Jordan Journal of Modern Languages and Literature Vol.11, No. 3, 2019, pp 297-319
297
JJMLL
A Contrastive Study of English Quantifiers and their Equivalents in French and Arabic
Mahmoud Saada French Department, An-Najah University, Palestine
Received on: 17-3-2019 Accepted on: 15-10-2019
Abstract In this contrastive study, we compare English quantifiers with their equivalents in French and Arabic, based on
a corpus that includes English scholarly articles and their translations in the two other languages. We first present the
English quantifiers in sub-categories. Then we study, analyze and comment on them and their French and Arabic
equivalents in a set of examples. In conclusion, we formulate generalizations that will help learners and translators of
these languages to foster their understanding of the quantifiers and to find good equivalents in different contexts.
Keywords: contrastive study, equivalent, (in)definite, noun phrase, quantifier, translation
The corpus of the study
We chose as a corpus for our study a set of texts in critical thought. Founded in 1993 and based in
Paris, France, Transeuropéennes is an on-line international Journal which is published in French, English,
Turkish and Arabic. Compared with literary texts, this kind of texts needs a rather professional
translation. Therefore, the equivalents of the terms that we study here are almost direct ones. The other
reason of our choice is the fact that working with soft copies makes it easier to find the necessary
examples.
Website of the journal: www.transeuropeennes.eu
Hereinafter are the selected articles, from which we extracted our examples. Our choice of these
articles is based on two factors. First, they are written in English and translated at least into Arabic and
French. Second, they contain enough examples that cover all the functions and values of the English
determiners. The total number of words of the three articles is 20 670.
-Balibar, Etienne. (2009). Speaking The Universal. http://www.transeuropeennes.eu. (9700 words)
-Bamyeh, Mohammed. (2011), AL-QAHIRA, THE CITY VICTORIOUS, FEBRUARY 11, 2011.
http://www.transeuropeennes.eu. (3390 words)
-Fraser, Nancy. (2010). Who Counts. http://www.transeuropeennes.eu. (7580 words)
Introduction
The choice of the studied languages is based on the fact that English and French are the most learned
languages by Arabs, and also for their wide use by most Arab translators. In fact, English, French and, to
some extent, Arabic are official languages of many international organizations. Therefore, we will
2019 JJMLL Puplishers/Yarmouk University. All Rights Reserved.
Saada
298
compare, in one study, two Indo-European languages (Germanic and Romance languages, respectively
English and French) and a Semitic language, i.e. Arabic.
Literature
The quantifiers are a sub-category of determiners. To our knowledge, they are little covered in
contrastive studies, and even less if we compare English, French and Arabic quantifiers together. We
have found only one article that compares English and Arabic quantifiers. The objective of Jawad (2015)
was to study possible errors that Arab learners of English as a foreign language may commit when using
quantifiers. In addition to the quantifiers which we cover in this paper, she also included the cardinal
numbers. Examples of the two languages are given separately in her study.
Based on that, we chose to make this contrastive study which may help language teachers/learners
and translators to better understand them in the language they learn and to avoid possible mistakes in
translation. In our paper, we give English examples and their French and Arabic equivalents in a multi-
lingual corpus.
Limitation
Since this subject could take dozens of pages to accomplish, we limited our study as follows: English
quantifiers will be the basis for the comparison with the two other languages, i.e. French and Arabic.
Among the different classifications, we adopted the one made by John Eastwood in his Oxford Guide to
English Grammar. We also took it as a reference to identify the function of each quantifier and thus to
show the differences between them. The quantifiers listed below are the most common ones that we may
find in English grammars.
English:
-Small quantity quantifiers: (a) few, (a) little and a bit of.
-Large quantity quantifiers: a lot of, lots of, many and much.
-Whole and part quantifiers: all, most, both, either, neither, every, each, some, any and no.
In French also, there are many classifications for quantifiers. The most common classification is the
one where grammars, like Wagner's Grammaire classique du français classique et moderne and
Chevalier & al.s' Grammaire du français contemporain, talk about indefinite adjectives and divide them
into two sub-categories: the quantifiers (which are subdivided into 4 groups: zero quantifiers, singular
quantifiers, plural quantifiers and totality quantifiers) and the qualitative adjectives même, autre and tel.
French: aucun and nul ; quelque and certain ; quelques, certains, plusieurs, maint, différents and divers ;
chaque and tout (and its variants).
Such category doesn’t even exist in Arabic. Therefore, we listed hereinafter only those words that
appeared as equivalents of the English quantifiers in our corpus.
A Contrastive Study of English Quantifiers and their Equivalents in French and Arabic
299
Arabic: ba‘ḍ بعض ; kullكل ; bi‘ḍ adīd / muta‘addid /‘iddaẗ‘ ; بضع a negative + أي ayy’; عدة/متعدد /عديد
word; kaṯīr (min) (من) كثير ; ’aġlab أغلب / ġālibiyyaẗ غالبية;mu‘ẓam معظم; ğull جل ; mā al-’ibhāmiyyaẗ
[vague] ما اإلبهامية.
Small quantity quantifiers: (a) few, (a) little and a bit of
A few and a little are used in affirmative statements, whereas few and little (without a) are used with
negative ones. While (a) few determines plural countable nouns, (a) little determines uncountable nouns.
A bit of, which means the same as a little, is informal. That may explain why we didn't find it in our
corpus. We also didn't find any example with a little and thus borrowed one from Eastwood (2002: 220)
and translated it into French and Arabic (2).
In the following examples, quelques is the equivalent of a few. It's a plural quantifier which, like
certains, plusieurs, maint, différents and divers, is used with countable nouns. But it differs from those
quantifiers in that it indicates a small and imprecise quantity (Chevalier, 2002). Quelque, as equivalent of
a little, indicates also a small and imprecise quantity, but it generally determines an uncountable noun
(Grevisse, 2007).
In Arabic, biḍ‘ بضع is the equivalent of a few. It is variable in gender (biḍ‘aẗ بضعة for the feminine).
