Semantic structure of Kuwaiti Maritime proverbs: a Natural Semantic Metalanguage analysis

Abstract

Kuwaiti maritime proverbs are often misinterpreted by non-native speakers due to cultural references and metaphors. This study aimed to analyse these proverbs from a semantic, rather than a folkloristic, perspective. It is the first to examine and conceptualise Kuwaiti maritime proverbs using the Natural Semantic Metalanguage (NSM) system of componential semantics, as outlined in the works of Wierzbicka and Goddard. Five maritime proverbs were analysed using simple words to express more complex meanings, with explanations built using the five-part semantic template for English and Malay proverbs proposed by Goddard (2009, 2014). A communicative translation strategy was used to translate the proverbs into English. Data for analysis were collected from three specialised dictionaries on Kuwaiti proverbs and six related to Kuwaiti maritime history and culture. The analysis revealed common themes, such as the importance of cooperation, resilience, and the unpredictability of the sea. For example, the Kuwaiti proverb ‘Two captains sank the ship’ underscores the dangers of having multiple leaders in a single endeavour, which can yield counterproductive outcomes due to a lack of coordination and singular vision. NSM helped clarify such cultural nuances, reducing misunderstanding by explicating meanings. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of Kuwaiti maritime proverbs and their cultural significance, offering a valuable tool for cross-cultural communication. The findings also highlight the challenges in pairing proverbs from different languages, posing issues in both dictionaries and second-language learning environments.

Keywords

• Semantic analysis
• Natural Semantic Metalanguage
• Kuwaiti Arabic
• paremiology
• cross-cultural communication
• Semantics