NOUNPRO: Nominal Prominence

الإظهار مقام الإضمار

NOUNPRO: Nominal Prominence
Category	Sentence Construction & Syntactical Stylistics (‘ilm al-ma‘ānī)
Subcategory	Referential Switches
Balaghascore.com
Code	A-14
BalaghaBase.org
Code	Q51
OpenAlex
ID	W4415329654
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🔗 DOI	10.64393/balagha.Q51
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ARDT	v0.1.0, v0.1.1

Definition

Nominal Prominence (al-iẓhār maqām al-iḍmār) is an Arabic rhetorical device where an explicit noun or nominal expression is used in a position where a pronoun would be the expected, unmarked form. In Arabic, once a referent has been established in the discourse, the norm is to refer to it subsequently by pronoun; the deliberate choice to name it again explicitly is therefore a marked, rhetorically motivated departure from this norm. When so motivated, Nominal Prominence serves to restore the referent to full prominence in the addressee's attention, and may achieve a wide range of further rhetorical effects depending on context.

Mechanism

From the sources

• In Arabic, the unmarked norm is that once a referent has been introduced, subsequent reference to it is made by pronoun. Nominal Prominence departs from this norm by restoring the full noun or nominal expression in a position where a pronoun would suffice.
• This restoration of explicit reference compels the addressee to re-engage with the referent as if encountering it afresh, producing a stronger cognitive and rhetorical impact than the pronoun would have achieved.
• The rhetorical force of Nominal Prominence lies in the contrast between what the addressee expects — a pronoun — and what is actually given: a full nominal expression that re-asserts the referent's identity, weight, or significance.
• Hatim (1997) identifies two structural variants of this device: one in which the explicit noun replaces an expected first-person pronoun (conveying submissiveness or self-abasement), and one in which a noun already established in the discourse is repeated in its anaphoric position rather than replaced by a pronoun (lexical repetition). Both operate through the same underlying mechanism of deliberate explicitness where implicitness is expected.

Recognition

From the sources

Nominal Prominence may be present when:

• A noun or nominal expression appears in a position where a pronoun referring back to a previously established referent would be the expected, unmarked form.
• A noun that has already been named in the discourse is repeated in full rather than replaced by a pronoun.
• A communicator refers to themselves in the third person — using a noun or nominal expression — rather than the expected first-person pronoun.

Encyclopedia Interpretation

The following diagnostic tests aid identification:

• Substitute a pronoun for the explicit noun in question. If the substitution produces a grammatically and semantically equivalent but rhetorically weaker formulation, Nominal Prominence is likely in operation.
• Ask whether the referent has already been named earlier in the same passage. If so, and an explicit noun is used again rather than a pronoun, the device may be present.

Diagnostic Rhetorical Effects

From the sources

• Restoring the referent to full prominence in the addressee's attention, lending it greater weight than a pronoun would convey.
• Producing a stronger cognitive impression: the explicit noun, by departing from the expected pronoun, compels the addressee to re-engage with the referent and retains it more firmly in the mind.
• Conveying submissiveness, self-abasement, or beseechingness when a communicator refers to themselves in the third person rather than the first.
• Achieving a wide range of further specific rhetorical effects — including glorification, contempt, urgency, generalization, and others — depending on the context and content of the repeated nominal expression (see subtypes below).
• Explicit re-naming produces greater prominence, force, and cognitive impact than ordinary pronominal reference.

Applying the Recognition Framework

The information on this page can be used to evaluate whether this device is present in a candidate lexical item using the Specific Device Recognition part of the Universal Framework for Identifying Arabic Rhetorical Devices:

• Use the Definition, Mechanism, and Recognition sections of this page in Step 1.
• Apply the substitution test in Step 2.
• Consider contextual indicators in Step 3.
• Use the Diagnostic Rhetorical Effects section of this page in Step 4.

Types of Nominal Prominence

The sources distinguish two structural variants of Nominal Prominence.

Type 1: Self-Abasement (Noun Replacing Expected First-Person Pronoun)

From the sources

In this variant, a communicator refers to themselves using an explicit third-person nominal expression — typically a humble or self-deprecating description — in a position where the first-person pronoun would be the expected form. Hatim (1997) identifies the primary rhetorical purpose of this variant as conveying submissiveness and arousing the sympathy of the addressee.

Source Example

إِلَهِي عَبْدُكَ الْعَاصِي أَتَاكَ مُقِرًّا بِالذُّنُوبِ وَقَدْ دَعَاكَ

O my Lord, your erring servant has come to you, admitting his sins and calling upon you.

