Arabic and Persian Research
https://hdl.handle.net/10023/1947
2024-03-28T09:46:36ZIntellectuals as sacrificial heroes : a comparative study of Bahram Beyzaie and Wole Soyinka
https://hdl.handle.net/10023/7134
A study of Bahram Beyzaie and Wole Soyinka’s works reveals how in two disparate cultural settings, traditional structures and themes appear in modern forms to renegotiate people’s cultural identity. Both writers demythologize the ancient and modern superstitious beliefs that haunt their peoples, depict the fallacy of hybrid obsessions that distort everyday life in their countries, and mythologize the positive aspects of history to redefine cultural identity with the best their cultures offer. One aspect of this process is their depiction of creative intellectuals as sacrificial heroes. The form reveals their concern with the question of leadership and citizenship, the victimization of the educated people, and the resulting brain drain in their countries. In the paper that follows, I will compare Beyzaie and Soyinka’s depictions of intellectuals as sacrificial heroes. I will first study the dramatic origins of their forms and their approach to tragedy, myth, history, and sacrificial heroism, and explore the sociopolitical and personal reasons for the development of their forms. My intention is to discover how these forms evolved and why they reflect similar paradigms. I will then compare Beyzaie’s Parchment of Master Sharzin with Soyinka’s Madmen and Specialists to provide textual examples of these similarities and differences.
2015-07-29T00:00:00ZTalajooy, SaeedA study of Bahram Beyzaie and Wole Soyinka’s works reveals how in two disparate cultural settings, traditional structures and themes appear in modern forms to renegotiate people’s cultural identity. Both writers demythologize the ancient and modern superstitious beliefs that haunt their peoples, depict the fallacy of hybrid obsessions that distort everyday life in their countries, and mythologize the positive aspects of history to redefine cultural identity with the best their cultures offer. One aspect of this process is their depiction of creative intellectuals as sacrificial heroes. The form reveals their concern with the question of leadership and citizenship, the victimization of the educated people, and the resulting brain drain in their countries. In the paper that follows, I will compare Beyzaie and Soyinka’s depictions of intellectuals as sacrificial heroes. I will first study the dramatic origins of their forms and their approach to tragedy, myth, history, and sacrificial heroism, and explore the sociopolitical and personal reasons for the development of their forms. My intention is to discover how these forms evolved and why they reflect similar paradigms. I will then compare Beyzaie’s Parchment of Master Sharzin with Soyinka’s Madmen and Specialists to provide textual examples of these similarities and differences.The relationship between Arabic Allāh and Syriac Allāhā
https://hdl.handle.net/10023/4428
Various etymologies have been proposed for Arabic allāh but also for Syriac allāhā. It has often been proposed that the Arabic word was borrowed from Syriac. This article takes a comprehensive look at the linguistic evidence at hand. Especially, it takes into consideration more recent epigraphical material which sheds light on the development of the Arabic language. Phonetic and morphological analysis of the data confirms the Arabic origin of the word allāh, whereas the problems of the Syriac form allāhā are described, namely that the Syriac form differs from that of other Aramaic dialects and begs explanation, discussing also the possibility that the Syriac word is a loan from Arabic. The final part considers qur'anic allāh in its cultural and literary context and the role of the Syriac word in that context. The article concludes, that both, a strictly linguistic, as well as cultural and literary analysis reveals a multi-layered interrelation between the two terms in question. The linguistic analysis shows, that Arabic allāh must be a genuinely Arabic word, whereas in the case of Syriac allāhā, the possibility of both, a loan and a specific inner-Aramaic development are laid out. Apart from linguistic considerations, the historical and cultural situation in Northern Mesopotamia, i.e. the early Arab presence in that region is taken into scrutiny. In turn, a possible later effect of the prominent use of Syriac allaha on the use in the Qur'an is considered. It is emphasized, that we are presented with a situation of prolonged contact and exchange, rather than merely one-way borrowings.
2012-10-01T00:00:00ZKiltz, DavidVarious etymologies have been proposed for Arabic allāh but also for Syriac allāhā. It has often been proposed that the Arabic word was borrowed from Syriac. This article takes a comprehensive look at the linguistic evidence at hand. Especially, it takes into consideration more recent epigraphical material which sheds light on the development of the Arabic language. Phonetic and morphological analysis of the data confirms the Arabic origin of the word allāh, whereas the problems of the Syriac form allāhā are described, namely that the Syriac form differs from that of other Aramaic dialects and begs explanation, discussing also the possibility that the Syriac word is a loan from Arabic. The final part considers qur'anic allāh in its cultural and literary context and the role of the Syriac word in that context. The article concludes, that both, a strictly linguistic, as well as cultural and literary analysis reveals a multi-layered interrelation between the two terms in question. The linguistic analysis shows, that Arabic allāh must be a genuinely Arabic word, whereas in the case of Syriac allāhā, the possibility of both, a loan and a specific inner-Aramaic development are laid out. Apart from linguistic considerations, the historical and cultural situation in Northern Mesopotamia, i.e. the early Arab presence in that region is taken into scrutiny. In turn, a possible later effect of the prominent use of Syriac allaha on the use in the Qur'an is considered. It is emphasized, that we are presented with a situation of prolonged contact and exchange, rather than merely one-way borrowings.