Colloquial Arabic as a decolonial language

Romanized Arabic Across Dialects: Views, Usage Patterns, and Linguistic Variation

Arabizi refers to Arabic written in Latin script. Although previous studies have shown that the prevalence and usage of Arabizi vary by factors such as region and age group, most NLP research on Arabic texts treats it as a temporary phenomenon resulting from limited technological support for the Arabic script. In this work, we engage with Arabic speakers to collect insights on their perceptions and usage of Arabizi. We further examine writing norms among speakers of different dialects, focusing on Algerian, Egyptian, Lebanese, Moroccan, and Tunisian Arabic. To this end, we release two resources. First, a character-level alignment of Arabic words to study inter- and intra-dialectal variation across these five dialects, based on words transliterated by survey participants, finding systematic intra-dialectal regularity and inter-dialectal variation. Second, to study Arabic speakers'ability to identify this stylistic variation at the sentence-level, we build a manually curated parallel corpus of sentences written in Arabic script alongside multiple Arabizi transliterations, collected from speakers of the same five dialects. Our study presents the largest human-centered, cross-dialectal study of Arabizi's perceptions and practices to date.

Challenges and Methodologies in Qurʾānic Translation: a Case Study of the Malay Language

Translating the Qurʾān from Classical Arabic into Malay presents profound linguistic, cultural, and theological challenges. Classical Arabic’s intricate morphology, polysemy, and rhetorical structures often lack direct Malay equivalents, while culturally specific metaphors and symbolic expressions risk semantic distortion when rendered literally. While previous studies have largely neglected the theological implications of rendering mutashābihāt (ambiguous) verses, as well as the linguistic, idiomatic, and figurative challenges involved, this study addresses that gap by examining a range of representative terms that pose linguistic, idiomatic, figurative, cultural, and theological challenges. Employing a qualitative semantic-thematic methodology grounded in classical tafsīr (exegesis) by authorities like al-Zamakhsharī and al-Rāzī, the research analyzes specific Malay translations, including the official Terjemahan Al-Qurʾān Bahasa Melayu . The verses subjected to case study were selected purposively according to two criteria: (a) the presence of polysemous mutashābihāt with significant theological or symbolic weight, and (b) terms that illustrate distinct types of translation challenges (linguistic, idiomatic, figurative, cultural, theological). The analysis reveals that structural disparities – like Arabic’s inflectional morphology versus Malay’s analytic structure – and literal renderings of idiomatic expressions frequently fail to preserve the Qurʾān’s theological coherence. In contrast, interpretive strategies rooted in tafsīr and semantic adaptation offer more accurate, culturally meaningful alternatives. The study concludes that an integrated exegetical-linguistic approach is essential for preserving the Qurʾān’s holistic meaning and theological integrity, demonstrating how this method resolves the tension between textual fidelity and accessibility for Malay-speaking audiences.

Kennings in English and Arabic: A Comparative Study

This study presents a comparative analysis of kennings in English and Arabic. It compares the structural, functional, and cultural aspects of kennings in English literature and kennings-like constructs in Arabic, particularly the metonymy of a modified object. Although such a figurative substitution is used to enhance poetic language in both languages, their forms and objectives are different. In contrast to Arabic kennings, which prioritize social refinement and Qur'anic eloquence, English kennings are recursive, two-part compounds with deep roots in mythical and oral memory traditions. Both cultures' historical emergence of these terms suggests distinct literary inspirations. Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon literature's poetic tradition is the source of English kennings, which are frequently used to enhance narrative through abstraction and multi-layered meaning. The present study attempts to shed light on the metonymical wordplay employed by English and Arabic to promote cognitive playfulness. Such use of language necessitates active interpretation by the readers, depending not only on their linguistic but also cultural knowledge, for decoding several hidden meanings. The study demonstrates that kennings are culture-bound expressions shaped by sociocultural norms. The main objective of this study is to advance language studies by demonstrating how kennings and metonymy reflect cultural thinking patterns and by offering a framework for examining figurative language across diverse linguistic traditions. The findings show that although English and Arabic kennings share indirect figurative expression and similar poetic functions, they differ sharply in structure, substitution patterns, and cultural-religious foundations.

The Arabic Bible as an Evaluation Tool: The Case Study of the Khalīlī Arabic Dialect

When Morphology Indexes Prestige: Arabic-English Code-mixing as Linguistic and Social Practice in Saudi Arabia

This study explores the intersection of linguistic form and social meaning within Arabic-English code-mixing in relation to the morphological patterns that arise in mixed speech and their association with prestige and modern identity. Based on naturally occurring spoken and digital data and questionnaires from educated Arabic-English speakers in Saudi Arabia, the analysis reveals that morphological adaptation strategies include the introduction of English lexical items into Arabic morphological patterns, affixal incorporation, and the creation of hybrid lexical forms, whose recurrent patterns provide evidence of systematic linguistic innovation, rather than mere borrowing. These morphological adaptations are analyzed through the lens of indexicality and social meaning (Silverstein, 2003; Eckert, 2008) that correlate language choice with social aspiration, education, and symbolic capital. The occurrence of English insertions in the data is often related to prestige, global orientation and identification with a modern lifestyle, although these meanings are contextually inferred, and Arabic morphology is used as a sign of authenticity and local identity. The study argues that morphological choices in code-mixing are socially motivated, and they serve as a site for negotiating status, identity, and belonging. By drawing on morphological and sociolinguistic approaches, this study illustrates how form and meaning converge to shape prestige meanings in contemporary Arabic-English speech. 

Perubahan Makna Kata Serapan Arab dalam Bahasa Indonesia

Language is the primary instrument for constructing and transmitting culture, values, and religious teachings, particularly the Arabic language. In the process of linguistic assimilation, Arabic loanwords undergo semantic changes. Therefore, this study examines Arabic loanwords in the Indonesian language as found in Surah Al-Baqarah verses 142–200. A qualitative approach is employed, utilizing a content analysis model. Data were collected through document analysis and linguistic examination of the text of Surah Al-Baqarah (verses 142–200). Data analysis is grounded in the Semantic Change Theory proposed by Stephen Ullmann. The findings reveal that there are 65 Arabic loanwords from the Qur’an that have undergone semantic changes in Indonesian. These changes fall into five categories: specialization (narrowing of meaning), generalization (broadening of meaning), pure borrowing, radical change, and a combination of narrowing and broadening. The main finding indicates that specialization is the most dominant type of semantic change, accounting for approximately 60% of the total data.