Both general paronomasia (Ar. jinās, tajnīs), in which two or more words with similar sounds occur in close proximity, and cognate paronomasia (Ar. ishtiqāq), in which the phonetically similar elements in close proximity share the same tri-consonantal root, occur frequently in the Qurʾān. Cognate paronomasia serves a number of distinct functions. In just a few cases, it approximates Biblical uses of paronomasia, which occur frequently in connection with personal names. Other important classes of paronomastic expressions in the Qurʾān include curses, prayer-tags, sanctions, condemnations, and taunts. This study explores conventions and use of these structures in the Qurʾān, calling attention to the important toles they play in Qurʾānic rhetoric and suggesting that they may throw light on ancient Arabic speech genres.
