“An Etymological
Dictionary of Arabic”
Peyman Mikaili
(Iranian Academy of Sciences,
Teheran, IR)
Oslo 2013
Art is long, vitality or life is brief!
Kunst er lang, er vitalitet eller livet kort!
Different Periods of Ar.
pre-Islamic: Afroasian
pre-Islamic: Semitic, Middle Persian, Greek, Roman
early Islamic / Umayyad
Abbasid
post-classical / pre-colonial / Ottoman
Nahḍa
post-nahḍa
dialects ???
Different Periods
pre-Islamic: Afroasian
pre-Islamic: Semitic, Middle Persian, Greek, Roman
(Classical) CAr.
early Islamic / Umayyad
Abbasid
post-classical / pre-colonial
(Post-Classical MAr.
/ Ottoman
or Pre-Modern)
Nahḍa
post-nahḍa
(Modern) NAr.
dialects ???
(Classical) CAr.
Different Periods
(Classical)
pre-Islamic: CAr.
Afroasian
pre-Islamic: Semitic, Middle Persian, Greek, Roman
(Classical) CAr.
early Islamic / Umayyad
Abbasid
(PoCl or PreM) MAr.
post-classical / pre-colonial / Ottoman
Nahḍa MAr.
post-nahḍa
dialects ???
(Modern) NAr.
Different Periods
pre-Islamic: Afroasian
pre-Islamic: Semitic, Middle Persian, Greek, Roman
early Islamic / Umayyad
Abbasid
post-classical / pre-colonial / Ottoman
Nahḍa
post-nahḍa
dialects ???
(Modern) NAr.
Modern Words (Modern) NAr.
(Modern) NAr.
(Modern) NAr.
Modern Words (Modern) NAr.
Dialectal Words (Modern) NAr.
NS-NAr.
(Non-Standard
Modern=New Ar.)
Fr.
(French; Indo-European
Etymology)
Dialectal Study
Needed Resources (Modern) NAr.
Computerized Databases
Modern General Dictionaries
Specialized Dictionaries
(Classical) CAr.
Different Periods
(Classical)
pre-Islamic: CAr.
Afroasian
pre-Islamic: Semitic, Middle Persian, Greek, Roman
(Classical) CAr.
early Islamic / Umayyad
Abbasid
MAr.
post-classical / pre-colonial / Ottoman
Nahḍa MAr.
post-nahḍa
dialects ???
(Modern) NAr.
Different Periods
pre-Islamic: Afroasian
pre-Islamic: Semitic, Middle Persian, Greek, Roman
early Islamic / Umayyad
Abbasid
post-classical / pre-colonial / Ottoman
Nahḍa MAr.
post-nahḍa
dialects ???
Sources MAr.
Several Articles:
Of Coptic origins:
Bishai, G., “Coptic influence on Egyptian Arabic”, Journal of the American
Oriental Society 80 (1960), pp. 225-229.
Corriente, Coptic loanwords of Egyptian Arabic in comparison with the
parallel case of Romance loanwords in Andalusi Arabic, with the true
Egyptian etymon of Al-Andalus, Collectanea Christiana Orientalia 5 (2008),
pp. 59-123.
Of Greek origins:
Graf, Verzeichnis arabischer kirchlicher Termini, VAKT 1-3.
Of Ottoman (Turkish) origins.
Examples: MAr.
Ar. Words of Greek
origins
Examples: MAr.
Ar. Words of Coptic
origins
These words are
used currently in
Egy. Ar. Dial.
Examples: MAr.
Ar. Words of
Ottoman origins
Altaic Etymology
Needed Sources MAr.
A big Database from: Computerizing the oldest journals,
magazines and published books and making them
searchable
(Classical) CAr.
Different Periods
(Classical)
pre-Islamic: CAr.
Afroasian
pre-Islamic: Semitic, Middle Persian, Greek, Roman
(Classical) CAr.
early Islamic / Umayyad
Abbasid
MAr.
post-classical / pre-colonial / Ottoman
Nahḍa MAr.
post-nahḍa
dialects ???
