The Challenge of translating scientific terminology in DDC

1. Alex. April 2010 The Challenge of translating scientific terminology in DDC Prof. Rifaat H. Hilal National Library and Archives of Egypt

2. Content • History of Scientific Translation. • Efforts of Arabic Language Council • Dewey Decimal Classification. • Scientific Terminology. • Future Challenges. • Conclusions. Alex. April 2010

3. History of Scientific Translation into arabic Alex. April 2010

4. HunaynibnIshaq (also Hunain or Hunein) • Famous and influential scientist, known for his work in translating scientific and medical works in Greek into Arabic and Syriac during the glory years of the Abbasid Caliphate. • Most productive translator of Greek medical and scientific treatises. • He was originally from southern Iraq but he spent his working life in Baghdad, the center of the great ninth-century Greek-into-Arabic/Syriac translation movement. • His translations did not require corrections at all. This perfection possibly came about because he mastered four languages: Arabic, Syriac, Greek and Persian. • He became known among the Arabs as the "Sheikh of the translators. • Iluminure form the Hunaynibn-Ishaq al-'Ibadi manuscript of the Eye Alex. April 2010

5. Evolution of methodology for Scientific Terminology • Daoud Al-Antaki • ( 10th century ) in his Al-Tazkira. Derived expressions explained them by different ways. • Mfateh Al-uloum: The first Arabic encyclopedia for scientific expressions by: Al-Khaurizmi ( 11th century). Alex. April 2010

6. Transmission of Arabic Science to Europe • Eleventh through thirteenth centuries. • Transmission of knowledge from one culture to the other through Spain, southern Italy and Sicily. • The greatest of all translators was Gerard of Cremona (1114?-1187). • Arabic expressions were mostly adopted Alex. April 2010

7. Scientific translation in Modern Egyptian History • Muhammad Ali Pasha • Missions to Europe. • Compulsury translations. Alex. April 2010

8. Refa'ah Rafie' Al Tahtawi • Together with his colleagues started the modern wave of scientific translations. • In 1841, Tahtawi established the Translation Department as a specialized institution mainly dealing with four branches of knowledge: mathematics, medicine and physics, social sciences and Turkish writing. Alex. April 2010

9. Arabic Language Council Alex. April 2010

10. Efforts of Arabic Language Council • Efforts started at the end of the 19th century. • The main goal was to standardize the construction of Scientific expressions. • Efforts to clearly define • The Science of terminology • The science of terminography Alex. April 2010

11. Moulding of Scientific Terms • Borrowing by Arabization. hydrogen...hydrogenation ((هيدروجين- هدرجه • Borrowing by translation car , journal , magazine ( (سياره – جريدة - مجله • Derivation new words with new meanings • Superscription ( sculpturing )نحت new word from two old familiar words. ( amphoteric=حمضلي( al-kaloid , electrostatic شبقلي( شبه قلوي)- ( كهراكدة) كهرباء ساكنه Not very successful Alex. April 2010

12. Composition by mixing Alex. April 2010

13. More Mixing Alex. April 2010

14. Dewey Decimal Classification • The DDC is the most widely used classification system. • DDC is used to organize and provide access to libraries collections. • editors detect trends in the literature that must be incorporated into the Classification. Alex. April 2010

15. DDC isa general knowledge organization tool • universally recognized • Arabic numerals, well-defined categories, • well-developed hierarchies, and • a rich network of relationships among topics. • Ten main classes, which together cover the entire world of knowledge. • 000 Computer science, information .100 Philosophy & psychology200 Religion300 Social sciences400 Language500 Science600 Technology700 Arts & recreation800 Literature900 History & geography Alex. April 2010

16. 500 Science The hundreds Division The Thousand Sections 510 Mathematics • Astronomy 530 Physics 540 Chemistry 550 Earth sciences & geology 560 Fossils & prehistoric life 570 Life sciences; biology 580 Plants (Botany) 590 Animals (Zoology) • 540 Chemistry & allied sciences541 Physical chemistry542 Techniques, equipment & materials543 Analytical chemistry544 [Unassigned]545 [Unassigned]546 Inorganic chemistry547 Organic chemistry548 Crystallography549 Mineralogy Alex. April 2010

17. Scientific terms of overlapping meanings • Ligands chelates • Isomers tautomers • Supramolecular macromolecular • Stoichiometry • radiochemistry radiation chemistry • Chemiluminescence • Colligative Alex. April 2010

18. Difficult very specialized Terms • extrameridionalinstruments الأجهزة الزوالية • Including astrolabes, quadrants, reflecting circles , sextants, zenith and equatorial telescope • تحتوي على الأسترلاب والرباعية و الدائرة العاكسة و آلة السدس والمنظار السمتي والمنظار الأستوائي • Quasars • اشباة النجوم • Cosmogony • ديناميكا النجوم Alex. April 2010

19. Terms may be widely used , popular and move from science to culture • Nanotechnology تقنية النانو • Femtosecondفيمتو ثانيه • Quark كوارك • NMR , x-ray , CAT scan Alex. April 2010

20. Future Challenges. • DDC is now deep into science. • Translation into Arabic is just a beginning. • Libraries may play a role in broadcasting scientific culture. • DDC 5xx translation group will arrange periodic meeting to consolidate the terminology and ensure its adaptation. Alex. April 2010

21. Conclusions • DDC 5xx translation is difficult than ever. • New terms has been introduced into Arabic based on the criteria put down by the Arab language Council. • Translators of DDC 5xx should not only masters the two languages but also the science being translated. • The use and wide spread broadcasting of a scientific term is the only guaranty of its prevalence. Alex. April 2010

22. DD5xx translation Team • Professor Ahmed M. Abou-Khadra • Professor M. Magdi Abdel-Wahab • Professor Ead Dohaa • Professor Rifaat H. Hilal • To be supported by specialists in Zoology and Botany Alex. April 2010

23. Alex. April 2010