The Mechanism of Arabization and the Debate over the Arabic Translational Equivalent: An Approach to the Strategy of Terminological Placement

Abstract

This study undertakes a critical examination of Arabization as a dominant mechanism in Arabic terminology formation, analyzing its effectiveness, limitations, and the cultural and linguistic motivations behind its widespread adoption as a translational equivalent for Western concepts. Given the increasing influx of modern critical and theoretical terms into Arabic scholarship, the research interrogates the extent to which Arabization can sustainably generate precise and conceptually adequate terminology, and whether the Arabic language possesses the creative capacity needed to coin original terms that fully accommodate imported intellectual frameworks. Through an analytical approach informed by contemporary terminology studies, the paper explores the academic debate surrounding terminological translation, highlighting how linguistic and civilizational contact has intensified borrowing and blurred the boundaries between translation, adaptation, and conceptual transfer. The study further clarifies the structure of the technical term—its form, conceptualization, disciplinary field, and definition—drawing on insights from both Arab and Western terminologists. The findings indicate that while Arabization plays a functional and sometimes unavoidable role in certain scientific and humanistic fields, it remains a temporary and non-foundational strategy for term creation. However, the stability and acceptance of Arabized terms ultimately depend on their circulation and consensus among specialists, reaffirming the principle that usage often determines legitimacy.