Towards a Radical Translation Theory for Names: A Comparative Historical Linguistics Approach

Abstract

This paper aims to extend and test the application of the lexical root or radical
linguistic theory (Jassem 2012a-f, 2013a-q, 2014a-l), an innovation or a new model in
comparative historical linguistics, to translation studies. More precisely, it examines translating
proper (personal and place) names from English, German, French, Latin, Greek, and/or Indo-
European languages into Arabic from a lexical root (or radical linguistic) theory perspective. As
Arabic was found, according to it, to be their main origin, the paper argues, therefore, for using
cognates (words with similar or identical forms and meanings or simply sister words) in
translating amongst such languages. The data consists of certain select common personal names
like Amanda, Andrew, Antony, Augustine, Bert, Black, Charles, Christine, Elizabeth, Hegel,
George, Goethe, Jacob, Jack, James, John (Jane, Ivan), King, Matthew, Michael, Monica,
Paul, Peter, Queene, Ralph, Simon, Theodore, William, Zeus. The results indicate that all such
names have true Arabic cognates whose differences are due to phonetic, morphological, and
semantic changes over time. Thus transliterating, the method usually followed here, should be
abandoned in this respect. In conclusion, the paper proves the adequacy and applicability of the
lexical root theory to the translation of names by using cognates, which can be generalized to all
other areas of translation studies.