It indicates a small and imprecise quantity, which is limited between 3 and 10 and just like these numbers
it has the opposite gender of the determined noun. Composed from the same consonants, ba‘ḍ بعض is,
inter alia, the equivalent of a little. Unlike biḍ‘, it is invariable and indicates either one or several beings
or things that are part of a set, or a part of a being or thing. This is at least not disputed in Modern
Standard Arabic (Ibn Manẓūr).
(1)Several mentioned to me their pride in seeming to accomplish in just a few days what Tunisians
needed a month to accomplish.1
Plusieurs d’entre eux m’ont dit leur fierté de sembler pouvoir accomplir en quelques jours ce qu’il avait
fallu un mois aux Tunisiens pour réaliser.
أيام ما احتاج التونسيون شهرا لتحقيقه. بضعةوذكر لي العديد من المتظاهرين فخرهم في ما بدا أنهم حققوا في
wa ḏakara liya l-‘adīd-u min(a) l-mutaẓāhirīna faẖr-a-hum fī mā badā ’anna-hum ḥaqqaqū fī biḍ‘aẗ-i ’ayyām-i-n ma ḥtāğa t-tūnisiyyūna šahr-a-n li-taḥqīq-i-hī.
fī biḍ‘aẗ-i ’ayyām-i-n
PREP (N)fem.-GEN (N)masc./pl.-GEN-n
(2) I've still got a little money/a bit of money, fortunately.
Heureusement, j'ai encore quelque (un peu d') argent.
المال. بعضلحسن الحظ، الزال لدي
Saada
300
li-ḥusni l-ḥaẓẓ-i, lāzāla ladayya ba‘ḍ-u l-māl-i
ba‘ḍ-u l-māl-i
N-NOM DEF-N-GEN
In examples (3 and 4), the equivalent in French of few and little with negative connotation is
respectively the adjective rare (3) and the adverb peu (4). The Arabic equivalents of these two quantifiers
are respectively the nominal group ‘adad qalīl (3) عدد قليل and the adjective ḍa‘īf-a-n (4) ضعيف.
(3)… and a week after the uprising, only few police officers ventured out again.2
… et seuls de rares officiers de police s’aventuraient encore au-dehors une semaine après le
soulèvement.
من رجال الشرطة بالخروج ثانية إلى الشارع. عدد قليلوبعد أسبوع على اندالع االنتفاضة، تجرأ
wa-ba‘da ’usbū‘-i-n ’ala ndilā‘-i l-intifāḍaẗ-i, tağarra’a ‘adad-u-n qalīl-u-n min riğāl-i š-šurṭaẗ-i bi-l-
ẖurūğ-i ṯāniyaẗ-a-n ’ila š-šari‘-i.
tağarra’a ‘adad-u-n qalīl-u-n min riğāl-i š-šurṭaẗ-i
(V)sc N-NOM-n ADJ-NOM-n PREP N-GEN DEF-N-GEN
dared number few/little of men the police
(4)The Egyptian Revolution, starting on January 25, lacked leadership and possessed little organization
…3
La révolution égyptienne commencée le 25 janvier n’avait pas de leadership et était peu organisée …
ضعيفاكانون الثاني/يناير إلى القيادة وكان تنظيمها 25فقد افتقرت الثورة المصرية التي اندلعت في
faqad iftaqarat(i) ṯ-ṯawraẗ-u l-miṣriyyaẗ-u llatindala‘atfī 25 kanūn-i ṯ-ṯānī/yanayir ’ila l-qiyādaẗ-i wa-
kānatanẓīm-u-hāḍa‘īf-a-n
kāna tanẓīm-u-hā ḍa‘īf-a-n
(V)sc N-NOM-PRO ADJ-ACC-n
was organization its weak
A Contrastive Study of English Quantifiers and their Equivalents in French and Arabic
301
Large quantity quantifiers: a lot of, lots of, many and much
We use many to determine plural countable nouns and much to determine uncountable nouns. In our
corpus, we didn't find an example with the quantifier much, and thus we borrowed one from Eastwood
(2002: 220) and translated it into French and Arabic (6). A lot of and lots of, which are used with both
plural countable nouns and uncountable nouns, are less formal than many and much. This is why we don't
have them in our corpus.
In example (5), the equivalent of many is the adjective nombreux in French and the adjective
‘adīd in Arabic. In (6), the French equivalent of much is the adverb of degree beaucoup de. When it عديد
is preceded by the adverb of degree too, the connotation becomes negative and thus the equivalent will be
trop de. In Arabic, the noun kaṯīrكثير followed by the partitive particle min من is the equivalent. In order to
indicate the negative connotation, we can use the adverb ğiddan جدا or a phrase that contains the
comparative adjective ’akṯarأكثر.
(5) In view of many current debates about the heterogeneity of cultures, the possibilities that its
recognition opens …4
Au vu des nombreux débats actuels sur l’hétérogénéité des cultures, des possibilités ouvertes par la
reconnaissance d’une telle hétérogénéité …
... حول اختالف الثقافات، وحول اإلمكانيات المتاحة لالعتراف بهذا االختالف، والعديدةفبالنظر إلى النقاشات الحالية
fa-bi-n-naẓar-i ’ila n-niqāšāt-i l-ḥāliyyaẗ-i wa-l-‘adīdaẗ-iḥawla ẖtilāf-i ṯ-ṯaqāfāt-i, wa-ẖawla l-
’imkāniyyāt-i l-mutāḥaẗ-i li-l-i‘tirāf-i bi-hāḏa l-iẖtilāf-i, …
bi-n-naẓar-i ’ila n-niqāšāt-i l-ḥāliyyaẗ-i
PREP-DEF-N-GEN PREP DEF-N-GEN DEF-ADJ-GEN
in view to the debates the current
wa-l-‘adīdaẗ-i
COOR-DEF-N-GEN
and the many/numerous
(6)There's [too]much concrete here and not enough grass.
Il y a beaucoup de / trop de béton ici et pas assez de pelouse.
