Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol.4, No.3 Publication Date: Feb. 25, 2017 DoI:10.14738/assrj.43.2678. Nugdalla, M. S., & Ahmed, M. D. (2017). Arabicization: Morphological or Syntactic Phenomenon? Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 4(3) 63-75. Arabicization: Morphological or Syntactic Phenomenon? Majduldin Sayed Nugdalla Department of European Languages, Faculty of Arts and Humanities King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Department of English & Translation, Faculty of Science & Arts Khulais Branch, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Mahgoub DaFalla Ahmed Department of European Languages, Faculty of Arts and Humanities King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Department of English & Translation, Faculty of Science & Arts Khulais Branch, University of Jeddah, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. ABSTRACT The current study explores the nature oF Arabicization From the viewpoint oF whether it is morphological, syntactic or morpho-syntactic phenomenon. It describes the lexicology of Arabicized words: the structure of words, meaning components and their relations to each other. The study attempts to approach the etymological methods oF entry of lexical items into Arabic as with respect to loan words, derivation and generation and their roles in word-formation processes. Additionally, the study tries to investigate whether derivation processes can work with the Arabicized words. It seeks to establish the diFFerence between the original Arabic words and the Arabicized words on the basis of which concept of Arabicization Formerly and presently shall be approached. It ultimately seeks to pinpoint the Fact pertinent to the eFForts exercised to design a linguistic methodology to handle the Arabicized words along the lines oF original existing Arabic terms. This is carried out with the aim of adjusting poly-term phenomenon chieFly observed in Arabic in having a number of equivalents For a single concept as corresponding to that of the source language. Key words: Al-taᵓrīb, Arabicization, arabicized words, Arabic language 1. INTRODUCTION Arabic language is considered as one of the most predominantly influential languages of the world. It is founded on a rich history and an exuberant heritage in the field of literature, theology and science. The location of the Arabian Peninsula in the crossroads of the great empires and the wealthy cultures of Persia, Greece, and Rome inspires the Arabic language to interact wittingly or unwittingly with the languages of these nations. In addition, factors like invasions, migrations, and trade have disclosed Arabic language to these cultures. These cultures have greatly influenced Arabic and eXposed its words to various processes of formation. One of these processes is Arabicization. The current study describes the phonological, morphological and syntactical adjustment that occurred to foreign words when they were arabicized. Throughout this paper, Arabic is transcribed into Roman script representation, through a certain typographic convention. The eXample of the Persian word ˂ dashit, "the desert", which is arabicized into ˃ dist indicated by the inequality signs: greater than (˂) to indicate the origin word and less than (˃) to indicate the arabicized word, shows the graphemic transliteration (IJMES Transliteration System) which is used in this study. Copyright © Society for Science and Education, United Kingdom 63 Nugdalla, M. S., & Ahmed, M. D. (2017). Arabicization: Morphological or Syntactic Phenomenon? Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 4(3) 63-75. 2. Some Basic Facts about Arabic Language Morphologically, Arabic language is considered as the most complicated of all languages. Like many other languages, Arabic words are formed from concatenating morphemes using a certain pattern. Hundreds of words can be formed using one root, a few patterns, and a few affixes. Owing to certain morphological patterns including the omission of vowels and the similarity of letters affixed to the stem or the root letters of the language, Arabic throws up a high degree of ambiguity. In many other languages like English for example, the root (base, stem, core) is the morpheme that provides the basic meaning of a word. It is that part of the word, which remains after the removal of affixes. In Arabic, however, the root is not necessarily to be the origin of the word i.e. the original form of the word before any transformation process (Al-Atram, 1990). According to Al-Atram (1990) Arabic prefixes are sets of letters and articles attached to the beginning of the lexical word and written as part of it, while suffixes are sets of letters, articles or pronouns attached to the end of the word and written as part of it. Compared to English, Arabic has fewer affixes, but these affixes exhibit the feature of concatenating with each other in predefined linguistic rules. The removal of prefixes in English is usually counterproductive because it can reverse or otherwise alter the meaning or the grammatical function of the word, but in the Arabic language, the removal of prefixes is not adverse and does not usually give negative meanings of words. 