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标题：A pragma-semantic analysis of color terms in the Quran and their translations: The case of white and black
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作者：Waheed M. A. Altohami
期刊名称：Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies
电子版ISSN：1305-578X
出版年度：2022
卷号：18
期号：1
语种：English
出版社：Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies
摘要：The present study offers a pragma-semantic analysis of two basic color terms (black and white) in the language of the Quran. Such colors have been particularly selected as they are largely claimed to be universal, and therefore their associative meanings could be effortlessly grasped. The data set comprised eleven verses in which 'Ê¾abyaá¸' (white),'Ê¾aswad' (black), and their co-referential lexemes are keywords. The study followed a three-step procedure. Firstly, the frequency of the target color terms and their co-referential keywords was calculated and described morphologically and syntactically. Secondly, the underlying context in which the target color terms are used was explained to identify their denotations, connotations, and pragmatic force based on cotextual cues and exegetical interpretations. In light of contextual and cotextual information, the target conceptual domains underlying the figurative use of such color terms were highlighted. Finally, the translations of these color terms were explored to identify the translation strategies followed to render their literal and figurative senses. Findings showed that the color terms black and white are used both literally and figuratively (both metonymically and metaphorically) to highlight various contrastive physical and mental states of people and objects. While white developed positive, neutral, and negative connotations in the Quranic text, black developed only neutral and negative connotations. Most of these connotations were found to be motivated by the Muslim habitus or belief system. Furthermore, based on universal experiential associations between darkness and blackness as well as brightness and whiteness, translators of the Quran used the same color metaphor or metonymy or rephrased it. Â.
关键词：denotation;connotation;color terms;pragma-semantics;the Quran;translation strategies