature that does not change
Example of a نعت:
تلك البنت الجميلة (That is girl is beautiful)
In this case, الجميلة is a نعت because it is not an inherent feature. Rather it is a description that is subject to change, for the girl may not always be described as beautiful.
Types of نعت
There are two types of نعت:
النعت للمتبوع: the adjective describes the matbū’
also called النعت الحقيقيّ
النعت لمتعلّق المتبوع: the adjective describes something connected to the matbū’
also called النعت السببية
النعت للمتبوع
In this type of نعت, the نعت describes the متبوع.
The نعت will follow the منعوت in FOUR things:
الاعراب (case)
التعريف و النكرة (definiteness)
الافراد و التثنية و الجمع (number)
التذكير و التأنيث (gender)
Example
جاءني رجلٌ عالمٌ
A knowledgeable man came to me
رجلٌ is the منعوت
عالمٌ is the نعت describing رجل (the matbū’)
النعت لمتعلّق المتبوع
In this type of نعت, the نعت describes something connected to the متبوع’
The نعت will follow the منعوت in only TWO things (despite actually describing the متعلق المتبوع) :
الاعراب (case)
التعريف و النكرة (definiteness)
Example 1
جاءني رجلٌ عالمٌ أبوه
A man’s knowledgeable father came to me
Note: in this case, عالمٌ is not describing رجلٌ despite it being the منعوت. Rather, it is describing أبوه.
رجلٌ is the منعوت
أبوه is the متعلق المتبوع (related to the matbū’)
عالمٌ is the نعت describing أبوه (related to the matbū’)
The نعت and the منعوت match in their state and definiteness:
Example 2
رَبَّنا أَخْرِجْنا من هَذِهِ القَرْيَةِ الظالِمِ أَهْلُها
Oh our Lord, remove us from this village whose inhabitants are oppressive [4:75]
Note: in this case, الظالِمِ is not describing the القَرْيَةِ despite it being the منعوت. Rather, it is describing أَهْلُها.
القَرْيَةِ is the منعوت
أَهْلُها is the متعلق المتبوع (related to the matbū’)
الظالِمِ is the نعت describing أبوه (related to the matbū’)
The نعت and the منعوت match in their state and definiteness:
Can a نعت be a Sentence?
Yes, a نعت can be a sentence (جملة)—either الجملة الاسمية or الجملة الفعلية—but it has to be a الجملة الخبرية (informative sentence). This is because a جملة will always be considered indefinite (نكرة), and since the نعت must always correspond to the منعوت in definiteness, then the منعوت must also be indefinite.
Also, the sentence must have a ضمير (pronoun) that refers to the منعوت in order to connect the sentence to it.
Example 1:
مررتُ برجلٍ أبوه عالمٌ
I passed by a man whose father is knowledgeable.
In this case, the نعت is the الجملة الاسمية “whose father is knowledgeable”, which is also a الجملة الخبرية. Moreover, the منعوت, which is رجل, is نكرة. Lastly, the ه in أبوه is a pronoun that refers back to the منعوت.
Example 2:
مررتُ برجلٍ قام أبوه
I passed by a man whose father is standing.
In this case, the نعت is the الجملة الفعلية “whose father is standing”, which is also a الجملة الخبرية. Moreover, the منعوت, which is رجل, is نكرة.Lastly, the ه in أبوه is a pronoun that refers back to the منعوت.
The Benefits of نعت
Among the many benefits of نعت, five are listed below:
It specifies (تخصيص) the منعوت if both the نعت and منعوت are نكرة
e.g. جاءني رجلٌ عالمٌ (A knowledgeable man came to me)
Since the منعوت is نكرة, it is unspecific (i.e. a man). However, the presence of the نعت makes it specific. In other words, he is no longer any man, but a knowledgeable man.
It explain (توضيح) the منعوت if both the نعت and منعوت are معرفة
e.g. ُجاءني زيدٌ الكريم (The generous Zayd came to me)
Since the منعوت is معرفة, we already know who it is referring to, and there is no need for specification. Hence, in this case, the نعت will explain something about زيدٌ.
To praise the منعوت
e.g. بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم (In the name of Allāh, the most Merciful, the ever Merciful)
In this case, the word الرحمن is praising the منعوت, which is Allāh
To disgrace the منعوت
e.g. أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم (I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytān)
In this case, the word الرجيم is disgracing the منعوت, which is Shaytān
To emphasize the منعوت
e.g. فإذا نُفِخَ في الصور نَفخةً واحدةً (And when a single blow will be blown in the trumpet)
In this case, نَفخةً is already singular and it understood to mean just one blowing. The نعت, which is واحدةً, serves to emphasize that it is just one blow.
And Allāh knows best.
Source: Hidāyat al-Nahw m’a Asilatin wa Ajwabatin bil Lughatil Angalaziyyah