Ibrāhīm ibn Adham (cited in Hatim, 1997, p. 78)

Explanation

In accordance with the linguistic norm, the reference should be a straightforward first-person pronoun — anā ataytuka ("I have come to you"). The explicit third-person nominal expression ʿabduka al-ʿāṣī ("your erring servant") replaces this expected pronoun. The latter use is most effective in relaying an element of submissiveness uttered beseechingly to arouse sympathy.

Constructed Example

رَبِّ عَبْدُكَ الضَّعِيفُ يَسْأَلُكَ الْعَفْوَ وَالرَّحْمَةَ.

My Lord, your weak servant asks you for forgiveness and mercy.

Explanation

Rather than saying "I ask you," the communicator uses the third-person nominal expression ʿabduka al-ḍaʿīf ("your weak servant"), conveying humility and self-abasement and thereby intensifying the appeal for mercy.

Type 2: Nominal Prominence Through Repetition

From the sources

In this variant, a noun already established in the discourse is repeated in full in a position where a pronoun referring back to it would be the expected form. Hatim (1997) identifies this as a rhetorically motivated lexical repetition that can serve a wide range of purposes. Hatim (1997) identifies nine principal rhetorical purposes for this variant, as set out below.

1. Glorification

The noun is repeated in order to honour, elevate, or emphasise the dignity of the referent. Hatim (1997) notes that the repetition of the full nominal expression, rather than its replacement by a pronoun, neutralises any reduction in the force of the reference and sustains the prominence of the referent. This accords with the broader classical rhetorical principle that explicit re-naming sustains the prominence and dignity of the referent more forcefully than pronominal reference.

Source Example

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ حِزْبُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ أَلَآ إِنَّ حِزْبَ ٱللَّهِ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ

They are the party of Allah. Truly it is the party of Allah that will achieve felicity.

Qur'an 58:22

Explanation

The second mention of Allāh would normatively be replaced by a pronoun. Its repetition neutralises any reduction in force and sustains the full prominence of the concept "Party of God."

Constructed Example

هَذَا كَلَامُ الْحَقِّ، أَلَا إِنَّ كَلَامَ الْحَقِّ لَا يَنْطَفِئُ.

This is the word of truth — truly the word of truth is never extinguished.

Explanation

The repetition of al-ḥaqq in the second clause, where a pronoun would suffice, elevates the concept and prevents any dilution of its significance.

2. Contempt / Rebuke

The noun is repeated in order to underline the unworthiness, culpability, or disdain associated with the referent. Hatim (1997) notes that this operates through the same structural device as glorification, but with opposite content and intent.

Source Example

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ حِزْبُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ ۚ أَلَآ إِنَّ حِزْبَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنِ هُمُ ٱلْخَـٰسِرُونَ

They are the party of Satan. Truly it is the party of Satan that will perish.

Qur'an 58:19

Explanation

The repetition of al-shayṭān reiterates and reinforces the identification of the group with Satan, intensifying the condemnation rather than softening it through a pronoun.

Constructed Example

هَذَا فِعْلُ الْجَاهِلِ، وَلَنْ يُفْلِحَ الْجَاهِلُ مَا دَامَ يَتَصَرَّفُ هَكَذَا.

This is the act of the ignorant — and the ignorant will never succeed as long as they behave this way.

Explanation

The repetition of al-jāhil sustains and reinforces the rebuke, preventing any mitigation that a pronoun would have introduced.

3. Reinforcement and Urgency

The noun is repeated to strengthen a call to action, intensify an argument, or press a point with greater force. Hatim (1997) notes that this purpose often incorporates the subsidiary effect of weightier reasoning — the repetition carries the logical force of the preceding argument forward into the following clause.

Source Example

فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ

Then when you have decided, put your trust in Allah — for Allah loves those who put their trust in Him.

Qur'an 3:159

Explanation

The repetition of Allāh reinforces the exhortation to trust in God, lending it greater urgency and weight than the anaphoric pronoun innahu would have conveyed.

Constructed Example

اعْمَلْ مِنْ أَجْلِ وَطَنِكَ، فَإِنَّ وَطَنَكَ يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى كُلِّ أَبْنَائِهِ.

Work for your homeland — for your homeland has need of all its sons.

Explanation

The repetition of waṭanak presses the call to action with renewed force, sustaining the logical and emotional weight of the appeal.

4. Generalization

The noun is repeated in order to extend the scope of the statement beyond the specific individual or instance already named, encompassing the type or category as a whole. Hatim (1997) notes that use of a pronoun in such cases would restrict the statement to the specific referent already mentioned, whereas lexical repetition opens it to a general application.

