Mesopotamian Journal of Arabic Language Studies
Welcome scholars and researchers in Arabic language studies! The Mesopotamian Journal of Arabic Language Studies has launched, inviting your valuable contributions. Join our scholarly community dedicated to advancing knowledge in Arabic linguistics, literature, and culture. Your impactful research and insights will shape the field's discourse. With rigorous peer-review, we ensure excellence. Submit your work and engage in dialogue with us at the Mesopotamian Journal of Arabic Language Studies
The Translatability of English Idioms into Arabic: A Comparative Study of Challenges and Pedagogical Strategies
Proverbs and idioms constitute a core component of linguistic and cultural systems, encapsulating collective memory, social values, and culturally embedded modes of expression. Their figurative density and pragmatic orientation render their translation between languages — particularly between English and Arabic — highly complex. This study undertakes a comparative analysis of selected English idioms and proverbs and their Arabic translations, examining the extent to which linguistic structure, cultural context, and grammatical constraints shape translational choices. Grounded in contemporary translation theory, the paper foregrounds translation as a process of linguistic, cultural, and functional transfer rather than mere lexical substitution. The findings demonstrate that prioritizing dynamic functional equivalence over literal, word-for-word translation is essential for preserving intended meaning, pragmatic force, and cultural resonance. The analysis further highlights the decisive role of grammatical competence in English - Arabic translation, given Arabic’s distinct syntactic orientation and rich morphological system. In addition, the study addresses ethical considerations in translation practice and underscores the limitations of automated translation systems in handling emotive, idiomatic, and culturally nuanced expressions. Ultimately, the paper argues that successful idiom and proverb translation depends on the translator’s bicultural awareness, grammatical mastery, and interpretive sensitivity, reaffirming the irreplaceable role of human agency in literary and cultural translation.
Copyright (c) 2026 Farah Hijazi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Literally as Recited — A Divine Hiatus from the Tongue of Shaykh ‘Antar
This article examines the rhetorical juncture between malikūn li… and yawma al dīn as recited by Shaykh ‘Antar and attested by three canonical qurrāʾ. Far from a grammatical anomaly, the pause between the possessive particle li and its delayed complement yawma al dīn stages a deliberate rupture — one that dramatises divine infinity through textual suspense. Expected grammar would demand yawm i (kasra, genitive, jar majrūr) as the complement of li; instead, the recitation gives yawm a (fatḥa, accusative, mansūb). This is a clear violation of the grammatical norm of the highest order — but for excellent reasons, as we will see. Three macro processes unfold: first, cohesion الفصاحة collapses, as the expected syntactic bond is withheld to resist enumeration and listing (i.e. that God possesses X & Y حاشى لله); second, the MiniMax principle falters, forcing maximal interpretive effort from minimal sense-making; and third, coherence البلاغة is restored through a circumstantial adverbial (yawma al dīn) that seals the deal. This rhetorical choreography — rooted in recitation, ratified by tradition, and stylised through ‘informativity’ (the element of surprise مبدأ المباغتة الأسلوبية) — invites a rethinking of appropriateness, effectiveness, and the grammar of divine dominion (Beaugrande 1980).
Copyright (c) 2025 Basil Hatim https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Noun Position Errors Among Iraqi Arabic-Speaking Learners of English: A Contrastive and Error Analysis
The present study investigates Iraqi Arabic-speaking undergraduates’ mastery of noun position in English clause structure, with the aim of identifying the types, frequency, and sources of errors produced by learners whose first language exhibits significantly different syntactic and distributional patterns. Drawing on frameworks from Second Language Acquisition (SLA) — particularly Contrastive Analysis (Lado, 1957) and Error Analysis (Corder, 1981; 1982) — the study examines how cross-linguistic influence from Arabic affects learners’ production of English noun phrases and their syntactic placement within the sentence. Data were collected through a 20-item diagnostic test comprising both objective and productive tasks designed to measure students’ ability to determine and generate correct noun positions in varied English sentence types. The participants were 34 fourth-year students in the Department of Translation, College of Arts, Mustansiriyah University. Both quantitative and qualitative procedures were employed following EA’s four analytical stages: (1) identifying erroneous structures, (2) classifying errors according to noun-position categories, (3) analyzing error sources (interlingual, intralingual, and developmental), and (4) determining error frequency and distribution. The findings reveal that omission is the most prevalent error type, followed by mis-ordering and overgeneralization. The results further indicate that interlingual transfer — arising from differences between Arabic and English noun phrase placement, definiteness systems, and modifier order — is a primary contributor to error production. Intralingual factors, such as incomplete rule acquisition and overgeneralization within the developing interlanguage system, also play a significant role. The study contributes to the understanding of how Arabic native speakers negotiate English syntactic structures and highlights pedagogical implications for improving grammar instruction in Iraqi university contexts
Copyright (c) 2025 Sabra Hasan Ghanim https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Exploring the Impact of Interlingual Vernacularism on Hausa Language Poetry : A Vernacularist Reading
