One of the interesting features in Arabic linguistics is the reference to causes and principles in the explanation of many linguistic phenomena. This scientific approach seems to have developed from the middle of the 8th century and onwards with the influence of Greek philosophy on Arabic linguistics and on other disciplines.
The present book provides information on several causes and principles in Arabic morphology and phonology, with a strong focus on the words, letters and vowels. Examples, qur'anic quotations and verses are presented in both Arabic script and Roman transcription and different theories are explored. Some of the causes that are discussed are the choice of a certain letter or vowel to a form, different phonological changes such as the elision or the addition of a vowel or a letter and the likes or dislikes of certain combinations. The references to several works of linguistics from the classical period until our days elucidate many intricacies and reflect the interests of several linguists in these topics.

Joyce Akesson has studied the Semitic languages at Lund's University, Sweden, and has previously been a lecturer there during many years. Beside the present book, she is the author of "A Study in Arabic Phonology" (Pallas Athena 2010), "The Basics & Intricacies of Arabic Morphology" (Pallas Athena 2010), "The Phonological Changes due to the Hamza and Weak Consonant in Arabic" (Pallas Athena 2010), "A Study of the Assimilation and Substitution in Arabic" (Pallas Athena 2010), "The Essentials of the Class of the Strong Verb in Arabic" (Pallas Athena 2010), "The Complexity of the Irregular Verbal Nominal Forms & the Phonological Changes in Arabic" (Pallas Athena Distribution 2009), "Arabic Morphology and Phonology: Based on the Marah Al-Arwah by Ahmad B. Ali B. Masud" (Studies in Semitic Languages and Linguistics, Brill Academic Publishers 2001) and "Ahmad B. 'Ali B. Mas'Ud on Arabic Morphology Marah Al-Arwah: Part 1:The Strong Verb" (Studia Orientalia Ludensia, Vol 4, Brill Academic Pub 1990). She has also published several articles about Arabic linguistics in two Journals, the Journal of Arabic Linguistics (the ZAL or Zeitschrift für Arabische Linguistik) Wiesbaden, and the previous Acta Orientalia, Denmark. She has also written a lemma about sarf "morphology/phonology in the Encyclopaedia of Arabic Language and Linguistics, vol. 4. Leiden: Brill, 20.