The Translation of the Verb "ظن" in the Glorious Quran into English: A Linguistic and Semantic Study
Abstract
This paper investigates the translation of the verb "" in the Glorious Quraan" into English .Eight Quranic verses translated by ten Quranic translators have been analysed. It examines to what extent those translators were successful and effective in conveying the intended meaning and implication of the verb . It is assumed that the Quran has intended one meaning or the other but not several. This study reveals that is a "confusing" verb for those translators as they provided different renderings of this verb in the same verse.The aim of this study is to clarify that this verb may denote hedging and certainty. It is found that both the source language (SL)-oriented and target language (TL)-oriented approaches have been utilized. In some cases where the translators adopted the SL-oriented approach to transfer the linguistic and contextual meaning of the verb, they were successful in conveying the meanings and implications intended by the Quranic discourse, thus helping the target readers develop a similar understanding of this verb as the original readers would have of the source discourse. However, in other cases the translators adhered more extensively to the principles of the TL- oriented translation approach. This resulted in an inaccurate translation. The study suggests that translators of the Glorious Quran should account for the linguistic and semantic aspects of verbs of cognition and sensation in the Glorious Quran especially in treating verbs such as .It also suggests that should be interpreted as either hedging or certainty and recommends translators to pay close attention to the linguistic and contextual function of such verbs.