Meanings of Near-Synonyms and Their Translation Issues in the Holy Qur'Ān

GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 2017

16 Pages Posted: 27 Dec 2017

See all articles by Abdul-Qader Khaleel Mohammed Abdul-Ghafour

Abdul-Qader Khaleel Mohammed Abdul-Ghafour

Queen Arwa University

Norsimah Awal

National University of Malaysia (UKM) - School of Language Studies and Linguistic

Intan Zainudin

National University of Malaysia (UKM) - School of Language Studies and Linguistic

Ashinida Aladdin

National University of Malaysia (UKM) - School of Language Studies and Linguistic

Date Written: December 20, 2017

Abstract

The Holy Qur'ān includes near-synonyms which have seemingly similar meanings but convey different meanings upon deeper analysis of the semantic constituents of these words. Such near-synonyms usually pose a challenge that often presents itself to the translators of the Holy Qur'ān. This study investigates the meanings of near-synonyms and their translation issues in the Qur'ān. It aims to identify the contextual meanings of Qur'ānic near-synonyms based on different exegeses of the Qur'ān. Then, it explains the nuances that exist between the pairs of Qur'ānic near-synonyms and how such nuances are reflected in two English translations of the Qur'ān. The study adopts the Relation by Contrast Approach to Synonyms (RC-S) as a theoretical framework for data analysis. It also employs the qualitative approach for collecting and analyzing the data of the study. Besides, it makes use of different exegeses of the Qur'ān to identify the differences in meaning between each pair of the Qur'ānic near-synonyms. The analysis of the data reveals that there exist some nuances between the pairs of Qur'ānic near-synonyms in terms of denotative and expressive meaning. The findings also show that the differences in meaning between the pairs of near-synonyms are not reflected in the English translations. Therefore, the study recommends that readers as well as translators should look for nuances between Qur'ānic near-synonyms whenever they find two words with similar meanings in order to perceive the Qur'ānic text appropriately and translators should make an effort to reflect the nuances between the pairs of near-synonyms in their translation.

Keywords: Connotative meaning; contextual meaning; denotative meaning; near-synonyms; translation

Suggested Citation

Khaleel Mohammed Abdul-Ghafour, Abdul-Qader and Awal, Norsimah and Zainudin, Intan and Aladdin, Ashinida, Meanings of Near-Synonyms and Their Translation Issues in the Holy Qur'Ān (December 20, 2017). GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 2017, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3091011

Abdul-Qader Khaleel Mohammed Abdul-Ghafour

Queen Arwa University ( email )

YEMEN ,Sana’a Faj attan 60th Street
Sana’a, Sana’a 0000
Yemen

Norsimah Awal (Contact Author)

National University of Malaysia (UKM) - School of Language Studies and Linguistic

43600 UKM
Bangi, Selangor
Malaysia

Intan Zainudin

National University of Malaysia (UKM) - School of Language Studies and Linguistic

43600 UKM
Bangi, Selangor
Malaysia

Ashinida Aladdin

National University of Malaysia (UKM) - School of Language Studies and Linguistic

43600 UKM
Bangi, Selangor
Malaysia

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