Sirat
2024The paths of our language
Linguistic borrowing is a natural process that has occurred for millennia across all languages. Often mischaracterized as a threat, it can also represent the power of language to bridge cultures. The word "sirāt" (straight path) exemplifies one such journey that a word can take. From a common Latin origin, it reached a crossroads when borrowed by English and Arabic. The contrasting images evoked by this word in each language, from the mundane to the holy, illustrates the enriching nature of linguistic borrowing.