Sivan Nir and Meira Polliack, “Many Beautiful Meanings can be Drawn from such a Comparison”: On the Medieval Interaction View of Biblical Metaphor.pdf (original) (raw)
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Dichotomy of Language Thought in the Interpretation of Metaphor in the Quran
Journal of Nusantara Studies (JONUS), 2021
Previous literature either deciphered the literary and rhetorical aspects of metaphor or focused on its conceptual basis in the interpretation of the Quran. No attempt has so far been made to harness the linguistic and conceptual metaphor approaches to provide a comprehensive interpretation of the metaphors in the Quran. This paper reviews the existing literature on the interpretation of metaphor in the Quran from different theoretical perspectives. The review reveals that the application of different theoretical approaches has led to the dissociation of language and thought in the interpretation of metaphors. The linguistic approaches miss the bulk of conventional metaphors, while the cognitive approaches ignore the linguistic aspects of metaphor. The findings also reveal that the linguistic studies of metaphor concern themselves with the rhetorical beauty of the Holy Quran, while the conceptual metaphor studies explore the generic categorization of concepts. This paper calls for a...
The Functions And Linguistic Analysis Of Metaphor In The Holy Qur'an
The paper aims to tackle the function of metaphor in the Qur'an within the theoretical framework put forward by Lakoff & Turner (1989). This theory is known as the Cognitive Theory of Metaphor. It shows how the Qur'an is structured around the idea of the variety of meaning of lexical items, and how every correspondence between the two domains of " literal " and " non-literal " can fit into it. However, such an application of cognitive semantic approach can provide valuable insights. These insights enhance the overall aim of this paper which is to prove the linguistic creativity of the Qur'an through applying the cognitive theory of metaphor. This paper outlines the basis from which the Qur'an should be considered not only as a book of religious teachings, but also as a linguistic miracle for Arabs (El-sharif, 2011). The structure of this paper is presented as follows. First, we introduce the theoretical background and arguments of this study. Afterwards, we underline the significance of this study and its contribution to the field. In the following section, we present the definition and function of metaphor. Next, we embark on the linguistic analysis of metaphor in the holy Qur'an, metaphorical language and its use in discourse, and metaphor and Islamic religious discourse. Finally, we end the essay with a concluding paragraph.
Selecting and Analyzing Metaphors in the Hebrew Bible: Cognitive Linguistics and the Literary
In Cognitive Linguistics, it is customary to stress the ubiquity of conceptual metaphors. In literary studies, however, critics tend to highlight the special character of specific metaphors in texts. Exegetes using the tenets of Conceptual Metaphor Theory have thus far been at odds with the ubiquity of conceptual metaphors in literary texts: do all conceptual metaphors (and they are many) deserve equal attention? Do they all equally affect the text and the reader’s experience? In this article, we study what is needed to discuss literary metaphors in Biblical Hebrew texts based on the theorems of cognitive linguistics. We combine Steen’s findings on the deliberate use of metaphor with those of Pilkington on the range and strength of mappings. As such, we introduce criteria to first select and subsequently analyze metaphors in the biblical corpus. We advocate for explicitness and illustrate our point with an example from the book of Job (6:14–21).
