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Semantic Loss in the Holy Qur’an Translation With Special Reference to Surah Al-WaqiAAa (Chapter of The Event Inevitable)

Author

Listed:
  • Noureldin Mohamed Abdelaal
  • Sabariah Md Rashid

Abstract

Semantic loss, which refers to over-, under-, or mistranslation of a source text (ST), may result in partial or complete loss of meaning in the target text (TT). This phenomenon is prevalent in the translations of an ST, especially translations of the Holy Qur’an due to factors such as the lack of equivalence of some cultural words in the target language (TL). In relation to this, translators of this holy book have been critiqued for their inability to completely convey the true and accurate meanings of the Holy Qur’an. This study attempted to investigate the semantic loss in the translation of the Surah al-W a qiAAa by Abdullah Yusuf Ali. It also examined the frequency and causes of such losses. This research, which is qualitative in nature, utilized descriptive content analysis of the Surah . The translation of the a y a t [ verses ] related to the problem of the research has been extracted from the work of Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur’an: Text and Translation . The meanings of the translated verses were verified by two Arabic language experts who had mastered English as well. The causes of losses were identified according to Baker’s typology. The findings showed frequent partial and complete semantic loss of meanings mostly due to mistranslations, semantic complexity of the vocabularies, and culture.

Suggested Citation

  • Noureldin Mohamed Abdelaal & Sabariah Md Rashid, 2015. "Semantic Loss in the Holy Qur’an Translation With Special Reference to Surah Al-WaqiAAa (Chapter of The Event Inevitable)," SAGE Open, , vol. 5(4), pages 21582440156, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:5:y:2015:i:4:p:2158244015605880
    DOI: 10.1177/2158244015605880
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    Cited by:

    1. Noureldin Mohamed Abdelaal & Sabariah Md Rashid, 2016. "Grammar-Related Semantic Losses in the Translation of the Holy Quran, with Special Reference to Surah Al A’araf (The Heights)," SAGE Open, , vol. 6(3), pages 21582440166, August.
    2. Ali Salman Hummadi & Seriaznita Binti Mat Said & Rafi’ M. Hussein & Ahmed Abdulateef Sabti & Huda Abed Ali Hattab, 2020. "Rhetorical Loss in Translating Prepositional Phrases of the Holy Qur’an," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(1), pages 21582440209, January.
    3. Noureldin Mohamed Abdelaal, 2019. "Faithfulness in the Translation of the Holy Quran: Revisiting the Skopos Theory," SAGE Open, , vol. 9(3), pages 21582440198, September.

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