https://theses.gla.ac.uk/ Theses Digitisation: https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/research/enlighten/theses/digitisation/ This is a digitised version of the original print thesis. Copyright and moral rights for this work are retained by the author A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge This work cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Enlighten: Theses https://theses.gla.ac.uk/ [email protected] SOME LINGUISTIC M L CULTURAL PROBLEMS OP ENGL ISH—ARAB IC TRANSLATION AND ' THEIR IMPLICATIONS FOR A STRATEGY OP ARABIZATION BY JAMAL B. S. AL-KENAI A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE FACULTY OP ARTS OP THE UNIVERSITY OP GLASGOW IN FULFILMENT OP THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OP DOCTOR OP PHILOSOPHY OCTOBER, 1985 ProQuest Number: 10907144 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10907144 Published by ProQuest LLC(2018). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 TO E M M , A WIEE AND A FRIEND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I-wish to express ray deep sense of gratitude to my supervisors: Dr* J. N* Mattock head of the Department of Arabic and Mr* J* M* Y* . Simpson of the Department of German. Their continued interest, help and availability as well as their cordiality have been a constant source of inspiration and encouragement and are deeply appreciated. To both I owe their guidance, valubable discussions and probing comments without which this study would not have been in. its present shape. Dr. Najat al-Mutawa of the University of Kuwait has helped in the reference work of Chapter Eight. Dr. Yowell Aziz of the University of Mosul, Iraq provided me with some of his personal publications on translation. To both I express my appreciation. Finally, I owe my thanks to the University of Kuwait for granting me the research scholarship and the funds which have made this research possible. TABLE OP CONTENTS PAGE Acknowledgements m Table, of Contents iv List of Tables ~x: List of Figures Key to Transcription Symbols and Abbreviations xiii Abstract xvii 1* General Introduction : 1- 1*1 The Present Import of Translation . 1 1*2 What is Translation? 2 1.2*1 Translation as Code-Switching. 2 1.2*2 Translation as Transference of Meaning • 2 1.2.3 Translation as Communication . 3 1.3 Translation in Antiquity. 4 1.4 Translation: Science or Art? 7 1*5 Translation and Other Disciplines; Prospects for MT • 8 1*6 The Feasibility of Universal Languages • 12 1*7 The Need of the Developing Countries to Naturalize their languages . I6 1*8 The Arab World and the Need for Arabization . ^8 1*9 The Nature and Scope of our Present Study 21 Page 2. The Development of Arabic and the Rise of Arabization: 28 2.1 Arabic and the Semitic family • 26 2.2 Some Linguistic Peculiarities of Arabic • 27 2.3 Growth, Stagnation and Revival • 35 2.3.1 The Period of Inception • 36 2.3*2 The Golden Period » 39 2,3*3 The Period of Stagnation and Hibernation • 44 2*3*4 Traces of Revival • 49 2.3*5 ®ie Current Position of the Arabic Language in the World * 57 3. Spectroglossia and the MSA: 64 3*1 The Relevance of the-term 1 Spectroglossia* to the Linguistic Situation in The Arab World* 64 3*2 The Origins of the Problem • 67 3*3 The Main Factors Involved in the Emergence of the Present Language Dichotomy • 74 3*3*1 The Role of the Colonial Powers * 74 3*3*2 Attempts to Abandon CA • 76 3*3*3 The Wature of the Language and the Antiquarian Method of Instruction • 78 3*3*4 The High Rate of Illiteracy . 84 3*3*5 I*1© Influence of The Mass-Media . 88 3*3*6 The Political and Cultural heterogeneity of The Arab Countries * 89 Page 3.4 The Influences of Spectroglossia on Qd Arabization and Proposals for Reform* 3*5 The Emergence of M o d e m Standard Arabic (MSA) • 99 3.6 The Linguistic Characteristics of MSA * 100 3*6.1 The Syntactic Level • 101 •3*6.2 The Lexical and Stylistic Level* 102 4* Lexical Deficiency: 109 4*1 Introduction » 109 4*2 The Problem of Acceptance * 110 4*3 Methodologies and Problems of Lexical Innovation in Arabic . 