I really enjoy linguistic analysis. I like looking at how words are used to frame a political stance and in time of war, the pickings are rich. As regular readers know, I am in Sana'a Yemen and have been following the political happenings in Yemen since before the Arab Spring Uprisings. Since the war began and there isn't electricity to keep up to date by the net or TV, I have resorted to my trusty little wireless.
I have been flicking between al-Masira (Houthi TV audio feed), Sam FM (Houthi sympathiser broadcasts), and Itha3at as-Sana'a (Sana'a government broadcaster). There isn't much else to listen to these days, even the Quran channel has disappeared.
As far as most people see in on the ground here, the Saudi Coalition attacked us unprovoked (unless you consider Houthi ranting hyperbole as justifiable provocation). So the Houthis have been able to capitalise on this and many Yemeni men particularly the unemployed flocked to join Houthi ranks in defence of the Yemeni homeland. I have been listening to the reports and noting the use of adjectives to describe the Saudi aggression.
In the first days, the coalition was simply referred to as 3dawan Saudi-Amriki, very soon that became 3dawan Saudi-Amriki Al-Ghashim. Ghashim means unjust, unfair, tyrannical, brutish. You get the idea. Personally I think this is a good description of the way the air campaign has bee conducted.
A few more days of al-ghashim and another adjective was added to the 3dawan - al-Hamaji. So now news readers were using 3dawan Saudi Amriki al-ghashim al-hamaji. Al-hamaji means uncivilised, savage or barbaric. This has been an important addition of adjectives as the propaganda moved to creating a picture of Saudi Arabia as being without civilisation or culture, as compared with Yemen's long history of civilisation and ancient archaeological sights.
During the first month, as most of us, even if we did not support the Houthis, were amazed by the arrogance of the coalition air strikes. The use of mutakabbir and mutajabbir were introduced into describing the Saudi led coalition. Both words mean arrogant. The words dropped out of common usage and a new word was used and is still in common use now in daily broadcasts. the word - al-burburi, meaning barbaric and uncivilised from the word Berber the native people of North Africa. We have a similar word in English - barbary. This word continued with the uncivilised versus the Yemeni civilisations and pride in country theme.
Around the same time of burburi came sahyooni which plays on the percieved involvement of Israel in these operations. One day the news reader was referring to the coalition and said, "al-3dawan Saudi -Amriki al-ghashim al-hamaji al-burburi alsahyooni, Ya Allah I need a new dictionary."
The clear winner in terms of continued usage up to this point in time is al-ghashim.
Next linguistic look will consider the use of adjectives to describe Yemenis enduring patiently amid the airstrikes and blockade.
I have been flicking between al-Masira (Houthi TV audio feed), Sam FM (Houthi sympathiser broadcasts), and Itha3at as-Sana'a (Sana'a government broadcaster). There isn't much else to listen to these days, even the Quran channel has disappeared.
As far as most people see in on the ground here, the Saudi Coalition attacked us unprovoked (unless you consider Houthi ranting hyperbole as justifiable provocation). So the Houthis have been able to capitalise on this and many Yemeni men particularly the unemployed flocked to join Houthi ranks in defence of the Yemeni homeland. I have been listening to the reports and noting the use of adjectives to describe the Saudi aggression.
In the first days, the coalition was simply referred to as 3dawan Saudi-Amriki, very soon that became 3dawan Saudi-Amriki Al-Ghashim. Ghashim means unjust, unfair, tyrannical, brutish. You get the idea. Personally I think this is a good description of the way the air campaign has bee conducted.
A few more days of al-ghashim and another adjective was added to the 3dawan - al-Hamaji. So now news readers were using 3dawan Saudi Amriki al-ghashim al-hamaji. Al-hamaji means uncivilised, savage or barbaric. This has been an important addition of adjectives as the propaganda moved to creating a picture of Saudi Arabia as being without civilisation or culture, as compared with Yemen's long history of civilisation and ancient archaeological sights.
During the first month, as most of us, even if we did not support the Houthis, were amazed by the arrogance of the coalition air strikes. The use of mutakabbir and mutajabbir were introduced into describing the Saudi led coalition. Both words mean arrogant. The words dropped out of common usage and a new word was used and is still in common use now in daily broadcasts. the word - al-burburi, meaning barbaric and uncivilised from the word Berber the native people of North Africa. We have a similar word in English - barbary. This word continued with the uncivilised versus the Yemeni civilisations and pride in country theme.
Around the same time of burburi came sahyooni which plays on the percieved involvement of Israel in these operations. One day the news reader was referring to the coalition and said, "al-3dawan Saudi -Amriki al-ghashim al-hamaji al-burburi alsahyooni, Ya Allah I need a new dictionary."
The clear winner in terms of continued usage up to this point in time is al-ghashim.
Next linguistic look will consider the use of adjectives to describe Yemenis enduring patiently amid the airstrikes and blockade.
