Prominent Modern Arabic Language Dictionaries
The Arabic language boasts a vast array of dictionaries, both historical and contemporary. Among the most notable modern dictionaries of the Arabic language are the following:
Al-Mu‘jam Al-Waseet
- This dictionary was published upon the recommendation of the Arabic Language Academy in Cairo and was authored by Ibrahim Mustafa, Ahmad Al-Zayyat, Hamid Abdul Qadir, and Muhammad Al-Najjar.
- The authors aimed to create a dictionary that provides readers with linguistic material in a clear and understandable manner, making it user-friendly, which is how it earned the title “Waseet” or “Intermediate.”
- The dictionary includes all contemporary terms and phrases that have emerged in various fields of science and art, complete with detailed and clear definitions.
- What distinguishes this dictionary from others is its inclusion of neglected words that have fallen out of usage.
- This work also incorporates synonyms that arise from dialectal variations.
- The dictionary relies on recognized texts and established dictionaries, citing verses from the Quran, Hadiths, and famous Arabic proverbs, along with quotes from eloquent authors, poets, and orators.
- In addition, it contains a section for terms and phrases that have been newly introduced or borrowed into Arabic, which have been approved by the Arabic Language Academy and are commonly used in daily conversation.
Contemporary Arabic Language Dictionary
Crafted collaboratively, this dictionary was written by a team of trained and qualified professionals under the guidance of linguistic expert Ahmad Mukhtar Omar. It focuses on terms related to language, sciences, literature, and various fields of knowledge, positioning itself as a modern dictionary that includes words currently in use and newly adopted expressions that retain their linguistic validity.
This dictionary encompasses the specific usage of terms across the entire Arab world, from the Atlantic to the Gulf, and is enriched with data on common and widely used words, utilizing advanced computational systems for conducting linguistic surveys of both written and spoken material that reflect contemporary Arabic language usage.
Al-Ghani Dictionary
Authored by Dr. Abdul Ghani Abu Al-Azm, this dictionary is distinguished by its inclusion of definitions and clarifications for over thirty thousand words and terms, along with more than nineteen thousand derived words. It is organized alphabetically and uniquely identifies original Arabic words, differentiating them from borrowed or assimilated words.
Al-Ma‘ani Al-Jami‘ Dictionary
This is an Arabic-to-Arabic dictionary written by Dr. Marwan Atiyah.
Al-Ra’id Dictionary
This modern linguistic dictionary was authored by Jubran Masoud.
Types of Arabic Dictionaries
Linguists categorize dictionaries into three primary types:
- The alphabetical dictionary, which organizes entries based on initial letters, with Al-Zamakhshari’s “Asas Al-Balaghah” being one of the most famous examples.
- The reverse alphabetical dictionary, which organizes by final letters; notable examples include “Taj Al-Lugha wa Sahih Al-Arabiyya” by Al-Jawhari, “Lisan Al-Arab” by Ibn Manzur, and “Al-Qamus Al-Muhit” by Al-Firuz Abadi.
- The dictionary based on phonetic characteristics, with “Al-Ayn” by Al-Khalil Ibn Ahmad Al-Farahidi being among the most recognized works structured according to this system, marking it as the first organized dictionary in the Arabic language.