الخرسانة (المباني) والقليل من المساحات الخضراء. الكثير من / الكثير جدا من (أكثر مما ينبغي من)هناك
hunāka l-kaṯīr-u min / l-kaṯīr-u ğiddan min (’akṯar-u mim-mā yanbaġī min) al-ẖarasānaẗ-i (al-mabānī)
wa-l-qalīl-u min(a) l-masāḥāt-i l-ẖaḍrā’-a.
l-kaṯīr-u min / l-kaṯīr-u ğiddan min (’akṯar-u
Saada
302
DEF-N-NOM PREP DEF-N-NOM ADV PERP compADJ
the much of the much too of more
mim-mā yanbaġī min) al-ẖarasānaẗ-i
PREP-PART (V)pc PREP DEF-N-GEN
of what should of the concrete
Whole, part and zero quantifiers: all, both, every, each, most, some, either, neither, any and no
All, both, every and each are positive whole quantifiers
All and both are totalization quantifiers. All can be used with countable plural nouns and uncountable
nouns, while both can only be used with countable plural nouns and it refers to exactly two items or
people. When followed by the or a possessive determiner then a singular noun, all refers to the totality of
an item and means "whole". Every and each have a distributive value. They are used with singular nouns.
With each, the members of a group are considered separately and individually, while with every the group
is considered collectively and can also refer to a regular and repeated event.
In (7), all determines a countable plural noun. Its equivalent in French is the plural form of tout (tous
for masculine plural and toutes for feminine plural), which is used for totalization, followed by a definite
article (Wagner, 1991). In Arabic also, the equivalent kullكل is followed by the definite article al-ال. Since
al-waṣf ‘is maṣdar (nominalization), and thus cannot be used in the plural form, the word ’anwā الوصف
in the plural form is introduced before the determined noun. In (8), all, followed by the, refers to the أنواع
totality of the repression. Its equivalent in French is the singular form of tout (feminine toute) followed
by a definite article. The same remark concerns Arabic language, where kullكل is followed by the definite
article al- ال and determines, in this case, a singular noun.
(7)… which is common to all descriptions …5
… commun à toutes les descriptions …
الوصف ... أنواع كل... المشتركة بين
… al-muštarakaẗ-u baynakull-i ’anwā‘-i l-waṣf-i …
bayna kull-i ’anwā‘-i l-waṣf-i
PREP N-GEN N-GEN DEF-N-GEN
between all kinds the descriptions
(8) … because all the repression that they had internalized as self-criticism …6
… parce que toute la répression qu’ils avaient intériorisée sous la forme de l’autocritique …
... الذي كانوا يستبطنونه بوصفه نقدا ذاتيا القمع كل... ألن
… li-’anna kull-a l-qam‘-i llaḏī kānū yastabṭinūna-hū bi-waṣfi-hī naqd-a-n ḏātiyy-a-n …
A Contrastive Study of English Quantifiers and their Equivalents in French and Arabic
303
li-’anna kull-a l-qam‘-i
PREP-PART N-ACC DEF-N-GEN
for that (because) all the repression
In (9), we notice that the equivalent of both in French is the numeral determiner deux preceded by a
definite article. Arabic is a language of three numbers. The dual form of the determined noun could then
be the equivalent of the noun phrase (both + noun). But in Arabic we also have a dual form of kullكل. This
form is variable in gender: kilā كال for the masculine and kiltā ا كلت for the feminine. In (10), the determined
noun is feminine but the translator used mistakenly the masculine form kilā.
(9) Which in both cases may allow us to understand its specific (and privileged) relationship to the
enunciation of universality …7
Ce qui dans les deux cas peut nous permettre de comprendre sa relation spécifique (et privilégiée) avec
l'énonciation de l'universalité …
الكونية ...(والمتميزة) بالتعبير عن معا بفهم عالقتها الخاصة الحالتين... وهو ما يسمح لنا في
… wa-huwa mā yasmaḥu la-nā fi l-ḥālatayn(i) ma‘an bi-fahm-i ‘alāqat-i-hima l-ẖāṣaẗ-i (wa-l-
mutamayyizaẗ-i) bi-t-ta‘bīr-i ‘an(i) l-kawniyyaẗ-i …
fi l-ḥālatayn(i) ma‘an
PREP DEF-N-GEN CIRstatus
in the two cases together
(10) And in both cases violence and reciprocity are at stake …8
Et dans les deux cas, la violence et la réciprocité sont en jeu …
.توازنهما بعيد المنال ، يتدخل العنف والتقابل اللذين يغدو تحقيقالحالتين كالوفي
wa-fī kila l-ḥālatayn(i), yatadaẖẖalu l-‘unf-u wa-t-taqābul-u llaḏayni yaġdū taḥqīq-u tawāzun-i-himā
ba‘īd-a l-manāl-i.
fi kila l-ḥālatayn(i)
PREP N DEF-N-GEN
in both the cases
The equivalent in French of every, with which the group is considered collectively (11), is the
singular form of tout without being followed by a definite article. In this case, it has a distributive value
(RIEGEL and al., 1994). In Arabic, kullكل is again the equivalent, but it determines an indefinite singular
noun. We may also use ’ayy as a distributive determiner only when it is followed by an indefinite أي
singular noun. In MSA, it varies only, but optionally, in gender (feminine ’ayyaẗ And when every .( أية
Saada
304
refers to a regular and repeated event (12), the equivalent in French is the plural form of tout, which
indicates the periodicity in time or space, followed by a definite article (Chevalier, 2002). In Arabic, there
is no difference with the previous case (see suggestion after example 12), except that we may also use a
time circumstantial (equivalent of adverb).
(11) … comes from the fact that every discourse or enunciation of the universal is subjected to the law of
conscious representation …9
… vient du fait que tout discours ou toute énonciation de l'universel se trouve soumis à la loi de la
représentation consciente …
يخضع دوما لقانون التمثل الواعي ... نطق للكوني كلخطاب أو كل... من كون
… min kawn-i kull-iẖiṭāb-i-n ’aw kull-i nuṭq-i-n li-l-kawniyy-i yaẖḍa‘u dawm-a-n l-qānūn-i t-tamṯīl-i l-wā‘ī …
kull-i ẖiṭāb-i-n ’aw kull-i nuṭq-i-n
N-GEN N-GEN-n COOR N-GEN N-GEN-n
every discourse or every enunciation
(12) … while nevertheless performed everyday on a large scale …10
… alors même qu’elle se pratique tous les jours à grande échelle …
على نطاق واسع ... يوميا... في الوقت الذي تمارس فيه الترجمة
… wa-fil-waqt-i llaḏī tumārasu fī-hi t-tarğamaẗ-u yawmiyy-a-n ‘alā niṭāq-i-n wāsi‘-i-n …
yawmiyy-a-n CIRtime-ACC-n daily
Suggestion:... في الوقت الذي تمارس فيه الترجمة كل يوم على نطاق واسع ...
