A Study of the Semantic Prosody for the Quantifiers “Most of Them” and “Most People” in The Holy Quran

Abstract

Using Quranic data, the current study provides a comprehensive understanding of the semantic prosody of the quantifiers "أكثرهم" (which means "most of them") and "أكثر الناس" (which means "most people"). It represents a common focus among linguists and semantic studies on the explanation of complex and multi-dimensional meanings through the use of contextual and collocational variables. The purpose here is to particularly investigate how the selected data can be used to illustrate the distribution of positive prosody, negative prosody, and neutral prosody throughout the holy Quran corpus that has been provided. To provide the readers with extensive data and in-depth analysis, the research makes use of a mixed-method approach that combines qualitative and quantitative research methods. A secondary data method that is backed by computational collection of corpus and automatically gives the context in which the selected quantifiers occur. Inferential statistical analysis is the method that is used to analyze the data which entails using data from a sample (various chapters of the holy Quran) to make generalizations or inferences about the data. Among the most important key conclusions that should be mentioned here are: (1) both "most people" and "most of them" in the Quran typically express a negative evaluative connotation; (2) The Quran underscores that the pursuit of truth and faith may include opposing the majority; (3) these selected quantifying phrases serve as a summons for personal responsibility, encouraging readers to pursue comprehension and fidelity.