and the like. Even if what the first term denotes is khazz cloth or silver, the range of reference of each term would extend beyond that of the other; only the genitive construction restricts their reference.

Likewise, the expression nafsī (“myself”) contains two nominal elements: an explicit noun, namely “self,” and a pronoun, namely the suffix -ī (“my”). It is well known that pronouns indicate nothing about the attributes of their referent except its being the speaker, the addressee, or a third party, and the like. Thus, -ī indicates that the referent is the speaker, just as -hu in bi'tuhu (“I sold it”) indicates a third-person referent. This meaning is distinct from what the word “self” denotes. The word “self,” however, conveys attributes such as life, action, and the like, which are not expressed in pronouns; yet in this respect it is not specific to any one term to which it is attached.

When it is attached to a pronoun, its wording has a breadth of meaning not found in the explicit noun and the pronoun, since the pronoun conveys this by implication. The pronoun, in turn, specifies the referent as the speaker or a third party in a way that the explicit noun does not. Through the genitive construction, the first term becomes specific to the second, so that the self denoted cannot be other than his own.

Furthermore, using the word “self” indicates that what is stated applies to the referent himself, not to someone associated with him. Thus, if it is said, “The commander himself spoke to him,” this rules out speech through an interpreter or messenger. And if it is said, “I