--- title: "Creation of a Numerical Scoring System to — Marathe 2025" description: "This 2022 MA dissertation (University of Exeter, released in 2025 as arXiv:2507.21106) addresses a gap in the study of Arabic rhetoric (balāgha)." authors: ["Mandar Marathe"] year: 2025 venue: "arXiv:2507.21106" source: "https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.21106" doi: "10.48550/arxiv.2507.21106" arxiv: "2507.21106" licence: "CC BY 4.0 (arXiv)" licence_url: "http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" summary_licence: "Elamur Cosmic License" canonical: "https://research.elamur.ai/free/en/papers/marathe-2025-creation-numerical-scoring-system-objectively/" --- [Elamur Research](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://research.elamur.ai/free/en/papers/marathe-2025-creation-numerical-scoring-system-objectively/) [home](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [papers](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/en/papers/) / [2025](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/en/papers/2025/) / Creation of a Numerical Scoring System to Objectively Measure and Compare the Level of Rhetoric in Arabic Texts: A Feasibility Study, and A Working Prototype # Creation of a Numerical Scoring System to Objectively Measure and Compare the Level of Rhetoric in Arabic Texts: A Feasibility Study, and A Working Prototype **Authors:** [Mandar Marathe](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/en/authors/mandar-marathe/) · **Year:** 2025 · **Venue:** arXiv:2507.21106 · **Licence:** [CC BY 4.0 (arXiv)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) **Links:** [Publisher's page](https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.21106) · [PDF](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2507.21106) · [DOI 10.48550/arxiv.2507.21106](https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2507.21106) · [arXiv 2507.21106](https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.21106) · [OpenAlex](https://openalex.org/W6966688179) **Citations:** 1 citations (openalex-snapshot · 2026-10-14) ## Summary This 2022 MA dissertation (University of Exeter, released in 2025 as arXiv:2507.21106) addresses a gap in the study of Arabic rhetoric (balāgha). There has been no objective way to say how much rhetoric a text contains, or to compare rhetoric across genres, authors or periods. The author treats the density of literary devices as a stand-in for rhetoric itself. The method has several parts: - A long list of candidate devices was narrowed to 84 common ones, each with a definition. - The devices are grouped under the three classical sub-domains: word order and sentence structure, figures of speech, and embellishments. - A text's density score is its total device score divided by its morpheme count. - A profile shows how the devices are spread across the three sub-domains. To support assessors, the author built a printable scoring sheet and four electronic aids, including the website BalaghaScore.com with an online calculator. Five sample texts, ranging from a recipe to Quranic verses, gave clearly different results. On that basis the author rejects the null hypothesis that such measurement is impossible. This early work later grew into the Rhetorical Density, Rhetorical Diversity and BALAGHA Score metrics. ## Key points - The inventory has 84 literary devices: 14 for word order and sentence structure (ʿilm al-maʿānī), 6 for figures of speech (ʿilm al-bayān), and the rest for embellishments (ʿilm al-badīʿ). - The embellishments are regrouped into seven practical parts: word choice, addressing groups, sentence construction, musicality, strengthening the argument, paragraph construction, and a miscellaneous slot for negative elements. - The score is total device score (A) divided by morpheme count (B). Here a morpheme includes affixes, pronouns and conjunctions, not just whole words. - The tools are a paper proforma with QR codes, a PDF form, an Excel calculator, and BalaghaScore.com with a definition page for each device plus an online calculator. - The five test texts were: | Text | Devices | Morphemes | |---|---|---| | Falafel recipe | 0 | 46 | | News article | 10 | 98 | | Short story | 17 | 160 | | Palestinian poem | 18 | 65 | | Surah Ibrahim 1–2 | 23 | 39 | A simulation with ten assessors is also reported. ## Interesting