A Semantic Analysis of Three Near-Synonyms and their Translation into English in Some Qur’anic Verses

Document Type : Original Article

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Faculty of Arts, English Department, Suez University

Abstract

Synonymy is a fundamental phenomenon that influences semantic features among lexical items. The paper investigates the intricate characteristics of near-synonyms in an attempt to examine its problematic nature in relation to translation. The concept of sameness of meaning associated with synonymy is a controversially debated issue among linguists. Near-synonyms exhibit subtle linguistic differences and denotations that belong to different semantic domains. The study pays attention to the translation of three near-synonyms in some Qur’anic verses in four translations representing different cultures and religious backgrounds. The three chosen near-synonyms will be thoroughly analyzed to pinpoint how they are rendered into English and to address any semantic void on the part of the translators. The findings reveal that there are some semantic differences among the selected near-synonyms that are not reflected in some translations. The paper concludes that Arabic Qur’anic near-synonyms cannot be used and translated interchangeably over different contexts.

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