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.