إصلاحيين
English translation: إصلاحي، مصلح
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| 10:54 Jan 29, 2003 |
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|  Selected response from: Fuad Yahya | ||||||
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| 5 +2 | Reformists. There are differences, but very subtle. |
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| 4 +1 | مصلح - إصلاحي |
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| Discussion entries: 3 | |
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Answers
47 mins confidence: 
peer agreement (net): +2
peer agreement (net): +2Reformists. There are differences, but very subtle. Explanation: "Reformer" is a noun applied to one who engages in activities to reform something, usually of a social or cultural nature (encompassing religion, politics, education, and other areas). The term is typically used in a somewhat laudatory manner. Qasim Ameen is thought of as a reformer by some, but as a corrupter (or corruptor) by others. The common word in Arabic is مصلح "Reformist" is used both as a noun and as an adjective. It refers to one who is a follower or advocate of "reformism," which is the word we use for the doctrine or movement of reform. The Arabic for "reformist" is most commonly إصلاحي As you can see, the difference between the two is a hair's breadth. When used as an adjective, the term "reformist" can be clearly distinguished from "reformer." For instance, we can speak of a "reformist party" or "reformist tendencies." In such collocations there is no mix up with "reformer," although one can often justifiably substitue "reform" for "reformist." The difference between a "reform party" and a "reformist party" is so subtle it is almost artificial. One can say, for instance, that "reform" in such a context would typically mean engaged in the activity of reform, while "reformist" (and "reformism") may obliquely hint at reform merely as a political label or as a posture, more like a doctrinaire loyalty to a concept. Another subtle difference is that when "reformist" is used in this fashion, it acquires a somewhat neutral postion with respect to the advocated reforms. In other words, the writer who calls a politician "a reformist activist" may not necessarily agree that the advocated changes amount to positive reform. It is similar to the word "Reformation" with a capital R in reference to the movement of Martin Luther. Although it is the official name of the movement, it is not necessarily thought of by everyone as producing or even aiming at genuine reform. When used as a noun, "reformist" is hardly distinguishable from "reformer" except perhaps that "reformer" would point to an active endeavor, while "reformist" would point more to reformism as an adopted doctrine or as a public stance. Because there is no law anywhere that requires people to use words according to any established lexicon, words in any language have a tendency to grow sideways, to blur their boundaries as soon as they are put in circulation. The idea of having one word for each meaning and one meaning for each word has its attraction, has been proposed by serious thinkers, and continues to guide many practioners of the language arts. The truth, however, is that it is simply contrary to the very nature of human language, as opposed to other communication systems, such as computer codes and animal communication. In short, I would steer away from anyone who tries to pin down such terms, even in their native language, let alone create one-to-one correspondence with terms in other languages. What is required for both comprehension and performance is sensitivity to the intended use. Such sensitivity is mostly gained by intensified exposure. Dictionaries help, but used apart from genuine exposure and active engagement, they can do more harm than good. Fuad -------------------------------------------------- Note added at 2003-01-29 11:43:32 (GMT) -------------------------------------------------- I hope that my answer covers your follow up question as well. Please let me know if it fails to cover that. |
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1 hr confidence:  peer agreement (net): +1
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