Transliteration of Arabic Words/Phrase into English: An Exploration of Ambiguity Markers

Abstract

Transliteration is a useful process when communication involves a language pair out of which each follows a different script, such as Arabic and English. One danger posed by this process is the ambiguity between the source and target of the communication. This study analyzes the intricate process of Arabic to English transliteration and the factor that make it ambiguous. The study aims to identify, categorize, and analyze the ambiguity markers that frequently arise during the transliteration of Arabic script into the Latin alphabet. The study interviewed 6 specialist translators in the Saudi context to identify the source of difficulties they encounter and which may bring ambiguities to the readers at various language levels. Results indicated that non-standardization in translation from Arabic to English was a cause of ambiguity in transliteration. Finally, regional dialects could not be adjusted in the transliteration spectrum in Google Translate. This research contributes to the field of transliteration studies by providing a comprehensive framework for understanding and addressing ambiguity in the transliteration process.