Cognitive Linguistics and the Symbolism of “Hand” in Arabic Poetry Research Paper

Introduction

Poetry is one of the oldest forms of expression used in diverse cultures to ventilate opinions and ideas and educate and entertain the audience. In the Arab world, poetry has been the heart of its culture and was used by its earliest speakers to record wisdom, beliefs, and other forms of philosophy. It is imperative to note that poets employ different stylistic devices to foster their creativity, invoke the audience’s emotions, enhance originality, and deliver a symbolic meaning to the message.

When a poet wants to express ideas evocatively, stylistic devices such as metaphors, similes, and personification are employed. Cognitive linguistics plays a significant role in the development of the devices. It exploits the relationship between cognition, language, and the mind to develop idioms and other stylistic devices to pass a message. This research paper uses cognitive linguistics to investigate the word “hand” usage in Arabic and explore its semantic meaning. In Arabic poetry, the term ‘hand’ has multifaceted cultural significance and semantic meaning and connects language, culture, and cognition.

Concepts of Cognitive Linguistics

Cognitive linguistics views language as part of human life and uses it to understand human experience. The concept explains that language cannot be separated from the mind and the cognitive process and can be enhanced when a person uses visuals and culture to express meaning. It deeply intertwines language and daily life activities; for example, one can use the word ‘hand’ to mean help since it is often used to render assistance.

Two concepts can link language and cognition in the cultural sense. Conceptual metaphors help poets to use physical experience to explain a point (Alashari, 2022). For example, when a person says, ‘Don’t take matters into your own hands,’ it means that the people designated for a particular assignment do the task. Image schemas are the motor patterns and perceptions that help people understand various concepts (Ma, 2022). For example, using the word thumbs up means a good thing, and thumbs down means to criticize.

Idioms and Metaphors of the “Hand” in Arabic Culture

In the Arab culture, a hand is expressed as a powerful instrument representing human kindness, connection, and the ability to partake in a task. Further, it was viewed as a symbol of strength, and when a fist is displayed, it shows that the person is ready to protect the subjects from all the impending danger (Ma, 2022). The cultural and literal meaning of the word hand in Arabic is leveraged by poets as powerful metaphors to creatively illustrate different meanings (Dahami, 2022). The poets, therefore, use the ability of the hand to protect and render help to evoke emotions, create vivid ideas, and express complex concepts using a few words.

Other than the physical context of the hand, the Arabic culture uses it to express values, identity, and collective responsibility. For example, since it was the role of the affluent in society to feed those in need, a helping hand was therefore valued and the use of the word hand made them reconcile with their true cultural identity (Al-Khazaali et al., 2021). It is imperative to note that the Arabic poets ride on the hand’s profound meaning as a motif for use.

Since the writing is more appealing to the Arabic culture, it may be incorporated into the poetic devices to make them more meaningful and obtain a wide range of audience. Contemporary poets can leverage the hand concept to make their works artistic and beautiful in conveying essential messages (Alashari, 2022). Understanding the cultural meaning of the word “hand” in Arabic lays the foundation for analyzing the semantic meanings and usage.

Comparative Analysis of Usage of the Word “Hand” by Different Personalities

Different professionals and personalities have expressed the use of the word “hand” to pass different appealing messages to the audience. Haider Al-Hali is a Saudi professional footballer known for generosity and helping those in need. His generosity was referred to as the white hand, and everyone in the country associated the word hand with generosity.

Abu Al-Ala’a Al-Ma’arri is a world-renowned writer, poet, and philosopher who analogized generosity with a giving hand that gives like the rain. The philosophers’ teaching encouraged people to give alms as rain falls. The Arabs, therefore, associate hands with generosity and encourage people to help others.

Ahmad Shawqi is the father of poets in Egypt and pioneered most of the poems in the Arab world. He has choreographed the phrase that the fingers of reformers are all in one hand. The context of reforms provides a powerful image in the world, and the word hand is used to express needed reforms (Ma, 2022). A poet who wants to empower people to act as reformers may leverage the word hand. Sardar is also an Arab personality who associated hands with almsgiving and generosity.