… wa-fil-waqt-i llaḏī tumārasu fī-hi t-tarğamaẗ-u kull-a yawm-i-n ‘alā niṭāq-i-n wāsi‘-i-n …
kull-a yawm-i-n
N-ACC N-GEN-n
every day
The equivalent of each, with which the members of a group are considered separately and
individually, is the invariable distributive quantifier chaque. It is used with singular nouns and is usually
never accompanied with other determiners (Wagner, 1991). In Arabic, the polysemous word kullكل is
again the equivalent.
(13) … each language, or in this sense, idiom, having its proper name …11
… chaque langue ou, dans ce sens, chaque idiome, ayant son nom particulier …
لسان اسمه ... ولكللغة لسانها، فلكل...
… fa-li-kull-i luġaẗ-i-n lisān-u-hā, wa-li-kull-i lisan-i-n ism-u-hū …
kull-i N-GEN each
A Contrastive Study of English Quantifiers and their Equivalents in French and Arabic
305
most, some and either express part of a quantity
most and some can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns, while either is used only
when we talk about two items or people. most is used for generalization and indicates the majority of a
quantity. some refers to a neutral (neither big nor small) quantity and can be used as a plural indefinite
article.
In examples (14 and 15), most is used with countable nouns. We didn’t find in our corpus an
example of most used with uncountable nouns. Therefore, we borrowed example (16) from Eastwood
(2002: 223). In both cases, the equivalent in French is la plupart de, followed by a definite article, which
is in a plural form (les contracted with de) in the first case and singular in the second one. Note that
pollution in French could be both countable and uncountable. And in order to give an example of a
determined noun which is only uncountable, we borrowed example (17) from Robert (1991). In Arabic,
whatever the determined noun is (countable or uncountable), which should also be definite, the equivalent
is ġālibiyyaẗ غالبية, ’aġlab أغلب or ğull جل. These words are synonymous.
(14) While most theorists agree that such a correspondence (or equivalence of languages) is never
reached in practice …12
Si la plupart des théoriciens s’accordent pour dire qu’une telle correspondance (c’est-à-dire une telle
équivalence des langues) n’est jamais atteinte dans la pratique …
عمليا ...ال يمكن بلوغه المنظرين متفقين على أن تطابقا من هذا الصنف (ونعني تطابقا بين اللغات) غالبيةإذا كان
’iḏa kāna ġālibiyyaẗ-u l-munaẓẓirīna muttafiqīna ‘alā ’anna taṯābuq-a-n min hāḏa ṣ-ṣinf-i (wa-na‘nī
taṭābuq-a-n bayna l-luġāt-i) lā yumkinu bulūġu-hū ‘amaliyy-a-n …
ġālibiyyaẗ-u l-munaẓẓirīna
N-NOM DEF-N-GEN
most the theorists
(15)… which seems also justified by the fact that most examples …13
… ce qui semble également justifié par le fait que la plupart des exemples …
األمثلة ... أغلب... وهو ما يجد تبريره في كون
… wa-huwa mā yağidu tabrīr-a-hū fī kawn-i ’aġlab-i l-’amṯilaẗ-i …
’aġlab-I l-’amṯilaẗ-i
N-GEN DEF-N-GEN
most the examples
(16)Most pollution could be avoided.
La plupart de la/des pollution(s) peut/peuvent être évitée(s).
التلوث يمكن تفاديه. معظم/أغلب
Saada
306
mu‘ẓam-u/ ’aġlab-u t-talawwuṯ-i yumkinu tafaādī-hi.
mu‘ẓam-u/’aġlab-u t-talawwuṯ-i
N-NOM ADJcomp DEF-N-GEN
most /the most the pollution
(17)La plupart du temps
Most of the time
الوقت معظم/جل
mu‘ẓam-u/ ğull-ul-waqt-i
N-NOM DEF-N-GEN
most the time
The equivalent in French of some, when it is used with a countable plural noun, is certains (fem.
certaines).It replaces the indefinite article des. And just like some, "it often indicates a small, but not very
small, quantity"14and determined items or people have special characteristics. In Arabic, the equivalent is
ba‘ḍبعض , which is used with a definite noun. It's invariable and means part of a number of people or
items.
(18) … which in some cases will appear reversible …15
… qui dans certains cas apparaît réversible …
قابلة للقلب ... الحاالت بعض... التي تبدو في
… allatī tabdū fī ba‘ḍ-i l-ḥālāt-i qābilaẗ-a-n li-l-qalb-i …
fī ba‘ḍ-i l-ḥālāt-i
PREP N-GEN DEF-N-GEN
in part (of) the cases
If some is used with a singular countable noun, the equivalent in French will be a quantifier that does
not indicate special characteristics of the determined noun. In (19), the equivalent is an indefinite article,
followed (and reinforced) in (20) by quelconque which indicates that the determined noun is
unidentifiable and means whatever. In (21), quelque, in singular form, indicates also that the determined
noun is imprecise. In Arabic, the equivalent is mā al-’ibhāmiyyaẗ [vague] ما اإلبهامية. It is used with an
indefinite noun and reinforces its impreciseness. In (21), the Arabic translator missed (un)intentionally
some and the noun it determines.
(19) I will try to give a summary account of three of them, which I find in some sense indispensable.16
Je vais essayer de donner un bref aperçu de trois d'entre elles, que je trouve en un sens indispensables.