From Aristotelian period to date, language, ideology and power are inseparable phenomena that shape discourse from linguistics, cultural, historical and sociological perspectives. As the principle of Vernacularism is to check the promotion linguistic dominance and marginalization, the present study discovers that Arabic language in form of interlingual vernacularism has massive influence on other languages especially Hausa language, particularly it is the language through which Islam is spread across the globe. The present study in its findings discovers that the Classical Arabic or MSA fundamentally suppresses the nativized phonetic and phonological features that governing the metric patterns of the Hausa classical poetry. This sort of influence of Arabic patterns of poetry which is also a driving force in the composition Hausa poetry is a typical case of Interlingual Vernacularism. In view of this study amplifies the calls on linguistic researchers to promote vernacular studies as a critical tool for enhancing linguistic independence, inclusivity and cultural sustainability and preservation in the ever-evolving world of today.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ahmed Mohammed Bedu https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Jamāʻat Karkūk (The Kirkuk Group): Avant-Garde Pioneers of the Modern Iraqi Prose Poem Descriptive Study
Since the 1960s, Iraqi prose poetry has vied with both Arabic free verse and traditional verse for literary prominence, evolving amid turbulent political and social transformations. These conditions fostered distinct poetic generations and intensified the interplay between poetry and politics, often producing cultural and aesthetic tensions. Within this milieu, two major trends emerged: a conservative experimental trend extending the project of free verse pioneers, and an avant-garde trend defined by radical experimentation and rebellion against classical and modernist norms alike. At the forefront of the latter stood the Kirkuk Group, whose members — emerging from the city’s unique multilingual and multicultural environment — synthesized Arabic heritage, Sufi poetics, and Western avant-garde influences. Their works combined prose poetry, open-text structures, and intertextual experimentation, challenging conventions while reflecting existential, social, and political realities. The study explores their aesthetic innovations, narrative-prosaic integration, and defiance of state-sanctioned aesthetics, as well as the political marginalization that exiled many of them under the Baʻthist regime yet expanded their transnational influence. Through examining figures such as Fāḍil al-ʻAzzāwī and Sarkūn Būluṣ, this paper argues that the Kirkuk Group’s legacy redefined modern Iraqi poetry, asserting artistic autonomy and marking a decisive stage in the evolution of modern Arabic poetics.
Copyright (c) 2025 Faraj Hamdan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
An Analytical Reading of Husayn Muruwwa’s Discourse on Arab Heritage and Islamic Thought in Light of Historical Materialism
This study presents an analytical reading of the discourse of the Arab thinker Husayn Muruwwa (1908–1987) and his intellectual cultural project, situating him as one of the most prominent figures of twentieth-century Arab socialist thought. The analysis focuses on his methodological approach to the study of the Arab-Islamic heritage through the lens of historical materialism. Although the question of heritage has long occupied a central place in modern Arab thought, its interpretation remained, for decades, confined within Salafi frameworks that claimed exclusive authority over its meaning and positioned themselves as the rightful guardians of the tradition. Muruwwa’s project sought to dismantle this monopoly through a wide-ranging critical intervention that reread philosophical, theological, and juridical corpora as products of their social-economic and historical conditions, a perspective most clearly embodied in his monumental work Materialist Tendencies in Arab-Islamic Philosophy. The study traces the mechanisms through which Muruwwa approached heritage as a dynamic historical structure governed by the laws of social transformation, rather than as a fixed, sacralized entity. In doing so, he transformed heritage from a static and isolated past into a living epistemic space where the achievements of earlier generations interact with the questions of the present and the possibilities of the future in a continuous dialectical movement. The paper demonstrates how Muruwwa endeavored to reconstruct the Arab-Islamic intellectual tradition as an open field of inquiry and critique, rather than a closed repository of sanctified texts. Finally, the study highlights the epistemological and methodological value of Muruwwa’s project within contemporary debates on renewing the study of heritage. It underscores the necessity of approaching heritage critically and historically — through rigorous scientific analysis — in order to reintegrate it into modern Arab cultural consciousness and contribute to the construction of a modern civilizational vision that draws inspiration from the past without becoming captive to it
Copyright (c) 2025 Baqir M. J. Al Kurbassi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Vernacularism and the Arab Human Paradigm: An Epistemological Framework Linking Language, Identity, and Literary Inquiry
For more than a century, Arab linguists and intellectuals have recognized the absence of a comprehensive scientific methodology capable of studying their language as a living system rather than as a sacred relic. Scholars such as Ṭāhā Ḥusayn (1938) and Tammām Ḥassan (1980) called for an objective and empirical approach to language — one that liberates Arabic studies from emotional reverence and dogmatic ideology. Their call parallels that of the Prague Linguistic Circle, whose members, including Roman Jakobson and Vilém Mathesius, envisioned a functional and interdisciplinary model that unites language, literature, culture, and psychology. Vernacularism (Maḥallaniyah) emerges as the long-awaited methodology that fulfills these aspirations. It bridges literary theory, discourse analysis, and linguistic anthropology by grounding all inquiry in the living tongue (al-lisān al-ḥayy). Through Vernacularism, Arab scholars can now conduct field research into spoken dialects and linguistic practices without fear of judgment, politicization, or accusations of “fragmenting unity.” It redefines Lisān al-‘Arab (Arabi) as a plural, dynamic ecology of expression—rather than a static standard imposed by prescriptive grammarians — and restores scholarly freedom to investigate language as a social and psychological phenomenon. By reconnecting linguistic study to lived human experience, Vernacularism revives what the Prague School initiated: a holistic epistemology of language as both structure and life. It offers Arab linguistics an emancipatory framework that resists symbolic violence, dismantles hegemonic hierarchies of “high” and “low” speech, and empowers researchers to engage their cultural realities with scientific integrity. Ultimately, Vernacularism invites a new generation of Arab scholars to study language scientifically, not sentimentally; culturally, not ideologically — reclaiming through the vernacular the full spectrum of human creativity, expression, and knowledge.
