View in EDS

Diglossia in Translating Proverbs between Arabic and English: A Linguistic Perspective.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Diglossia in Translating Proverbs between Arabic and English: A Linguistic Perspective.
Authors: Al-Qahtani, Nasser1 nalqhahtani@su.edu.sa, Almotiry, Mohammad Moghim2 mal-mutairi@su.edu.sa, Aziz Mohammed, Abdullah Saleh3,4 a.mohammad@su.edu.sa
Source: Humanities & Educational Sciences Journal. Feb2026, Issue 52, p851-882. 32p.
Subject Terms: *Diglossia (Linguistics), *Translating & interpreting, *Scholarly method, Proverbs, Linguistic analysis, Saudi Arabians, Arabic language, Sociocultural factors
Abstract: Diglossia is a common linguistic phenomenon in Arabic in all aspects of communication including proverbs. This paper examines how diglossia affects the translation of Arabic diglossic proverbs into English, taking Saudi vernacular as an example. The study adopts a descriptive analytical approach. Five (5) professional translators from five (5) Arab countries (Saudi, Yemeni, Egyptian, Syrian and Sudanese) were hired to respond and comment on thirtysix (36) carefully selected Saudi proverbs into English. The proverbs were categorised into six groups: lexical diglossia, morphological / phonological variation, code-mixing (code-switching), semantic / pragmatic contrast, frequency and cultural relevance, and formality-informality tension. The analysis is based on the views of Nida (formal and dynamic equivalence), Baker (pragmatic strategies) and Toury (translation norms). The findings show several facets of diglossia in translation. Translators closer to the Saudi context tended to prioritise adequacy and cultural specificity whereas others favoured target text acceptability and communicative clarity. Dynamic equivalence predominated for secular pragmatic proverbs while formal correspondence was preferred for religious and morally solemn items. Baker's pragmatic model proved to be useful in the analysis of translators' choices regarding implied meanings and translation shifts. Toury‟s framework explained how initial, preliminary and operational norms guided translators‟ choices. The study findings are valuable to translators, linguists, educationists, and cultural studies scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Humanities & Educational Sciences Journal is the property of Humanities & Educational Sciences Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
Description
Abstract:Diglossia is a common linguistic phenomenon in Arabic in all aspects of communication including proverbs. This paper examines how diglossia affects the translation of Arabic diglossic proverbs into English, taking Saudi vernacular as an example. The study adopts a descriptive analytical approach. Five (5) professional translators from five (5) Arab countries (Saudi, Yemeni, Egyptian, Syrian and Sudanese) were hired to respond and comment on thirtysix (36) carefully selected Saudi proverbs into English. The proverbs were categorised into six groups: lexical diglossia, morphological / phonological variation, code-mixing (code-switching), semantic / pragmatic contrast, frequency and cultural relevance, and formality-informality tension. The analysis is based on the views of Nida (formal and dynamic equivalence), Baker (pragmatic strategies) and Toury (translation norms). The findings show several facets of diglossia in translation. Translators closer to the Saudi context tended to prioritise adequacy and cultural specificity whereas others favoured target text acceptability and communicative clarity. Dynamic equivalence predominated for secular pragmatic proverbs while formal correspondence was preferred for religious and morally solemn items. Baker's pragmatic model proved to be useful in the analysis of translators' choices regarding implied meanings and translation shifts. Toury‟s framework explained how initial, preliminary and operational norms guided translators‟ choices. The study findings are valuable to translators, linguists, educationists, and cultural studies scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:26175908