Arabic Language Study

With the Abbasi Program Grant, I attended intensive reading Arabic classes at the Qasid Institiute in Amman, Jordan. I had no background in Arabic language before this opportunity; my knowledge of Arabic grammar was limited to its adaptations in Ottoman Turkish. With the intensive private classes, I was able to cover all the topics and grammar sections for the beginners in a month, which usually takes 4-5 months.

Reading knowledge in Arabic is fundamental for my dissertation research, not only to study primary sources at the archives, but also to be more familiar with the morphology and the concept of some terms within the Islamic history of science. With my experience in Amman, I was able to realize another characteristic of translation movements, or the adaptations of foreign terms/words to a different languages through comparing similar language usages between Arabic, Persian and Ottoman Turkish. I realized that even the same words have different meanings in these three languages, they are conceptually the same. Thus, it occurred to me that translating from Arabic to Ottoman Turkish, or Persian, cannot be easily conducted through the help of dictionaries which are confined to verbatim translations.

I also had a chance to spend a weekend in a desert, Wadi Rum. It was one of the most exciting experiences I have ever had. I could get a glimpse of nomadic lifestyle in a desert. I am grateful to the Abbasi Program for making such a unique experience possible with the graduate grant.