Annotation Unit Levels
| Cite this page | |
|---|---|
| 🔗 Live DOI | 10.64393/balagha.annotation.levels |
| Date | 15 August 2026 |
| Download PDF | |
The Encyclopedia of Arabic Rhetoric provides up to three levels of granularity for the classification of Arabic rhetorical devices. These levels represent progressively finer subdivisions within the taxonomy.
- Level 1 - Device: The rhetorical device itself, represented by its primary annotation code, such as METAPH, SIMILE, PUN, or TAILHD.
- Level 2 - Subtype: The first level of subdivision within a rhetorical device. A Level 2 category identifies a subtype or analytical division of the Level 1 device.
- Level 3 - Sub-subtype: A further subdivision of a Level 2 category. It represents the finest level of granularity provided by the taxonomy.
Not every rhetorical device has all three levels. Some devices have no recognised subtypes and therefore exist only at Level 1; others extend to Level 2 but not Level 3. The existence of a Level 3 classification does not imply that the phenomenon is inherently more complex, more specific, or linguistically different from phenomena classified at Level 2 elsewhere in the taxonomy.
In particular, where Level 3 occurs, Level 2 may function as an analytical perspective or organising dimension under which more specific subtypes are distinguished. The numerical level should therefore be understood primarily as a device's position within its local taxonomic hierarchy, rather than as a statement about its linguistic operation, rhetorical importance, or analytical status.
Application
The Encyclopedia provides a stable hierarchical taxonomy of Arabic rhetorical devices, and unique annotation codes for linguistic operations with the available levels of granularity. An annotation project does not need to operate at the finest available level. The appropriate level of annotation is determined by the annotator, project, corpus, or research question. For example, a project may annotate all instances at Level 1, distinguish Level 2 subtypes where useful, or use Level 3 distinctions where the additional granularity is relevant and can be identified reliably. The decision about how deeply within that hierarchy to annotate belongs to the user of the Encyclopedia.
Page History
- 2026-09-15 - Page created: Annotation Unit Levels.