(Modern) NAr.
Different Periods
pre-Islamic: Afroasian
pre-Islamic: Semitic, Middle Persian, Greek, Roman
(Classical) CAr.
early Islamic / Umayyad
Abbasid
post-classical / pre-colonial / Ottoman
Nahḍa
post-nahḍa
dialects ???
(Classical) CAr.
This part of the dictionary makes difference!
Different from other world language families (even other
cognate Semitic languages)
(Classical) CAr.
Let’s have our own philosophy and Approach! The
previous methodologies may not work well!
Determining the Vision, Mission, Goals and Objectives
Delimitating the Scope! The dictionary addresses whom?
Who are the readers and users? General readers or
specialist? The Arab people or Western?
(Classical) CAr.
Ar. vs. Heb., Syr., Ethiop., etc.
Tāǧ-ul-ʕarūs (the greatest classical Arabic lexicon [XII century]) exactly contains
11,649 roots.
About 11 % of them are for proper names:
► Ar. proper place names
► Ar. proper person names
► Non-Ar. proper place names: including Persia, Egypt, India etc.
► Non-Ar. proper person names: including Persia, Palestine etc.
Thence, about 10,000 roots are to be considered in a comprehensive work!
(Classical) CAr.
Ar. vs. Heb., Syr., Ethiop., etc.
Heb. Has about 4,000 – 5,000 roots
Ref.:
Heb. roots (Classical) CAr.
Heb. roots (Classical) CAr.
Some Statistics: (Classical) CAr.
Heb. vs. Ar. roots
The Average of multitude meanings of each root is:
In Heb. 2.5
In Ar. 5.5
(Classical) CAr.
Multitude
meanings of each
root
Main meanings
also:
subdivisions
Heb. vs. Ar. roots (Classical) CAr.
The Average of multitude meanings of each root is:
In Heb. 2.5
In Ar. 5.5
Hence:
In Ar. 10,000 * 5.5 = 55,000
In Heb. 5,000 * 2.5 = 12,500
Where, 55,000 / 12,500 = 4.4
Root materials (Classical) CAr.
==== Akk.
== Ugar.
= Sab., Sam.
====== Syr.
======= Heb.
======== Ethiop.
======= ======= ======= ======= === Ar.
Inter. Etym. (Classical) CAr.
For every One of Four Ar. roots, we may find only One
direct common Sem. cognate;
Hence, we should use Internal Etymology for other Ar.
roots
Our own philosophy: Radical Clusters (RC)
(Classical) CAr.
Inter. Etym.: Root Clusters
A B C D Y
أ ب تث د ی
خ ف ز و
ھـ م ذ ن
ح سش ()ھـ
ع B’ صض
غ ر طظ
ل جقک
(Classical) CAr.
Inter. Etym.: Example
RC Cognates
ABC أﺑﺰ
ACB أزب
BAC ﺑﺎذ
CAB ﻇﺄب
All meaning: to do wrong and oppress (one's companion)
RC: root clusters
(Classical) CAr.
Inter. Etym.: Example
RC Cognates
ACB’ أﺗﻞ
ACB’ ﻋﻄﻞ
CAB’ ﻃﺤﻞ
AB’C ﺣﻠﻂ
All meaning: to be angry
RC: root clusters
Inter. Etym.: Prefixes (Classical) CAr.
-ق
-ج
-ک
-ھـ
-ش
-س
-ن
-ث
(Classical) CAr.
Inter. Etym.: Example
ﺖ = ﻋ ّﻂ = ﻏ ّﻂ = ﺧ ّﻂ ّ ت= ﻋ
ّ أ ACC
ﺚّ ﺚ= ﻏ ّ ﻋ ACC
ّﻗﻂ q+(A)CC
ّﮐﺪ k+(A)CC
ﺖ ّ ﺷ ّﻂ = ﺷ š+(A)CC
All meaning: to overcome ; to break
Examples for Inter. Etym.