.ماوسأحاول أن أقدم لمحة وجيزة بخصوص ثالث من بينها أعتبرها ضرورية بمعنى
A Contrastive Study of English Quantifiers and their Equivalents in French and Arabic
307
wa-sa-’uḥāwilu ’an ’uqaddima lamḥaẗ-a-n wağīzaẗ-a-n bi-ẖuṣūṣ-i ṯalāṯ-i-n min bayn-i-hā ’a‘tabiru-hā
ḍarūriyyaẗ-a-n bi-ma‘n-a-n mā.
bi-ma‘n-a-n mā
PREP-N-GEN N-GEN
in sense
(20) … its intention of projecting over the totality of experience some principle of certainty or truth …17
… son intention de projeter sur la totalité de l'expérience un quelconque principe de certitude ou de
vérité …
لليقين والحقيقة على كلية التجربة ... ما ... من عزمها إضفاء مبدأ
… min ‘azm-i-hā ’iḍfā’-u mabda’-i-n mā li-l-yaqīn-i wa-l-ḥaqīqaẗ-i ‘alā kulliyyaẗ-i t-tağrubaẗ-i …
’iḍfā’-u mabda’-i-n mā
N-NOM N-GEN-n N-GEN
Projecting principle
(21) … (in which in some sense the orientations and future status of philosophy are at stake).18
… (qui de quelque manière met en jeu les orientations et le statut futur de la philosophie) …
الفلسفة ووضعها موضع رهان) ...... (وهو ما يجعل توجهات
… (wa-huwa mā yağ‘alu tawağğuhāt-i l-falsafaẗ-i wa-waḍ‘a-hā mawḍi‘-a rihān-i-n) …
We didn’t find in our corpus some used with an uncountable noun. We thus borrowed the following
example form Eastwood (2002: 226). We suggest as equivalent in French a partitive article or the
quantifier un peu de which indicates a small quantity. In Arabic, ba‘ḍ is again the equivalent and بعض
means here part of an item.
(22) "I've got some wood."
J'ai du / un peu de bois.
الخشب. بعضلدي
ladayya ba‘ḍ-u l-ẖašab-i.
ba‘ḍ-u l-ẖašab-i
N-NOM DEF-N-GEN
part (of) the wood
Again the following example is borrowed from Eastwood (2002: 224) because we didn’t find an
example of either in our corpus. The equivalent in French is n'importe quel (fem. n'importe quelle). It
means that whatever of the (two) items is concerned. In Arabic, we use the distributive quantifier ’ayy أي.
Saada
308
In MSA, it varies only, but optionally, in gender (fem. ’ayyaẗ and in our context (where we have only ( أية
two options), it's followed by a definite noun.
(23) "If you're ambidextrous, you can write with either hand."
Si vous êtes ambidextre, vous pouvez écrire avec n'importe quelle main.
اليدين. بأيفباستطاعتك الكتابة اإذا كنت أضبط
’iḏā konta ’aḍbaṭ-a fa-bi-stiṭā‘at-i-ka l-kitābaẗ-u bi-‘ayy-i l-yadayn(i).
bi-‘ayy-i l-yadayn
PREP-N-GEN DEF-N-GEN
with any (of) the two hands
neither, (any) and no indicate a zero quantity
Just like either, neither is used when we talk about two items or people, but in a negative context.
Any is the opposite of some. It is used in negative and interrogative contexts to indicate (almost) a zero
quantity. no can be used with both countable and uncountable nouns. It is used for the negation of a noun
phrase.
The following example is borrowed from Eastwood (2002: 224), for we didn't find any example with
neither in our corpus. We also suggest a translation into French and Arabic. The equivalent in French is
aucun (fem. aucune), which is usually accompanied with ne. In Arabic, just like either hereinabove, the
equivalent of neither is ’ayy أي (but invariable this time), which should be used with a negative word. In
our example, laysa is the negative word. It is an incomplete verb, i.e. it has only a suffix conjugation.
(24)Neither car is very economical to run.
Aucune des deux voitures n'est très économique.
جدا. ةاقتصادي تليسالسيارتين من أي
‘ayy-u-n min(a) s-sayyāratayn(i) laysat iqtiṣādiyyat-a-n ğiddan.
‘ayy-u-n min(a) s-sayyāratayn(i) laysat iqtiṣādiyyat-a-n
N-NOM-n PREP DEF-N-GEN (V)sc ADJ- ACC-n
any of the two cars is not economical
In the following example, any is accompanied with a neutral negation particle, no. The quantity
indicated is zero, without any further details. The equivalent in both French and Arabic is also
accompanied with a neutral negation particle, respectively ne and lam لم. In French, the equivalent is
aucun (fem. aucune). In Arabic, we again use the distributive quantifier ’ayy in a negative phrase. The أي
most common negative particles that accompany ’ayy which is,لمin Modern Standard Arabic are: lam أي
A Contrastive Study of English Quantifiers and their Equivalents in French and Arabic
309
used with a verb in a prefixed form but negates the past; lan لن, which is used with a verb in a prefixed
form and negates the future; and lā ال which is used with a verb in a prefixed form or with a nominal
sentence and negates the present or the future (Ġalāyīnī, 1978).
(25) They were no longer skilled at any other art of communication …19
Ils ne sont plus formés à aucun autre art de communication …
شكل آخر من أشكال االتصال ... أيتتقن ولم...
… wa-lam tutqin ’ayy-a šakl-i-n ’āẖar-a min ’škāl-i l-ittiṣāl-i …
wa-lam tutqin ’ayy-a šakl-i-n
COOR-PART (V)pc N-ACC N-GEN-n
and not master(ed) any kind
In the following example, any is accompanied with the negative preposition without which
reinforces the idea of zero quantity. To render this reinforcement in French, we use the preposition sans.
In this example, the translator used it alone without the equivalent of any, maybe because it is in
coordination with the negative particle ni. We though think that it would be correct to use them together
in this context as in the following suggestion: sans aucune mystification ni aucun besoin. In Arabic,
words such bi-lā بال or (bi-)dūn (بـ)دون reinforce the idea of zero quantity. Here, the translator used a
synonym of ’ayyأي, as equivalent of any, which is correct with uncountable nous that refer to concepts.
