The word taifa can be included in lists of specific terms in an extensive range of Islamic contexts: mystical, socio-professional, political, historical, etc. However, the meaning of the word has experienced a tangible atrophy over the last two centuries and is rarely used today except in the sense of «religious denomination». It is no longer accurate to say that taifa is an «exact equivalent» of the French word communauté, a word which joins adjectives like rural, national, international, doctrinal and religious in both a literal and hypothetical sense. Our article discusses a well-known issue: the uneven development of the direct and hidden semantic content of words and terms from two languages and whose dominant use as exact equivalents in both languages is assumed and unchallenged, despite the fact that all lexicographers (particularly those involved in bilingual dictionaries) know that equivalent is not the same as synonymous. With this article we have tried to place the spotlight once again on this reality by focusing on two extremely relevant terms in Arab and Islamic-related political literature and in literature dealing with the topic of «citizenship». Insofar as provided for by this example, we hope to have contributed to uncovering some traps hidden along the translator’s path, and to clarifying the multidimensional nature of the training which enables translators to practice their profession seriously.
Taifa, taifiya, yama’a («group»), equivalent.