3. What is “Arabicization”? There are three views about Arabicization. The first view, which opposes Arabicization maintains that the overflow of foreign words will disturb the Arabic language and overwhelm it. The second view favors the indiscriminate use of foreign words in the original form, while the third view stands moderate insisting on foreign words being accepted only if there are no equivalents in Arabic. Contrary to the view maintains that Arabicization leads to overflow of foreign words, Arabicization would only lead to the consolidation of the Arabic society and ameliorate it by enhancing its personality and its capacity to think qualitatively. Words borrowed into Arabic language are of two types: “Al-Mũrrab” "Arabicized" and “Addakhīl” "loan". Arabicization is derived from the word "Arabic", the language spoken by Arabs. To 'arabicize' means to transfer, transcript or transcribe a non-Arabic script into Arabic. Arabicizing" a foreign word is the process of fitting it in to suit the rules of Arabic language. Arabic language stipulates two conditions while assimilating words from other languages. The first condition is that the word needs to be arabicized must not be a part of the original Arabic lexicon. Examples for this type are found in the new scientific inventions and discoveries such as the word “mobile”. The second condition is that these new words have to merge with the morphological and phonological systems of the Arabic language. Many linguists have tried to define Arabicization “Al-taᵓrīb”. A common definition for Arabicization is the assimilation of foreign terminology through borrowing or translating. Al- Mŭrrab is used be the Arabs to explain certain meanings in other languages. Accordingly, Sebaweyeh (1983) defined “al-Mŭrrab” as words used by the Arabs for meanings that are not found in Arabic language. In the same vein, Al-Zubaidi (1966: 8, 226) and As-Sŭti (1906) in 'Al- Mizhir' agreed with Sebaweyeh, noting the arabicized word is the word used by the Arabs for meanings in other languages. In his book, ‘Al-khasais’, Ibn Jinni (1951: 358), who followed Sibawayeh, stated that any borrowed word agrees with the morphological pattern of Arabic language is treated as Arabic word. However, Al-Tha'albi (1038) in ‘Fiqih Al-lŭqa’ (p. 198,199) noted, when the Arabs derive from foreign words, they violate the morphological pattern of URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.43.2678. 64 Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol.4, Issue3 Feb-2017 Arabic language. Al-Jawahri (1978) Pointed out, for the foreign word to be arabicized, it has to be used and rePeated by the Arabs in their daily sPeech. According to Al-Khafaji (1998) “Al- taᵓrīb” "Arabicization" is transferring the foreign lexeme into Arabic language. The author of ‘Al-Misbah Al-Munir’, Alfayumi (1993: 2-4) defined the arabicized word as what entered the Arabic language from another language as an indefinite word and adjusted to coPe with the Arabic morPhological Pattern. Recently, Saydi (1985) has defined Arabicization as follows: “It refers to lexical expansion which involves the rendering or coinage of new words either from existing roots, or through translation of foreign terms, and the adoption of already existing words through borrowing from foreign words through borrowing from foreign languages or reviving and revitalization of older usage in the same language.” Ghoniem (1989: 37-80) Pointed out three meanings for Arabicization 1) the use of loan words after have been adjusted to the morPhological and Phonological Patterns of Arabic language, 2) direct translation from foreign languages into Arabic "calque", and 3) a constitutional process which refers to the efforts undertaken by the Arabic language academies as an attempt to urge Arabic to be used at individual, national and international levels as a language of thought and science, which is beyond the scope of this study. Khulusi (2000), differentiated between Arabicization and translation, considering Arabicization is merely transliterating a foreign term according to Arabic characters 'transliteration' or 'transcription', whereas he defined translation as transferring the meaning and the style from one language into another. 4. The Concept of Arabicization The concePt of Arabicization has been develoPed through time and it has acquired many other connotations. These develoPments have