But we still can use ’ayyأي instead.
(26) If those same principles had been expressed in religious language before, now they were expressed
as is and without any mystification or need for divine authority to justify them.20
Si ces mêmes principes s’exprimaient auparavant dans un langage religieux, désormais ils s’exprimaient
tels quels, sans mystification ni besoin d’une autorité divine pour les justifier.
ر عن هذه المبادئ ذاتها في السابق باستخدام اللغة الدينية، يبالغموض ودون من درجة أدنى دونعبر عنها اليوم وبينما ع
الحاجة إلى سلطة دينية مقدسة تسوغ هذه المبادئ.
wa-bayna-mā ‘ubbira ‘an hāḏihi l-mabādi’-i ḏāt-i-hā fi s-sābiq-i bi-stiḥdām-i l-luġaẗ-i d-dīniyyaẗ-i,
yu‘abbaru ‘an-ha l-yawm-a dūna ’adnā darağaẗ-i-n min(a) l-ġumūḍ-i wa-dūna l-ḥāğaẗ-i ’ilā sulṭaẗ-i-n
dīniyyaẗ-i-n muqaddasaẗ-in tusawwiġu hāḏihi l-mabādi’-i.
dūna ’adnā darağaẗ-i-n min(a) l-ġumūḍ-i
CIRtime ADJcomp N-GEN-n PREP DEF-N-GEN
without the lowest level of mystification
In the following example, any refers to almost zero quantity, especially that it is accompanied with
an adverb that leaves a chance to some exceptions. French and Arabic languages have also words that
Saada
310
imply the same meaning, respectively quasiment and yakādu يكاد. Nevertheless, we noticed that the
Arabic translator missed this detail. See the suggestion that follows example 46.
(27) … for example, among the thousands of signs I saw in demonstrations, there were hardly any
standard ones …21
Par exemple, parmi les milliers de pancartes vues dans les manifestations, il n’y en avait quasiment
aucune qui fut standard …
شعار أو يافطة تقليدية ... أيأشاهد بين آالف الشعارات التي رفعت في المظاهرات لمفعلى سبيل المثال
fa-‘alā sabīl-i l-miṯāl-i lam ’ušāhid bayna ’ālāf-i š-ši‘ārāt-i llatī rufi‘at fi l-muẓāharāt-i ’ayy-a ši‘ār-i-n
’aw yāfiṭaẗ-i-n taqlīdiyyaẗ-i-n
lam ’ušāhid ’ayy-a ši‘ār-i-n
PART (V)pc N-ACC N-GEN-n
not I watch any sign
Suggestion:... فعلى سبيل المثال أكاد لم أشاهد بين آالف الشعارات التي رفعت في المظاهرات أي شعار أو يافطة تقليدية
fa-‘alā sabīl-i l-miṯāl-i ’akādu lam ’ušāhid bayna ’ālāf-i š-ši‘ārāt-i llatī rufi‘at fi l-muẓāharāt-i ’ayy-a
ši‘ār-i-n ’aw yāfiṭaẗ-i-n taqlīdiyyaẗ-i-n
’akādu lam ’ušāhid ’ayy-a ši‘ār-i-n
(V)pc PART (V)pc N-ACC N-GEN-n
I almost not I watch any sign
We did not find in our corpus an example with any used in an interrogative context. We thus
borrowed the following example from Eastwood (2002: 226) and suggested a translation in French and
Arabic. For this value, any has morphologically no specific equivalent in French. Since we are talking
about a part of something in this context, we suggest as equivalent a partitive article. However, in Arabic,
we still can use ’ayy أي.
(28)Have you got any[…] wood?
Avez-vous du bois ?
) خشب؟(أيهل لديك
hal laday-ka (’ayy-u) ẖašab-i-n?
hal laday-ka (’ayy-u) ẖašab-i-n
PART CIRplace-PRO N-NOM N-GEN-n
do with you any wood
Although in our corpus we found only one example of no used with an uncountable noun (31),
compared to many examples with countable nouns, we think that there is no difference relevant to our
study. The equivalent in French can be a simple negation, ne + pas followed by the reduced indefinite
A Contrastive Study of English Quantifiers and their Equivalents in French and Arabic
311
article de/d' (29). It can also be the quantifier aucun (30). In this example, we don't find any good
explication why both translators added to the equivalent the words autre and ’uẖrā أخرى. We also suspect
that the Arabic version is a translation of the French translation. Anyway, this has no significant impact
on our findings. In Arabic, we use one of the negation particles, as we have seen above. In (30), we
suggest as equivalent ’ayy أي accompanied with a negation particle (see suggestion just after the
example). In (31), the Arabic translation is a kind of paraphrase. The translator gave the opposite of
wonder and put it in an affirmative form.
(29) Second, in every sense the revolution maintained throughout a character of spontaneity, in the sense
that it had no permanent organization.22
Deuxièmement, la révolution a gardé de bout en bout et à tous égards un caractère spontané, au sens où
elle n’avait pas d’organisation permanente.
مستمر ... تنظيميكن لها لمثانيا، حافظت الثورة على نفسها من خالل سمة العفوية بكل ما في الكلمة من معنى، أي أنه
ṯāniy-a-n, ḥāfaẓat(i) ṯ-ṯawraẗ-u ‘alā nafs-i-hā min ẖilāl-i simaẗ-i l-‘afwiyyaẗ-i bi-kull-i mā fi l-kalimaẗ-i min ma‘n-a-n, ’ay ’anna-hū lam yakun la-hā tanẓīm-u-n mustamirr-u-n
lam yakun la-hā tanẓīm-u-n
PART (V)pc PREP-PRO N-NOM-n
not be for it organization
(30) There is no way of escaping this constraint …23
Il n'y a aucun autre moyen d'échapper à cette contrainte …
لالنفالت من هذا اإلكراه ... أخرى وسيلةتوجد ال
lā tūğadu wasīlaẗ-u-n ’uẖrā li-l-infilāt-i min hāḏa l-’ikrāh-i
lā tūğadu wasīlaẗ-u-n
PART (V)pc N-NOM-n
not exist way
Suggestion: ... ال توجد أي وسيلةلالنفالت من هذا اإلكراه
lā tūğadu ’ayy-u wasīlaẗ-i-n li-l-infilāt-i min hāḏa l-’ikrāh-i
lā tūğadu ’ayy-u wasīlaẗ-i-n
PART (V)pc N-NOM N-GEN-n
not exist any way
(31)No wonder, then, that activists contesting transnational inequities reject the view that justice can only
be imagined territorially …24
Saada
312
Il n’est par suite pas étonnant que les activistes qui contestent les inégalités transnationales rejettent
l’idée que la justice ne peut être conçue qu’au sein d’un territoire …
وطنية يرفضون الرأي القائل بأن العدالة - جدا أن نرى نشطاء الحركات التحررية المناهضة للمظالم العبر من الطبيعيلهذا فإنه
تنحصر فقط داخل حدود قومية ...
