Read on Twitter
A couple of weeks ago I put two proposed #Arabic translations of #mansplaining to the vote. I also asked for other suggestions. A summary of the points raised and my own thoughts in this thread, with another poll at the end. https://twitter.com/MariamAboelezz/status/1292782161993637888
First, I should point out that there is a number of different translations already floating around. I did not put them to the vote because I did not feel they were adequate, mainly because they already have other connotations. These include تفسير ذكوري and أستذة.
The majority of votes and comments favoured a solution involving the coining of a new word, with a bias for portmanteaus. Top suggestions were:
@QifaNabki اذكوكر
@hanannasser فسكر
@tafsirdoctor also pointed me to أفسج by @comicskilljoy https://twitter.com/deenasabry/status/1145709207800418304?s=20
@QifaNabki اذكوكر
@hanannasser فسكر
@tafsirdoctor also pointed me to أفسج by @comicskilljoy https://twitter.com/deenasabry/status/1145709207800418304?s=20
The solution of coin for coin and portmanteau for portmanteau is the most lucrative: it seems like the only way to cover the full range of parts of speech (mansplain/er/ing) without having to change the core word in Arabic, and without invoking inaccurate meanings.
But coining words in Arabic is subject to restrictions: ideally, they should not exceed 4 root consonants for the morphological pattern to come intuitively to speakers. In the same vein, for a portmanteau to work, it should contain enough of the composite words to invoke them.
How words sound is also important. From a psycholinguistic perspective, meaning-making involves activating words that are both semantically and phonologically related. In the case of unfamiliar words, phonology carries greater weight.
With this in mind, I amended فسكر and فسرج to تفسكر and تفسرج (verb form IIq). I will present my case for the following four proposed coinages before putting them to the vote.
Option 1 - اذكوكر
Not a portmanteau like the others, but a bona fide morphological form (XII) of ذكر, the root for male as well as mention, recall
Does not roll off the tongue
This verb form conveys gaining/feigning a quality; can be understood as 'becoming more masculine'
Not a portmanteau like the others, but a bona fide morphological form (XII) of ذكر, the root for male as well as mention, recallDoes not roll off the tongueThis verb form conveys gaining/feigning a quality; can be understood as 'becoming more masculine'
Option 2 - أفسج
in the phonological region of أفسد (corrupted) which invokes the negative connotation
Not a clear portmanteau: 3 root consonants come from first 2 letters of فسر and middle letter of رجل.
Form IV not followed throughout: تفسيج should be إفساج
in the phonological region of أفسد (corrupted) which invokes the negative connotationNot a clear portmanteau: 3 root consonants come from first 2 letters of فسر and middle letter of رجل. Form IV not followed throughout: تفسيج should be إفساج
Option 3 - تفسكر
balanced portmanteau: first 2 letters of فسر + last 2 of ذكر
activates a number of phonologically related words which are ALSO semantically related: يتفلسف، يتمنظر، يتمسخر، يتفشخر
balanced portmanteau: first 2 letters of فسر + last 2 of ذكرactivates a number of phonologically related words which are ALSO semantically related: يتفلسف، يتمنظر، يتمسخر، يتفشخر
Option 4 - تفسرج
good portmanteau: all letters from فسر and first 2 from رجل, with transitional letter in common
Also activates some related words, e.g. يتبهرج but not as many as تفسكر
good portmanteau: all letters from فسر and first 2 from رجل, with transitional letter in commonAlso activates some related words, e.g. يتبهرج but not as many as تفسكر
The words تفسكر and تفسرج don't roll off the tongue as well as their form Iq counterparts (فسكرة and فسرجة) but I believe that's a cost worth paying for the relevant meanings that the reflexive ت in form IIq helps activate.
Note that I didn't use the active participle for mansplainer, but opted for the adjectival construction instead because it activates relevant words such as فهلوي & فنجري. In the case of فسكري, عسكري (military) is a bonus.
I thank @raedaljishi for the idea https://twitter.com/raedaljishi/status/1293715489710112770?s=20
I thank @raedaljishi for the idea https://twitter.com/raedaljishi/status/1293715489710112770?s=20
And now, kind Arabists of twitter, I ask you to cast your vote once more! What is your preferred #Arabic #translation of #mansplaining?
