Aug 2026· Theory and Practice in Language Studies· Vol 16, pp. 2640-2648· 0 citations
Abstract
This study presents a comparative analysis of kennings in English and Arabic. It compares the structural, functional, and cultural aspects of kennings in English literature and kennings-like constructs in Arabic, particularly the metonymy of a modified object. Although such a figurative substitution is used to enhance poetic language in both languages, their forms and objectives are different. In contrast to Arabic kennings, which prioritize social refinement and Qur'anic eloquence, English kennings are recursive, two-part compounds with deep roots in mythical and oral memory traditions. Both cultures' historical emergence of these terms suggests distinct literary inspirations. Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon literature's poetic tradition is the source of English kennings, which are frequently used to enhance narrative through abstraction and multi-layered meaning. The present study attempts to shed light on the metonymical wordplay employed by English and Arabic to promote cognitive playfulness. Such use of language necessitates active interpretation by the readers, depending not only on their linguistic but also cultural knowledge, for decoding several hidden meanings. The study demonstrates that kennings are culture-bound expressions shaped by sociocultural norms. The main objective of this study is to advance language studies by demonstrating how kennings and metonymy reflect cultural thinking patterns and by offering a framework for examining figurative language across diverse linguistic traditions. The findings show that although English and Arabic kennings share indirect figurative expression and similar poetic functions, they differ sharply in structure, substitution patterns, and cultural-religious foundations.
This article examines the influence of English on Vietnamese in the context of globalisation, with particular attention to lexical borrowing, code-switching, digital discourse, and language attitudes. Grounded in contact linguistics, sociolinguistic theory, and language ideology studies, the paper uses a qualitative design that combines naturalistic observation of public and digital language practices with a systematic review of recent scholarship on English-Vietnamese contact. The analysis shows that English influence is most visible in the lexical domain, especially in technology, education, business, and popular culture. English-Vietnamese code-switching is also widespread in youth-oriented and digitally mediated communication, where it serves pragmatic functions such as emphasis, brevity, and topic framing, as well as social functions such as identity performance and in-group solidarity. Syntactic and phonological influences appear more limited and register-specific, although Englishinfluenced discourse markers, passive constructions, and loanword pronunciation patterns are increasingly noticeable among proficient bilingual users. The study further indicates that attitudes toward English influence remain ambivalent: younger speakers often treat bilingual hybridity as a sign of modernity and global identity, while purist concerns persist in public and institutional discourse. The paper concludes with implications for Vietnamese language policy and English education.
Vu Mai Phuong· International Journal of Edu...· 0 citations
The given article dwells on the discursive functions of lexical repetition
in Tajik and English from a comparative perspective. The relevance of this study stems
from the need to identify universal and specific mechanisms of text organization across
languages. The aim of the study is to analyze the role of lexical repetition as a means of
cohesion, expressivity, and pragmatic impact in discourse. The study utilizes methods of
comparative-contrastive, functional-stylistic, and discourse analysis. The study’s material includes literary and journalistic texts in Tajik and English.
The results of the study demonstrate that lexical repetition performs a number of
universal functions, including ensuring text coherence, highlighting key meanings, and
enhancing expressiveness. At the same time, nationally specific features are identified: in Tajik, repetition is often emotionally expressive, whereas in English, it is more structured and subject to rhetorical norms.
Folk discourse, which includes proverbs, folktales, and traditional sayings, is an important source of cultural knowledge. This paper is concerned with a comparative analysis of the metaphorical expressions in Bangladeshi folk language in comparison to their counterparts in Chinese in the cognitive linguistics framework. The study is based on two theoretical frameworks, namely, Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980) and Cultural Conceptualization Theory (Sharifian, 2011), which are used to explore the conceptualization of abstract concepts of life, morality, emotions, and fate within both cultures. Stratified random sampling resulted in 200 folk texts (100 per culture); a mixed-methods approach was used to compare metaphorical patterns, and Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS (Version 26.0). The MIPVU procedure was used in a systematic manner to identify the metaphors. Results show universal cognitive patterns, as well as culture-specific patterns, which are a reflection of different culture-based philosophies, religions, and social systems. Chinese folk discourse is an expression of the Confucian and Taoist values, which focus on the harmony of society and moral development, and uses metaphors based on social hierarchy and nature images. Bangladeshi folk discourse is a mixture of the influence of Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic beliefs with a main emphasis on spirituality, karmic aspects, the divine will, and the practice of the individual. The study highlighted a framework of cross-cultural metaphor analysis called Cognitive-Cultural Mapping. The implication of the findings is of great importance to translation studies, language pedagogy, and intercultural communication.
Md. Fasiur Rahman, Xue Chen· International journal of res...· 0 citations
This essay aimed to critically examine the widely held claim in contemporary Arabic linguistic research that European structuralism decisively transformed the study of Arabic grammar. To this end, a qualitative, analytical, and historical-comparative approach was adopted, based on a critical analysis of primary sources of European structuralism—primarily the works of Ferdinand de Saussure, Leonard Bloomfield, and Roman Jakobson—as well as the classical and modern Arabic grammatical tradition, represented by Sibawayh's Al-Kitāb and Tammam Hassan's work on the theory of convergence of clues (taḍāfur al-qarāʾin). The analysis was supplemented by recent scholarly literature on Arabic linguistics, structuralism, functionalism, and cognitive linguistics. The results showed that structuralism's main contribution lay not in offering new knowledge about the Arabic language, but in introducing a different epistemological criterion for evaluating the validity of linguistic explanations. This approach allowed for the identification of limitations in the classical theory of ʿāmil, although Hassan's alternative proposal also failed to conclusively resolve these difficulties when subjected to the same level of critical analysis. It is concluded that the influence of structuralism on Arabic grammar has been more methodological than theoretical, and that much of the existing literature consists of pedagogical reinterpretations rather than empirically verified developments
This study presents a contrastive analysis of appropinquation verbs in Arabic and English. Appropinquation verbs, a well-defined grammatical category in Arabic grammar (أفعال المقاربة), express concepts of temporal imminence, inception, and hopeful expectation. The research investigates the significant typological differences between the two languages: Arabic employs a closed set of synthetic verbs with specific syntactic constraints, requiring a subject in the nominative and a predicate in the accusative case (typically a present tense verb). Since English has no direct grammatical counterpart, it instead uses a variety of multi-word expressions to convey similar meanings, such as the modal phrase 'be about to,' the phrasal verb 'set about,' and catenative verbs like 'begin. The results show that Arabic and English convey proximity in distinct ways: Arabic uses morphological forms, while English uses phrasal structures.
The research aims to expand the body of knowledge in the field of comparative linguistics and semantics, through theoretical analysis and comparison between two linguistic systems. The results of this theoretical research may lay the groundwork for subsequent applied research, such as developing materials for teaching Arabic or English to learners, improving machine translation tools. This study adopts a descriptive–contrastive approach to examine syntactic and semantic differences between Arabic and English appropinquation constructions.”
Faiza Qanbar Ali· Journal of the College of B...· 0 citations
The study concludes that, in postcolonial Arabic literary translation, human mediation remains essential for preserving figurative meaning and narrative positioning, while AI tools may serve only as preliminary support rather than as a replacement for human judgment.
Haitham M. K. AlYousef· International Journal of Tra...· 0 citations