Al-Hamadhani's Thesaurus: Selected Arabic Words and Usage

By: Anwar Wright
Publisher: Anwar Wright
Paperback, 210 pages

In Subh al-'A'sha, al-Qalaqshandi said: "Ibn Athir stated in al-Mathal al-Sa'ir: 'Writers carefully sifted through the [Arabic] language and selected from them phenomenal words which they put into practice. These words make up nouns and verbs...and what is entailed in al-Alfaz by al-Hamadhãni lies sufficiency."

Arabic Grammarians worked diligently in compiling dictionaries (المعاجِمُ) in order

to document the pure language of the Arabs. Some of these dictionaries gave importance to Arabic words (tS), while other dictionaries gave importance to

documenting expression and usage. These were known as (مَعاجِمُ المعاني والأسلُوْبِ).

Meaning, if a person desires to express himself about a particular matter in the pure Arabic tongue, but could not find the proper words, he would be able to find them in a dictionary of usage, then express himself with the utmost precision and eloquence.

Several dictionaries were written in this manner, and perhaps the best of them is al-Alfaz al-Kitabiyyah Fi 'Ilm al-Arabiyyah by al-Hamadhãni.

Hence, this type of dictionary is the crown jewel for the learner who desires to express him or herself in Arabic, whether through prose, poetry, writing, khutab, admonitions etcetera, and I thank Allah who facilitated for me the ability to present selections from al-Hamadhani's book to the English-speaking world.

-Abu Suhayl Anwar Wright

Alternate SKU: 1847, 22337764, 9798990423831, 979-8-9904-2383-1