Arabic-L:LING:Arabic concepts non-lexicalized in English

[Dilworth Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Tue 02 Mar 2010
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1) Subject:Arabic concepts non-lexicalized in English
2) Subject:Arabic concepts non-lexicalized in English
3) Subject:Arabic concepts non-lexicalized in English
4) Subject:Arabic concepts non-lexicalized in English
5) Subject:Arabic concepts non-lexicalized in English
6) Subject:Arabic concepts non-lexicalized in English
7) Subject:Arabic concepts non-lexicalized in English

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1)
Date: 02 Mar 2010
From:"M. S. Eissa" <eissa at comcast.net>
Subject:Arabic concepts non-lexicalized in English

If I understand you correctly, I can think of some expressions that take more than literary translation to convey the concept. Here are some of those expressions:  

إن شالله العدو   this is an expression used one person to another when something harmful befalls the other in a way of sowing sympathy. 

   سعيكم مشكور common expression uttered by a recipient of condolences to the one who is extending the condolences. the answer is وذنبكم مغفور 

 يدوم عزك Usually this is a response to "سفرة دايمة" which is a common expression said at the end of having a mail as a guest to the hosts     

 بالهنا والشفا Said after a guest or a person has finished eating or drinking. The response الله يهنيك/ي

تسلم إيدك /إبديكي said to someone after doing a good job, not necessarily using his/her hands. 

البقية فـــ حياتك  This is an interesting expression that was not clear to me for sometime until I heard the equivalent of it in Syrian context يعطيك عمره. It is said when someone has experienced a loss of a dear person to death. It literary means "the rest may go to your life" but the Syrian version   sheds light on the meaning of البقية فـــ حياتك which, probably  would mean "may what is remaining of the deceased life be added to yours".   

  نعيما This is a very famous expression used when someone gets hair cut or when gets out of the shower/bath. the response أنعم الله عليك  

هنيئا said to someone after he/she had immediately finished a drink (of water normally)

Muhammad S. Eissa, Ph. D. 
University of Chicago

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2)
Date: 02 Mar 2010
From:Nesrine Basheer <n.basheer at gmail.com>
Subject:Arabic concepts non-lexicalized in English

Hello Mai,
 
Two examples I can think of are the words عِشرة and فداك.
 
I didn't know what to tell an American friend when she broke my mug :) Saying "don't worry about it" is not the same as the Arabic "may this mug be a replacement for any harm that could have happened to you"!!
 
The same goes for عشرة as in the one between old friends, husband and wife, neighbors, etc. It means those people have shared a lot but it's really more than that, no?
I hope that helps,
 
Nesrine 

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3)
Date: 02 Mar 2010
From:Mohammed Jasim Betti <alseady2 at gmail.com>
Subject:Arabic concepts non-lexicalized in English

Best regards
Another example is from Iraqi Arabic which is يوم الالك
Thank you
Best

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4)
Date: 02 Mar 2010
From:Nehad Shawky <shawky at aucegypt.edu>
Subject:Arabic concepts non-lexicalized in English

Dear All,
hi ya Mai
 
رقبتي سداده        - Egyptians use it to express willingness to rescue their lives for help , I wrote about it , I think it is one of the Arabic concepts that is non-lexicalised in English   , the funny thing is when you try to convey the meaning in Arabic without having to resort to the mediator Language , I get asked often , why رقبتي   and not any other part of the body? good question.   warm regards.
Nehad Shawqi
"Ana Min Il Baldad di" author

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5)
Date: 02 Mar 2010
From:Geer <benjamin.geer at gmail.com>
Subject:Arabic concepts non-lexicalized in English

In Standard Arabic:

بات - to spend the night
شمت - to rejoice at someone's misfortune
طيّر - to make (something) fly
ركّب - to make (someone) ride
عقّل - to teach sense to (someone), to bring (someone) to reason
أحسن - to do good
تغطّى - to cover oneself
اهتدى - to be rightly guided
ادّفأ - to warm oneself up
استأذن - to ask for permission
استغرب - to find strange
حجّ - to make the pilgrimage to Mecca
صبّح - to say صباح الخير
مسّى - to say مساء الخير
كبّر - to say الله أكبر
هلّل - to say لا إله إلا الله
سبّح - to say سبحان الله

In Egyptian Arabic:

إشمعنى - why (that one) in particular?
أتاري - so that's why... / it turned out that...
معقولة؟ - would you believe it?
لِوِن - outgoing and (perhaps a little too) approachable (usually of a woman)
قلق - to wake up suddenly
نقط - to cause to suffer a stroke or an attack of apoplexy
نقّط - to give (e.g. a musician or dancer) a gift of money called a نقطة
عزول - jealous person who attempts to interfere between intimates or lovers
حسّس - to make (someone) feel
طفّش - to make (someone) flee, to drive away
لوّع - to subject (someone) to subtle (and usually protracted) torment
آنستوا - you're very good company (polite formula said to guests)
اصطبح - to start the morning / to encounter (something) first thing in the morning
استعبط - to act stupid

Ben
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6)
Date: 02 Mar 2010
From:Rabih Zbib <rabihzbib at gmail.com>
Subject:Arabic concepts non-lexicalized in English

Mai,

One concept that comes to mind is actually  "مبروك" when used to congratulate someone on a purchase, and not an achievement (i.e. the meaning where "عقبالك" would be an inappropriate response).

Another is "نيالك"  meaning "I wish i have what you had, or what happens to you happens to me too", which does necessarily not have the negative connotation of envy. Not sure if this is considered MSA.

Regards,
Rabih Zbib

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7)
Date: 02 Mar 2010
From:sattar izwaini <sattarumist at yahoo.co.uk>
Subject:Arabic concepts non-lexicalized in English

Hi
 
I would think of نعيما when one gets a shower/bath, get his hair cut, and (in Iraq) when one has a nap.
 
Regards
Sattar

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End of Arabic-L:  02 Mar 2010