Re-examination of the Semantic Components of ‎‎"Qaryah" in the Holy Qur'an with Special Emphasis ‎on Etymological Approach

"Qaryah" is the most frequent word belonging to the semantic field of "town/ village" in the Holy Qur'an. In recent decades, the discussions about semantic distinctions between "Qaryah" and other words belonging to the same semantic field such as "Madīnah" and "Balad" have drawn the attention of Qur'anic scholars widely. However, a review of lexicographical and exegetical sources indicates that there is not enough knowledge about (A) the construction-process of the Qur'anic word "Qaryah", (B) the semantic components of this word, and (C) the characteristics of this type of "town/village" in the context of revelation of the Holy Qur'an. Adopting the etymological approach, the present research is an attempt to trace the oldest history of the word "Qaryah" in proto-Afroasiatic, and study the semantic changes of this word towards the Qur'anic Arabic, and reexamine its semantic components in the Holy Qur'an. The present study shows that the Qur'anic word "Qaryah" is rooted in two different stems and constructed from a hybrid model. According to linguistic data and Qur'anic usages of the word, "Qaryah" was referring to the towns/villages which were playing the role of campgrounds for travelers at the time of revelation due to their locations in the middle of routes. Moreover, this research provides a new explanation for the reasons of calling Mecca 'Umm al-Qurā in the Holy Qur'an.