ideas - The author normalises device counts by morphemes rather than words, because what counts as a "word" varies when clitics and affixes fuse with stems; this makes density comparable across texts with different surface segmentation. — For Mova (tokens): Feature rates could be reported per lemma or per morpheme from the en crate's morphological analysis, so that contractions and clitic splitting do not skew comparisons between texts. - The embellishment devices are regrouped by where they show up in a text (single word, sentence, paragraph, sound pattern) rather than by their theoretical function, which makes them easier for someone to detect. — For Mova (frames): The detectors in prag for irony, hyperbole, euphemism and similar phenomena could be organised by the level at which they fire (token, clause, discourse span), so each rule clearly states what part of the UD tree or text it inspects. - Besides one overall number, the system reports how devices are distributed across the three sub-domains, so two texts with equal density can still be told apart by their rhetorical profile. — For Mova (frames): Pragmatic analysis could output a small profile vector (structural, figurative, ornamental cues) alongside a total, giving an explainable summary of a text's style. - The test set is deliberately ordered from a plain recipe with zero devices up to Quranic verses, so the plain text acts as a floor that the measure must score as empty. — For Mova (learn): Figurative-language and implicature detectors could be evaluated on flat procedural texts such as recipes and instructions, treating any detection there as a false positive. - The proforma includes a separate slot for negative elements, so flaws can lower the total instead of the score only ever rising. — For Mova (answer): Graders for generated or student answers could pair positive cue counts with explicit penalty items, keeping each deduction visible and explainable. *Our summary of the paper, in our own words — not its text. The work belongs to its authors; read it at the links above.* Fields: [Linguistics & languages](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/en/shelves/linguistics/) ## Cite The paper itself, not this page. BibTeX from the library's record of the work. ```bibtex @misc{marathe2025creation, title = {{Creation of a Numerical Scoring System to Objectively Measure and Compare the Level of Rhetoric in Arabic Texts: A Feasibility Study, and A Working Prototype}}, author = {Marathe, Mandar}, year = {2025}, doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2507.21106}, eprint = {2507.21106}, archivePrefix = {arXiv}, url = {https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2507.21106} } ``` - [← previous Cook, Edward. Biblical Aramaic and Related Dialects: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press, 2022](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/en/papers/young-2025-cook-edward-biblical-aramaic-related/) - [next → Cross-Genre Learning for Old English Poetry POS Tagging](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/en/papers/aclbulk-2025-miani-cross-genre-learning-old-english/) - [↑ back to papers of 2025](https://md.research.elamur.ai/free/en/papers/2025/) ## References 15 references, 0 of them with a card of ours. ↗ leads to the work, «find» searches for one we have no id for yet. 1. Abd Al-Ghani, Ayman Amin. Al-Kafi fi Al-Balagha: Al-Bayan, Al-Badiʿ wa Al-Maʿani. Cairo: Dar Al-Tawfiqiyya Lil-Turath, 2011. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Abd+Al%2DGhani%2C+Ayman+Amin%2E+Al%2DKafi+fi+Al%2DBalagha%3A+Al%2DBayan%2C+Al%2DBadi%CA%BF+wa+Al%2DMa%CA%BFani%2E+Cairo%3A+Dar+Al%2DTawfiqiyya+Lil%2DTurath%2C+2011%2E) 2. Abdel Haleem, Muhammad. “Rhetorical Devices and Stylistic Features of Qur’anic Grammar” in: Shah, Mustafa and Abdel Haleem, Muhammad (Eds.) The Oxford Handbook of Qur'anic Studies (University Press: Oxford, 2020). [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Abdel+Haleem%2C+Muhammad%2E+%E2%80%9CRhetorical+Devices+and+Stylistic+Features+of+Qur%E2%80%99anic+Grammar%E2%80%9D+in%3A+Shah%2C+Mustafa+and+Abdel+Haleem%2C+Muhammad+%28Eds%2E%29+The+Oxford+Handbook+of+Qur%27anic+Studies+%28University+Press%3A+O) 3. Abdul-Raof, Hussein. Arabic Rhetoric: A Pragmatic Analysis. Oxford: Routledge, 2006. