GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW) | ||||||
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07:59 Apr 2, 2009 |
Arabic to English translations [Non-PRO] Social Sciences - Genealogy / Vocab Item | |||||||
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| Selected response from: Fuad Yahya | ||||||
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Summary of answers provided | ||||
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5 +3 | (1) offspring; (2) child; (3) male child; (4) boy |
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Discussion entries: 5 | |
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(1) offspring; (2) child; (3) male child; (4) boy Explanation: You state: "My books seem to contradict themselves about the meaning of this word." Which books? How are they contradicting themselves? Many words have multiple meanings and usages, without any contradiction. The noun WALAD (two short syllables, pronounced closest to WELED, with slightly heavier stress on the first syllable) is derived from the verb W-L-D, which means to give birth or to generate. As is the case with many words, this noun is used in a variety of ways, all related to its basic derivation. The exact meaning will always depend on the context. 1. The basic sense of offspring or progeny: Here is an example: بارك الله فيك ورزقك ما تقر به عينك من الولد This is a prayer for having children. Notice that the word is a generic, collective term. It does not refer to one or many with any specificity, and no gender is implied. 2. Child. In this sense, "child" does not refer to a minor, but rather to a person with a filial relationship to another. Example: توفي سلمان في عامه التسعين، وكل أولاده مصابون بعين مرضه The word here is gender-free. 3. Male child. In Modern Standard Arabic, there is a tendency towards assigning the male gender to this word. This is more so in some Arab regions than in others. For example, you may hear people saying للنبي محمد ثلاثة أولاد وأربع بنات In other regions (and in classical Arabic), people would say: للنبي محمد سبعة أولاد، ثلاثة من الذكور وأربع من الإناث أو ثلاثة من البنين وأربع من البنات Again, this usage does not refer to minority of age, but only to the filial relationship. 4. Boy. In this usage, the term is not only restricted by gender, but also by age. The same issue exists in the English word "child," which can be used to refer to minors, but can also be extended to adults with a filial relationship. The point is that there is no contradiction. Words can have multiple meanings and usages. Context is the key. |
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