Translating the connotative meanings of colour expressions in the Glorious Qu'ran

Abstract EN

This paper investigates problems of translating the connotative meanings of colour expressions in the Holy Qur'an.Three colour expressions have been examined in the paper ,namely white , green and yellow and three well-known commentators have been consulted ,namely Ibn Kathir, al-Qurtubi and al- Razi .Then an assessment of six English eminent renditions of the colour expressions in the Qu'ran will be conducted.

A literature review of the previous studies have been presented .

It is found that the white colour has a negative connotation in English and Arabic when collocating with the parts of human body , especially ,hand ,or it can signify diseases ,but when the whiteness is divine and free from evil there will be no sign of sickness or harm.

Yellow colour has an identical negative connotation in both English and Arabic when it collocates with plants but has a positive connotation when it collocates with other thing ,particularly cow .

Green colour has the same denotative and connotative meanings in English and Arabic.