Copyright (c) 2025 Al Hilali https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
A Corpus-Based Contrastive Study of Conceptual Metaphors in Iraqi vs. International Press Editorials (2024–2025)
This This study undertakes a corpus-based, contrastive analysis of conceptual metaphors in Iraqi Arabic press editorials and English-language international editorials published between January 2024 and September 2025. Using Conceptual Metaphor Theory with MIP/MIPVU identification, the study maps dominant source–target domains and evaluates their frequencies and framing functions across sociopolitical contexts. In the Iraqi Arabic subcorpus, salient realizations include POLITICS IS WAR (e.g., اﻟـﻤﻌﺮﻛـﺔ اﻻﻧـﺘﺨﺎﺑﯿﺔ ‘the electoral battle’), POLITICS IS PATHOLOGY (e.g., ﺟﺮﺛﻮﻣـﺔ اﻟـﻔﺴﺎد ‘the germ of corruption’; ﯾـﺤﺘﺎج ﻋــــﻼﺟــا ﺳـﯿﺎﺳﯿﺎ ‘requires political treatment’), POLITICS IS A JOURNEY (e.g.,نمشي ﺑﻄﺮﯾـﻖ ﻣﺴـﺪود ‘we are moving down a dead-end road’), NATION IS BODY (e.g., ﻧـــــﺒﺾ اﻟــﺸﺎرع ‘the pulse of the street’), and ECONOMY IS MACHINE (e.g., ﻣﺤـﺮك اﻻﻗـﺘﺼﺎد ﻣـﺘﻌﻄﻞ ‘the economy’s engine is stalled’). A replicable workflow is specified for corpus construction, annotation, inter-annotator reliability, and statistical comparison (keyness, collocational profiling, and regression modeling). The research questions guiding this research paper are: (RQ1) How do the distributions of major conceptual mappings differ between Iraqi Arabic and international English editorials? (RQ2) How do these mappings function to frame actors, problems, and solutions within each context? (RQ3) Which linguistic and metadata factors (e.g., topic, outlet, time) predict metaphor choice and intensity? (RQ4) Do collocational profiles surrounding key metaphor vehicles systematically diverge across the two corpora? The Findings provide an up-to-date, cross-cultural profile of metaphorical framing in editorial discourse and offer open, reusable protocols for reproducible research, newsroom practice, and pedagogy
Copyright (c) 2025 Ayad Lateef Az-zowar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Vernacularism and the New Lexicon of the Arab Human Paradigm: Reclaiming the Creative Power of Derivation and Linguistic Adoption
This paper builds upon Nasser Hajjaj’s Arab Vernacularism (2024), expanding the paradigm of Vernacularism into translation and lexicon studies. It explores how newly introduced terms — vernaculate, vernaculation, vernaculist, and vernacularistic — redefine linguistic creativity, empowering translators and scholars to treat vernaculars as sources of knowledge and identity rather than linguistic deviations. Using retrospective and thematic analyses, this research establishes the foundations of a bilingual lexicon that bridges Arabic and English through terms like تنطيق (transliteration), شوارد لغوية (idiomatic vernaculars), and المحليّة (Vernacularism). It argues that Arabic linguistic thought must evolve beyond prescriptive grammar to embrace descriptive, human-centered paradigms. The study situates Vernacularism as an epistemological and methodological framework that integrates linguistics, translation, literature, anthropology, and AI-era humanism — offering an inclusive foundation for a renewed Arab human paradigm
Copyright (c) 2025 Riyadh A. Jashami https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Biliteralism and Its Impact on Arabic Morphology and Lexicography: A Vernacularist Reading of Anstās Mārī Al-Karmilī
This paper offers a critical re-examination of the Biliteralism theory (al-iṯnāʾiyya al-ṣarfiyya) as first articulated by Father Anastās Mārī al-Karmilī (1866 - 1947) and redefined by Dr. Nasser Hajjaj within the framework of Vernacularism. Biliteralism posits that Arabic, like its Semitic counterparts, evolved primarily from bi-radical etymons rather than the later tri-radical structures canonized by medieval Arab grammarians. While al-Karmilī approached this theory as both a comparative philologist and a lexicographer - drawing connections between Arabic and Indo-European linguistic patterns - Dr. Hajjaj extends its application to resolve diglossic tensions in Arabic morphology. Specifically, Hajjaj reintroduces the authentic bi-radical morphological templates فَعْ and فَعَّ for words such as مَل / مَلّ (“to tire” / “tired”), rejecting the prescriptive and historically artificial trilateral form ملل (faʿala → malala) imposed in classical lexicography. Through an analysis of historical dictionaries from Kitāb al-ʿAyn to Lisān al-ʿArab, alongside modern lexicographical works, this study demonstrates how the trilateral model became an entrenched orthodoxy despite its incompatibility with many vernaculars and even classical usage forms. By reinstating abandoned bi-radical roots, the paper proposes a morphological and lexicographic reform that bridges the gap between ʿArabī as a living tongue and the grammatized form of Arabic, thereby mitigating structural diglossia. This approach not only revives al-Karmilī’s underexplored insights but also positions Biliteralism as a viable methodology for modern Arabic lexicography, pedagogy, and computational linguistics.
Copyright (c) 2025 Shereen Tanasra Barghout https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Arabi is the Language of Ḍhāʾ: Arabic Phonetic Evolution and the Identity of the Arabi (Contemporary Standard Spoken Arabic CSSA)
Arabic, encompassing its diverse linguistic varieties, is the tongue of the Ḍhāʾ- a sound uniquely articulated by Arabs, which non-Arabic speakers historically struggled to pronounce accurately. The letter Ḍhāʾ (ظ) has always been phonetically and articulatory closer to Ḍhād (ض) than any other letter. Historical sources examining Arabic phonetics largely agree that pre-codification Arabs either did not distinguish between the sounds of Ḍhāʾ and Ḍhād or did so with great difficulty. This ambiguity led to instances where Quranic verses, such as Ḍhanīn in "وما هو على الغيب بظنين" were also recited with Ḍhād ("بضنين"). This phenomenon prompted renowned Arab linguists like Al-Ṣāḥib ibn ʿAbbād (d. 385 AH), Abū ʿAmr al-Dānī (d. 444 AH), and Abū al-Barakāt al-Anbārī (d. 577 AH) to author numerous works differentiating the two sounds. To this day, Arabic speakers - particularly in the Eastern Arab world (e.g., Iraq and the Gulf states) - face challenges in distinguishing these sounds both orally and orthographically. This is evident in the English transliteration of words like Abu Ḍhabi (أبو ظبي) and Riyaḍh (الرياض), where both sounds are represented by the same letter. However, in the early 20th century, some Egyptians in Cairo began differentiating the two sounds by altering the pronunciation of Ḍād. They shifted it from its traditional Arabic articulation as a voiced dental fricative to a new emphatic plosive sound, akin to the letter Dāl (د). This paper investigates the phonetic evolution affecting some Arabs’ pronunciation of Ḍhād, the impact of this "linguistic shift" on contemporary Arabic orthography and the identity of the Arabic tongue, and the feasibility of redefining the Arabic linguistic identity through the distinctiveness of Ḍhāʾ rather than Ḍhād.
Copyright (c) 2025 Nasser Hajjaj https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Vernacularism as an Essential Research Methodology in Translation Studies
This paper examines the transformative role of Vernacularism as introduced by Nasser Hajjaj in Arab Vernacularism (2024) (المحلية العربية) and its fundamental contributions to translation studies. As a newly coined term in the field, Vernacularism reshapes translation theory by offering an alternative to prescriptive linguistic approaches. By redefining the term "vernacular" and introducing new terminologies such as Tantīq (تنطيق) (transliteration), Shawārid (شوارد لغوية) (idiomatic expressions), and Ḩis’Chah (حسچة) (witty, symbolic, and enigmatic expressions in Iraqi vernacular), Hajjaj foregrounds the integration of cultural and linguistic nuances into translation. This methodology enhances the translation of creative works, particularly poetry, while simultaneously resisting cultural homogenization and preserving local identities. The paper argues that Vernacularism is indispensable in ensuring that translations maintain linguistic accuracy and cultural resonance, offering a framework for bridging cultures while counteracting hegemonic linguistic forces.
Copyright (c) 2025 Mazin Jasim Al-Hilu https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Vernacularism and the Liberation of Arab Thought: Dismantling Linguistic Hegemony
This paper examines the intricate relationship between language and freedom in the Arabic-speaking world through the prism of Vernacularism, drawing on Nasser Hajjaj’s pioneering work Arab Vernacularism (2024). The enforcement of Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) as the sole legitimate form of Arabic not only marginalizes local dialects but also imposes a form of linguistic subjugation that deprives individuals of their natural mode of expression. This linguistic hegemony—long criticized by Mostafa Safouan in Why Are Arabs Not Free? and by E. Shouby in The Influence of the Arabic Language on the Psychology of the Arabs—extends beyond academia into the publishing industry, education, and digital communication. Millions of Arabs are not free to write in their own language; they are coerced into using a grammatized, artificial version of Arabic that erases their vernacular heritage and suppresses critical thought. By analyzing how linguistic hierarchies reinforce psychological and social repression, this study argues that Vernacularism is the path toward decolonizing Arabic linguistic thought. It proposes that the formal recognition and academic incorporation of vernaculars will dismantle entrenched diglossia, liberating Arab intellectual life and aligning it with global linguistic realities. Moreover, by integrating vernacular Arabic into digital technology—particularly Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)—Arab societies can reclaim linguistic agency and participate fully in the digital age without the constraints imposed by MSA’s prescriptive structures.
Copyright (c) 2025 Nasser Hajjaj, Riyadh Abbas AlJashami https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Conceptualization of Arabic Poetry: The Impact of Vernacularism on Modern Poetic Discourse
This study explores the concept of Vernacularism as introduced by Nasser Hajjaj in his book Arab Vernacularism (2024), positioning it as a cultural strategy countering the linguistic and cultural hegemony imposed by globalization or Arab nationalism. The research examines the re-employment of "vernacular themes" in modern Arabic poetic discourse as a means of restoring suppressed linguistic diversity and achieving balance between Standard Arabic (FusHa) and the spoken languages, which Ibn Khaldun referred to as Lughat al-Amsar (Languages of Countries) and which collectively constitute Arabi (the Arabic tongue), Contemporary Standard Spoken Arabic CSSA. The study employs both Retrospective Method and Thematic Analysis in analyzing the linguistic heritage of Arabic. It traces the historical interaction between Standard Arabic and vernacular languages, from the multiple linguistic traditions of the Quran to the establishment of Standard Arabic as the official normative language at the expense of linguistic diversity within Arabi. Additionally, Thematic Analysis is utilized to examine how vernacular themes function in poetic discourse, revealing patterns of cultural resistance and identity formation. Furthermore, the research highlights the role of vernacular themes in the poetry of modernist pioneers such as Badr Shakir al-Sayyab, Mudhaffar al-Nawab, and Salah Abdel-Sabour, analyzing how these themes function as expressive tools that allow Arabic poetry to engage with multiple cultural identities. Through this perspective, the study contributes to a reevaluation of the relationship between language, power, and cultural identity, emphasizing the significance of linguistic plurality as an integral part of the living Arabic heritage.
Lughat al-Amsar (Languages of Countries),
Copyright (c) 2025 Mohammad Al Abbas https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Retrospective Method of Vernacularism and The Deconstruction of Arabic Diglossia
The phenomenon of diglossia in Arabic, characterized by the coexistence of a high literary form (Modern Standard Arabic, or al-Fuṣḥā) and diverse spoken vernaculars, has long been a subject of scholarly inquiry. While early studies, such as those by Charles A. Ferguson and Salih J. Altoma, framed diglossia as a natural linguistic evolution, recent scholarship, notably Nasser Hajjaj’s Arab Vernacularism (2024), challenges this narrative by tracing the origins of diglossia to deliberate interventions by Arabic grammarians over 13 centuries ago. Hajjaj argues that the creation of al-Fuṣḥā as an artificial, standardized dialect was not a natural development but a constructed linguistic ideal that diverged from the spoken vernaculars of the time. This paper builds on Hajjaj’s retrospective analysis, employing vernacularism as a lens to uncover the sociopolitical and cultural circumstances that led to the emergence of diglossia in Arabic. By examining historical evidence and the role of early grammarians in dramatizing and codifying al-Fuṣḥā, this study reveals how the institutionalization of a "most eloquent" written form created a linguistic duality that persists to this day. Through this approach, the paper not only recontextualizes the origins of Arabic diglossia but also highlights the enduring impact of vernacularism in understanding the complex relationship between written and spoken Arabic. This research contributes to broader discussions on language standardization, identity, and power dynamics in the Arabic-speaking world.
Ashura and Its Parallel Themes in Iraqi Vernacular Discourse: A Vernacularism-Based Analysis
This paper presents a discourse analysis of the theme of Ashura عاشورا and its synonymous expressions in Iraqi vernacular literature, employing Vernacularism as an interdisciplinary research methodology. While Ashura holds deep religious, historical, and cultural significance in Iraq, its representation in vernacular literature extends beyond its theological meanings, shaping expressions of mourning, resistance, sacrifice, and social justice. Through Thematic Analysis, Retrospective Method, and Discourse Analysis, this study explores how folk poetry, oral traditions, lamentation chants, and contemporary literary works in the Iraqi dialect encode the Ashura theme within broader social, political, and cultural narratives. By applying Vernacularism, the research highlights the local nuances and linguistic creativity through which Iraqi poets and storytellers have embedded Ashura into their cultural consciousness, often employing synonyms, metaphors, and idiomatic expressions that reflect communal memory and lived experience. The study also examines how Iraqi vernacular literature negotiates identity, belonging, and historical continuity through the evolving discourse surrounding Ashura. Findings reveal that Ashura, as a vernacular theme, is not merely a historical event but an intertextual motif that resonates in various genres, from elegiac poetry (مراثي) to revolutionary songs, proverbs, and contemporary political discourse. The study argues that Vernacularism provides a necessary framework to decode such expressions within their native cultural contexts, resisting the reductive categorization of Iraqi oral and folk literature under elite historical or theological discourses. By bridging linguistic, anthropological, and historical perspectives, this paper underscores the dynamic role of vernacular discourse in preserving and reinventing collective memory, demonstrating how Ashura, as a theme, continues to shape Iraqi cultural identity and resistance narratives across generations
Copyright (c) 2025 Riyad Sajit Salem https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Arab Vernacularism: A New Approach to Cultural and Linguistic Discourse in the Modern Age
Arab Vernacularism (المحليّة العربية) challenges long-standing notions about the role of vernacular languages and culture in the Arab world. In this work، vernacularism is presented not just as a linguistic phenomenon but as a cultural، creative، and ideological force that shapes local identities and resists global homogenization. However، the book also confronts significant academic and political obstacles that have hindered the study of vernaculars، particularly in the context of Arab Nationalism. The restriction or even outright prohibition of studying local dialects has been presented as a threat to Arab unity، with fears that emphasizing local dialects over Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) could lead to fragmentation and division within the Arab world.
Copyright (c) 2024 Nasser Hajjaj https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The development of Arabic grammar: a comparative study between ancient and contemporary grammar schools
This research deals with the development of Arabic grammar with a focus on a comparison between traditional grammar schools and modern curricula. The research reviews the emergence of Arabic grammar by Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali, highlighting the contributions of the visual and kufic schools during the Abbasid era, where the visual school is characterized by strict adherence to normative rules, while the keffiyeh is characterized by flexibility and acceptance of dialectal diversity. The research also discusses contemporary challenges in grammar education, such as the complexity of grammar and the low demand for its study. Attempts to simplify grammar in the modern era are analyzed, including those of Ibrahim Mustafa in The Revival of Grammar, and modern school curricula. The research also highlights the role of modern technology, such as artificial intelligence applications and interactive software, in teaching grammar and correcting texts. The results show the importance of innovating new methods to simplify grammar and facilitate its learning, to ensure the continuity of its role in preserving the Arabic language and preserving its identity
Copyright (c) 2024 Omar Abdel Eid https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Speech acts, their psychological dimensions and their impact on the interpretation of discourse An applied study in the novels of Jean Dost
This research aims to shed light on speech acts, their psychological dimensions, and their impact on interpreting discourse. The research took Jean Dost's novels as an applied sample due to their importance in that they convey a human experience and work to deliver messages to the recipient through their content. There are matters that contribute to activating the use of (language and communication) to meet the personal and societal needs of humans and are represented in the art of dealing with the world or how to deal with it. In understanding that world, the individual's mission, whether the individual is a speaker or a sender, lies in thwarting the flaws of language and being aware of the traps of grammar. In our research, we addressed linguistic communication and its relationship to the communicative context, and the relationship of the communicative dimensions to each other, in addition to their impact on the communication process. This research took a pivotal aspect in linguistic communication, which is speech acts and interpreting discourse. In this aspect, we tried to understand the process of linguistic communication and interpretation and the relationship of all of this to the communicative aspects and their psychological and emotional impact on the sender and the recipient.
Copyright (c) 2023 Ahmed Khaled Mahmoud , Ruwa Nidal Omar Saeed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Representing Events in Ancient Arabic Narrative The News of the Thieves as a Model
The news of thieves has not received significant attention from contemporary researchers. Given the clear importance of news in general, and specifically the news of thieves, in ancient Arabic literature, these accounts garnered noticeable interest from historians, narrators, and classical authors. We find that there are books dedicated to thieves by renowned writers such as Al-Jahiz (d. 255 AH) and Al-Sukkari (d. 275 AH). Since news is a part of ancient Arabic literature, it has played a dominant role in transmitting literary and historical knowledge. As the news of thieves is considered a form of this genre and has been overlooked by contemporary scholars, it becomes necessary to study it scientifically, focusing on its artistic formulation and literary representation in ancient times. This research aims to uncover the artistic and narrative structure of events within these accounts..
Copyright (c) 2023 Heba Allah Ali Abdul Hussein https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Irony of Why I Left the Horse Alone by Mahmoud Darwish
This research deals with paradox as a feature of the poetic language of Mahmoud Darwish in his collection (Why Did You Leave the Horse Alone), and in order to clarify this, the research adopted the descriptive analytical method; This is done by presenting a descriptive, theoretical study of the studied issue. This is supplemented by an applied analytical study that shows the purpose and aesthetics resulting from employing this phenomenon. Hence, the study was divided into two sections: The first of them specialized in providing theoretical definitions of the concept of paradox and its mechanisms such as irony, exaggeration, brevity, and contrast. And patterns, the most prominent of which are: the verbal paradox, the romantic paradox, and the graphic paradox. We devoted the second section to the applied study, which investigates examples of these mechanisms and patterns in the selected collection, and studies them through an analytical study that shows the construction of paradox and its aesthetics in the language of Mahmoud Darwish. The research concluded with a number of results, the most prominent of which was that irony in Darwish’s poetry was a stylistic requirement and a means he resorted to to reveal many of his feelings and thoughts that his pride or the political and social situation might prevent him from declaring. Irony was the best way to express this.
irony, sarcasm, exaggeration, brevity, contrast, romantic irony, verbal irony, graphic irony
Copyright (c) 2024 Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed Aljoranie, George Saadeh https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Rhetorical Arts in the Poetry of Ibn Sid al- Batalyusi
The rhetorical arts are among the arts that the Arabs cared most about, so the poet and orator had a special home for them, and for rhetoric in a very special way, the Holy Qur’an is the miracle Al-Kubra came in rhetoric and its result because the Arabs were interested in it, focusing on studying it and laying down the laws and rules that regulate it. Because of the importance of this topic, we will address our study of the poetry of Ibn al-Sayyid al-Batliosi in its various arts and methods.
Copyright (c) 2024 Aws Abd Khudair Hussein , Nira Nazaria https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Vision and formation in the poetry of Ibn Hudhayl Al-Andalusi: a critical analytical study
Ibn Hudhayl al-Andalusi is considered one of the prominent figures in Arabic poetry in Al-Andalus during the 4th century AH. His poetry is characterized by a unique blend of originality and innovation, drawing inspiration from the rich and diverse Andalusian environment. Ibn Hudhayl's poetry stands out for its distinct poetic vision that goes beyond traditional description, delving deeply into the essence of the human experience, expressing emotions and thoughts where nature and culture intertwine in a unique harmony. This research aims to provide a comprehensive analytical study of the poetic vision that distinguished Ibn Hudhayl, with a focus on the rhetorical and artistic structure in his poetic works. The study explores how Ibn Hudhayl was influenced by the cultural and social environment of Al-Andalus, which was then a center for civilizational interaction between the East and the West. Through this study, the role of nature in shaping the poetic imagery of Ibn Hudhayl is highlighted, where nature was not merely a backdrop for events but a reflection of his psychological states and philosophical contemplations. The research also examines the cultural exchanges between the East and Al-Andalus and how this interaction contributed to refining Ibn Hudhayl's style, enabling him to blend Eastern elements into his Andalusian poems in an innovative manner. By comparing Ibn Hudhayl's style with that of his Andalusian contemporaries, the research illustrates Ibn Hudhayl's uniqueness in using symbolism and complex metaphors, which added philosophical depth and distinguished rhetorical aesthetics to his poetry.This research seeks to provide an integrated view of Ibn Hudhayl's role in the development of Arabic poetry, demonstrating how the rich Andalusian environment and its cultural diversity shaped his poetic identity, making him an important model for studying the evolution of Arabic poetry during that period. Through a deeper understanding of the vision and structure in Ibn Hudhayl's poetry, the research makes a significant contribution to Arabic literary criticism and highlights the importance of cultural environments in shaping poets and their impact on Arabic literature.
Copyright (c) 2024 Shaimaa Jabir Salman Al-Shabani https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Legendary symbol In the poetry of Muhammad Afifi Matar (1935-2010)
There have been many studies and researches on the concept of the symbol in literature, especially in poetry, because through the symbol the poet can give several different meanings, and the poet tries through the symbol to give a hint and hint to a previous subject, anecdote, theme, or anything he wants through coding and code. This technique is for the poet to express his different readings, and to introduce traditional and mythical figures to express his own intellectual thoughts and ideology. The poems of Muhammad Afifi Matar were enriched with this distinctive poetic color, and he was distinguished from all other contemporary poets of him, as Muhammad Afifi Matar was not traditional in using this technique. It is not possible to study his poems according to the old rhetorical theory, but he tried to use modern and innovative technologies, and he added the myth as a symbol in his poems, which made the research depend on this basis and the research focuses on discovering the legendary symbol of Muhammad Afifi Matar according to the analytical and descriptive approach, and he studied at the beginning Concepts of symbol and myth and what myth and legends are in different countries and myths in Arabic literature and the mythical symbol of contemporary poets and the reasons for resorting to myth. The study attempts to answer two basic questions: What are the manifestations of the legendary symbol in the poetry of Muhammad Afifi Matar? How are Matar's poems distinguished by using the mythical symbol? The research reached several results, the most important of which is that the legendary symbol added a special aesthetic and attractiveness, and it was found that the poet is familiar with different cultures and civilizations, which gave this symbol beauty to his poetic text.
Copyright (c) 2024 Iyad Rahim Abd AlJubouri https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The flourishing of intellectual and literary life in the Abbasid era
This research deals with the factors behind the flourishing of intellectual and literary life in the Abbasid era, which extended from 132 AH to 656 AH. The research indicates that the Abbasid era was one of the longest and most prosperous Islamic eras in terms of scientific and literary production, despite the political and social crises it witnessed. This prosperity was attributed to several factors, including economic prosperity, which enabled the caliphs to generously support scholars and writers. Religious factors also played a major role in promoting this prosperity, as religious sciences such as jurisprudence and hadith became active. Moreover, the translation movement contributed to the transfer of sciences and philosophies from foreign cultures into the Arabic language, which greatly influenced Abbasid thought and literature. By studying the means that contributed to achieving this prosperity, such as the Arabic language, and the role of science such as schools, mosques, and katabs, it can be said that the Abbasid era represented a turning point in the history of Arabic literature and science.
Copyright (c) 2024 Mortada Kamel , Widad Al-Ayyubi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Academic Performance: A Comparison between the E-Learning and Classical Classroom Learning for Arabic Language Department
Background: the learning system in Iraq has been switched to an e-learning system as a taken action to decrease the infections of COVID-19 in Iraq. The question of “to what extent does this system affect the performance of students” has been raised and needed investigation. Aim: This study aimed to compare students' performance between e-learning and traditional classroom learning. Method: Data were collected from 183 students at Anbar University in Iraq from the College of Education for Human Sciences. The collected data for students' achievement was scaled to five levels from 1 to 5. The paired t-test and independent t-test were used to determine if there are any significant differences between students' performances according to the learning approaches and to determine if there are any significant differences between students' performances depending on the student's gender. Results: A statistical analysis of the exam results was conducted using paired and independent t-tests. The results show that the performance was higher when using e-learning while gender is not a significant factor in performance change. Conclusion: The outcome of this study demonstrated the existence of the differences between the performances of students in the two semesters; their performance was higher when using the e-learning system. This indicates the significant effect of the use of e-learning on the performance of students.
Copyright (c) 2024 Sadir Fadhil , Abeer K. Jameel , Rana Fadhil , Ahmed Battal https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
This paper provides a comprehensive study of Arabic grammar, exploring its historical development, core components, and modern applications. Beginning with an analysis of the origins of Arabic grammar and its evolution through influential figures such as Sibawayh and Al-Farahidi, the paper delves into key aspects of syntax, morphology, and case endings that form the foundation of the language. Advanced topics, including the use of particles, ellipsis, and gender agreement, are also examined. The paper highlights the challenges faced in learning and teaching Arabic grammar, particularly with regard to the complexities of verb conjugation, case endings, and the diglossic nature of the language. A comparative analysis of Arabic with other Semitic and Indo-European languages reveals the unique features of Arabic grammar. Additionally, the paper discusses the applications of Arabic grammar in modern linguistics, literature, computational tools, and media. The study concludes by emphasizing the importance of Arabic grammar in preserving the language’s heritage and exploring new pedagogical and research opportunities
Copyright (c) 2024 mohamad Al-Taher Radwan Mohamed Ismail https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The Arabic language is one of the most historically significant and widely spoken languages in the world, serving as the foundation of Islamic culture and intellectual traditions. This editorial explores the evolution, structure, and enduring influence of Arabic, tracing its roots from ancient Semitic languages to its role in shaping literature, science, and philosophy during the Islamic Golden Age. The paper also addresses the linguistic challenges facing Arabic today, particularly the divergence between Modern Standard Arabic and regional dialects, as well as the influence of globalization. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of preserving both Classical and Modern Arabic in the digital age, while encouraging efforts to promote Arabic literacy and engagement with its rich cultural heritage.
Copyright (c) 2023 Prof. Dr. Abaker Abdelbanat, Abdul Rahman Khalaf Matlab https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
This paper deals with the topic of "tasdiq" in Arabic grammar, which is a term that refers to the presentation of one part of the sentence over another. The paper discusses the views of ancient and modern grammarians on this grammatical phenomenon, its causes, types, rules, and its purpose. It also highlights the importance of tasdiq in understanding and analyzing linguistic structures correctly
Copyright (c) 2023 Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Hadrami, Al-Taj Ibrahim Dafallah Ahmed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
The constructional question is a rhetorical study
This paper deals with the topic of constructional question from a rhetorical perspective, as the interrogative sentence style is one of the important rhetorical styles in the Arabic language. The paper aims to shed light on this style and explain its rhetorical characteristics and various purposes, drawing on the opinions of ancient and modern rhetoricians and grammarians.
Copyright (c) 2023 Ibrahim Suleiman Haidara, Muhammad Abdul Ghafour Muhammad https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0