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PROBLEMS OF TRANSLATION OF ARCHAIC WORDS IN THE NOVEL “BYGONE
DAYS” BY A. QADIRI
Tursunov Elmurod Umrzoqovich
Uzbekistan state world languages university
Senior Lecturer, Department of Theoretical Aspects of the English Language No. 1
Annotation:
This article reflects the difficulties and methods of translating historical and archaic
words into English in the novel “Bygone Days” by Abdulla Qodiriy, one of the representatives of
the Uzbek Jadid movement, which is considered the crown jewel of Uzbek national novelism, to
what extent the archaic words have found their equivalents in the three English translations of the
novel. The article presents the translation methods used to solve the difficulties in translating
archaisms into English using examples from all three translation options of the work using a
comparative-analytical method.
Keywords:
archaic words, transliteration, English, historicism, historical words, translation
methods, historic words.
Introduction.
In the novel “Bygone Days” by A. Kadiri, the skillful and masterly use of stylistic
devices and expressive means determined its artistic and aesthetic value, while the archaic words
and word combinations used in the work “clearly and vividly embodied the life, customs,
spiritual insight, conditions and appearance of the Uzbek nation in a specific historical context
and situation.”
Language is a dynamic phenomenon characterized by constant change and renewal. As a result,
the objects and phenomena expressed by a particular word fall out of use, the word itself
becomes obsolete. An analysis of special literature on the lexicology of the Uzbek literary
language
shows that such obsolete words which have already fallen out of use in the lexicon of
the language, are classified as
historical
and
archaic
words according to the coefficient of
obsolescence and the nature of their use. Archaic words are used only because of the need to
create an image of a certain historical period and are associated with the loss of the concepts
expressed by them, social events, military weapons, and certain industrial equipment becoming
obsolete and out of use. For example, words such as
hark
(
listen
),
morrow
(
tomorrow
),
beseech
(
to ask earnestly
),
betimes
(
in good time
),
bruit
(
to spread rumours
), and
knave
(
a dishonest
man
) are archaic words.
The main difficulty encountered in translating archaic works is related to preserving the
historicity reflected in them and fully conveying it in the translated text. In such cases,
ambiguities cannot be allowed. After all, this leads to a distortion of historical reality and the
creation of a false image of the past in the mind of the reader. “Naturally, such a (historical)
work is filled with countless historical and archaic words in accordance with the needs of the era,
which, in addition to reviving the spirit and breath of the era in the eyes of the reader, also
increase the artistic and aesthetic impact of the work.”
1
Karimov B. The world’s great novels: Abdulla Qodiriy. Bygone Days. World Literature, 2013, Vol. №4
2
Lexicology of the Uzbek language. Tashkent. Fan. 1981.
3
Musayev K. Fundamentals of Translation Theory. Tashkent. Fan. 2005. p. 111.
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The historical lexicon in the original, and in general, the translation of historical works, is mainly
governed by four principles:
1. The method of explanatory translation;
2. The method of adaptation (in which a specific historical word or concept in the original text is
replaced by such a name or concept in the target language);
3. The method of illustration;
4. The method of searching for and replacing an equivalent word or phrase in the target text that
exactly corresponds to a historical word or phrase in the original;
5. The method of transliteration.
As G. Salomov put it, “Each translation should be studied in relation to the period in which the
translation was created, based on the principle of historicity. Failure to adhere to such a rule can
lead to serious errors or bias in assessing the quality of the translation, the translator’s merits, and
the main trends in translation of each period.”
So, one of the main tasks set before the translator
is to fully reflect the spirit of the period in the translation text, which is originally intended in the
translation of historical words and, in general, historical works.
Let us pay attention to how some historical words used in the novel have found their equivalents
in the translations of the novel by I. Tukhtasinov, M. Reese, and C. Ermakova. In Part I of the
work, Chapter 22, entitled “A Stranger and a Poor Man” the following sentence is quoted:
“Dahlizdan ichkariga qaralsa bir
munaqqash
va
muzayyan
zol, ikki tomonida xonning
shogʻovul boshilari
,
yasovul boshilari
,
dasturxonchi
va
oftobachilari
,
tunqator
va
parvonachilari otaliq
va
mehtarboshilari
va tagʻi alla qancha vazir-vuzarolari qator tizilishib
oʻlturmakda edilar.”
