Semantics for Translation Students
Arabic–English–Arabic
Summary
Excerpt
Table Of Contents
- Cover
- Title
- Copyright
- About the author(s)/editor(s)
- About the book
- This eBook can be cited
- Contents
- Preface
- The key features of the book
- Acknowledgements
- Note on Transliteration
- Vowels
- List of Abbreviations
- Chapter 1 : Definitions
- Key terms
- 1.1 Linguistics and linguists
- 1.1.1 Linguistics
- 1.1.2 Linguist
- 1.2 Formal linguistics
- 1.2.1 Phonetics
- 1.2.2 Phonology
- 1.2.3 Morphology
- 1.2.4 Syntax
- 1.2.5 Semantics
- 1.3 Sociolinguistics
- 1.3.1 Language variation
- 1.3.2 Language and social interaction
- 1.4 Psycholinguistics
- 1.4.1 Language acquisition
- 1.4.2 Verbal processing
- 1.5 Applied linguistics
- Further reading
- Questions
- Chapter 2 : Approaches to Word Meaning
- Key terms
- 2.1 Semantic fields
- 2.2 Formal approaches
- 2.2.1 Componential analysis
- 2.2.2 Meaning postulates
- 2.3 Frame semantics
- 2.3.1 Frames
- 2.3.2 Scripts
- 2.3.3 Prototype
- Further reading
- Questions
- Exercises
- Chapter 3 : Morphology
- Key terms
- 3.1 Grammar
- 3.2 Morphology
- 3.3 Causativity and transitivity
- 3.3.1 Causativity
- 3.3.2 Transitivity
- Further reading
- Questions
- Exercises
- Chapter 4 : Affixation
- Key terms
- 4.1 Affixation
- 4.2 Changes associated with affixation
- 4.3 Suffixes and prefixes in English
- 4.4 Polysemous prefixes and suffixes
- 4.5 Homonymous prefixes and suffixes
- 4.6 Chameleon prefixes
- 4.7 Translating English suffixes and prefixes
- Further reading
- Questions
- Exercises
- Chapter 5 : Tense and Aspect
- Key terms
- 5.1 Tenses versus aspects
- 5.1.1 Simple aspect
- 5.1.2 Progressive aspect
- 5.1.3 Perfect aspect versus perfect progressive aspect
- 5.2 Translating tenses and aspects
- Further reading
- Questions
- Exercises
- Chapter 6 : Modality
- Key terms
- 6.1 Modality
- 6.2 Types of modality
- 6.2.1 Deontic modality
- 6.2.2 Epistemic modality
- 6.3 Translating modality
- 6.4 Modality: Different functions
- 6.4.1 Obligation and necessity
- 6.4.2 Lack of necessity and prohibition
- 6.4.3 Advisability, opinion, and expectation
- 6.4.4 Lost opportunities
- 6.4.5 Possibility/likelihood
- 6.4.6 Ability, lack of ability, and (not) giving permission
- 6.4.7 Futurity
- 6.4.8 Polite request
- 6.4.9 Preference
- Further reading
- Questions
- Exercises
- Chapter 7 : Lexical Semantics
- Key terms
- 7.1 Reference versus sense
- 7.2 Synonymy
- 7.3 Antonymy
- 7.4 Polysemy
- 7.5 Homonymy
- 7.6 Homophones
- 7.7 Lexical relations and translation
- Further reading
- Questions
- Exercises
- Chapter 8 : Semantic Roles
- Key terms
- 8.1 Semantic roles
- 8.2 Types of semantic roles
- 8.3 Semantic roles and translation
- Further reading
- Questions
- Exercises
- Chapter 9 : Semantic Principles
- Key terms
- 9.1 Semantic principles
- 9.2 The open choice principle
- 9.3 The idiom principle
- 9.4 Idioms versus collocations
- 9.5 Phrasal verbs
- 9.5.1 Literal phrasal verbs
- 9.5.2 Aspectual phrasal verbs
- 9.5.3 Idiomatic phrasal verbs
- 9.5.4 Polysemous phrasal verbs
- Further reading
- Questions
- Exercises
- Chapter 10 : Levels of Meaning
- Key terms
- 10.1 Denotation versus connotation
- 10.2 Connotation: Different overtones
- 10.2.1 Attitudinal meaning
- 10.2.2 Associative meaning
- 10.2.3 Affective meaning
- 10.2.4 Allusive meaning
- 10.2.5 Collocative meaning
- 10.2.6 Reflected meaning
- 10.2.7 Stylistic meaning
- 10.3 Semiotics
- 10.4 Paradigmatic and syntagmatic axes
- Further reading
- Questions
- Exercises
- Chapter 11 : Pragmatics
- Key terms
- 11.1 Pragmatics: Definition
- 11.2 Speech acts
- 11.3 Implicature and the cooperative principle
- Further reading
- Questions
- Exercises
- Chapter 12 : Annotating Semantic Issues
- 12.1 Introduction
- 12.2 Translation
- 12.3 Annotation
- Exercise 1
- Exercise 2
- Exercise 3
- Exercise 4
- Exercise 5
- Exercise 6
- Exercise 7
- Exercise 8
- Exercise 9
- Exercise 10
- Exercise 11
- Exercise 12
- Exercise 13
- Bibliography
- Index
- Series index
This book provides an engaging and accessible introduction to semantics for students and researchers who are new to the field. It introduces the basics of semantics in a simple fashion. It adopts a step-by-step approach, starting with the basic concepts and gradually moving readers to the central questions in semantics to discuss them in a direct link with the actual act of translating. It strikes a balance between theoretical developments and empirical investigation. In addition to gaining a systemic overview of semantics, readers can learn how to argue for analysis, thus being able to annotate their own translation academically. Specialists in language-related fields, such as linguistics, semantics, pragmatics, semiotics, morphology, syntax, and translation will find this book an essential resource and reference.
