Arabic-L:LING:compromise, privacy, integrity

[Dilworth Parkinson]

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Arabic-L: Thu 30 Aug 2007
Moderator: Dilworth Parkinson <dilworth_parkinson at byu.edu>
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-------------------------Directory------------------------------------

1) Subject:compromise
2) Subject:compromise, privacy, integrity

-------------------------Messages-----------------------------------
1)
Date: 30 Aug 2007
From:BearMeiser at aol.com
Subject:compromise

Professor Dil:
That was probably the best explanation of why the hypothesis of this  
article
I was given is so untenable. So, we could say that historically, the  
word
"compromise" didn't exist in Arabic until the recent past, but  
neither did it
exist in English with its current meaning. And of course this fact  
tells us
nothing about Middle eastern history. Any people involved in war and  
conflict in
their history (which is, I believe, pretty much every people on earth  
except
maybe for maybe a few isolated groups somewhere) has at some point  
had to learn to
give up something to get something else.

It is interesting to note that while "compromise" necessarily has to  
be a
part of everyone's history, I do believe that the reason we are  
having such a
hard time finding a word for 'privacy' is because in Arab culture,  
the concept
truly is less important. In my experience, privacy is not a cherished  
value in
Arab households, and it is not something that I have found most Arabs  
chasing
after or longing for. Thus, the lack of a word in Arabic, and the  
fact that the
concept is so clearly-defined in English does, I believe, reflect  
certain
cultural facts.

Compromise, on the other hand, must exist wherever there is conflict. I
remember once a Muslim businessman telling me after he made some  
concessions to
someone in a deal he was involved in, that the model for his decision  
was the
Prophet Muhammad's behavior at the Treaty of Hudaybiyya. The Prophet,  
he said,
gave up something during those negotiations so that he could get  
something else
later. Is this not compromise?

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2)
Date: 30 Aug 2007
From:"Dr. M Deeb" <muhammaddeeb at gmail.com>
Subject:compromise

**
*     ** *

*In international negotiations, "compromise" often acquires negative
connotations, and becomes synonymous with "
capitulation<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitulation_%28surrender% 
29>,"
in which one or more negotiators make concessions in principles,  
objectives
or land.  Arabic rendering of "compromise" in such cases may be  
qualified
from:   (تسوية /  معاهدة صلح ) to (تسوية /   
معاهدة استسلام ). *


*The compromise truce of al-Hudyabiyah between the Prophet Muhammad and
Quraysh, in 628 CE, is variously referred to as (عهد ),  
(مَعْهَدة ) (معاهدة),
(هدنة ), and to a lesser extent, as (صلح ).  Although it was a  
master plan
leading to the conquest of Mecca,  cUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb had, at
first,  reservations about it as a form of*

* (دَنـِـيــََِّـة  | daniyyah , i.e., humiliation), to  
Islam. *

* *
**

*II. Integrity (quality of being honest and having high moral  
principles):*

* *

*استقامة، نزاهة، أمانة، كمال الأخلاق،  
سلامة الخلق؛ اكتمال، وفور ***

* *

*III. Privacy:*

*خصوصية، (أمور) شخصية، أمر خاص؛ سرية؛  
خَلوة، عزلة *

* *
*As an aside, I note that some colleagues on the list use the wrong  
voweling
of ( خَلوة / khalwah) as (khulwah)!  *
**
MD
**

*PS: *
**

* ( الحديبية) is written with or without a shaddah on the last  
yā'. ِ I have
an irritating problem with the transliteration of the guttural letter;
it turns out as a blank square!  I would appreciate your kind help on  
this.*

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End of Arabic-L:  30 Aug 2007