The Connotations of Numbers in Colloquial Arabic: A Pragmalinguistic Study

Abstract

In Arabic culture, numbers have meanings based on old traditions and cultural beliefs. Some numbers have deep spiritual and symbolic meanings that may affect a person’s life path. Each group of numbers has a specific meaning attached to verbal number representations. This study pragmalinguistically analyses the use of numbers and their contextual connotations in Arabic. Six numbers are evaluated: two, ten, one hundred, one thousand, seven, and sixty. The study analyses these numbers in different contexts, providing the readers with expressions that portray negative and positive connotations. The study reveals that the number sixty has a negative connotation while ten, one hundred, and one thousand are used to denote exaggeration. The number two is used to express how many times something has been done. Finally, the number seven is a familiar number in different cultures with different connotations. The study also reveals that the connotations of the said numbers are related to social, religious, and cultural values. The study ends with two recommendations for further studies to analyse number connotations in other languages and to conduct comparative studies.