Among the significant concepts introduced in this book are denotation, connotation, sense, reference, the open choice principle, the idiom principle, semantic roles, semantic relations, semantic field, componential analysis, meaning postulates, frames, scripts, paradigmatic axis, syntagmatic axis, speech acts, implicature, the cooperative principle, and semiotics.
This academic textbook is an accessible coursebook for students of Arabic-English translation, Arabic-English contrastive studies, and students of linguistics and semantics. The book is primarily designed for those whose mother tongue is either Arabic or English and who have some knowledge of both linguistics and semantics (at a basic level) and translation studies (at a basic level).
Although the topics and analyses used in this book are intrinsically of different levels of complexity (in particular the complexity levels are different within the analysis of examples in Chapters 4–11), the book is designed to be useful for true beginners, including those with very little background in linguistics in general and semantics in particular. The intended readership for this book is BA students of applied linguistics, semantics, Arabic-English contrastive studies, and Arabic-English translation studies. Further, MA and PhD students in translation, applied linguistics, and contrastive ← vii | viii → studies may also benefit from this book. In addition, students with majors in subjects other than applied linguistics or English, such as translation, might be required to take a semantics course. The book features authentic materials taken from different text types, including literary texts, journalistic texts, religious texts, legal texts, and so on.
There are a number of books on the market that explain semantics, such as the following:
• Carter, R. (1998). Vocabulary: Applied Linguistic Perspectives. London/New York: Routledge.
• Cowie, A. P. (2009). Semantics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Griffiths, P. (2006). An Introduction to English Semantics and Pragmatics. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
• Kearns, K. (2000/2011). Semantics. Basingstoke/New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Kreidler, C. W. (1998). Introducing English Semantics. London/New York: Routledge.
• Lyons, J. (1977). Semantics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Palmer, F. R. (1976). Semantics: A New Outline. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Riemer, N. (2010). Introducing Semantics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Saeed, J. I. (2009). Semantics (3rd edn). United Kingdom: Wiley Blackwell.
However, none of these books have approached the topic from a translation or contrastive point of view. Further, none of them have taken the language pair Arabic-English as its focus.
The key features of the book
• it provides readers (whether translation students or translation researchers) with a resource for developing their own practical skills in semantic analysis. ← viii | ix →
• it links grammar, semantics, pragmatics, and semiotics to the actual work of translators (whether trainees or professionals).
• it provides readers with a list of recommended readings and resources for each of the topics under discussion.
• each chapter closes with a wide-ranging selection of questions and exercises.
• each chapter has a wealth of features, such as an overview outlining the main points and technical words used in the chapter as well as illustrative examples.
• it provides readers with a long, annotated literary text, thus enabling them to have a clear vision of how to apply the theoretical elements discussed throughout the book in a cohesive way.
My sincere appreciation goes to to Juan José Martínez-Sierra of the Universitat de València (Spain), James Dickins of the University of Leeds (UK), Nicolas Froeliger of the Université Paris Diderot (Paris 7, France), and Vivina Almeida Carreira of Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra (Portugal), all of whom read the whole manuscript and provided me with their valuable suggestions and comments.
My special thanks also go to Murtadha Bakir, Fred Pragnell, Naser Al-Bzour, Hashim Lazim, Wafa Abu Hatab, Muntaha Ali, and John Moreton, who offered valuable insights into, and guidance on, the many and varied aspects of the linguistic and analytical challenges of translating Arabic.
In addition, I would like to thank the BA and MA students of Arabic-English translation over the years at the University of Nizwa (The Sultanate of Oman) and the University of Basrah (Iraq), whose translation projects have served as sources for the translation examples used in this book.
Finally, no words could ever express my deepest love and gratitude to my family, who have supported me in this work.
The following Arabic transliteration system has been consistently employed throughout this book. However, in the case of (ـــّــ) shaddah, a consonant is doubled. The names of Arab authors whose works have been published in English are spelled as they appear in the publication without applying this transliteration system. In addition, any Arab names that appear in quotations follow the transliteration system of the reference quoted and not that listed below. Some names, such as Mahfouz and the like, remain as they commonly appear in English and have not been transliterated in order to avoid confusion.
| Arabic | Transliteration |
| ء | ’ |
| ب | b |
| ت | t |
| ث | th |
| ج | j |
| ح | h |
| خ | kh |
| د | d |
| ذ | dh |
| ر | r |
| ز | z |
| س | s |
| ش | sh |
| ص | s |
| ض | d |
| ط | t |
| ظ | z |
| ع | ‘ |
| غ | gh |
| ف | f |
| ق | q ← xiii | xiv → |
| ك | k |
| ل | l |
| م | m |
| ن | n |
| هـــ/ة | h |
| و | w |
| ي | y |
| ا/ى | a |
Vowels
Key terms
• Applied linguistics
• Discourse analysis
Details
- Pages
- XVI, 226
- ISBN (ePUB)
- 9781787071223
- ISBN (MOBI)
- 9781787071230
- ISBN (PDF)
- 9783035308402
- ISBN (Softcover)
- 9781906165581
- DOI
- 10.3726/978-3-0353-0840-2
- Language
- English
- Publication date
- 2017 (May)
- Keywords
- semantics pragmatics semiotics translation studies Arabic–English translation
- Published
- Oxford, Bern, Berlin, Bruxelles, Frankfurt am Main, New York, Wien, 2016. XVI, 226 pp., 3 b/w ill.
- Product Safety
- Peter Lang Group AG
