Popular Press
Reclaiming “Allahu Akbar” from Semantic Pejoration
Anthropology News
(2018)
Abstract
Allāhu akbar, the Arabic phrase meaning “God is the greatest,” has gained connotations in US public discourse that differ vastly from its meaning among Muslims. Understanding this process may be the first step to reclaiming its positive connotations.
Keywords
- Allāhu akbar,
- semantic pejoration,
- Islamaphobia,
- political discourse,
- Donald Trump,
- US public discourse,
- indexicality,
- Islam,
- Middle East,
- Qatar
Disciplines
Publication Date
August 1, 2018
DOI
10.1111/AN.934
Publisher Statement
Copyright 2018 American Anthropological Association
Citation Information
Adam Hodges. "Reclaiming “Allahu Akbar” from Semantic Pejoration" Anthropology News Vol. 59 Iss. 4 (2018) p. e267 - e272 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/adamhodges/91/