The Modernization of Arabic Vocabulary: A Survey of
Linguistic and Cultural Aspects of Lexical Development
ABSTRACT
Since the nineteenth century, the modernization of Arabic
vocabulary has been subject of a great concern for Arab scholars who are
loyal to the language while aware of the need to adapt it to the demands of
the modern world. This thesis attempts to present a comprehensive view of
the subject by examining linguistic and extra-linguistic aspects of the
process of lexical development in Modern Standard Arabic. The thesis
comprises six chapters:
Chapter One: is a brief introduction to the emergence of the
movement for cultural and linguistic revival in the Arab world, leaders of
linguistic reform, and the Arabic language academies.
Chapter Two: examines the phenomenon of Ishtiqaq (Derivation) in
Arabic, and its role in providing the language with native means of
generating new lexical items.
Chapter Three: discusses the assimilation of foreign words. It
investigates the concept of borrowing in both classical and modern theory,
and presents a description and analysis of this process as adopted for
Modern Standard Arabic.
Chapter Four: deals with the methods of Tarkib and Naht
(Compounding and Blending), and assesses their significance in the growth
of Arabic vocabulary.
Chapter Five: gives a brief introduction to the question of
terminology formation, and reviews the terminological activities in the
Arab world which, aim at the standardization of current terminological
work and the creation of a unified Arabic vocabulary.
Chapter Six: provides a brief summary of the conclusions and
findings of this study.