Semantic Shift in Qur’anic Verses: A Rhetorical-Semantic Analysis

Abstract

This article investigates semantic shift in selected Qur’anic verses from the perspective of classical Arabic semantics (‘ilm al-dalālah), with particular emphasis on metonymic relations (majāz mursal). The study employs a library-based qualitative design, using the Qur’an and relevant semantic and exegetical works as primary data sources. Data are collected through purposive sampling and systematic note-taking. Methodologically, the study applies a descriptive-analytical approach by identifying recurrent relational patterns underlying cases of semantic shift and analyzing them within their linguistic and contextual environments. The analysis focuses on major patterns such as part–whole, whole–part, and attribute–locus relations, and examines their rhetorical and semantic functions in Qur’anic discourse. Although grounded in classical Arabic semantic theory, this study argues that the issue remains highly relevant, since meaning is dynamic and Qur’anic interpretation requires continuous contextualization. The findings show that semantic shift in the Qur’an is not an arbitrary deviation from literal meaning, but a systematic and rhetorically motivated strategy that enhances ethical emphasis, descriptive precision, and communicative impact. This study is expected to contribute to Qur’anic linguistic and semantic studies, particularly in understanding the dynamic relationship between linguistic form and intended meaning in the Qur’anic text.