Language, Identity and Power in the Quranic Story of Moses: A Sociolinguistic Survey

Abstract

Language is not only a communication tool but also a means of identification and uncloaking the hidden power-relation. A study of the Quranic version of the story of Moses reveals instances of multi-faceted identities and statuses and how they are employed to enact and legitimize power and dominance. Grammatical concepts and lexicalization convey the spatio-temporal relevance in constructing language of conflict and enacting authority.Statistical analytical tools like chartsand histogram were employed to account for the features and sequence of expressions in the chapters in focus. It was discovered that the use of language can exhibitidentity and power.