Le Fri, 2 Jul 2004 02:47:57 +0000 (UTC), Yusuf B Gursey
<ybg@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> écrivit :
>In sci.lang Raymond Roy <belamiNoSpam@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in
<40e4a509.1790952@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>:
>: Hi everyone!
>
>: It is a know fact that the first European translation of the 'Thousand
>: and One Nights' (in French at least) was done by Antoine Galland in
>: 1704-1711. Three hundred years back.
>
>: My question is: where did one go or what did one do at that time if one
>: was a Westerner willing to learn the Arabic language, at least in its
>: classical form?
>
>
>there were earlier european medieval works on arabic from spain and late
>medieval sicily under the normans for a while remianed a center of arabic
>scholar****p.
>
>Enc. of Islam II "Mustashrikun" ("orientalists): 12th cent. Glosarium
>Latino-Arabi*** and 13th cent. Vocabulista in Arabica (Latin - Arabic)
>
>trade contacts between muslim lands (Morocco, Ottoman Empire) were plenty
>and europeans not infrequently took up residence in these lands.
>classical arabic could be learned through the intermediary of vernaculars
>(colloq. arabic, turkish; but also probably through greek intermediaries)
>and above all dragomans. there was also travel from east to west.
>
>
>basically: find any educated muslim (capture one, meet one, go to muslim
>lands etc.) or an educated christian involved with the State in a muslim
>land. they would know classical arabic. people find ways to communicate.
>teh rrest involves learning classical arabic.
>
>Enc of Islam II lists under "Kamus" (qa:mu:s - "dictionary") Jacob
>Golius's Lexicon Arabico-Latinum (with a reverse index), Leiden 1653
>
>and also Meninski, Thesaurus Vienna 1680 which was revised as Lexicon
>turco-arabico-persi*** Vienna 1780.
>
>it adds that many works were published before.
>
>: Even in 2004, three hundred years later, and in spite of the relative
>: abundance of resources (textbooks, radio and television programs,
>: newspapers, university courses, institutes, frequent contacts with
>: emigrants, Internet, etc.), it is still quite a feat to master Arabic
>: enough to be able to understand the classical literature (never mind
>: translate it properly). But back then, how could one manage to learn
>: Arabic? Given the relative complexity of the Arabic grammar and the
>: almost absolute lack of lexical resemblance with Western languages of
>: the language, a sojourn abroad alone cannot have been enough to learn
>: it, even for an enlightened, brilliant and curious mind. For instance,
>: how could one gain an understanding of the ten (or twelve or fifteen)
>: form system of the Arabic verb without any kind of theoretical
>: explanation?
>
>: I thought that the first opening of the West to the East dated back to
>: Napoleon's invasion of Egypt in 1798 (then again, this 'opening' was a
>: mere military action). Nonetheless, hundred years before that
>: expedition, Galland must already have been learning Arabic. How did he
>: do?
>
>
>in the 19th cent. dictioanries, grammars are plenty, some still in use.
>
>: It is also a very well know fact that the Arabs manifested interest for
>: the European culture a long time ago (for instance medieval
translations
>: of Greek classical authors and philosophers), but are there any
examples
>: of early interest of the Europeans for the Arabic culture? For that
>
>in medieval spain, sicily, and perhaps some enlightened crusaders.
>
>: matter, are there any examples of *recent* interest of the Westerners
>: for the Arabic culture?
>
>how about yourself?
I am doing my best, first and foremost learning the language. I know for
a fact that language is the key to all the rest. As soon as I have easy
access to newspaper and literature (probably around year 2020 :) ), I'll
be able to cross the mirror, make up my own mind and go beyond the wall
of ignorance.
Because I am very wary about Western sources. Most Western medias are
not even able to re****t correctly on other Western realities (for
instance on Quebec where I am from), let alone about radically different
cultures. If for instance the Spiegel re****t I just read in German on
Quebec realities (which I know well) sounds false, why should the
article next page on Jordan be right? I guess this applies to most
medias.
To recover from the aridity of Arabic grammar, I listen to classical
Arabic music (http://www.emi.co.ae/radio/sof.ram).
Does eating Lebanese
food count as a manifestation of interest for the Arabic culture? :)
I am realizing that I need this encyclopedia of Islam. Thanks for the
reference and all the details.
Raymond
>: In other words, does a 'History of the teaching/learning of the Arabic
>: language in the West (Europe)' exist?
>
>see for example "Mustashrikun" in Enc. of Islam II
>
>: Thanks.
>
>: Raymond
>
>
>
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