THE IMPACT OF TRANSLATION FROM FRENCH ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN ARABIC IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY: A CASE STUDY IN CORPUS LINGUISTICS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52747/aqujall.4.01.422Keywords:
corpus linguistics, historical linguistics, translation studies, Modern Standard Arabic, French–Arabic translation, lexical innovationAbstract
In light of scholarly findings that emphasize translation as a catalyst for linguistic renewal and transformation (Arduini 2021; Bassnett 2005; Mounin 1965; Nergaard 1993), this study examines the role of French–Arabic translation in shaping the trajectory of Modern Standard Arabic during the nineteenth century. The investigation focuses on the translation movement that emerged in Egypt during Napoleon’s expedition and gained momentum under the reigns of Muhammad Ali Pasha and Khedive Ismail. Drawing on prior qualitative research that has identified this era as a pivotal transitional stage in the evolution of Arabic (al-Maghribi 1947; al-Yaziji 1901; Hijazi 1985; Khalil 1981; Avino 2020; Stetkevych 1973), the present study adopts a corpus-based quantitative approach, grounded in the methodologies of historical corpus linguistics and collocational analysis (McEnery & Wilson 2011; Stefanowitsch 2020). To this end, a diachronic corpus was compiled, consisting of 24 translated and authored texts by 12 figures, totaling approximately 1.4 million words. The analysis investigates lexical and semantic shifts by examining collocational patterns influenced by French source texts. Two case studies are highlighted: the term ʾumma (nation) in political discourse and kahrabāʾ (electricity) in scientific discourse. The findings offer robust empirical evidence for the lexical and syntactic influence of French–Arabic translation activity on the modernization of Arabic during this critical period.
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