li-hāḏā fa-’inna-hū min(a) ṭ-ṭabī‘iyy-i ğiddan ’an narā nušaṭā’-a l-ḥarakāt-i t-taḥarruriyyaẗ-i l-
munāhiḍaẗ-i li-l-maẓālim-i l-‘abra-waṭaniyyaẗ-i yarfuḍūna r-rā’y-a l-qā’il-a bi-’anna l-‘adālaẗ-a
tanḥaṣiru faqaṭ dāẖil-a ḥudūd-i-n qawmiyyaẗ-i-n
min(a) ṭ-ṭabī‘iyy-i
PREP DEF-N-GEN
normal
Conclusion
Except for the quantifier all, which can be used with or without the definite article the or a
possessive determiner, the rest of the English quantifiers do not accompany any other determiners. While
French quantifiers quelque, chaque, différents, divers and maint are used alone, quelques, tout, aucun,
nul, plusieurs, certain and certains can be accompanied with other determiners. In Arabic, the equivalents
are divided as follows: kaṯīr (min) (من) كثير , ’aġlab أغلب, ġālibiyyaẗغالبية, mu‘ẓam معظم and ğull جل are
used with a definite noun; bi‘ḍ are used with an ما اإلبهامية and mā al-’ibhāmiyyaẗ [vague] عدةiddaẗ‘ , بضع
indefinite noun; and ba‘ḍ بعض , adīd عديد, muta‘addid متعدد, kull كل and ’ayy أي + a negative word can
be used with both.
The equivalents of the English quantifiers are not always French quantifiers, and vice-versa not all
the French quantifiers are equivalents of the English quantifiers. In Arabic, quantifiers, as a category or a
sub-category, does not exist.
All, tout and kull كل
The English quantifier all is used for totality and when followed by the or a possessive determiner, it
refers to the totality of an item. In French, tout is, for both cases, accompanied by another determiner. The
difference is that in plural form it refers to totality, while in singular form it refers to the totality of an
item.
In Arabic, the function of kull depends on the noun it determines. If the latter is definite, kull
indicates the totality of an item; the noun is plural in the first case and singular in the second one. If the
determined noun is indefinite, which should be singular, kull has a distributive value. In this case, its
equivalents in English and French are every and the singular form of tout (without a definite article) when
the members of a group are considered collectively, and each and chaque when they are considered
separately and individually.
A Contrastive Study of English Quantifiers and their Equivalents in French and Arabic
313
Polysemic determiners in Arabic
In addition to kull كل seen above, we have more two important polysemic words in Arabic. The first
one is ba‘ḍ which could indicate a part of a being or thing. The equivalent is a little or some, used بعض
with an uncountable noun, in English and quelque in the singular form in French. It could also mean part
of a number of people or items. In this case, the equivalent is some, used with a countable plural noun, in
English and certains in the plural form in French.
The other polysemic word is ’ayy أي. Just like kull كل, it could have a distributive value, but only
when it is followed by an indefinite noun. Its equivalent is every in English and tout in French. When
followed by a definite noun, the equivalent is either in English and n'importe quell in French.
If ’ayy is accompanied with a negative word and followed by a definite noun, its equivalent is أي
neither or any + a negation particle in English, and aucun in French.
Saada
314
دراسة تقابلية لمحددات األسماء ومقابالتها في الفرنسية والعربية
محمود سعادة جامعة النجاح، فلسطين قسم اللغة الفرنسية،
الملخص
استندنا في هذه الدراسة التقابلية إلى متن يتكون من بضع أوراق بحث باللغة اإلنجليزية وترجمتها إلى كل من اللغتين
يقابلها في العربية والفرنسية. فقارنا الكلمات التي تعبر عن الكمية غير المحددة في اللغة اإلنجليزية، أي محددات األسماء، بما
اللغتين األخريين. بداية، صنفنا محددات األسماء اإلنجليزية في فئات. ثم تناولناها بالدرس ومقابالتها العربية والفرنسية
وحللناها وعقبنا عليها ضمن مجموعة من األمثلة. وفي النهاية، وضعنا عموميات يمكن أن تساعد متعلمي هذه اللغات
هم لمحددات األسماء وإيجاد المقابالت في مختلف السياقات.والمترجمين في تعميق فهم
ترجمة، دراسة تقابلية/مقارنة، جملة اسمية، محددات األسماء، معرفة، مقابل، نكرة. الكلمات المفتاحية:
A Contrastive Study of English Quantifiers and their Equivalents in French and Arabic
315
Endnotes
1Bamyeh, Mohammed. 2011. AL-QAHIRA, THE CITY VICTORIOUS, FEBRUARY 11, 2011.
http://www.transeuropeennes.eu. 2Ibid. 3Ibid. 4 Balibar, Etienne. 2009. Speaking The Universal. http://www.transeuropeennes.eu. 5Ibid. 6 Bamyeh, Mohammed. 2011. Al-Qahira, the City Victorious. February 11, 2011.
http://www.transeuropeennes.eu. 7Balibar, Etienne. 2009. Speaking The Universal. http://www.transeuropeennes.eu. 8Ibid. 9Ibid. 10Ibid. 11Ibid. 12Ibid. 13Ibid. 14« Il s’agit le plus souvent d’une quantité ou d’un degré non élevés, mais non négligeables ». Grevisse et
Goosse. (2007: 811). 15Balibar, Etienne. 2009. Speaking The Universal. http://www.transeuropeennes.eu. 16Ibid. 17Ibid. 18Ibid. 19Bamyeh, Mohammed. 2011. Al-Qahira, the City Victorious. February 11, 2011.
http://www.transeuropeennes.eu. 20Ibid. 21Ibid. 22Ibid. 23Balibar, Etienne. 2009. Speaking The Universal. http://www.transeuropeennes.eu. 24Fraser, Nancy. 2010, Who Counts. http://www.transeuropeennes.eu.
