A Cross-linguistic Assessment with a Particular Analysis of the Arabic of Siirt: Idioms and Proverbs

This study was designed to shed light on idioms and proverbs in the Arabic of Siirt, a language spoken by a specific community and facing extinction, and their reflections in Turkish, English, and Italian. A total of five idioms and six proverbs, collected from local sources, were evaluated. In this context, the analyses were conducted based on the criteria of interpersonal communication and character, life guidance and observations, realities, and specificity and locality to Siirt Arabic. Following a theoretical framework drawing on numerous sources, it was observed that results emerged based on two elements: locality and universality. In this context, it was revealed that some idioms and proverbs in the Arabic of Siirt, with its distinctive characteristics from Fasih Arabic, can only be associated with the local population and have a linguistic structure of their own. Furthermore, the universal nature of these idioms and proverbs was also emphasized, considering their echoes in the other three languages. Another important finding is that animal names, in particular, are depicted as metaphorical images in all languages. Therefore, a series of suggestions are made regarding the need for more intensive pedagogical study of figurative language, particularly for students receiving translation training as well as regarding future studies aimed at exploring idioms, proverbs, and other figurative language structures from other endangered languages, which would contribute to the literature.