Orientalists' contributions to language and literature - between acceptance and rejection

Abstract

Our research paper aims to study the contributions of Orientalists in the field of language and literature, represented by collecting, compiling, indexing and translating dictionaries, as well as their opinions on the Arabic language. The study also reveals the alternatives they proposed to simplify classical Arabic, ranging from advocating for an easy and accessible
language to promoting dialects and colloquialisms and changing the script. The study also aims to explain the efforts of Orientalists in investigating, translating, studying and criticizing literary texts and accusing Arab poetry of plagiarism. This paper considers the opinions of Arab researchers regarding these contributions and claims in renewing Arab critical thought
of heritage. How did it affect the development of the Arabic language and literature? Then Our research paper aims to study the contributions of Orientalists in the field of language and literature, represented by collecting, compiling, indexing and translating dictionaries, as well as their opinions on the Arabic language. The study also reveals the alternatives they proposed to simplify classical Arabic, between the call to adopt an easy and accessible language and the call to adopt dialects and colloquialisms and change the script. The study also aims to explain the efforts of Orientalists in investigating, translating, studying and criticizing literary texts and accusing Arab poetry of plagiarism. This paper considers the opinions of Arab researchers regarding these contributions and claims in renewing Arab critical thought of heritage? How did it affect the development of the Arabic language and literature? Then how were these opinions met by Arab critics? The study concludes that the contributions of the Orientalists in the fields of language and literature were between fanaticism and objectivity, just as the Arabs’ opinions of them were between prejudice and bias. The study attempts to call for a new Orientalism based on scientific and objective foundations that differs from traditional Orientalism.