Arabic-L:GEN:Capitalization in Transliteration response

[Dilworth Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Mon 23 Oct 2006
Moderator: Dilworth Parkinson <dilworth_parkinson at byu.edu>
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1) Subject:Capitalization in Transliteration response

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1)
Date: 23 Oct 2006
From:Waleed El-Shobaki <waleed.el-shobaki at manchester.ac.uk>
Subject:Capitalization in Transliteration response

Dear Rose,

  It is rather unfair to apply examples used in foreign languages  
(Spanish's
usage of "al-", which is driven originally from Arabic, and English  
which in
no way has any connection to do with Arabic) on the Arabic Language.
The rule of "al-" associated with names and such like in the Arabic  
language
is very clear, it is a definition article! And the origin in this
article is "L" = " Lam " as it is called in Arabic " Lam al-Tarif"  
and not
"al-"  "al-Tarif".

  The "a" is only a starter sound that alerts the listener that there is
something going to be said or at least the definition article is  
going to be
used. (Similar sound in Hebrew another Semitic language is the  
definition
article "Ha", also is the case in some other Semitic language.)
The Arabic Langue is known for the usage of such sounds for alerting,  
"Ya",
"Ay", "Ayuha" ...etcetera.

So the rule is, the "a" sound in "al-" is not part of the word as  
such and
consequently does not get the treatment of being capitalised as part  
of the
name,, also it makes it much easier for cataloguing purposes if we  
were to
stick to the rule of not capitalising any "a's" when used in conjunction
with "al-" for al Arabic names.

Best wishes

Waleed

    Waleed el-Shobaki
Academic Liaison Librarian for Middle Eastern Studies,
John Rylands University Library,
University of Manchester,
Oxford Road, MANCHESTER M13 9PP  UK .
Tel: ( 0044 ) 161- 30 61520
Fax: ( 0044 ) 161- 273 7488
Email:- waleed.el-shobaki at manchester.ac.uk

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End of Arabic-L:  23 Oct 2006