البدل - Substitution

البدل 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, البدل. Whereas the تابع in this situation is called البدل, the متبوع is called المُبدل منه.

Definition of البدل

The definition of البدل is:

تابع يُنسب إليه ما نُسب الى متبوعه و هو المقصودُ بالنسبةِ دونَ متبوعه

It is such a tāb’i for which the thing linked to it is the same thing linked to its matbū’ and it is the intended part of the sentence, not the matbū’.

Importantly, the بدل has to match with the مبدل منه in both number, gender, and status, but not in definiteness.

Types of البدل

There are four types of البدل:

1. بدل الكل من الكل: what it is intended from the بدل is the same as what is intended from the مبدل منه.

   • For example: جاءني زيدٌ أخوك (Your brother Zaid came to me)

   • Notice that since أخوك (your brother) is the تابع, it matches زيدٌ in its state of مرفوع, definiteness (since the مضاف إليه to a definite اسم, which is ه, makes it such), masculinity, and singularity. At the same time, أخوك is the exact substitute for زيدٌ since they are the same person. Hence, it is بدل الكل من الكل

2. بدل البعض من الكل: what is intended from the بدل is part of what is intended from the مبدل منه

   • For example: ضربتُ زيدًا رأسَه (I hit Zaid’s head (lit. I hit Zaid, his head))

   • Notice that since رأسَه (his head) is the تابع, it matches زيدًا in its state of منصوب, definiteness, masculinity, and singularity. At the same time, رأسَه is not the exact substitute for زيدًا since his head is only a part of زيد, not the whole person. In other words, I hit Zaid’s head, not every part of him. Hence, it is بدل البعض من الكل

3. بدل الاشتمال: what is intended from the بدل is connected to what is intended from the مبدل منه

   • For example: سُلِبَ زيدٌ ثَوبُهُ (Zaid’s clothes were stolen )

   • Notice that since ثَوبُهُ (his clothes) is the تابع, it matches زيدٌ in its state of مرفوع, definiteness, masculinity, and singularity. At the same time, ثَوبُهُ is not the exact substitute for زيدًا, nor an attached part of him. Rather, it is something that is connected to him. Hence, it is بدل الاشتمال.

4. بدل الغلط: the بدل is intended as a correction for the مبدل منه

   • For example: جاءني زيدٌ محمدٌ (Zaid came to me, [actually] Muḥammad )

   • Notice that since محمدٌ is the تابع, it matches زيدٌ in its state of مرفوع. At the same time, محمدٌ is not the exact substitute for زيدًا, nor a part of him, nor even something connected to زيدًا. Instead, it is a totally different entity. This type of بدل is called بدل الغلط, with غلط meaning incorrect, since you are substituting the incorrect word with the correct word.

Rules of البدل and المبدل منه being معرفة or نكرة

The بدل and مبدل منه can be either معرفة or نكرة, and both do not need to be the same. Hence, it is possible to have a بدل that is معرفة and a مبدل منه that is نكرة. It is also possible to have a بدل that is نكرة and a مبدل منه that is معرفة, however, a certain rule must be followed if this case: a نعت must be brought after the بدل.

An example of this can be seen in the Qur’ān:

(16) كَلَّا لَئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًا بِالنَّاصِيَةِ (15) نَاصِيَةٍ كَاذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ

“Let him beware! If he does not desist, then we will drag him by the forelock, a lying, sinful forelock. (‘Alaq: 15-16)

Below is an identification of the pertinent words.

You will notice that the بدل is نكرة and the مبدل منه is معرفة. Hence, a نعت is added (two in this case) that is تابع of ناصية.

And Allāh knows best.

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Source:

• Hidāyat al-Nahw m’a As’ilatin wa Ajwabatin bil Lughatil Angalaziyyah

• https://analbahr.com/بحث-عن-البدل-في-اللغة-العربية-تعريف-،-إ/#i-5