Examples for
Inter. Etym.
Two General Views:
1) A comprehensive dictionary
a Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary of Arabic
Language (CEDAL)
2) A reasonable and feasible dictionary (probably a
concise one)
a concise Etymological Dictionary of Arabic Language
(cEDAL)
Two Views:
In cEDAL (a concise one)
the derivatives are arranged under the common root
An Ideal Suggestion for EDAL
Root Headword
Derivatives
Proto-Sem.
Reconstruction
Sem. Cognates:
Afro-Asiatic
Cognates:
Etymology
Further or suggested
bibliography
Two Views:
But, in CEDAL (the comprehensive one)
every derivative occurs as an independent headword and
its development is studied regardless the whole root, and
it has own proper cognates, according its grammatical
role or measures.
Entries; their arrangements
A B
Example:
A B
An example for
the arrangement of the
Entries
A virtual Two-consonant headword
All meanings in one supposed headword
Derivatives
Cont’d Etymological discussion
Cont’d
Another Example
CE: Classical Etymology : Main Etymology
Order of Headwords
The Headwords are ordered by:
Latin alphabet or Ar. Abdjad
1) Lat. Order:
A) Transcription of root consonants:
B) Transliteration of the whole word:
2) Ar. Abdjad
A) Transcription of root consonants:
B) Transliteration of the whole word:
Example: Leslau CDG
After the Headwords…
Pronunciation: signs
Which set of signs?
According to which reference?
Which one works better regarding technical handicaps
Italic or straight
Pronunciation and transliteration signs
Pronunciation and transliteration signs
Pronunciation: rules
The finals of the nouns?
Historical Information:
pre-Islamic: Semitic, Middle Persian, Greek, Roman
early Islamic / Umayyad
Abbasid
post-classical / pre-colonial / Ottoman
Nahḍa
post-nahḍa
dialects
Without Historical
Information:
Only mentioned the
books or lexicons
referred
Historical Information:
Providing a Complete Historical Study of the Word:
CAr. = Its position in the Classical Arabic
Ø = Usage in Pre-Islamic Period Every number stands for 100 years
after emerge of Islam
Small Roman Numbers = The word mentioned in texts
Capital Roman Numerals = The word mentioned in the Ar. Lexicons
For Example: [CAr. Ø-i > : I-XII > *NAr.] = This word mentioned in
the Pre-Islamic and first century after Islam’s emerge as orally tradition
or early texts, which has been mentioned in the > Lexicons from first to
the Twelfth Centuries, then received by Modern Arabic.
or [V-VII †] means that the word mentioned in the classical lexicons
from the Fifth to the Seventh centuries, then it died away!
Historical Information:
Historical Information:
Historical Information:
Uses of Historical Information:
1) Pursuing the semantic changes and expansions
2) Determining the time of phonetically changes of the root
3) Correcting the misprinting and misspellings in the
manuscripts
4) Correcting the misunderstanding the classical authors
One of the vital roles of the Etymological dictionaries is
correcting the mistakes in the manuscript copying considered
incorrectly “true” through the decades!
Uses of Historical Information:
1) Pursuing the semantic changes and expansions
Uses of Historical Information:
2) Determining the time of phonetically changes of the root
Uses of Historical Information:
2) Determining the time of phonetically changes of the root
Uses of Historical Information:
3) Correcting the misprinting and misspellings in the
manuscripts
Uses of Historical
Information:
3) Correcting the
misprinting and
misspellings in the
manuscripts
Uses of Historical Information:
3) Correcting the misprinting and misspellings in the manuscripts
Uses of Historical Information:
4) Correcting the misunderstanding the classical authors
Uses of Historical
Information:
4) Correcting
the
misunderstandi
ng the classical
authors
Historical Categories
CAr. : Classical Ar.
PCAr. or PMAr. : Post-Classical or Pre-Modern Ar.
NAr. : New or Modern Ar.
NS-CAr. Dial. Tam. : Non-Standard CAr.
