SEMANTIC REPETITION

Repetition of Synonyms in ArabicWhere it is not normally used in English

S. F. M. Alomary, PhD

TWO TYPES OF SEMANTIC REPETITION Use of closely related words/phrases

with distinguishable meanings: e.g. ) والتحليل) االستقصاء عمليات

Use of fully synonymous words/phrases, or in the context they are used, with no clear difference in meaning.

) متواصلة( مستمرة بصورة ) مكتئبة( واجمة كانت ) ويذهلك) يدهشك منظر

SYNDETIC /ASYNDETIC SEM. REP.

Semantic repetition may use a connective, hence called syndetic, in the case of adjectives, but in the case of nouns and verbs it may be asyndetic, without the use of a connective:

) وبربري) همجي سلوك ) حليمات) رفيقات نساء

SEMANTIC REPETITION TRANSLATION TECHNIQUES

The two Arabic words are merged in an English word. This strategy applies where there is no clear difference meaning between the two Arabic words:

وقاسية صارمة تدابير وعصرنته المجتمع تحديث متواصلة مستمرة بصورة ومضبوط دقيق نحو على

ASYNDETIC DOUBLETS REPRESENTING A SINGLE CONCEPT

Severe measures To modernize

society Continually In an accurate

manner

وقاسية صارمة تدابير وعصرنته المجتمع تحديث متواصلة مستمرة بصورة ومضبوط دقيق نحو على

SEMANTIC REPETITION TRANSLATION TECHNIQUES

Employ a partial grammatical transposition where the two Arabic words have clearly different meanings:

واالخالقيات تحلل القيم ب والحرج شعر الضيق بال والتحليل تناول استقصاء

The decline of moral values He began to feel uncomfortable To carefully analyze

SEMANTIC REPETITION AND SEMANTIC DISTANCING

Semantic repetition provides a sense of emphasis, two words give two sets of meaning and they are longer and, thus, heavier, than a single word in the sentence.

Semantic distancing may compensate emphatic aspect of semantic repetition by relaying both elements of Arabic doublet by different words in English. Semantic distancing prevents TT stylistic oddity due to ST conjoining two words with virtually the same meaning.

SEMANTIC DISTANCING WITH GRAMMATICAL TRANSPOSITION

Remain committed Firmly committed Very depressed Extremely happy Utterly destitute Blatantly daring highly joyful Deeply in love

ومتمسك مستمر ومصمم مصر ومكتئب حزين ومبتهج فرح ومتعسر فقير وقح جريء ومرح ظريف وامق صب

TT GRAMMATICAL TRANSPOSITION OF ST SEMANTIC REPETITION DOUBLETS

The adjectival (active participle) doublets are grammatically transposed to a verb-adjective (past participle) doublet in 1st instance above, and to adverb-adjective (past participle), in 2nd and 3rd, adverb-adjective, in 4th through 7th, and adverb-prepositional phrase doublet in the 8th.

MAINTAINING ARABIC SEMANTIC REPETITION DOUBLETS

This technique overrides the English convention that words of the same meaning are not conjoined. The TT carries similar emphatic and emotive force as it is in ST.

والبربري الهمجي السلوك The savage and barbaric behaviour

والطاعة الوالء والطاعة، السمع Submission and obedience

والطمأنينة الثقة Trust and confidence

وعاهد بايع Take the oath and make the pledge