Browse Tag
Lisan al-Arab
14 posts
Lisan al-Arab (لسان العرب): A comprehensive Arabic dictionary compiled by Ibn Manzur in the 13th century, renowned for its detailed explanations of classical Arabic words and their meanings.
“I’ve been driven half-crazy by the sheer number of untranslatable expressions” | Brian Powell | 9273 Roots #18
As the translation manager for Industry Arabic, Brian Powell has been "driven half-crazy by untranslatable expressions." He discusses the beautiful complexity of his job, why he loves the word برزخ (barzakh) for its Sufi meaning, and the "Elizabethan exuberance" of Egyptian Arabic.
“Every time I cried because of it, I cried for it when it’s gone” | Mahmoud Gomah | 9273 Roots #12
He's the award-winning Egyptian poet and linguist who isn't afraid to correct the common grammatical mistakes of native speakers. Mahmoud Gomah discusses his work as an editor, his love for the poetry of Ahmed Shawqi, and why he considers the Egyptian dialect a language in its own right.
From Hans Wehr to Mobile Apps: 15+ Essential Arabic Dictionaries for Every Arabic Learner
Navigating the many online and offline Arabic dictionaries can be tough. This comprehensive guide reviews top resources for Classical Arabic, MSA, and dialects (like Egyptian Arabic), including Lane's Lexicon, Al-Mawrid, and specialized tools for verb conjugation and technical terms. Find the perfect dictionary for your Arabic learning journey.
How Many Roots Are There in the Arabic Language?
Counting all Arabic roots (جُذُورٌ) is complex due to incomplete data. This article estimates their number using major dictionaries like Hans Wehr (approx. 3,000 roots) and Lisan al-Arab (over 9,000 roots), and discusses the mathematically possible combinations (21,952, or 6,332 with restrictions), offering insights into Arabic morphology.
