مجلة الواحات للبحوث و الدراسات

Cross-cultural Semantics Of Red And Black In English And Arabic

Auteurs : Mustapha Yasmine .

Résumé

This paper examines the denotative, connotative, paradigmatic, and syntagmatic relations of the colors red and black in English and Arabic. Data were drawn from dictionary definitions, idioms, collocations, and religious and regional sources, comparing British English with four Arabic varieties (Algerian, Saudi, Egyptian, and Jordanian). Findings show that the two languages share a narrow band of universal associations, notably danger and mourning, but diverge once idiom, custom, and register are considered. In English, red marks passion, danger, and celebration, while black marks mourning or prestige. In Arabic, both terms carry symbolic meanings shaped by religious text, tribal history, and regional custom, including associations of red with purity and fair complexion that have no clear English equivalent. The results suggest that color idioms should be treated as culturally specific by default in translation and language teaching, rather than assumed to be equivalent across languages.

Mots clés

Arabic ; black ; color semantics ; connotation ; cultural linguistics ; English ; red