RT1310: Arabic Texts 1

School Religion
Department Code SHARE
Module Code RT1310
External Subject Code Q220
Number of Credits 20
Level L6
Language of Delivery English
Module Leader Professor Frank Trombley
Semester Autumn Semester
Academic Year 2014/5

Outline Description of Module

The double module RT 1310 is designed to provide an introduction to intermediate Classical Arabic grammar and to advance skills in reading the early Makkan suras of the Qur’an and early Arabic historical texts.

Arabic is a language spoken throughout the Middle East and North Africa.  It is also widely read in South Asia and Africa because of the influence of Islam whose scripture, the Qur’an, has had a far-reaching effect on religious thought since the seventh century A.D.  A knowledge of Classical Arabic opens the way to understanding a world civilisation that has produced important literature in historical writing, poetry and philosophy.  Arabic belongs to the Semitic family of languages, whose long history embraces ancient languages of the Near East such as Akkadian, Biblical Hebrew and Aramaic, and modern ones like Amharic, the written and spoken tongue of present-day Ethiopia.  Unlike English, the Arabic alphabet is written in a cursive script from right to left and has no vowels as such.  Consequently it can be a difficult language to learn in the early stages.  Once mastered, however, it will allow you to penetrate an important branch of world literature and the everyday life of the Middle East

On completion of the module a student should be able to

i. To read aloud from an Arabic text, recognising and enunciating the vowels and consonants according to the rules of Modern Standard Arabic pronunciation.

ii. To decline diptote and triptote nouns and adjectives.

iii. To distinguish between subject and predicate in a nominal sentence, and between the subject and direct object of a verbal sentence.

iv. To identify the triliteral and quadriliteral root of plural nouns, participles, and strong verbs.

v. To conjugate strong verbs in the perfect indicative mood, in the imperfect, indicative, subjunctive, and jussive moods, and in the imperative mood, and recognise them in Arabic texts.

vi. To recognise differences of gender and number in nouns, adjectives and verbs.

vii. To decline the personal, demonstrative and relative pronouns, and recognise them in texts.

viii. Correctly to translate the different adverbial modes of nouns and adjectives in the accusative case.

ix. To recognise in texts verbs with one or more weak radicals  in the different moods (as in v. above).

x. To recognise the triliteral root in the derived stems of strong verbs, and use the dictionary to find their meanings.

xi. Correctly to translate subordinate clauses in sentences that express indirect speech, result, purpose and temporality.

xii. To commit to memory a basic working vocabulary of Classical Arabic words.

xiii. To use a dictionary to find the meanings of triliteral roots and of the words derived from them.

xiv. To translate relatively straightforward passages in the Qur’an and Islamic and/or Christian historical texts, with the aid of a glossary or dictionary.

xv. To interpret early Islamic texts vis-à-vis cultural, historical and social context

How the module will be delivered

The basic structures and syntax of the Classical Arabic language as well as the pronunciation of Modern Standard Arabic will be explained in lectures with demonstrations at the board where appropriate.  This will include the detailed presentation of how verbs are conjugated and the grammatical analysis of sentences.  The semester will be spent translating the texts assigned in the syllabus with the active assistance of the tutor.

The modules will normally progress at the rate of one lesson per week from the textbook.  There will be three weekly meeting hours; of these, one will ordinarily be spent on grammar and syntax, and one on developing pronunciation and vocabulary.  The third hour will be devoted to translating the texts assigned in the syllabus.

Skills that will be practised and developed

Intellectual Skills:

Logical thought.

Ability to work collaboratively and effectively as the member of a group through the comparison of prepared material.

Ability to undertake independent learning and thought, and to reflect on the results.

Critical analysis and synthesis of evidence.

Discipline Specific (including practical) Skills:

Readingand translating basic texts in a language of world-wide importance in religion, politics, literature and business.

Using a highly inflected and syntactically complex language.

Reading fluently in a non-Roman script.

Extracting meaning from written documents using the rules of philological and historical criticism.  

Transferable Skills:

Effective oral and written communication.

The ability to pay attention and to detail and assess its significance.

The ability to argue cogently from evidence.

Critical engagement with the beliefs and behaviour of others.

Personal attributes such as self-reliance and adaptability

How the module will be assessed

The rationale for learning Classical Arabic is to acquire skill in the translation and interpretation texts to achieve an understanding of their historical meaning.  Before this can be done, however, a basic grasp of grammatical paradigms and syntactical usage is required.  Hence in the first instance the emphasis will be on mastering these elementary structures.  Once beyond this threshold, it will be possible to begin approaching early Arabic texts as objects of interpretation.  We will be working in the most widely studied branch of the philology of Semitic languages. 

RT 1310 Arabic Texts I: Formative assessment (enhancing student learning) will consist of tutor and group commentary on each student’s translation work, with individual and group feedback.  There will be a portfolio of 3 pieces of work requiring students to translate straightforward texts from Arabic into English and give philological commentary, where appropriate. The content and proportion of these exercises will vary from year to year, being related to the needs of particular groups of students.  Each of the three papers will count equally toward the final mark.

Assessment Breakdown

Type % Title Duration(hrs)
Written Assessment 100 Coursework N/A

Syllabus content

Grammar: the passive voice (revision)

Text: The mission (al-Ya‘qubi)

  1. Grammar: adverbs

Text: Playing [music] in the house al-Mansur the khalif (al-Fukhri)

  1. Grammar: first ‘w’ and ‘y’ verbs

Text: The recitation of the sura al-fatiha (Ibn Jubayr).

  1. Grammar: relative clauses

Text: The pillars of Islam (al-Bukhari)

  1. Grammar: doubled verbs

Text: The love of God for his worshippers (al-Bukhari)

  1. Reading Week
  2. Grammar: derived stems of hollow verbs

Text: Arithmetic numbering (al-Ya‘qubi)

  1. Grammar: verbs with the glottal stop

Text: The wonders of Babil (Yaqut)

  1. Grammar: conditional and exceptive sentences

Text: The poets of the Arabs (al-Ya‘qubi)

  1. Grammar: miscellaneous verbs (quadriliterals, etc.)

Text: al-Samaw’al b. ‘Adiya’ (Kitab al-Aghani)

  1. Grammar: miscellaneous noun constructions

Text: al-Hira (al-Ya‘qubi)

Essential Reading and Resource List

Please see Background Reading List for an indicative list.

Background Reading and Resource List

Brünnow, R., Arabische Chrestomathie (Leipzig, 1974). 

Cowan, D., Modern Literary Arabic (Cambridge, 1958).

Fischer, W., A Grammar of Classical Arabic (New Haven – London, 2002).

Haywood, J. A., and Nahmad, H. M., A New Arabic Grammar of the Written Language (London, 1965).

Scheindlin, R., 201 Arabic Verbs (New York, 1978).

Smart, J. R., Arabic. A Complete Course for Beginners (London, 1986).

Thatcher, G. W., Arabic Grammar of the Written Language (Heidelberg, 1927).

Tritton, A. S., Teach Yourself Arabic (London, 1943).

Yellin, A., and Billig., L., An Arabic Reader (London, 1976).

Wehr, H., Arabic-English Dictionary, ed. J, M. Cowan, 3rd. ed. (Wiesbaden, 1961)


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