Translation of Color Terminology in Holy Quran: A Comparative Study of Arabic, English, and Kurdish Interpretations

Raouf, Lavin Yousif Hama

doi:10.25130/Lang.10.2.P2.16

Translation of Color Terminology in Holy Quran: A Comparative Study of Arabic, English, and Kurdish Interpretations

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Lavin Yousif Hama Raouf

Department of Accounting, Sulaimani Technical Administrative Institute, Sulaimani Polytechnic University, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

https://doi.org/10.25130/Lang.10.2.P2.16

Abstract

This study investigates how color terminology in the Holy Qur’an is translated from Arabic into English and Kurdish, addressing a notable gap in comparative cross-cultural translation research. The study aims to identify the semantic and communicative translation procedures applied, and to examine how figurative and symbolic meanings shift across the two target languages. A qualitative analytical approach was employed, analyzing 25 Qur’anic verses that contain 51 instances of color terms. Comparative analysis of two translations revealed that 55% of the examples employed semantic translation, while 45% relied on communicative translation, with the Kurdish translation demonstrating a higher degree of cultural adaptation. The findings suggest that translating Qur’anic color terminology requires balancing universal literal meanings with culturally embedded symbolic associations. The study concludes that accurate rendering of color terms in the Qur’an demands methodological precision and careful consideration of both linguistic and cultural contexts.

Keywords

Translation, Qur&rsquo

an, Color Terminology, Semantic Procedure, Communicative Procedure