In this passage alone, archaic words such as
munaqqash
,
muzayyan
,
shogavul bashilari
,
yasavul bashilari
,
dasturkhanchi
,
aftobachi
,
tunqator
,
parvanachali
,
otaliq
and
mehtarbashilari
are used to describe the khan’s horde in Kokand. These archaic words are
translated as follows in the English translations of the novel:
Tranlstion by I. Tuxtasinov, O. Muminov, A. Khamidov
:
“If you looked inside the anteroom, you could see a long and wide hall. On each side of the Khan,
two servants were standing, mounted guards, and others sat in the line.
Translation by M. Reese
:
“
Working through the ancillary chamber, an expansive hall beckons with two sides of the room
lined with the khan’s Shighavulboshi, armed Yasavulboshi, attendants of various ranks, the
khan’s Oftobboshi, night watchmen, parvanachi, along with sundry other advisers, government
employers, nobles, ministers and state officials
.”
Translation by Carol Ermakova
:
“
When we reach the end of the corridor and peep inside, a vast hall opens before us, luxuriously
furnished and decorated with murals. Elders, dignitaries and high-ranking officials sit in rows
along the walls, together with many advisors and viziers
.”
Table 1
Comparative analysis of English translations of the passage under investigation
4
Salomov G. Fundamentals of Translation Theory. Tashkent. Ukituvchi. 1983.
5
Abdulla Qodiriy. Bygone Days. Novel. Publishing House “East”. Tashkent. 2004. p. 113.
6
A. Qodiriy. The Days Gone By: Novel. I. M. Tukhtasinov, O.M.Muminov, A.A. Khamidov. – T.: “Mashhur-press”,
2017. p116.
7
Reese M. Bygone Days by Abbullah Qodiriy. USA. Middletown, DE. 2019. p134.
8
Ermakova C. Days Gone By by A. Kadiriy. Nouveau Monde editions. 2019. p 111.
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Original
Translation by I.
Tuxtasinov,
O.
Muminov,
A.
Khamidov
:
M.
Reese’s
translation
Carol Ermakova’s
translation
Dahlizdan ichkariga
qaralsa
bir
munaqqash
va
muzayyan
zol, ikki
tomonida
xonning
shogʻovul boshilari
,
yasovul
boshilari
,
dasturxonchi
va
oftobachilari
,
tunqator
va
parvonachilari
otaliq
va
mehtarboshilari
va
tagʻi alla qancha
vazir-vuzarolari
qator
tizilishib
oʻlturmakda edilar
.
If you looked inside
the anteroom, you
could see
a long
and
wide
hall. On each
side of the Khan,
two
servants
were
standing, mounted
guards, and others
sat in the line
.
Working through the
ancillary chamber,
an
expansive
hall
beckons with two
sides of the room
lined with the khan’s
Shighavulboshi
,
armed
Yasavulboshi
,
attendants
of
various ranks, the
khan’s
Oftobboshi
,
night
watchmen
,
parvanachi
, along
with sundry other
advisers,
government
employers, nobles,
ministers and state
officials
.
When we reach the
end of the corridor
and peep inside, a
vast
hall
opens
before
us,
luxuriously
furnished
and
decorated
with
murals.
Elders
,
dignitaries
and
high-ranking
officials
sit in rows
along the walls,
together with many
advisors
and
viziers
.
The lexemes
munaqqash
[a. decorated, embellished] and
muzayyan
[a. decorated] in the
sentence are words borrowed from the old bookish Arabic language, expressing the meanings of
decorated and embellished. These Arabic borrowings can be translated into English as
ornamented
,
decorated
. In the novel, the writer aims to provide detailed information about the
internal and external appearance of the Khan’s Horde in Kokand, as well as the buildings and
administrative structure of the Kokand Khanate, which covered a large territory under its
jurisdiction at the beginning of the 19th century, in order to create a clearer and vivid picture for
the reader.
In the translation variant by I. Tukhtasinov, O. Muminov, A. Khamidov, these lexemes have
been rendered as
long and wide
. M. Reese translated them into English as
expansive
, while C.
