Travel and travels A semantic and linguistic study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35516/Hum.2026.10225Keywords:
Travel, Angels, travels, embassy, semantic determinants, linguistic borrowing.Abstract
Objectives: This study examines the two semantic units safar (travel) and asfār (journeys), their morphological derivations, and their usage in linguistic texts and dictionaries. It aims to explore the relationship between these two lexical items and analyze the influence of linguistic borrowing between Arabic and other languages.
Methods: Using historical and comparative methods, the study traces linguistic usage through foundational, social, and lexicographical stages, analyzing morphological patterns that introduce new meanings or semantic shifts. The comparative approach examines similarities and differences between Arabic and other Semitic and non-Semitic languages, integrating both methods to analyze contexts and extract key findings.
Results: The study shows that some Semitic languages share the form and meaning of safar, indicating a common heritage. Persian afshār influenced the Arabic plural asfār, leading to new semantics. The resemblance between asfār and similar forms in other Semitic languages suggests Arabic borrowed and adapted this structure, with the Qur'an applying it contextually.
Conclusion: The Arabic language distinguishes itself through its use of the root safar in the pattern (fa‘ala), from which multiple derivations have emerged. The augmented form asfara (on the af‘ala pattern) retains a meaning closely related to its triliteral root. Additionally, the noun sifr developed a distinct meaning from safar. The study also highlights the semantic evolution of safar over time, illustrating how modern usage has led to the creation of new lexical items derived from the same root, such as sifārah (embassy), safīr (ambassador), and jawāz as-safar (passport)—a political term that represents a semantic shift.
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