Lexical Synonyms in the Holy Qur’an and their Translations: A Case Study

Abstract

Synonymy is one of the fundamental linguistic phenomena influencing the structure of lexicon. This paper examines the intricate nature of synonymy in an attempt to investigate its problematic nature in relation to translation. Types of synonyms are examined, with special emphasis paid to the translation of synonyms in the Holy Qur’an, where the translator is expected to achieve a high level of accuracy in rendering the exact meaning of the lexical items. The main focus of the study is on the translation of the near synonyms of the Arabic lexical item 'khawf' خوف)) (meaning 'fear') within the Holy Qur’an. In this comparative descriptive study, componential analysis is used to evaluate the semantic aspects of the synonymous lexical items. The meaning of each lexical item is also analyzed according to its context in the verses of the Holy Qur’an. The study is limited to three translations: those of Pickthall, Yusuf Ali and Shakir. It highlights the challenges that Qur’an translators encounter in the translation of near synonyms. It also aims to enhance the field of Qur’an translations with suggestions for achieving increased accuracy..