Saada
316
References Balibar, Etienne. 2009. Speaking The Universal. http://www.transeuropeennes.eu.
Bamyeh, Mohammed. 2011, AL-QAHIRA, THE CITY VICTORIOUS, FEBRUARY 11, 2011.
http://www.transeuropeennes.eu.
Chevalier, Jean-Claude, Blanche-Benveniste, Claire, Arrivé, Michel, et Peytard, Jean. 2002. Grammaire
du français contemporain. Paris: Larousse.
Eastwood, John. 2002. Oxford Guide to English Grammar. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Fraser, Nancy. 2010. Who Counts. http://www.transeuropeennes.eu.
Ġalāyīnī, Musṭafā, Ǧāmi‘u d-durūs-i l-’arabiyyaẗ. 13eme édition. Beyrouth: al- Matba'a l-'Asriyya.
(Repr.1978).
Grevisse, Maurice et Goosse André. 2007. Le Bon Usage, Grammaire Française. 14ème édition. Ed. de
Boeck Université. Bruxelles.
IbnManẓūr, Lisān al-‘arab.
Jawad, Maysaa. 2015. A Contrastive Study of Quantifiers in English And Arabic. International Journal
of Humanities Social Sciences and Education (IJHSSE). Online publishing organization:
www.arcjournals.org.
Riegel, Martin - Pellat, et Jean-Christophe - Rioul, René. 1994. Grammaire Méthodique du Français.
Paris: Presses Universitaires de France.
Robert, Paul. 1991. Robert Le petit Robert 1 : Dictionnaire Alphabétique et Analogique de La Langue
Française. Paris: Dictionnaire Le Robert.
Wagner, Robert Léon. 1991. Grammaire du Français Classique et Moderne. Paris: Hachette supérieur.
A Contrastive Study of English Quantifiers and their Equivalents in French and Arabic
317
Table 1: english quantifiers and their equivalents in french and arabic
English quantifier French equivalent(s) Arabic equivalent(s) a few quelques biḍ‘/biḍ‘aẗ بضعة /بضعfew rare adad qalīl عدد قليل
a little quelque ba‘ḍ بعضlittle peu the adjective ḍa‘īf ضعيف
a bit of (informal) = a little a lot of (less formal) =
many/much
lots of (less formal) = many/much
many nombreux ‘adīd عديدmuch beaucoup de kaṯīrmin كثيرمن
too much trop de kaṯīrğiddan min منجدا كثير
or ’akṯar-u mim-mā yanbaġī min أكثر مما ينبغي من
all (totalization)
tous / toutesfollowed by a definite article
Kull كل followed by the definite article al-ال
all the/possessive determiner(totality of an item
and means "whole") tout / toute
kullكل followed by the definite article al-ال
most la plupart du/ de la/ de l' /des ġālibiyyaẗ غالبية, ’aġlab أغلب
orğull جل
both deux preceded by a definite article
the dual form of the determined noun or kilā كال / kiltā كتا
either n'importe quel / n'importe quelle
’ayy أي followed by a definite noun
neither aucun / aucune accompanied by ne
’ayy أيwith a negative word
every (the group is considered collectively)
tout without being followed by a definite article
Kull كل or ’ayy أيdetermining an indefinite singular noun
every(refers to a regular and repeated event) tous / toutes
kullكل / ’ayy أي or time circumstantial
each chaque kullكلdetermining an indefinite
singular noun some (with a countable plural
noun) certains / certaines ba‘ḍ بعض
some (with a singular countable noun)
indefinite article (followed and reinforced by quelconque)
orquelque
mā al-’ibhāmiyyaẗ [vague] ما اإلبهامية
some (with an uncountable noun) a partitive article or un peu de ba‘ḍبعض
any (accompanied with the negative preposition without) sans aucun(e) bi-lā بال or (bi-)dūn (بـ)دون’ayyأي
any (accompanied with an adverb, ex. hardly) Quasiment aucun(e)
Yakādu د يكا lam followed لمby ’ayy أي
any (used in an interrogative context) partitive article (’ayy أي)
no ne + pas (followed by de/d') or ne + aucun(e)
(’ayy أي accompanied with a) negation particle
Saada
318
Table2: phonetic transcription24
Consonants
Arabic letter Symbol Keyboard shortcuts ALT + CRTL + 0 ’ أ b ب t ت ẗ24 ALT + t ة ṯ CTRL + t ث ğ ALT + g ج ḥ ALT + h ح ẖ CTRL + h خ d د ḏ ALT + d ذ r ر z ز s س š ALT + s ش ṣ ALT + CRTL + s ص ḍ ALT + CTRL + d ض ṭ ALT + CRTL + t ط ẓ ALT + CRTL + z ظ ALT + CRTL + a ‘ ع ġ CTRL + g غ F ف q ق k ك l ل m م n ن h ه w و y ي
Long vowels
ā ALT + a ا ū ALT + u و ī ALT + i ي
A Contrastive Study of English Quantifiers and their Equivalents in French and Arabic
319
Short vowels
a u i
Tanwīn
an un in
Abbreviation List
ACC accusative ADJ adjective
ADJcomp comparative adjective CIRtmp time circumstantial CIRlieu place circumstantial
Cp prefix conjugation Cs suffix conjugation
DEF definite DEM demonstrative GEN genitive IMP imperative
N tanwīn N noun
NOM nominative PART particle
pl. plural PREP preposition PRO pronoun sing. singular
V verb