Abu Al-Fadl Al-Waleed is a philosopher who associated giving hands with the clouds that pour rainfall for plants to flourish. Water is life-giving, and since hands were used to water the plans, the “hands’ were analogized with life-giving. Contemporary artists understand that people view hands as life-giving, and whenever the word is used in the poem, the audience associates it with life. It is imperative to note that using the word “hand” evokes the emotions of life-giving to the audience.

Ibn Al-Roumi is an Arab national and the grandson of a great poet of all times who choreographed the saying that one hand may not be enough to achieve and therefore makes it a symbol of unity (Kamil & Hazem, 2019). The Arabs who believed in unity through the phrase would be evoked to unite whenever “hand” is used. Poets who want to write about unity can use the word hand to explain unity metaphorically.

Ibn Zamrak Al-Andalusi is an Arabic poem that uses the term, hand to explain the giving and the phrase “between your hands” to show that people needed help. Generosity and giving may be further explained using the hands, and it may be used to evoke people’s ability to give. A person with numerous hands is associated with giving wholeheartedly. It is further imperative to note that Al-Qadi Al-Fadel is another poet who used the word ‘’hand” to refer to gifts and giving whenever a poet wanted to express the need for the offering.

Naif Al-Yazeji is an Arabic philosopher who used the word “hand” as a simile for winning and a person whose responsibility was noted could be replaced with the word hand. A person who succeeds may use the word “hand” to personify success. Poets may use the word to explain success stories (Abandah et al., 2022). Abu Al-Atahiya is another philosopher who associated hands with success and receiving favors. Giving a “hand” may be referred to as offering a favor to a person, meaning that helping people is paramount.

Ibn Dunayneer is an Arab philosopher who personified calamity by claiming that the hands had broken the people apart. When a poet intends to explain how an action happened, the causes can be expressed using the word hand. Ibn Khafaja Al-Andalusi also used the example of the word hand to reiterate that the hands of calamity can break people apart. When a poet wants to explain an unfortunate event, it can be personified as hands.

The personification of the word hand was further used by Bahaa Aldeen Zuhair, who associated hand with reporting scandals when he told the accused that the scandals were a result of the hands of the visitors (Talafha & Rekabdar, 2019). Ibn Al-Mutaz associated the hands with protection, stating that the hands of a guard are vital for ensuring security. Poets writing about protection can use the word “hand to personalize protection.

Linguistic, Metaphoric, and Symbolical Analysis of the Word “hand.”

The word “hand” by the different personalities can convey literal meaning, personification, or symbolize a function. All the people who wrote about the “hand connected it to special meaning and cultural connotation, which aligned the word with people’s quality of life (Abandah et al., 2022). Research by Ladha (2019) inferred that using a term associated with a particular action will likely give a deeper meaning and evoke people’s emotions. For example, associating a gift with the word “hand” will likely pass the message more creatively. The word’s literal meaning explains how a hand’s work can be analogized to a helper. Further, the word can be used as a metaphor to offer a symbolic meaning in an action.

Cultural Connotations and Semantic Meaning of the Word “Hand’

The word “hand’ may be used in different meanings to connect culture, logic, and the literal meaning of words to pass messages. Other than the examples illustrated in the given poems, there are numerous different ways through which the word can be used to connect the audience to their culture by provoking their emotions (Dahami, 2022). Some examples of semantic meaning and cultural connotations include but are not limited to physical presence or touch, power, and strength, giving and generosity, support and protection, creation, and a symbol of identity (Talafha & Rekabdar, 2019). The word can be leveraged to pass messages more creatively and appealingly in the discourse.

Physical Touch and Presence

The semantic meaning of the word hand can be connected to the people’s culture and historical origin to pass messages of presence and touch. The tangible existence of a person, such as helping people in need and taking care of the environment, can be used as an essential aspect to pass messages to people. Since the Arabs believe in being present to help the needy and show compassion, the word hand is perfect for displaying the theme of helping others (Kamil & Hazem, 2019). Whenever a poet needs to express the concept of touching to convey the message better, since “hand’ was used by God to touch people and make their lives more comfortable, it is the role of the people to extend the same courtesy to the people in need. When poets intend to express the theme of presence for people in need, the word hand can be ideal because of the semantic meaning and cultural connotation related to the word.

