The impact of linguistics on Arabic language studies - the case of Tunisia

Although there is a tradition of linguistic studies in the Arab world dating back to a very early period, Saussure's linguistic studies had a great impact on the studies in the field of language in the Arab world as well as in the whole world. It is possible to divide the linguistic studies in the Arab world into two as the studies conducted in Mashrik and Maghrib. In Mashrik, linguistic studies started with comparative linguistics studies and then continued with new orientations with Firth's point of view. Since the Maghrib region was under French colonisation, linguistic studies started later than in the Mashreq. After the countries in this region got rid of the French colonisation, they carried out studies based on Western linguistics. The universities established in this period enabled linguistic studies and the widespread knowledge of French enabled linguists to deal directly with Saussure's linguistics. Therefore, even though linguistic studies in the Maghrib were carried out later than in the Mashriq, they were directly interested in Saussure's linguistics. In Tunisia, which is in the Maghreb, important steps have been taken in the name of linguistics such as the creation of linguistic concepts, innovative language teaching based on applied linguistics, and the rereading of the Arabic language tradition with linguistics. In this study, linguistic activities in the Arab world will first be discussed, centred on Mashrik and Maghrib. Then, the linguistic studies in Tunisia will be emphasised and the basic features of the linguistic studies developed in the first period and afterwards will be given. The course of linguistics in Tunisia, which has important breakthroughs in Arab linguistic studies, will be mentioned and the views of important linguists who are active here will be included. Thus, a perspective on modern linguistic studies in Tunisia, which is the main purpose of the study, will be tried to be presented.