Three proverbs in Muslim and Jewish Arabic from Baghdad

The aim of this short article is to present three proverbs in Muslim Baghdadi and Jewish Baghdadi dialects, characterized by conveying teachings and moral values that have parallels and similarities with concepts expressed in the Quranic text, and to offer their linguistic analysis and description in order to show some features of the two varieties. The interaction between language and religion is very significant for Arabic paremiology, as the Qurʾān is a rich source of proverbs. On the one hand, many Quranic verses are used as proverbs; on the other, many proverbs are mentioned and recalled in the Quranic text. As far as the analysis of proverbs is concerned, the transcription in Latin characters and the translation into English will be undertaken by the author. For each proverb, a commentary on its use and on the message transmitted will be provided, along with the Quranic verses that convey similar concepts. Then, some phonological and morphological features of the two dialects will be described, taking the move from the analysis of the most significant expressions and terms of the proverbs; for this purpose and to better highlight the characteristics of the two varieties a comparison with Classical Arabic will be offered.