9
Abdulla Qodiriy. Bygone Days. Novel. Publishing House “East”. Tashkent. 2004. p. 113.
10
A. Qodiriy. The Days Gone By: Novel. I. M. Tukhtasinov, O.M.Muminov, A.A. Khamidov. – T.: “Mashhur-
press”, 2017. p116.
11
Reese M. Bygone Days by Abbullah Qodiriy. USA. Middletown, DE. 2019. p134.
12
Ermakova C. Days Gone By by A. Kadiriy. Nouveau Monde editions. 2019. p 111.
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Ermakova expressed them as
vast
. Here, the question is not about the size of the hall, but about
its high quality and decoration with various ornaments. We will continue our analysis with the
translation of archaic words such as
shigavul bashilari
,
yasovul bashilari
,
dosturkhonchi
and
aftobachi
,
tunqator
and
parvonachi
,
otaliq
and
mehtarbashilari
, which are given in the
continuation of the sentence. The work “Tarihi Turkistan” [The history of Turkestan] by Mirzo
Alim Makhdum Khoji divides officials and dignitaries in the khanate into 24 levels and provides
extensive information about the authorities and duties assigned to them. According to this source:
–
shigavul
– (also used as
shi’govul
,
shagavul
) is a 4th-level position, which was used to refer to
an official who met ambassadors and brought them to the khan during the khanate;
–
yasavul bashi
– a military, armed guard, guard who supervised the implementation of laws
(
yassis
);
–
dasturkhanchi
– (twelfth-level position) an official in charge of the khan’s kitchen;
–
aftobachi
– one of the khan’s personal servants, a person who helps him wash and perform
ablution;
–
tunqator
(or
tunqotir
) – (sixth-level position) a night guard, a personal guard;
–
parvonachi
– (third-level position) an official who writes the khan’s decrees and orders,
delivers letters and petitions to the khan;
–
otaliq
– (eighth-level position) advisor to the khan;
–
mehtarbashi
– a high-ranking official at the khan’s court, at the level of kushbegi
When translating such archaic words, the method of transliteration and interpretation is mainly
used. On the other hand, if there are words in the target language that are completely equivalent
to these words in the original, they can be used. Since the titles and positions used in the original
are historicisms belonging to the khanates that ruled Central Asia at that time, they can be
translated by transliteration and interpretation.
It can be seen from the table that in the translations of I. Tukhtasinov, O. Muminov, and
A. Khamidov, the words expressing the positions and dignitaries in the novel are translated as
two servants and mounted guards, in the interpretation of M. Reese as
Shighavulboshi
,
Yasavulboshi
,
Oftobboshi
, night watchmen, parvanachi, advisers and government employers, and
by C. Ermakova as elders, dignitaries and high-ranking officials. In the translation by M. Reese,
some positions and positions are transliterated and explained at the end of the book.
In our opinion, although the translator omitted or incorrectly reflected some historical lexemes
(for example, Oftobboshi. There was no such position in the Kokand Khanate), we believe that
this translation is closer to the original. The positions and positions introduced at that time are
also described in detail in the literature by foreign historians and scholars, which provides
valuable information about the emergence and decline of the Central Asian khanates, in
particular the Kokand Khanate, the system of governance of the khanates, and the political and
social situation.
Shogʻovulboshi
–
Head of Shighavuls
(high official in the court administration; master of
ceremonies, responsible for supervising diplomatic exchanges);
Yasovul boshi
– head of Yasovuls (head of servants to the ruler, personal divguard to the khan,
an armored guard);
Dasturkhanchi
– Dasturkhanchi (a high official who was responsible for preparing meals for
court officials and hosting guests in the palaces of emirs, khans, and beks);
Oftobachi
– Oftobachi (an official who held an ewer when the khans, the emirs, and their guests
were washing their hands in the palace of the khans, an ewer bearer);
Tunqator
- a night watchman, a guard;
Parvonachi
- Parvonachi (a person who wrote the khan's decrees and orders; one of the highest-
ranking officials in the palace);
Otaliq
- Otaliq (high civil administration post for a senior official, khan's advisor);
Mehtarbashi
- Mekhtarbashi (A high-ranking official at the same rank as a kushbegi: a foreign
affairs officer at the khan's palace).
