Wordplay in English –Arabic Translation

Abstract

Wordplay is a literary technique and a form of wit in which words used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement (Green:  1991). As for Sheriden ((1998) states that wordplay is   the activity of joking about the meanings of words especially in an intelligent way. According to Oxford Dictionary, it is also called play on words which means the witty and cleaver use of words. It uses technical and literary devices like spelling, rhyme, pun, slang, idiom, and acronym. It is quite common in cultures as a method of reinforcing meaning. Wordplay was found in languages with or without alphabet based scripts such as homophonic puns in Mandarin Chinese

As for Salingar (1976) states that wordplay includes polysemy and it is the ability to evoke the ambiguity. He adds that wordplay is variant repetition that requires the similarity of sound and variation which means the different meanings of words with the same sound. Kabergs and Ausloos (2012) states that wordplay is “a specific play and a reciprocal interaction between sound patterns brought up by the variation in morphological structures, on the one hand, and meaning defined by the use of a word in a specific literary context on the other hand. They emphasize that “wordplay can only fulfill its function within the literary context when there is an interaction between sound and meaning.The main problem is that without the understanding the meaning of the utterance, one can’t get the appropriate intention of the speaker which will lead to ambiguity.