Notes A Survey of Quranic Arabic-Urdu Lexicons

Abstract

The tradition of compiling dictionaries, explanatory glosses and philological investigations of varying length, taste and application dates from the second century AH with the composition of the great works of Khalil b. Ahmad [Kitab al-‘Ayn] and Sibawayhi [Al-Kitab].1 These were originally Arabic grammars but were so vast in their range that they covered the extensive gamut of historical philology, lexical variation and incorporated a special focus on the grammar of the Quran. The Muslims can be proud of their strong lexicographical traditions, which are one of their intellectual gifts to world civilization.