Infidel or Paganus
The Polysemy of kafara in the Quran
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4899210 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Juan Cole (0000-0002-0540-1474, University of Michigan, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 140 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Publication date | 2021-09-19 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of the American Oriental Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0003-0279 • E-ISSN: 2169-2289 |
| Publisher | American Oriental Society (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.7817/jameroriesoci.140.3.0615 |
| OpenAlex | W3088230346 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 13 |
This article explores the meaning of the root k-f-r in the Quran, questioning the practice of translating the noun kāfir as "infidel." It argues for a distinction between the idiomatic phrasal verb kafara bi-, which does mean to reject or disbelieve, and the simple intransitive verb kafara and its deverbal nouns, which are used in the Quran in a large number of different ways. This polysemy is explored through contextual readings of Quran passages. It is argued that the noun kāfir, unlike the verb kafara, is used only with regard to adherents of traditional polytheism and is not deployed in an unmodified way with regard to Jews and Christians. The possible influence on the Arabic kafara of Greek and Latin conceptions is also broached
Arabic · Epistemology · Linguistics · Meaning (existential · Noun · Polysemy · Root (linguistics · Verb · Families in Therapy and Culture · Historical and Linguistic Studies · Language, Linguistics, Cultural Analysis · Philosophy
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| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,4 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2022 (2) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |