An NSM-based contrastive semantic analysis of ‘strolling’ and ‘jogging’ in English and Arabic

Conceptualizations of jogging and strolling in English and Arabic may represent a key element in the successful performance of such actions. We aimed to demonstrate similarities and differences between the English verbs ‘jogging’ and ‘strolling’ and their Arabic counterparts ‘yuharwil’and ‘yatanazza...

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Main Authors: Nada Alhammadi, Sane Yagi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2024-12-01
Series:Cogent Arts & Humanities
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2024.2331280
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author Nada Alhammadi
Sane Yagi
author_facet Nada Alhammadi
Sane Yagi
author_sort Nada Alhammadi
collection DOAJ
description Conceptualizations of jogging and strolling in English and Arabic may represent a key element in the successful performance of such actions. We aimed to demonstrate similarities and differences between the English verbs ‘jogging’ and ‘strolling’ and their Arabic counterparts ‘yuharwil’and ‘yatanazzah’. As our theoretical framework, we adopted the Natural Semantic Metalanguage Approach to meaning and relied on Arabic and English semantic primes to create a semantic template consisting of Lexicosyntactic Frame, Prototypical scenario, Manner, and Prototypical outcome to explicate these verbs. To facilitate our comparative analysis of the English verbs and their Arabic counterparts, we consulted four English monolingual dictionaries: Merriam-Webster, Macmillan, Oxford learner’s Dictionary, and Cambridge Dictionary, and consulted three Arabic monolingual dictionaries: Mu’jam maqayis al-lughah by Aḥmad Ibn Fāris al-Qazwīnī, Lisān al-ʿArab by ibn Manzūr, and Mu’jam al-lughah al-’arabīyah al-mu’āṣirah by Ahmed Mukhtar Omar. Our analysis revealed that: A) The English and the Arabic verbs relied on similar conceptualization elements including the use of legs and feet, having a starting point, a destination, as well as alternation, and repetition. B) ‘jogging’ was conceptualized as nonurgent and slower in comparison to ‘yuharwil’. C) Duration of contact with the ground in ‘strolling’ and ‘yatanazzah’ was found to be similar. The same was also true for ‘jogging’ and ‘yuharwil’ whose duration of contact was shorter than ‘strolling’ and ‘yatanazzah’. D) As for purpose, ‘jogging’, and ‘strolling’ were found to be motivated by a desire to exercise or relax while ‘yatanazzah’ was found to be motivated by entrainment only, and ‘yuharwil’ did not state a purpose.
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spelling doaj-art-ef27a6ff08904f40b5b1e4ce31bdde592025-08-20T02:39:32ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Arts & Humanities2331-19832024-12-0111110.1080/23311983.2024.2331280An NSM-based contrastive semantic analysis of ‘strolling’ and ‘jogging’ in English and ArabicNada Alhammadi0Sane Yagi1University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAEUniversity of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAEConceptualizations of jogging and strolling in English and Arabic may represent a key element in the successful performance of such actions. We aimed to demonstrate similarities and differences between the English verbs ‘jogging’ and ‘strolling’ and their Arabic counterparts ‘yuharwil’and ‘yatanazzah’. As our theoretical framework, we adopted the Natural Semantic Metalanguage Approach to meaning and relied on Arabic and English semantic primes to create a semantic template consisting of Lexicosyntactic Frame, Prototypical scenario, Manner, and Prototypical outcome to explicate these verbs. To facilitate our comparative analysis of the English verbs and their Arabic counterparts, we consulted four English monolingual dictionaries: Merriam-Webster, Macmillan, Oxford learner’s Dictionary, and Cambridge Dictionary, and consulted three Arabic monolingual dictionaries: Mu’jam maqayis al-lughah by Aḥmad Ibn Fāris al-Qazwīnī, Lisān al-ʿArab by ibn Manzūr, and Mu’jam al-lughah al-’arabīyah al-mu’āṣirah by Ahmed Mukhtar Omar. Our analysis revealed that: A) The English and the Arabic verbs relied on similar conceptualization elements including the use of legs and feet, having a starting point, a destination, as well as alternation, and repetition. B) ‘jogging’ was conceptualized as nonurgent and slower in comparison to ‘yuharwil’. C) Duration of contact with the ground in ‘strolling’ and ‘yatanazzah’ was found to be similar. The same was also true for ‘jogging’ and ‘yuharwil’ whose duration of contact was shorter than ‘strolling’ and ‘yatanazzah’. D) As for purpose, ‘jogging’, and ‘strolling’ were found to be motivated by a desire to exercise or relax while ‘yatanazzah’ was found to be motivated by entrainment only, and ‘yuharwil’ did not state a purpose.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2024.2331280Natural semantic metalanguageverbs of human locomotionJeroen van de Weijer, College of International Studies, Shenzhen University, ChinaApplied LinguisticsHistorical & Comparative LinguisticsSemantics
spellingShingle Nada Alhammadi
Sane Yagi
An NSM-based contrastive semantic analysis of ‘strolling’ and ‘jogging’ in English and Arabic
Cogent Arts & Humanities
Natural semantic metalanguage
verbs of human locomotion
Jeroen van de Weijer, College of International Studies, Shenzhen University, China
Applied Linguistics
Historical & Comparative Linguistics
Semantics
title An NSM-based contrastive semantic analysis of ‘strolling’ and ‘jogging’ in English and Arabic
title_full An NSM-based contrastive semantic analysis of ‘strolling’ and ‘jogging’ in English and Arabic
title_fullStr An NSM-based contrastive semantic analysis of ‘strolling’ and ‘jogging’ in English and Arabic
title_full_unstemmed An NSM-based contrastive semantic analysis of ‘strolling’ and ‘jogging’ in English and Arabic
title_short An NSM-based contrastive semantic analysis of ‘strolling’ and ‘jogging’ in English and Arabic
title_sort nsm based contrastive semantic analysis of strolling and jogging in english and arabic
topic Natural semantic metalanguage
verbs of human locomotion
Jeroen van de Weijer, College of International Studies, Shenzhen University, China
Applied Linguistics
Historical & Comparative Linguistics
Semantics
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311983.2024.2331280
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