Transformations of the Arabic Sentence in Digital Literature: Toward a Syntactic Reading of Interactive Texts

Abstract

This research examines the transformations of the Arabic sentence within the realm of digital literature, with a particular focus on interactive texts that integrate linguistic, visual, auditory, and kinetic elements. Such integration reshapes both the syntactic and semantic structure of the sentence, indicating that language is not the sole component of the interactive literary work; rather, it operates alongside other elements (multimedia). Consequently, syntactic structure in the linguistic context of interactive digital literature becomes incomplete unless supported by these additional elements—sound, image, and motion—which contribute to constructing the sentence and conveying meaning.

The study is grounded in the hypothesis that the shift from print-based to digital media has brought about a fundamental change in the characteristics of the Arabic sentence, rendering it more condensed, concise, structurally shorter, and more direct in delivering ideas. It aims to identify the most prominent syntactic shifts affecting the sentence in the digital environment by analyzing selected texts from social media platforms and an interactive digital poem, “The Infinities of the Firewall” by the Iraqi poet Mushtaq Abbas Ma'an, as a model of interactive digital poetry, while distinguishing between digital poetry and interactive digital poetry.

The research concludes that the most significant transformations include syntactic deviation, grammatical reduction, fragmentation of predication, and the blending of Standard Arabic with colloquial varieties. It further demonstrates that these phenomena represent an extension of the Arabic syntactic heritage within a new context—one that requires the development of analytical tools and syntactic concepts capable of preserving the authenticity of the language while accommodating the particularities and aesthetic possibilities of the digital environment.