Ethics of Hospitality in Pre-Islamic Poetry

Abstract

Many neologisms have entered our life recently. These are being discussed at all levels and many people believe that some of them are of foreign origins. This paper investigates one of these neologisms، i.e.، the term etiquette، which is generally used to describe a gentleman code or any polite expression used by interlocutors. The study attempts to investigate the etymology of this term and its Arabic counterpart. It also purports to find answers to the following questions: is etiquette a science or not? And if it is so، is it established and systematized or not? If the answer is positive، who established and systematized it? Ancient Arabs or modern Arabs? The study arrived at a number of conclusions، the most important of which are: Arabic does have a corresponding lexical item for the term etiquette; etiquette is a deeply-rooted، long-established science in Arabic; and، this science had been found in pre-Islamic eras، where our ancestors utilized it in addressing kings، women، and guests.