ARABIC-ENGLISH/ ENGLISH-ARABIC LEXICOGRAPHY: A CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE by RADIA BENZEHRA (Under the Direction of DON R. MCCREARY) ABSTRACT The present dissertation integrates theoretical and analytical work on qualitative dimensions of English-Arabic lexicography. The aim of the theoretical part is twofold; first, it relates monolingual Arabic lexicography to its bilingual counterpart and explains how English- Arabic dictionaries continue to be written in the light of early practices in Arabic-Arabic dictionaries. Second, an examination of state-of-the-art studies in the field highlights the dominant models in theoretical discussions on English-Arabic lexicography. The qualitative analysis further investigates the microstructure of landmark English-Arabic/Arabic-English dictionaries, and indicates problematic aspects while suggesting prototypical remedial entries at the same time. Future English-Arabic dictionaries should take user needs and active-passive typology into consideration and should provide consistent information for each group of users. The dissertation unveils highly pertinent language-related issues in the field. The constant interplay between Classical Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic, and the vernaculars is conducive to unceasing variation at all linguistic levels, and offers linguists and lexicographers demanding challenges to the description and codification of „Modern Standard Arabic‟. The mixed forms and structures in which the written language and the vernaculars are closely enmeshed constitute the essence of a pervasive MSA. Specific lexicographic techniques need to be carefully reconsidered to systematize the variation and diversity that characterizes the Arabic language. Arabic lexicography played a major role in the intact transmission of the Classical variety, and later in the revival of the Arabic language. Within the framework of a descriptive grammar, the discipline has a major role to play in the future, inevitable, standardization processes of the emergent varieties of Arabic. The goals of Arabic lexicography have to be related to a much grander plan which is that of ensuring the smooth development of the language, embracing linguistic change, and getting rid of prescriptive attitudes towards the language. Such positive feelings will rescue the discipline from a long period of stagnation. Arabic lexicography calls for a transdisciplinary approach that would involve linguists, terminologists, translators and corpus researchers by highlighting the contributions that one makes to the other and by opening up new perspectives for both theoretical and practical developments. INDEX WORDS: Arabic Dictionaries, Bilingual Arabic Lexicography, Monolingual Arabic Lexicography, English-Speaking Users, Arabic-Speaking Users, Macrostructure, Microstructure, Arabic dialects, Arabic diglossia ARABIC-ENGLISH/ ENGLISH-ARABIC LEXICOGRAPHY: A CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE by RADIA BENZEHRA BA, Mentouri University Constantine, Algeria, 1998 MA, Mentouri University Constantine, Algeria, 2004 A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY ATHENS, GEORGIA 2011 © 2011 Radia Benzehra All Rights Reserved ARABIC-ENGLISH/ ENGLISH-ARABIC LEXICOGRAPHY: A CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE by RADIA BENZEHRA Approved: Major Professor: Don R. McCreary Committee: Francis Assaf Fredric Dolezal Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia August 2011 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my major professor Dr. Don R. McCreary for his unwavering support and guidance over the past three years. I am extremely grateful for the time and energy he invested in this project: his guidance and inspiration were essential to its completion. Further, I would like to recognize the important role Professor McCreary has had throughout my PhD program. He co-authored and edited many of the papers this dissertation is based on. Many of the issues reported here have been resolved through long discussions and collaborative research. I would like to extend my appreciation to my committee members, Dr. Francis Assaf and Dr. Fredric Dolezal, for their time and patience with this work. I benefited immensely from their assistance and feedback. I am greatly indebted to the Fulbright Program, which funded my doctoral studies at the University of Georgia. My Fulbright scholarship (2008-2011) will remain a genuine highlight in my life. I would like to thank all my professors at the University of Georgia with whom I have had the privilege of studying. It is hard for me to express in words my gratitude to all staff members, and fellow graduate students in the Linguistics program who helped me in innumerable ways in the course of my studies at the University of Georgia. To all of them – Thank you! I would like to aknowledge the contribution from my best friends who have prompted me to sometimes step back from work in order to relax and find joy and happiness in life. iv Lastly, my heartfelt thanks go out to my family, especially my parents Kamel and Yamina, for all the warmth and support they have provided over the years: I owe you very much! v TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................................................................................ iv LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................................... ix LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................... x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Bilingual Dictionary Types............................................................................. 1 1.2 Rising Interest in Arabic ................................................................................ 2 1.3 Intended Audience of the Dictionary .............................................................. 3 1.4 The Need for More Research on English-Arabic lexicography ....................... 4 1.5 The Triglossic Situation in the Arab World .................................................... 5 1.6 Standardization and Terminology Issues in the Arab World............................ 8 1.7 Criticism of the Microstructure ..................................................................... 11 1.8 Aims of the Research ................................................................................... 13 1.9 Limitations of the Present Research ............................................................. 13 1.10 Statement of the Research Questions .......................................................... 14 1.11 Hypotheses ................................................................................................. 16 1.12 Method ....................................................................................................... 16 1.13 Conclusion ................................................................................................. 18 vi 2 MONOLINGUAL ARABIC LEXICOGRAPHY AND ITS BILINGUAL COUNTERPART .................................................................................................... 20 2.1 The Arabic Language, Religion, and Arabic Lexicography ........................... 22 2.2 Bedouin Arabic, the Dialects of Arabic, and Arabic Lexicography ............... 37 2.3 Linguistic Policies, Lexical Innovations and Loanwords: More Evidence of Conservatism in the Arab World ........................................................................ 44 2.4 Conclusion ................................................................................................... 65 3 MACRO- AND MICROSTRUCTURAL ISSUES IN MONOLINGUAL ARABIC DICTIONARIES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON MODERN ARABIC LEXICOGRAPHY .................................................................................................. 67 3.1 The Rise of Arabic Lexicography ................................................................. 69 3.2 Important Notes on the Vowel System and the Arabic Alphabet ................... 79 3.3 Seminal Dictionaries in the History of Arabic Lexicography ........................ 89 3.4 Classical Arabic Dictionaries as the Basis of „Early‟ Bilingual Lexicons and „Modern‟ Monolingual Arabic Dictionaries ...................................................... 105 3.5 Conclusion ................................................................................................. 116 4 A REVIEW OF THE METALEXICOGRAPHY OF BILINGUAL ARABIC LEXICOGRAPHY, INCLUDING FRENCH-ARABIC DICTIONARIES ............. 121 4.1 French-Arabic Lexicography: History and State of the Art ........................ 123 4.2 English-Arabic Metalexicography .............................................................. 144 4.3 Conclusion ................................................................................................. 179 5 ARABIC-ENGLISH/ ENGLISH-ARABIC DICTIONARIES: MACRO- AND MICROSTRUCTURAL HIGHLIGHTS ................................................................ 184 vii 5.1 Classification of Bilingual Arabic Dictionaries ........................................... 185 5.2 The most Important Landmarks in the History of English-Arabic/Arabic- English Lexicography ..................................................................................... 191 5.3 Microstructural Issues in English-Arabic Lexicography