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Abdul%2DRaof%2C+Hussein%2E+Arabic+Rhetoric%3A+A+Pragmatic+Analysis%2E+Oxford%3A+Routledge%2C+2006%2E) 4. Abdullah, Farhat. Zahra, Fatima. “Lexical Density and Cohesive Devices of the Divine Message in the English Translation of Surah Rehman” International Bulletin of Literature and Linguistics 3, 20 (2020), 38-50. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Abdullah%2C+Farhat%2E+Zahra%2C+Fatima%2E+%E2%80%9CLexical+Density+and+Cohesive+Devices+of+the+Divine+Message+in+the+English+Translation+of+Surah+Rehman%E2%80%9D+International+Bulletin+of+Literature+and+Linguistics+3%2C+20+%28202) 5. Al-Wahy, Ahmed S. “Towards a Methodology for Measuring Lexical Density in Arabic” International Journal of Arabic Linguistics 3, no. 1, 1-33. • Cavalli-Sforza, Violetta. Saddiki, Hind. Nassiri, Naoual. “Arabic Readability Research: Current State and Future Directions” Procedia Computer Science 142 (2018), 38-49. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Al%2DWahy%2C+Ahmed+S%2E+%E2%80%9CTowards+a+Methodology+for+Measuring+Lexical+Density+in+Arabic%E2%80%9D+International+Journal+of+Arabic+Linguistics+3%2C+no%2E+1%2C+1%2D33%2E+%E2%80%A2+Cavalli%2DSforza%2C+Violetta%2E+Saddiki%2C+Hind%2E+Nassiri%2C+Naoual) 6. Halliday, Michael A.K and Matthiessen, Christian M.I.M. Halliday’s Introduction to Functional Grammar 4 th Edition (New York: Routledge, 2014). [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Halliday%2C+Michael+A%2EK+and+Matthiessen%2C+Christian+M%2EI%2EM%2E+Halliday%E2%80%99s+Introduction+to+Functional+Grammar+4+th+Edition+%28New+York%3A+Routledge%2C+2014%29%2E) 7. Muhammad, Hashim. First Steps to Understanding Balaghah. Leicester: Al-Qalam Publications, 2016. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Muhammad%2C+Hashim%2E+First+Steps+to+Understanding+Balaghah%2E+Leicester%3A+Al%2DQalam+Publications%2C+2016%2E) 8. Nāsif, Hafnī. Muḥammad Diab. Muṣtafā Tamum. Sultan Muḥammad. Durūs Al-Balāgha. Beirut: Dar ibn Ḥazm, 2012 [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=N%C4%81sif%2C+Hafn%C4%AB%2E+Mu%E1%B8%A5ammad+Diab%2E+Mu%E1%B9%A3taf%C4%81+Tamum%2E+Sultan+Mu%E1%B8%A5ammad%2E+Dur%C5%ABs+Al%2DBal%C4%81gha%2E+Beirut%3A+Dar+ibn+%E1%B8%A4azm%2C+2012) 9. Ure, Jean. “Lexical density and register differentiation” in: G.E. Perren and J.L.M. Trim (Eds.), Applications of linguistics: Selected papers of the Second International Congress of Applied Linguistics, Cambridge 1969 [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Ure%2C+Jean%2E+%E2%80%9CLexical+density+and+register+differentiation%E2%80%9D+in%3A+G%2EE%2E+Perren+and+J%2EL%2EM%2E+Trim+%28Eds%2E%29%2C+Applications+of+linguistics%3A+Selected+papers+of+the+Second+International+Congress+of+Applied+Linguisti) 10. (Cambridge: University Press, 1971). [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=%28Cambridge%3A+University+Press%2C+1971%29%2E) 11. Zebiri, Kate. "Towards a Rhetorical Criticism of the Qur'an." Journal of Qur'anic Studies 5, 2 (2003): 95-120. [find](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Zebiri%2C+Kate%2E+%22Towards+a+Rhetorical+Criticism+of+the+Qur%27an%2E%22+Journal+of+Qur%27anic+Studies+5%2C+2+%282003%29%3A+95%2D120%2E) 12. Websites • Alantologia.com. “ ةرﯾﺻﻗ ﺔﺻﻗ ..ﺔﯾرﻘﻟا ثﯾدﺣ - نﯾﺷﻻ رھﺎط دوﻣﺣﻣ (1929)” Accessed September 5, 2022. [https://alantologia.com/blogs/57214/](https://alantologia.com/blogs/57214/) [↗](https://alantologia.com/blogs/57214/) 13. BBC News Arabic. “ . ﺎﯾﻧﺎطﯾرﺑ ﻲﻓ ﺔﻣوﻛﺣﻟا ﺔﺳﺎﺋرو نﯾظﻓﺎﺣﻣﻟا بزﺣ ﺔﻣﺎﻋزﺑ سارﺗ زﯾﻟ زوﻓ ” Accessed September 5, 2022. [https://www.bbc.com/arabic/world-](https://www.bbc.com/arabic/world-) [↗](https://www.bbc.com/arabic/world-) 14. IJMES. "IJMES Translation and Transliteration Guide." Accessed August 29, 2022. [https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-file-manager/file/630d1d754cf5970011527e65/IJMES-Transliteration-](https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-file-manager/file/630d1d754cf5970011527e65/IJMES-Transliteration-) [↗](https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-file-manager/file/630d1d754cf5970011527e65/IJMES-Transliteration-) 15. Guide.pdf • Mssader.com. “ ﻲﺑرﻋ ﺎﻧا لﺟﺳ ةدﯾﺻﻗ” Accessed September 5, 2022. [https://mssader.com/](https://mssader.com/) ﻲﺑرﻋ-ﺎﻧا-لﺟﺳ-ةدﯾﺻﻗ • All Quranic verses were taken on https://quran.com. Accessed August 29, 2022. 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