NS-NAr. Dial. Egy. : Non-Standard NAr.
Historical
Categories
Grammatical information
adj. adjective
coll. n. Collective generic noun اﺳﻢ ﺟﻨﺲ ﺟﻤﻌﻲ
f. fem.
inf. n. infinitive noun
pl. mult. : plural of multitude
pl. pauc. : plural of paucity
sg. singular
unit. n. Noun of unity ٌ واﺣﺪة،ٌواﺣﺪ
v. verb
Further information
* = hypothetical form
(anat.) anatomy
(astr.) astronomy
(bot.) botanic
(Christ.) Christian, Christianity ﻧﺼﺮاﻧﯿﺔ
(geogr.) geography
(interj.)
(med.) medicine
(TA) : Terminologia Anatomica
(trad. soc.) traditional society
(zool.) zoology
Grammatical
information
Grammatical information:
verb types or measures
Based on the scope of the dictionary we may use:
Roman numerals: II, IV, IX, X
Measure in Arabic: َﺗ َﻔﻌﱠ َﻞ
As transcript: tafaʕʕala
As numeral and letters:
ta1a22a3a
Grammatical information:
verb types or measures
Sometimes the word in different measure, may denote a
new root (semantically or etymologically)
Structure of the Entries:
Adding Usage Information:
Eng. meaning
variants
Ar. synonyms
usage in context
an example
other
supplementary
explanations
Ar. Synonyms
Although inserting the Ar. Synonyms: overwhelm the text and enhance
the size of the dictionary
But:
1) They may be themselves the cognates, or the primary roots
2) Or they can guide us to the cognates having the same Ar. explanations
Ar. Synonyms
1) They may be themselves the cognates, or the primary roots
Ar. Synonyms
2) Or they can guide us to the cognates having the same Ar. Explanations
Searching اﺷﺘَ ﱠﺪ ﺣَ ﺮﱡهwe may find these synonyms, namely probable
cognates
Ar. Synonyms
2) Or they can guide us to the cognates having the same Ar. Explanations
Considering أﺑﺖ, and searching for verbs meaning: to be angry with,
furious at, frown, we may find:
Etymological Section:
“The Etymology” section contains:
1) Sem. Cognates
1-1) Afro-Asiatic Cognates
And also may be connected to other languages e.g.:
1-2) Nostratic: Indo-European etc.
2) Etymological discussion.
We may add another section:
3) CE: Classical Etymology, the etymological studies suggested in Ar.
classical lexicons or philological texts, almost are folk or popular
etymologies, and also some are kidding !
Sem. Cognates: Languages
Akk. Akkadian MBab. Middle OBab. Old Babylonian
Amh. Amharic Babylonian Phoe. Phoenician
Amor. Amorit Meḥ. Meḥrī Sab. Sabaic
Ar. Arabic Moab. Moabit Sab. Sabaean
Aram. Aramaic Mong. Mongolian Sam. Samaritan
BHeb. Biblical Hebrew N- New/Modern Sem. Semitic
Eth. Ethiopic Nab. Nabataean Syr. Syriac
Haḍ. Haḍramawt NAr. Modern Arabic Ṯam. Ṯamūdic
Heb. Hebrew NAss. New Assyrian Tigr. Tigre
jBab. Young Babylonian NBab. New Babylonian Tigrin. Tigrinya
M- Medieval/Middle NHeb. Modern Hebrew Ugar. Ugaritic
Mand. Mandaic NSCAr. Non-Standard CAr.
PMAr. Pre-Modern Arabic OAkk. Old Akkadian
MAss. Middle Assyrian OAss. Old Assyrian
Sem. Cognates:
Materials
Sem. Cognates: Materials
Sem. Cognates should be in the “original scripts”?
Why Yes, why Not?
Technical limitations limits us or,
the transliterations are more useful for etymological
purposes?
Sem. Cognates: Materials
Some older texts used:
Only original scripts, e.g. Jeffery FVQ
Sem. Cognates: Materials
Modern texts almost use only transliteration, e.g.