Source Example

وَمَا أُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِى ۚ إِنَّ ٱلنَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌۢ بِٱلسُّوٓءِ

Nor do I absolve myself — truly the human soul is inclined towards evil.

Qur'an 12:53

Explanation

The pronoun would have restricted the statement to the speaker's own soul. The repetition of al-nafs with the definite article generalises the observation to all human souls.

Constructed Example

لَا أَمْدَحُ نَفْسِي، فَإِنَّ النَّفْسَ مَيَّالَةٌ إِلَى الْغُرُورِ.

I do not praise myself — for the human soul is inclined towards vanity.

Explanation

The shift from the first-person possessive nafsī to the generic al-nafs broadens the statement from personal confession to universal observation.

5. Particularization

The noun is repeated with a qualifying addition in order to specify the precise condition, category, or circumstance under which the statement applies, narrowing rather than broadening the scope. Hatim (1997) describes this as the introduction of an added constraint through lexical repetition.

Source Example

وَامْرَأَةً مُّؤْمِنَةً إِن وَهَبَتْ نَفْسَهَا لِلنَّبِىِّ

And any believing woman who of her own free will dedicates herself to the Prophet.

Qur'an 33:50

Explanation

The reflexive nafsahā is a lexical repetition that introduces an added constraint — the condition of free and personal dedication — specifying the precise circumstance under which the ruling applies.

Constructed Example

يُسْمَحُ لِلطَّالِبِ بِالتَّقَدُّمِ إِذَا قَدَّمَ الطَّالِبُ طَلَبًا خَطِّيًّا.

The student may apply, provided that the student submits a written request.

Explanation

The repetition of al-ṭālib rather than a pronoun specifies that the condition applies to that student personally and directly, narrowing and particularising the scope of the permission.

6. Conceptual Reinforcement

The noun is repeated in order to consolidate a key concept in the addressee's mind, ensuring that it is firmly established before or as the argument proceeds. Hatim (1997) identifies this as one of the most common uses of lexical repetition in place of pronominal reference. ʿAbbās similarly emphasises that explicit lexical repetition may strengthen the conceptual presence of a meaning in the addressee’s awareness by renewing attention to it each time it is named.

Source Example

وَبِٱلْحَقِّ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ وَبِٱلْحَقِّ نَزَلَ

We sent it down in truth, and in truth has it descended.

Qur'an 17:105

Explanation

The repetition of al-ḥaqq consolidates the concept of truth as the governing principle of the Qur'an's revelation and descent, embedding it firmly in the addressee's understanding.

Constructed Example

بُنِيَتْ هَذِهِ الْمَدِينَةُ عَلَى الْعَدْلِ، وَبِالْعَدْلِ وَحْدَهُ تَبْقَى.

This city was built on justice — and by justice alone does it endure.

Explanation

The repetition of al-ʿadl reinforces justice as the central and indispensable principle, consolidating it in the addressee's mind as the argument develops.

7. Alarm and Warning

The noun is repeated in order to underline a grave consequence or intensify a warning, ensuring the addressee registers the full weight of what is being said. Hatim (1997) notes that the repetition here reiterates the identity or act of those being warned against, thereby underlining the gravity of the matter.

Source Example

لَّقَدْ كَفَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ثَالِثُ ثَلَـٰثَةٍ ... وَإِن لَّمْ يَنتَهُوا۟ عَمَّا يَقُولُونَ لَيَمَسَّنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

They do indeed blaspheme, those who say God is one of three... and if they do not desist, a grievous penalty will befall those among them who blaspheme.

Qur'an 5:73

Explanation

The norm would be to use an anaphoric pronoun to refer back to those who blaspheme. The lexical repetition of the nominal expression alladhīna kafarū reiterates the fact of their blasphemy and thereby underlines the gravity and justness of the threatened penalty.

Constructed Example

مَنْ خَانَ الْأَمَانَةَ سَيَنْدَمُ، وَلَنْ تُغْفَرَ لِخَائِنِ الْأَمَانَةِ زَلَّتُهُ بِسُهُولَةٍ.

Whoever betrays the trust will come to regret it — and the transgression of one who betrays the trust will not easily be forgiven.

Explanation

The repetition of al-amāna sustains the gravity of the warning and prevents the weight of the charge from being reduced by a pronoun.

8. Self-Description

The noun is repeated to enable a communicator to describe themselves in detail without contravening the norms of humility and linguistic politeness that would be violated by extensive first-person self-praise. Hatim (1997) notes that lexical repetition allows the communicator to list qualities of their own without flouting conversational maxims of modesty.

