Analysis and classification of semantic changes in Arabic loanwords in Persian

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Shahid Beheshti University

2 PhD in Persian language and literature, assistant professor, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

The term loanword reflects the reciprocal influence between countries and cultures that share historical, cultural, religious, economic, and political ties. For instance, Arabic and Persian are two languages with a shared lexical reservoir resulting from their historical and civilizational interactions. The influence of Arabic on Persian is evident in the incorporation of Arabic-origin words into Persian’s linguistic repertoire. However, Persian has often altered the meanings of some loanwords, leading to semantic overlaps that pose challenges for Arab students learning Persian and for translators. For this reason, this article examines such vocabulary, aiming to compile a catalog of these words, classify them, and deduce the principles Persian employs in adapting these terms. The study is limited to words collected by researchers from various sources and identified in dictionaries as being of Arabic origin and borrowed into Persian. The findings indicate that Persian has not integrated the meanings of some Arabic words into its lexicon as they are but has instead adapted them with new meanings according to its linguistic needs. Verbs, compound nouns, and adjectives are among the categories most affected by semantic changes, often resulting in ambiguity and confusion for Arab students and translators.

Keywords

Journal of Research in Arabic Language and Literature Education
Volume 6, Issue 2
February 2025
Pages 197-212

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