Power, Agency, and Strength

Power transition and strengths are common themes in the contemporary poetic world, and poets have numerous things to write about power and agency. It took the hand of God to create the world, control everything inside it, and provide stewardship. The cultural connotation shows that the hand is an instrument of power that can create and make circumstances easier (Al-Shaibani et al., 2020). In despair, the hand shows power and courage (Goikolea-Amiano, I2022). As the poets write about circumstances of power and desperation where help is needed, the word would be helpful to pass the messages effectively. The word hand in Arabic poetry may show power, capacity, and problem-solving ability.

Giving and Generosity

Almsgiving and helping people in need are highly enshrined in Arabic culture. “Giving a helping hand” is an example of a phrase that uses the word to show that different people who need help require hands that care. In the poetic context, the word can be used because of its semantic meaning to pass messages on all issues related to helping people in need, encouraging people to be generous in their giving, and helping people in need (Ibrahima et al., 2020). The word has semantically been used throughout the history of Arabic culture to show the ability to help people who are in need.

It is important to note that all poems relating to the theme of giving and generosity can use the word “hand” to connect more with the audience because the word has a close cultural connection. The word evokes people’s emotions regarding the requirements of being generous to people in need (Yuspianti & Ningsih, 2019). Therefore, the semantic meaning and cultural connotation underscore the word’s meaning.

Support and Protection in the Face of Animosity

Poets write about different themes to convey various messages to the audience. The poet’s role is to connect to their audience by using terms that are considered symbolic and can express opinions. The imagery of God’s hand protecting people shows the ability to offer guardianship, stewardship, and protection for the people. A hand is a sign of support and protection when people suffer from animosity (Dahami, 2020). The image of a father offering a “hand’ to a son means that there is adequate protection and guidance against all hate. e. e.

Creation and Artistic Work

The initial creation stories in Arabic show how God used to make the world beautiful. The semantic meaning and the cultural connotation of the word hand show the ability of the audience to take over the role and create new things and shape the ones that are in bad shape. Whenever the word hand is used in the context of creation, it becomes more appealing, and when people connect to their origin and the creation story, they get the power to create things anew (Tamimi Arab, 2021).

Further, the hand is a tool for all artistic expression, and using it shows the capacity to be creative and change the world. It is the work of the poets in the Arabic context to incorporate the word hand to make people understand the beauty of creating new things from nothing. Craftsmanship is essential to improving a person’s life (Ibrahima et al., 2020). Therefore, using the word “hand” in the poem evokes the audience’s craftsmanship and helps them overcome the situations in life.

Symbol of Identity

The hand is used to express people’s unique identity as an agency of expression. In Arabic, poets may use the word as a symbol of identity to ensure the audience can connect with their actions in the long run. The hand is a personal signature that is used to show every person’s unique abilities (Goikolea-Amiano, I2022).

The way fingers differ in size despite being in the same hand shows that people worldwide are diverse yet unique and can, therefore, show independent abilities and capacities. It is important to note that the word “hand’ in the poetic context can be used to show identity (Talafha & Rekabdar, 2019). For example, writing about the Arabic hand in the business world shows a unique way the Arabs do business, which other people can emulate.

Comparison with Other Cultures

The universal use of the word hand in the Arabic context can be extrapolated to other cultures in the world, such as Germany and Turkey. The use of the word in its cultural connotation and semantic meaning makes the poems universal and can, therefore, be used to communicate the message from a worldwide point of view. Further research by Betti (2020) inferred that the creation stories from diverse cultures expressed how God’s hand made life better for the people.

Despite differences in cultural meaning, all the aspects described in this paper are universal since using the hand as protection and identity, as well as creation, shows how the audience’s emotions from all over the world may be evoked (Dahami, 2020). Poets can, therefore, use the word “hand” in Arabic and universally to show how to communicate different themes to the world.

Conclusion

The word “hand” has emerged as a multifaceted and powerful motif in Arabic poetry and can be used to evoke the audience’s emotions for effective passage of messages. The word’s cultural connotation and semantic meaning can express the different emotional connections between the poems and the people’s actions. The word is related to protection, generosity, creation, power, and a symbol of identity.

Poets can leverage the richness of the motif and the semantic meaning to express creativity and originality in their works of art. The word has strong roots in Arabic culture, and its connotations show how people are connected. Contemporary poets in the Arab world and other parts globally can leverage it to pass their messages effectively.

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