Quran and Metonymy: Literal, Semantic and Metonymic Translation (Analysis of English Translation of a Quranic Verse)

Abstract

Metonymy is a rhetorical device widely used in the literary works of all the
times. At the time when Quran was revealed the Arab were on the top of
such idiomatic and rhetorical style of speech. Metonymy is the way to a
hidden meaning or a far meaning from the apparent one. Translating
metonymy creates problems while finding out the intended, desired and
hidden meaning. These problems turn critical during translating the ‘Word
of Heaven’. I have selected two consecutive metonymic phrases of Verse
No. 43 of Chapter: The Women which is as under:
﴿ َحٌد ِّ من ك
َ
َء أ
ْو َجا
َ
َء أ
ِّ َسا
م الن
ْو ََل َم ْست
َ
غَائِّ ِّط أ
م ِّ م َن ال ﴾ ْ
A total number of 32 Quran translators are randomly selected to find out the
literal, semantic and metonymic translations of these two metonymic
phrases. We can easily observe the various kinds of translation, sentence
style, and shifts that create complexity for those readers who depend on
translation. The paper quoted the stances of the Exegetes of Quran regarding
these two adjacent metonymic sentences, determining the meaning
mentioned by the majority of Exegetes and analyzde the English words used
for rendering their meanings to find out which translation can be suggested
for the source language general public to gain the real intended meaning as
elaborated by the majority of Quran Exegetes.