A Qualitative Study of the Arabic Subtitles of Semantically Changed Terms and Expressions in African American English: African American Movies as a Case Study

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dc.contributor.authorYara Hassan
dc.date.accessioned2026-03-01T10:31:13Z
dc.date.available2026-03-01T10:31:13Z
dc.date.issued2025-12-18
dc.description.abstractThis evaluative and analytical study explores the semantic playfulness of African American English (AAE): how it is done, its purposes, and how it is mirrored through the Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) subtitling of Dope (2015) and All Day and a Night (2020) on three platforms (Netflix, Shoof TV, and Apple TV). The application of semantic change and how African Americans apply it in its two forms, inversion and shifting, is examined, with instances classified and discussed according to the technique used in rendering them into MSA. The study investigates how these instances are subtitled, the extent to which the target text conveys the meaning embodied in the source text, and what can be done with mistranslated instances. Findings show that semantically changed instances are rendered through different techniques: rendering into a more neutral or less expressive expression (undertranslation), a stylistically elevated expression (overtranslation), a plain literal unintended meaning (misinterpretation), or complete omission. A fifth category demonstrates successful rendering through prioritizing the function and seeking a high-level equivalent. Undertranslation, stylistic elevation, and misinterpretation affect the source message on different levels, including markedness, accuracy, and informativity. In contrast, prioritizing function consistently achieves an appropriate degree of markedness and results in accurate and informative rendering. The study emphasizes that the most effective way to handle semantically changed instances is by addressing each individually, using one or a combination of translation techniques. Functionality should be prioritized and mirrored in MSA rather than the surface structure or semantic complexity of the source. Because standard languages are typically oriented toward explicitness and clarity, while non-standard spoken varieties rely on figurative, less straightforward language and semantic innovation, recreating semantic complexity is often unnecessary when a well-established lexicalized equivalent exists in MSA. In the interest of naturalness and clarity, sacrificing semantic complexity and selecting a direct lexicalized equivalent frequently provides the most appropriate solution. Attention must be given to the technical dimension of audiovisual translation, including character count, synchronization, timing, and readability, alongside broader considerations such as levels of formality and markedness.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11888/20890
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherAn-Najah National University
dc.supervisorProf. Ekrema Shehab
dc.titleA Qualitative Study of the Arabic Subtitles of Semantically Changed Terms and Expressions in African American English: African American Movies as a Case Study
dc.title.alternativeدراسة نوعية حول الترجمة العربية للتعبيرات المتغيرة دلالياً في الإنجليزية الإفريقية الأمريكية: دراسة حالة من الأفلام الإفريقية الأمريكية
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