النظائر المخادعة في الأردية ذات الأصول القرآنية: دراسة دلالية تحليلية

الملخص

This study explores the phenomenon of false cognates between Arabic and Urdu, with a particular focus on Qurʼānic vocabulary that has undergone semantic transformation after entering the Urdu linguistic environment. Arabic is one of the richest sources of loanwords in Urdu, especially due to the deep historical, religious, and cultural interactions between Muslim societies of the Indian Subcontinent and the Arab-Islamic tradition. However, many Qurʼānic terms borrowed into Urdu have shifted in meaning—either through narrowing, widening, metaphorical extension, or socio-cultural specialization—resulting in forms that resemble their Arabic originals but differ semantically. Such words are commonly referred to as “false cognates” or “false friends.” The research identifies selected Qurʼānic-origin Arabic words whose contemporary Urdu meanings diverge significantly from their classical Arabic usage. The analysis draws on major Arabic lexicons (such as Lisān al-ʿArab and al-Qāmūs al-Muḥīṭ) and authoritative Urdu dictionaries (such as Farhang-e-Āsafiyyah and Nūr-ul-Lughāt). It also traces historical pathways of linguistic transmission through religion, education, Sufism, and socio-cultural interaction. The study concludes that these semantic shifts are not linguistic distortions but natural outcomes of language contact. Nevertheless, they have implications for translation, pedagogy, and understanding of Qurʼānic terminology within Urdu-speaking communities.