In Search of Water: Hydrological Terms in Oman’s Toponyms

Abstract

This study investigates Arabic terms related to fresh water sources expressed in Oman’s toponyms. It presents their classification and discusses the semantic and structural properties of both the place names and the hydrological lexicon. A description of oasis agriculture among the inhabitants is also given as necessary background for understanding the importance of locating water and its effect on landscape delimitation and categorization. In an environment without permanent water bodies, the significance of this resource is reflected in the way people conceptualize their landscape, minutely classifying its hydrological features and expressing them in toponyms. Historically, their knowledge of water sources has contributed to better land use management and sustainability of Oman’s oasis agriculture.

Keywords:

• Arabic
• ethnophysiography
• landform categorization
• landscape ethnoecology
• landscape features
• place names
• traditional environmental knowledge (TEK)

Notes on contributors

Nafla S. Kharusi received her doctorate in linguistics from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. She is currently working on Oman’s toponyms, investigating the extent to which language and culture influence the categorization of landscape features. Her other research interests include ethnic politics and ethnolinguistic minorities of Oman.

Amel Salman teaches linguistics and translation in the Department of English at Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. She holds a doctorate in lexicology and lexicography from the University of Glasgow, United Kingdom. Her research interests include language and culture, ethnolinguistics and ethnophysiography.

Notes

1 Wikipedia, “Oman.” Accessed June 2, 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Oman_Topography.png.

2 Wikipedia, “Oman.” Accessed June 2, 2014. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorates_of_Oman.