121 4*3*1 Semantic Extension and Rebirth of Obsolete Terms • 123 4*3*1*1 The Factors Contributing to Semantic Extension • 128 4* 3*2 /al-'Ishtiqaq bil-Qiyas/ "Derivation by Analogy" . 133 4*3*3 Compounding/an-naht/ ♦ 141 4*3*4 The Translation of Affixes * . 150 4*3*5 A note on/al— fIrtijal/f Improvisation’ and the Adoption of Dialectal Vocabulary. 154 5* Assimilation/Ta9rib/ and Transliteration of Loanwords/al-’Alfaz ad-Dakhilah/ 159 5.1 Introduction • 159 Page 5.2 The Controversy Over the Adoption of Foreign Terras * 161 168 5-3 Literal Translations (Caiques) • 5.4 Transliteration and the Problem of the Script • 174 Cultural and Stylistic Disparities: 198 6.1 Introduction • 198 6.2 Beyond the Utterance, Information Assumed • 199 6.2.1 Food and Cooking Terminology • 201 6.2.2 Articles of Clothing . 203 6.2.3 Building Terminology. 204 206 6.2.4 Seating Terminology . 207 6.2.5 Transport Terminology • 6.2.6 Kinship Systems • 208 6.2.7 Religious Terminology. 209 6.2.8 Political Terminology* 210 6.2.9 Terms Pertaining to Weather and Temperature « 212 6.2.10 Temporal Divisions . 214 6.2.11 Colour Terminology . 214 6.2.12 Metaphorical Uses of Lexical Items * 216 6.2.13 Proverbs • 223 227 6.3 Stylistic Incompatibilities • 227 6.3.1 Textual Symmetry « 6.3.2 Style Shift • 231 239 6.4 Literary Translation . Page 7* Arabization of Education: 250 7.1 The Primacy of Education in the Process of Arabization • 250 7.2 The Nature, of the Problem. 253 7*3 The Origins of the Problem* 254 7*3*1 The Legacy of Colonization. 254 7*3*2 The Economic and Administrative Bias • 257 7*3*3 The Shortage of Teaching Staff • 258 7*3*4 Spectroglossia» 261 7*3*5 The Methods Employed in Teaching Arabic* 267 7*3*5*1 The Grammatical Jigsaw • 269 7*3*6 The Attitudinal Factor • 272 7*3*7 Lexical Deficiency; Failure and Success* 283 8. The Role of TFL in the Arab World: 295 8*1 Objectives of Teaching Foreign Languages (TFL)‘ 295 8.2 The Status of TFL in the Curricula • 298 8.3 The Shortcomings of the TFL Programmes in the Arab World • 302 8.3*1 The Stage at which TFL is Introduced* 302 8.3.2 Deficient Textbooks* 303 8*3*3 The Language Factor • 305 8*3*4 Teacher Recruitment and Training ♦ 309 8*3*5 The Problem of Motivation. 314 8*3*6 The Methodologies of TFL* 315 8*3*7 The Subservient Role of Translation in the Curricula* -316 Summary and Conclusion • Bibliography . LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1.1 Language Distribution of Literature in Four Science Subjects • 14 2.1 Some Arabic Loanwords in European Languages. 31 2.2 Some Arabic Loanwords in Non-European Languages • 32 2.3 Some Examples of Modern Loanwords in Arabic* 33 3.1 Types of Discourse for CA and COA • 66 3.2 The Use of CA by 40 Secondary School Teachers in Kuwait • 83 3.3 Sources of Errors in the Writings of Some Kuwaiti Students in the Fourth Year Secondary School (Literary Section)* 83 3.4 Annual Book Production in Major World Languages* 87 3.5 Average Annual Number of Translated Works* 87 3.6 An Example of the Linguistic Diversity in the Arab World* 92 3.7 Dialectal varieties in North African Arab States* 93 4.1 Number of Compounds and Transliterated Entries in Three Lexicons of ALECSO’s Bureau for the Co-ordination of Arabization. 143 Table Page 7.1 Public Expenditure on Education as a Percentage of GNP and of Total Public Expenditure in Selected Arab Countries, 1970 and 1974. 251 7.2 The Language of Instruction in Four Arab States • 253 7.3 Teacher/Student Ratio and Average Number of Students per Classroom in Ten Arab States. 258 7.4 Secondary and Post-Secondary Enrolments In 1970 and 1975 in Eleven Arab States. 260 7.5 Adult Illiteracy in Seven Arab Countries • 266 8.1 Percentage of Scientific Publications in Five World Languages 295 8.2 The Number of TFL Weekly Periods in the First Four Years of the Primary Level in Four Arab Countries. 299 8.3 Average Weekly Periods of Arabic and Foreign Languages at the Secondary Level in Five Arab Countries. 301 8.4 Average Times of Usage of Language Laboratories Per Session (i.e.