«Тахиййат»: Сборник статей в честь Н. Н. Дьякова

Conceptualizing Stupidity and Ignorance in Arabic Idioms m 175 n ṭ iflin fī jismi jamalin — stupid, fool (lit., having the brain of a child in the body of a camel) are based on images which picture outward physical features. The denominative intention of characterizing someone as a fool or stupid person not using his reason is expressed through physically perceived images of a person with a wide-backed neck or a huge or very tall body. It is possible to suggest for (1) and (2) that they may have been expressions describing someone engaged in hard physical labor rather than work requiring a great deal of mental activity 1 . Instead of characterizing a strong, muscular man, the idioms have become a sign of stupidity, ignorance, and lack of understanding. The connotations of the image include, in the first place, the perceived obtuse nature of the individual being described, and, in the second place, the negative attitudes of those giving the description — disapproval, disdain, disrespect, and lack of sympathy. These two categories of connotations are referred to as rational evaluation and emo- tional evaluation. The rational evaluation here is part of the opinion expressed by the speaker about the denotatum, in this case a man judged to be stupid. The emotional evaluation is related to the image itself, or rather to the way the speaker’s personal opinion is expressed. In (2) the phraseological mean- ing is more obscure because of the two-level metonymy, or as Kurt Feyaerts expresses, it the “metonymic hierarchies”. First the object ‘pillow’ is used to de- scribe its owner, a (heavy-set) person with a fat or long neck. The second level metonymy is a physical property used to imply the mental property of stupidity. The third idiom (3) ḍ ā░a ░aqluhu fī ṭ ūlihi is even more spectacular because the image describes the state of someone whose reason is lost in his height. The image might not appear immediately comprehensible, but a tall, gangly body is associated in many Arabic sayings with a weak mind 2 . In its cultural context the idiom is thus particularly vivid and readily understandable. The listener relates the image not only to a weak-minded, inadequate person, but also to one with a tall, awkward body. These additional characteristics and the evalu- ation they imply constitute the cluster of connotations. The rational evaluation is included in the opinion of the speaker and is related to his choice to use the idiom. The emotional evaluation is not as strongly negative as with (1) and (2) because it is offered with a touch of benevolent ridicule. 1 See for example N. N. Kirillova’s suggestion that “practically any situation … can be in- terpreted in different way, i.e. can have several logical semantic aspects, deduced from the given situation”, “O Denotate Frazeologicheskoi semantiki”, Voprosy iazykoznaniia , 1986, no. 1: 85. Indeed another meaning for (1) is suggested — a person who knows and understands what he/she is saying. See for example: http://www.eltwhed.com/vb/showthread.php?30094- %E3%E4%C7%DE%D4%C9-%DA%E1%E3%ED%C9-%CD%E6%E1-%CD%CF%ED%CB- (%DA%D1%ED%D6-%C7%E1%DE%DD%C7) (ac cessed 09.05.2013). 2 The idea of disproportion between height and brain is present in a number of idioms from different Arabic dialects. See for example: http://www.alanba.com.kw/ar/variety-news/entertain- ment/260447/19–01–2012 (accessed 09.05.2013).