Othello in the Egyptian vernacular : negotiating the 'doxic' in drama translation and identity formation

Hanna, S 2009, 'Othello in the Egyptian vernacular : negotiating the 'doxic' in drama translation and identity formation' , The Translator, 15 (1) , pp. 157-178.

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Abstract

Throughout the cultural history of modern Egypt, language has been a site for constructing and contesting different versions of national identity. While Classical Arabic (fusha) has been widely recognized by many as the legitimate expression of an Arab-Islamic identity that Egypt partakes of, there have been attempts by Egyptian intellectuals to forge and promote a unique Egyptian identity distinct from the Arab-Islamic geo-political and socio-cultural sphere. Egyptian vernacular Arabic (‘ammiyya) has been mainly deployed as the distinctive mark of this identity. While recognizing that the two categories of fusha and ‘ammiyya and the arbitrary divide between them are epistemological constructs that have been sustained and promoted by a number of institutional and discursive practices, including a linguistic discourse couched in a modernist understanding of reality, this article seeks to pinpoint the social/cultural economy of these two constructs in the field of drama translation in Egypt. It then examines a translation of Othello produced by Moustapha Safouan in 1998, in which he negotiates Egyptian identity through a strategic use of ‘ammiyya. The discussion of language and cultural practices in Egypt and Safouan’s translation draws on Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of doxa.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Special issue of journal: 'Nation and translation in the Middle East'. ISBN: 9781905763139.
Themes:	Subjects / Themes > P Language and Literature > PR English literature Subjects / Themes > P Language and Literature > PI Oriental languages and literatures Subjects / Themes > H Social Sciences > HM Sociology Memory, Text and Place Subjects outside of the University Themes
Schools:	Schools > School of Humanities, Languages & Social Sciences > Centre for Translating and Interpreting
Journal or Publication Title:	The Translator
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Refereed:	Yes
ISSN:	1355-6509
Related URLs:	Publication
Depositing User:	SF Hanna
Date Deposited:	26 Oct 2011 14:58
Last Modified:	16 Feb 2022 13:19
URI:	https://usir.salford.ac.uk/id/eprint/18682

Available Versions of this Item

• Othello in the Egyptian vernacular: negotiating the 'doxic' in drama translation and identity formation. (deposited 29 May 2009 09:24)
  • Othello in the Egyptian vernacular : negotiating the 'doxic' in drama translation and identity formation. (deposited 26 Oct 2011 14:58) [Currently Displayed]

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