spelling Muhammad


kleinecke@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Yusuf B Gursey wrote:
kleinecke@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
In my opinion, the only sensible way to write the word is Muhammad.
Writing it with an o and/or an e seems dismissive to me.

There is no earthly reason not to get the three short vowels right - a i u.

that is if you are *transliterating* from arabic script which goes on
the strictly phonemic principle, i.e. only distinctions relevant to
meaning are shown, distinctions due to the surrounding syllable or
dialect are not shown. I personally prefer this aiu system. but one
must realize that other transcriptions reflect pronounciations in
dialect.

I would paraphrase what you said as saying that the matter depends on
what you are transcribing.


transliterations and transcriptions are different.


I acknowledge that I am transcribing the orthography of classical
Arabic. I assume that, in classical times, the orthography was an
accurate representation of the pronunciation. But, in fact, during this
question, I have no interest at all in how it was pronounced - only is
how it was written.

Other people have other goals. Some of them would like to transcribe
the actual pronunciation (not the orthography) by which they mean the
present-day pronunciation.
There is nothing a priori wrong with such an approach, but it is not
the traditional way things are done in English. We prefer to copy the

for latin script names.


orthographic version. For example, for a long time, English speakers
pronounced "Quixote" like "quick-soat" because that is the way it is
spelled. We know about that one now - but there are many more lurking
around.

The original ways that the name Muhammad was written were based on
pronunciation. Muslims should appreciate that using pronunciation at


it was based on phonemics, not detailed phonetics.

this point is a statement that Muslims do not have an alphabet. To
those borrowers Arabic script was simply a pile of hen scratching.
Muslims should have been and still should be insulted

If we wanted to transcribe by pronunciation we should use present-day

that would not be teh source language pronounciation.


English pronunciation which might come out as, say, "Muhamid".

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: spelling Muhammad
    ... that is if you are *transliterating* from arabic script which goes on ... transliterations and transcriptions are different. ... accurate representation of the pronunciation. ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: The Sabbath
    ... I acknowledge that I am transcribing the orthography of classical ... accurate representation of the pronunciation. ... those borrowers Arabic script was simply a pile of hen scratching. ...
    (soc.religion.islam)
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