The term space: from the original linguistic connotation to the idiom in contemporary Arab criticism

Abstract

In this study, we address one of the terms of the field of narratology, which is the term “narrative space” More specifically, we follow the origin of its linguistic connotation in the ancient dictionaries of the Arabic language, compared to the French language. And then we follow the shifts of this term that have led to the term’s settlement in the literary narrative critique field. This is done through an explanation of its concept and its aspects in the Arabic and western narratology, and on the other hand, we refer to other terms that are used in a similar way. The study aims to clarify the concept of “narrative space” and the problems that are faced in the definition of this concept, as well as how Western and Arab criticism scholars and theorists have approached this concept in the past, through a simple and clear approach. More specifically, we will clarify how these terms have shifted from ordinary general language to the special language used in the field of literary criticism. We start from the mapping of lexical meanings and a discussion of purely linguistic origins, and then we refer to the importance of the concept in narrative critical studies as well as the developments of this concept and its manifestations. Finally, we follow a historical and descriptive traceability of the term from its linguistic origin to its transformation into a term that expresses a particular critical concept. We will also refer to other meanings and functions and their semantic proximity to the central term. Eventually, we argue that “narrative space” has prevailed over other similar terms.