Multiplicity of Different English Functional Semantic Realizations of the Translation of the Arabic Preposition ب

This paper throws a spotlight at an uncharted territory in the field of translation and grammatical analysis. The semantic functions of the preposition ب in Arabic has been the cynosure of all linguists’ and translators’ and rhetoricians’ eyes for decades. The paper channels efforts into establishing a meeting-ground as a point of departure for the topic. The paper devotes considerable efforts to explore the semantic functions, expressed by the preposition ب, and then they are analyzed. The different realizations in English of the same preposition in Arabic are meant to enrich translators’ and linguists’ appreciation and critical understanding of the different semantic functions of the preposition ب. Some alternative solutions are provided to put things in the right perspective. Failure to perfectly understand the semantic functions inherent in the preposition ب in different contexts definitely washes away meaning, and causes translators to bog down in unanswered questions pertaining to the exact meaning intended. This paper tries hard to clear away any fog of long-standing misunderstanding in relation to this topic which has long been a bone of contention.