Table 2
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Comparative analysis of English translations of archaic words in the passage under
investigation
Original
Translation by I.
Tuxtasinov,
O.
Muminov,
A.
Khamidov
:
M.
Reese’s
translation
Carol
Ermakova’s
translation
The translation
variant we are
offering
shogʻovul
two
servants,
mounted guards
Shighavulboshi
Elders,
dignitaries and
high-ranking
officials
shighavulbashi
yasovul boshi
Yasavulboshi
yasovulbashi
dasturxonchi
–
dasturxanchi
oftobachilari
Oftobboshi?
oftobachi
tunqator
night watchmen
a
night
watchman,
a
guard
Parvonachi
parvanachi
parvonachi
Otaliq
advisers
otaliq
Mehtarboshilari
government
employers
mekhtarbashi
So the whole context can be translated as follows:
If you looked inside the antechamber, you could see a
decorated
and
ornamented
hallway on
both sides of which heads of
shighavuls
,
yasovuls
,
dasturxanchi
and
oftabachi
(an ewer bearer),
a night watchman
,
parvonachi
,
otaliq
,
head of mekhtars
and some other viziers and state
officials were sitting in rows.
Conclusion.
It can be concluded that a work of art is mainly examined from the linguistic and
literary aspects. When the language of a particular work of art is examined linguistically, work is
carried out at the morphological, lexical, syntactic, and semantic levels of linguistics, and the
way in which the writer used the laws of language is deeply analyzed. When the examination is
carried out taking into account the criteria of literary criticism, the mysterious power of the work
of art is manifested through the artistic, stylistic, and ideological and aesthetic means used in it.
The novel “Bygone Days” by Abdullah Kadiri is not only a unique epic work glorifying
nationality and identity, but it is also a unique historical novel that provides a detailed account of
the historical and social events that took place in Central Asia, in particular in our country, at the
beginning of the 19th century.
This can be seen in the skilful and sensitive use of many historicisms and archaic words and
word combinations and other expressive means used in the novel. On the other hand, it is
noticeable that words related to historical events and historical concepts, as well as historicisms
denoting positions and positions, adopted from Arabic, Persian-Tajik languages, are used more
often in the Uzbek literary language than in other categories of historical words. In translating
historical and archaic words, adaptation, description, explanation and transliteration methods are
used. Based on the results of our study on the degree to which equivalence was established in the
translation of historical words used in the novel “Bygone Days” into English in the translations
by I. Tukhtasinov, O. Muminov and A. Khamidov, and the translations by M. Reese and
C. Ermakova, it can be concluded that the translation by M. Reese relatively preserved the
national and historicity of the original. It can be seen that K. Ermakova allowed freedom in the
translation of some historicisms and sought to express a number of historical words in general. In
the interpretation by I. Tukhtasinov, O. Muminov and A. Khamidov, although some historical
lexemes in the original text were translated by replacing them with other words in some cases,
we believe that, in general, they were able to convey the general spirit of the original.
LIST OF USED LITERATURE
https://ijmri.de/index.php/jmsi
volume 4, issue 4, 2025
787
1.
Karimov B. The world’s great novels: Abdulla Qodiriy. Bygone Days. World Literature,
2013, Vol. №4
2.
Lexicology of the Uzbek language. Tashkent. Fan. 1981.
3.
Musayev K. Fundamentals of Translation Theory. Tashkent. Fan. 2005. p. 111.
4.
Salomov G. Fundamentals of Translation Theory. Tashkent. Ukituvchi. 1983.
5.
Abdulla Qodiriy. Bygone Days. Novel. Publishing House “East”. Tashkent. 2004. p. 113.
6.
Qodiriy. The Days Gone By: Novel. I. M. Tukhtasinov, O.M.Muminov, A.A. Khamidov.
– T.: “Mashhur-press”, 2017. p116.
7.
Reese M. Bygone Days by Abbullah Qodiriy. USA. Middletown, DE. 2019. p134.
8.
Ermakova C. Days Gone By by A. Kadiriy. Nouveau Monde editions. 2019. p 111.
