Athar al-Tawjih al-Shari fi al-Dalala al-Lughawiya li-Bad al-Manahi al-Lafziya
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- Islamic University of Madinah
Athar al-Tawjih al-Shari fi al-Dalala al-Lughawiya li-Bad al-Manahi al-Lafziya is a specialized linguistic study by the contemporary scholar Yahya bin Ahmad Arishi, focusing on linguistic borrowing (al-iqtirad al-lughawi) and semantic developments within Arabic military and technical terminology .
Scope and Theoretical Framework
The work investigates the phenomenon of lexical borrowing, defining it as the process by which a language adopts elements from another language . The author distinguishes between two main types of borrowed vocabulary:
- Arabized terms (muʿarrab): Words adapted to conform to Arabic phonological rules and phonetic structures, facilitating their pronunciation and dissemination .
- Foreign loanwords (dakhil): Unassimilated words retained in their original foreign phonetic form without adapting to Arabic phonological constraints .
The author notes that while borrowing is a natural feature of living languages driven by historical contact, trade, and political interactions between Arabs and surrounding nations—such as Persians, Greeks, Syriacs, Copts, and Turks—it carries linguistic risks . These include the potential disruption of Arabic root structures, lexical ambiguity in dictionaries, and morphological non-conformity . Conversely, it serves an important positive role in enabling the language to accommodate modern advancements in material culture, weaponry, and military affairs resulting from joint maneuvers, equipment acquisitions, and international military engagements .
Classification of Military Lexicon
The study divides military vocabulary affected by semantic shifts and lexical borrowing into three distinct categories :
- Ancient terms retaining their original coinage and meaning: Classical words used historically for martial purposes, including al-bundaq (pellet/projectile), al-jawrab (sock/foot-wrap), al-khandaq (trench), al-sirdab (underground chamber), al-rasas (lead/bullet), al-ʿaskar (army/troops), al-munawib (duty personnel), and al-manjaniq (catapult/mangonel) .
- Ancient terms whose phonological forms remained but meanings shifted: Words with classical Arabic origins whose contemporary military definitions evolved through semantic extension or analogy, such as al-bustar (combat boots), al-khudhah (helmet), al-tirbal (tarpaulin/protective cover), al-qubbuʿ (military cap), al-qiyafah (uniform and appearance), al-kamar (waist belt), and al-minassa (platform/podium) .
- Modern loanwords and neologisms: Newly introduced or foreign terms, including al-barud (gunpowder), al-jawanti (gloves), al-qayish (duty belt), al-musaddas (revolver/handgun), and al-warnik (disciplinary report sheet) .
Selected Lexical and Phonological Analyses
The study provides detailed etymological, phonetic, and comparative analyses for various terms:
- al-Barud (Gunpowder): Analyzed as a compound of saltpeter, charcoal, and sulfur . The author discusses the debate between spelling the term with a dal (barud) versus a taʾ (barut), noting the Greek root burtis (fire stone) and examining Arabic phonological consonant alternation (ibdal) .
- al-ʿAskar (Army): Arabized from the Persian lashkar . Because Arabic phonotactics do not permit the letter shin immediately following lam in uncompounded roots, the initial lam was altered to ʿayn and the shin to sin .
- al-Jawrab (Sock): Originating from Persian kawrab and Syriac kawraba (foot covering), where the non-Arabic initial sound was shifted to jim or qaf, as documented by classical grammarians like Sibawayh and Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti .
- al-Khandaq (Trench): Traced from Persian kandah (excavated ground), which entered Arabic pre-Islamic usage and exists with identical meaning in Turkish, Kurdish, and colloquial Syriac .
- al-Manjaniq (Mangonel): Examined through classical morphological debates over whether its initial mim is root-radical or augmentative, referencing arguments by Ibn Jinni, alongside its ancient transmission from Phoenician to Greek (magganikon) and Syriac (manjaniqa) into Arabic .
- al-Mayz (Mess hall): Adapted from the English mess (communal meal/mess); the author suggests linking it to the classical Arabic root al-mayr (food supply/rations), drawing on the Quranic usage in وَنَمِيرُ أَهْلَنَا .
- al-Warnik (Disciplinary slip): Connected semantically and etymologically to the Arabic concept of al-tawrik (attributing an offense or penalty to someone) .
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