Militarev JLR 1:101
CE: Classical Etymology
Almost 40% of these etymologies may work, so we may use them!
Almost of these etymologies are about:
1) introducing the “non-standard” or dialectal variants of an Standard
form of the word
2) the grammatical deformations of a word and elucidating the original
form
3) Introducing the Ar. cognates
4) And rarely “pure etymological suggestions”, almost popular
etymologies!
CE: Classical Etymology
1) introducing the “NS: Non-Standard” or dialectal variants of an
Standard form of the word
CE: Classical Etymology
2) the grammatical deformations of a word and elucidating the original
form
CE: Classical Etymology
3) Introducing the Ar. Cognates
(as mentioned above)
CE: Classical Etymology
4) And rarely “pure etymological suggestions”, almost popular
etymologies!
CE: Classical Etymology
4) And rarely “pure etymological suggestions”, almost popular
etymologies!
Etymological Discussions:
Sem. Cognates and Etymological Discussion may be:
1) mixed together. This format lacks a net and rapid overview on the
Cognates (at a glance). This format may be some confusing, specially
when the explanations are in detail in the all probable languages with
reference to several words in different languages!
2) or Sem. Cognates may precede the Etymological Discussion. In this
format it is almost necessary to repeat the formerly mentioned Sem.
Cognates again in the text.
Etymological Discussions:
3) in the currently format of (wiki-based) EDALC, the etymology is based on
the referred books
Etymological Discussions:
1) What’s our philosophy?
2) What’s the scope of our dictionary? To what extent we will proceed?
3) How bravely would be the etymologies?
Conservative or Ambitious, or an intermediary way between
them?
Etymological Discussions:
1) What’s our philosophy?
Do we have any methodology to deduce the etymology?
Cf. Meier HWW
Etymological Discussions:
1) What’s our philosophy?
Also cf. Jastrow DTTM
Etymological Discussions:
2) What’s the scope of our dictionary? To what extent we will proceed?
E.g.: when a word from Turk. Origin, if it is necessary to enter the Altaic or
other fields?
Is the Sumerian
etymology may be
necessary?
Etymological Discussions:
3) How bravely would be the etymologies?
Conservative or Ambitious, or an intermediary way between
them?
Etymological Discussions:
3) How bravely would be the etymologies?
Resources:
Arabic Material
1) Pre-Islamic
2) Qur’an
3) Written texts from beginning up to now
4) Oral traditions and Dialectal materials
5) Proper names (places, persons, cultural events, mythologies etc.)
Western Research Literature
1) Old texts, like the works of Golius, Gesenius, Nöldeke, etc.
2) The works of Yesterday: Jeffery, Brockelmann, Klein, (maybe Leslau) etc.
3) Modern and completely revised works, e.g. Zammit, and almost recently
published papers
The importance of proper nouns in Ar. etymology
In some cases, a Sem. root does not used in the standard Ar., but it occurs
in the proper names: cf. Gesenius THC 16b; Olmo Lete DUL 9.
أﺑﺎنTaj-ul- ‘Arus Vol. 34, 151-3.
The importance of proper nouns in Ar. etymology
Conclusion:
Etymology of Signs (letters and Numbers)
After Etymology of the Word “One”,
We may study the numeral sign for the “One” in Ar.
Sometimes the derivatives and cognates of a certain Ar. Root, are
so diverse and follow a certain regularity that, we may arrange
them in a table like mortification table in math.
Further examples:
Further examples:
Further examples:
The loanword and etymon harmony: irregularities or variants
Searching for hidden variants
The loanword and etymon harmony: irregularities or variants
Searching for hidden variants
Babiniotis LNEG 1256a; 1997b
Babiniotis LNEG 1256a; 1997b
Grk. k > (Barb.) > Ar. غ
Unsolved discrepancies
Some missed words
Will these missed words be considered as
(supposed) headwords?
In the cases, that the exact root is not clear, where will
we put the Ar. Word (under which article)?
Thanks for
your
Attention!
