The Mapping of Semantic Domain of Aqidah: Solution to the Vagueness of Meaning

Abstract

Semantic domain refers to words that share common semantic properties and are positioned in a specific area based on the semantic relations between them. This study aims to classify the semantic domain of Aqidah through the structure of semantic relations to overcome the vagueness that occurs in Kamus Dewan Perdana (KDP) and al-Muʿjam al-Wasit (MW). A qualitative method with Arabic loanwords (BA) and their definitions were collected from KDP while MW was used to cross-reference the etymology and definitions. BA in the semantic domain of Aqidah is classified based on the perspective of local Islamic Studies scholars, who divided Aqidah into three parts, namely Ilahiah, Nubuwah & Risalah, and Samʿiyat with the Pillars of Iman as Aqidah’s foundation. This mapping is structured by three semantic relations of hypernym, hyponym, and co-hyponym. The findings show intra-subdomain and intra-sub-subdomain relationships which explained the details of the meaning of a word through polysemous meanings and paraphrases such as baqa, kudrat, qarin, maksum, al-Quran and mukjizat. In conclusion, the mapping of the semantic domain of Aqidah shows that semantic relations happened in the three subdomains. As a result, the challenge in understanding the vague definition of Aqidah can be overcome with the role of lexical semantics through mapping the semantic domain. The vagueness solution of the Aqidah can contribute to a deeper understanding of its definition which is the core of various aspects in the lives of the Islam followers.