Critical Metaphor Analysis_ Case Study_Metaphor in the Quran
Recital is the text that was delivered around the year 610 to Mohammed by the Angel Gabriel. It is the earliest and finest word of Classical Arabic prose, the infallible word of God. The test is comprised of 114 surah or 'books' comprising over 400 pages of text and is rather shorter than the Bible. The Quran has set the standard for the aesthetic and literary tastes of Classical Arabic which are characterized by features of rhythmic co-ordination and balance. Classical Arabic is equivalent to the role of Latin in Europe prior the Reformation, and led to adiglissic situation in which a high variety of Arabic contrasts with colloquial varieties influenced by local phonological and syntactic influences and lexical borrowings in addition to elements of code mixing. Quran is beyond translation, however the analysis of metaphor in a single language involves examination of the relationship between surface linguistic and deeper conceptual meaning and involves a translation from surface linguistic meaning to deeper cognitive and pragmatic meanings. مكتب رويال كلاس للبحوث والدراسات | Royal Class Academy لخدمات التدقيق في الأبحاث والدراسات العليا وعمليات التحليل الإحصائي تواصل معنا: WhatsApp: (KUWAIT +965 94456116) EMAIL: royal.class.acd@gmail.com INSTA: @RCA.Q8
In this paper I have covered the different approaches to studying the Verbal Hebrew System. I have given special attention to Discourse Analysis as a valid and fruitful, albeit new, discipline because, in correlation with other disciplines, it is capable of synchronically explaining the seemingly haphazard behavior of verbal forms according to their different functions within the framework of different types or modes of discourse. This method is able to identify and catalog the hierarchy of language features present within writ-ten texts and then to explain coherently the role these features play in individual texts. Because it focuses on the supra-sentential-level language structures, it takes into account the organizational, componential, and semantic expectations associated with the various textual genres. In dealing with BH poetry I have also tried to include observations and results from different disciplines, leading up to a pragmatic analysis of a select corpus based on the work of Notarius (2007; 2013). The results of her investigation in BH poetry turned up a high degree of linguistic variation. This should, once and for all, debunk the myth that the grammar of the poetic language as a single, homogeneous phenomenon. With the existing differences between prose and poetry, but also between different poetic texts, one should not wonder why grammarians of the past ran against such overwhelming odds, trying to apply the same rules to all texts, regardless of genre, discourse mode, or structure.
The Presence of Metaphors in the Qur'ān: Observations on the Linguistic Theory of Rū al-Ma'ānī
Qur’ānic hermeneutics have been a challenging area of study amongst scholars of Islam in modern times. With numerous linguistic theories and philosophies springing about, the Qur’ānic text has naturally been at the centre of investigation for many. Whether its language is symbolic or actual, allegorical or literal, and other similar discussions have all been significant areas of debate. This paper investigates an opinion regarding the process of word assignment known as “single origin” (al-aṣl al-wāḥid) or “spirit of the meaning” (rūḥ al-ma’ānī), a view held by a number of Shī’ī scholars who use it as a premise to deny the presence of significant – or any – number of metaphors in the Qur’ān. It will expound on what exactly these figures meant when they claimed the words used in the Qur’ān are literal, as well as the evidence for their claims. Subsequently, their arguments will be scrutinized, weakened, and critiqued in order to show that their evidence is not sufficient to make such a universal claim with respect to the way in which words are coined, neither with respect to the absence of metaphors in the Qur’ān.
Language Between God and the Poets
2018
In the Arabic eleventh-century, scholars were intensely preoccupied with the way that language generated truth and beauty. Their work in poetics, logic, theology, and lexicography defined the intellectual space between God and the poets. In Language Between God and the Poets, Alexander Key argues that ar-Raghib al-Isfahani, Ibn Furak, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), and Abd al-Qahir al-Jurjani shared a conceptual vocabulary based on the words ma‘na and haqiqah. They used this vocabulary to build theories of language, mind, and reality that answered perennial questions: how to structure language and reference, how to describe God, how to construct logical arguments, and how to explain poetic affect. This book is open access at https://doi.org/10.1525/luminos.54.
Metaphor in Parable from the Noble Qur’an: A Corpus Based Stylistic Approach
Jurnal Studi Al-Qur'an, 2022
A compelling speech figure, a parable, or a metaphor in the Qur'an seeks to explain a crucial point by sticking in the mind and helping us absorb the message and firmly lodge it in our hearts. The stylistic method utilized in this study was a corpus-based stylistic method, which entails a contextual assessment of the term or pattern in issue. The information is based on passages from the Qur'anic corpus that have been translated into English. The stylistic corpusbased approach was used to investigate four different types of metaphor. They are standard, implied, visual, and extended metaphors, as evidenced by the findings. From the result finding it shows that there are 21 verses in the metaphor that are classified as standard metaphors, accounting for 61% of the metaphor. There are 5 verses, or 13%, of implied metaphor, 7 verses, or 18%, of visual metaphor, and 3 verses, or 8%, of extended metaphor. The metaphor that appeared the most frequently is a standard metaphor.
