Names of Palestinian Villages of Jerusalem: Linguistics and Semantic Study
Nasser Ed-Din Abu Khdair, Arabic Language Department, Birzeit University, Ramallah, Palestine.
Abstract
This study sets out to explore the naming system of Jerusalem villages, using a comparative approach; in a sense, it is a derivational and semantic study trying to shed light on the derivational origins of these names in the Semitic languages, without necessarily allocating the sites of these villages.
This study consists of three chapters. Chapter one focuses on the Arab and non-Arab names of the villages of Jerusalem. This is the most important chapter as it helps us understand the origin of the names whether Semitic or non-Semitic. Chapter two sheds light on the types of compounding in the names of these villages. The last chapter explains the semantic parameter of the names. This is followed by a conclusion illustrating the logic behind adopting these names.
Moreover, this study focuses on Jerusalem for its significance in the conflict over its Arab origin. This study tries to show the authenticity of the naming of these villages, which represents a kind of link between Canaanite past and the Arab-Palestinian status quo, thus proving the Islamic and Arabic identity of the Holy City.