An overview of bilingual dictionaries (A-E) published during the last two centuries

1. WELCOME TO
An Overview of the Development
of Arabic-English Bilingual
Dictionaries: Varieties and
Challenges
Antar Fuad Ali

2. Biodata
Antar Fuad Ali
PhD Candidate, FLL, Universiti Malaya
DR. KRISHNAVANIE A/P SHUNMUGAM
Bilingualization of Islamic Financial & Economic
Terms: Challenges and Perspectives

3. Introducti
on
* “a book that gives a list of words
in alphabetical order
and explains their meanings in the same language,
or another language” (Longman 6th Edition, 2016)
Definition of DICTIONARY in English:

4. Introducti
on
"‫المعجم‬|‫القاممس‬( :‫ا‬ ‫االلومةو‬ ‫العلوم‬)‫اةتولمعاىلوفاماورلاةالوو‬ ‫مرجو‬‫ا‬ ‫مو‬
‫الع‬ ‫ةامو‬ ‫لمو‬ ‫جوواجولمراال‬ ‫احما‬ ‫او‬‫ة‬ًّ ‫ااج‬ ‫و‬‫ا‬ًّ ‫اا‬ ‫و‬ً‫ب‬‫الرلة‬ ‫ب‬ّ‫ل‬‫مر‬‫ا‬ ‫و‬ ‫اما‬‫م‬ّ‫ع‬‫و‬‫ل‬ ‫ا‬ ‫رةو‬
‫الةاماللاو‬ ‫اماجلعم‬‫م‬‫ن‬ ‫قاممع‬ ‫امناًّةغاماتلق‬ ‫ةاىا‬ ‫رامعلمم‬ ‫مل‬"(‫ا‬ ‫اللوو‬
‫ًّرة،ا‬ ‫االمع‬ ‫العربة‬2008)
Translation: (Linguistically) a reference which includes the lexical
units of a language in a certain order, alphabetical or root-
based, with the definition of each entry, information regarding
its derivatives, lexical items [senses], and varied uses.
(Contemporary Arabic, 2008)
Definition of DICTIONARY in Arabic :

5. Introducti
on
The purpose of bilingual dictionaries
It is generally to clarify foreign language vocabulary to a specific
audience taken into mind:
1. The targeted readership (professionals, laymen, researchers,
learners, translators, etc.)
2. The directionality (mono- or bi-)
3. Coding or encoding

6. Introducti
on
The classification of bilingual
dictionaries
In the current study, bilingual dictionaries can be classified
based on:
1. Language Variety : Classic Arabic (CA)
Modern Standard Arabic (MSA)
colloquial Arabic (cA).
Cont
Legacy ‫تراث‬/‫ا‬ ‫لر‬/‫مةراث‬
Straight ‫مجلقة‬
‫مةراث‬/‫لر‬
‫مجلقة‬
‫مةراث‬/‫لر‬
‫مجلقة‬/‫اي‬ ‫ج‬/‫جمح‬...
CA MSA cA

7. Introducti
on
The classification of bilingual
dictionaries
2. Type of language: general or specialized
‫فأرة‬:‫فارة‬(‫حيوان‬)
rat, mouse
‫الحاسب‬ ‫فأرة‬ computer mouse: mouse
Cont

8. Introducti
on
The classification of bilingual
dictionaries
3. Purpose of the dictionary:
active or passive‫م‬ ِ‫ائ‬ َ‫ن‬ (tropical:) Lying; as
opposed to sitting and standing.
(Mgh.) ‫م‬ َ‫و‬ ْ‫ن‬ َ‫أ‬ [More, or most, prone
to sleep]. (A, art. ‫فهد‬).‫ام‬ َ‫ن‬ َ‫م‬
Time of sleep. (Jel, xxxix. 43.)
See also 1
Asleep; sleeping; sleeper
‫م‬ ِ‫نائ‬:‫د‬ ِ‫راق‬

9. Introducti
on
The objective
The examination of six Arabic-English dictionaries enables us
To identify the criteria lexicographers employ
to select their entries

10. Introducti
on
Methodology
The examination and contrast of the
introductory matter, the A-Z vocabulary list,
and appendices of six Arabic-English
dictionaries produced during the last two
centuries will be conducted.

11. Literature
Brief Introduction of the six dictionaries
Arabic-English Lexicon (1862)
by E. W. Lane
1. Eight Volumes
2. Nearly copious
3. Definitions in English
4. Translated Arabic examples of
usage

12. Literature
Steingass’ Arabic-English Dictionary (1884)
Brief Introduction of the six dictionaries
1. Based on his previous English-
Arabic Dictionary.
2. Pre-Islamic era and early Islamic
era.
3. Well constructed
4. No examples
5. 26000 entries

13. Literature
An Advanced Learner's Arabic-English
Dictionary by H. Anthony Salmoné (1889)
Brief Introduction of the six dictionaries
1. "comprehensive, handy and cheap,"
2. Arabic-English and Arabic-French
dictionaries
3. 18750 entries

14. Literature
Arabic-English Dictionary for the Use of
Students by F. J. G. Hava (1899)
1. Arabic literature and poetry
2. Peculiarities of Arabic expressions
3. Regionalisms from Egypt and Syria.
4. Scientific terms
5. Translations suggested in Lane’s
Arabic-English Lexicon
6. 54000 entries
Brief Introduction of the six dictionaries

15. Literature
Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic
by Hans Wehr (1960-1979).
Brief Introduction of the six dictionaries
1. originally written in German/ later translated into
English
2. vocabulary and phraseology found in modern
Arabic from Iraq to Morocco
3. No colloquialisms and popular
dialect expressions

16. Literature
Brief Introduction of the six dictionaries
Modern Arabic-English Dictionary
by Rohi Baalbaki (1987-2009)
1. an electronic version
2. omitted obsolete words and rare words
3. examples to illustrate the meanings of some entries
4. the field of use of certain words
5. several editions of this dictionary
6. nearly 74500 entries

17. Results and Discussion
No Name Sources
1 Lane’s Arabic-English Lexicon (1862) Monolingual Arabic (MA) dictionaries
2 Steingass’ Arabic-English Dictionary
(1884)
Literary works, bilingual dictionaries, and MA dictionaries such as Al
Muhit.
3 Salmoné’s An Advanced Learner's
Arabic-English Dictionary (1889)
A/E, A/F, G/A, A/Latin, A-Persian/E dictionaries, classical and
modern writings
4 Hava’s Arabic-English Dictionary for
the Use of Students (1899)
Arabic/French dictionaries and MA dictionaries
5 Wehr’s Dictionary of Modern Written
Arabic (1979)
Literary works, handbooks, newspapers, journals and (A/F, A-E, MA,
G/A)dictionaries
6 Baalbaki’s Modern Arabic-English
Dictionary (1967-2009)
(over 30) A/A, A/F, A/English (general/specialized) dictionaries

18. Results and Discussion
1.The study dictionaries made use of earlier dictionaries, be
monolingual or bilingual.
2.The older the dictionary was, the more dependent on
Arabic dictionaries it was.
3.Non-Arab compilers needed to read and check literary,
modern works and newspapers.
4.The last dictionary in the study made use of over 30
dictionaries.

19. Thank
you for
listeni
ng