A Cognitive Linguistic Methodology for the Study of Metaphor in the Hebrew Bible
Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages, 2005
This article puts forward a procedure for the identification and analysis of conceptual metaphor and metonymy in Classical Hebrew. It is designed to stimulate an appreciation for the figurative nature of Classical Hebrew and serve as a fitting tool to study idealised cognitive models of abstract phenomena, such as religion and emotion. This step-by-step routine should also help the student of Classical Hebrew guard against common errors in the translation and interpretation of the source language while focusing attention on the cultural basis of the metaphoric process.
2012
This study aims to investigate the challenges of translating metaphors of the Quran. It examines English speakers' understanding of a number of Quran metaphors which are selected from three well known English versions of the Quran translations. In addition, the study highlights the root causes which may be deemed to be a source of misunderstanding Quran metaphors. The study also aims to find out to what extant metaphors of the Quran can maintain their sense in today's context. Translation in today's globalised world is gaining relevance as a means to enhance communication among multicultural nations. Translation studies have contributed significantly in bridging the linguistic and the cultural gap among languages. However, the key literature of this study suggests that, translating metaphors and translating metaphors of the Quran in particular have been under researched as they are very often overlooked in translation studies. The conclusion that can be drawn from the predominant literature related to translation studies is that the ongoing debates over the faithful, loyal approaches of translating vs. the free and dynamic methods have generated in parts insightful explanations and interesting and useful, but they have fallen short of providing a general consensus. This study takes the view that there is no master plan for translating and that a word for word approach often leads to stilted translation particularly when dealing with metaphors. Given the nature of the topic under consideration, this study combines both qualitative and quantitative methods. The advantage of the use of both methods for collecting data is highly considered and recommended. Utilization of this combination enhances the trustworthiness of findings as well as reduces limitations. The qualitative method in this study represents scholars' interpretations and views and a questionnaire as a data collection instrument is adopted to enhance the result of this study. The findings suggest that the three selected English versions of the Quran have fallen short of conveying the meaning of Quran metaphors. The findings also indicate that the meaning is often mistranslated or misleading or misunderstood by English readers. XXII 9 (2Q-23) Wa in kuntum fi raybinm mimma nazzalna 'Ia 'bdina fa tu bi suratinm min mithlihi waud 'u shuhadaa akum min duni Allahi in kuntum~adiqina And if ye are in doubt concerning that which we reveal unto our slave (Muhammad), then produce a surah of the like thereof, and call your witness beside Allah ifye are truthful. Pickthall (2004). 1.7.1.a The Quran and the Arabic language Arabic belongs to the Semitic language family. Arabic can be classified into three distinct varieties: classical Arabic, (MSA) modem standard Arabic and spoken Arabic. Classical Arabic is the form of Arabic literally found in the holy Quran and in pre-Islamic poetry. Awad (2005:29) refers to classical Arabic as the language of the Quran; it "presents difficulties beyond those encountered in most foreign languages owing to its style and complex structure". Modem standard Arabic provides a universal form of the language that can be understood by all Arabs. It is commonly used in the media, modem poetry and in conversation between Arabic-speaking people of different regions such as Algeria, Egypt and Lebanon using varieties of the language in daily interactions. In other words, these varieties are different from country to country and even from region to region within the same country (Awad, 2005; DeYoung, 2009). 10 According to Abul-Raof (2003: 19), Arabic, the language of revelation, is "the Quran's outer body [assuming] a specific Arabic form" (my brackets). This form provides the words that convey the essential meaning of the Quran. Delisle and Woodworth (1995: 178) also state that "several Koranic verses explicitly state that Arabic, and no other language was intended to be the vehicle of the divine word".