Source Example

قُلْ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنِّى رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا ٱلَّذِى لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ... فَـَٔامِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ٱلنَّبِىِّ ٱلْأُمِّىِّ ٱلَّذِى يُؤْمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ وَكَلِمَـٰتِهِ

Say: O humankind, I am the Messenger of Allah to you all... so believe in Allah and His unlettered Prophet who believes in Allah and His words.

Qur'an 7:158–159

Explanation

Rather than continuing with a first-person pronoun, the nominal expression rasūlihi al-nabiyyi al-ummiyyi allows an extensive description of the Prophet's qualities without the immodesty that first-person self-praise would entail.

Constructed Example

أَنَا مُعَلِّمُكُمْ وَقَدْ كَرَّسْتُ حَيَاتِي لِلْعِلْمِ، فَاسْمَعُوا لِمُعَلِّمِكُمُ الَّذِي لَا يَبْخَلُ عَلَيْكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ.

I am your teacher, and I have dedicated my life to knowledge — so listen to your teacher who withholds nothing from you.

Explanation

The repetition of muʿallimukum allows the communicator to elaborate on their qualities and dedication without the immodesty of sustained first-person self-reference.

9. Affectionate or Delighted Mention

The noun is repeated because the communicator takes pleasure or delight in naming the referent, savouring the mention of a concept or person held in especially high regard. Hatim (1997) identifies this purpose — which he terms istildhādh (istildhādh) — as typically associated with concepts of deep cultural or spiritual significance.

Source Example

مَن كَانَ يُرِيدُ ٱلْعِزَّةَ فَلِلَّهِ ٱلْعِزَّةُ جَمِيعًا

Whoever seeks glory and power — to Allah belongs all glory and power.

Qur'an 35:10

Explanation

The repetition of al-ʿizza — a concept of deep cultural and spiritual resonance — reflects a savouring of the term itself, a delight in its utterance that a pronoun would have foreclosed.

Constructed Example

مَنْ أَحَبَّ الْعِلْمَ أَنَارَ اللَّهُ طَرِيقَهُ، وَالْعِلْمُ نُورٌ لَا يَنْطَفِئُ.

Whoever loves knowledge — Allah will illuminate their path, for knowledge is a light that never goes out.

Explanation

The repetition of al-ʿilm reflects a delight in the concept being named — the communicator savours the word itself, giving it the prominence a pronoun would have denied it.

Different From

• PRONOUN: Forward-Pointing Pronoun (al-iḍmār maqām al-iẓhār) — the inverse device: a pronoun is used before its referent has been named. Nominal Prominence uses an explicit noun where a pronoun is expected; Forward-Pointing Pronoun uses a pronoun where a noun would be the expected form.

Notes

Technical

• Hatim (1997) identifies five further rhetorical purposes for lexical repetition in anaphoric position that are not included as principal subtypes in this entry, either because they overlap significantly with the nine subtypes above or because they operate primarily in domains beyond referential switching. These are: (1) Paronomasia (tajnīs), where lexical repetition creates a pleasing similarity of sound alongside its referential function; (2) Meaningful Parallelism, where repetition maintains structural balance between two clauses; (3) Carrying a Necessary Pronominal Element, where repetition is required to avoid an ambiguous or syntactically impossible pronominal reference; (4) Purposeful Reiteration, where repetition deliberately distinguishes two different senses of the same word; and (5) Defining the Scope of a Proposition, where repetition demarcates the boundary between two different speech acts. These are noted here for completeness; readers interested in a full account are directed to Hatim (1997), pp. 79–88.

Historical

• The device الإظهار مقام الإضمار is placed within the classical التعريف والتنكير framework by Akkāwī (1992), who confirms the device name and its location within the broader rhetorical tradition of discussing the purposes of definiteness and indefiniteness in Arabic.
• The classical rhetorical tradition, as represented by ʿAbbās's Al-Balāgha: Funūnuhā wa-Afnānuhā, discusses the underlying logic of explicit reference — its cognitive impact, its role in achieving prominence, and its departure from the norm of pronominal economy — without isolating Nominal Prominence as a standalone named device. The rhetorical operations described in this entry are nonetheless fully consistent with that tradition's account of referential emphasis and markedness.

Page history

• 2026-05-16 - Renamed from NOUNPRO: Use of Noun in Place of Pronoun to NOUNPRO: Nominal Prominence to reflect wider scope of the Arabic definition of the device.
• 2026-02-10 - Migration to Semantic Device Identifiers: Renamed from A-10: Use of Noun in Place of Pronoun to NOUNPRO: Use of Noun in Place of Pronoun.
• 2024-04-22 - Page created: Use of Noun in Place of Pronoun.

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